Notice the Magnificat of Mary below. The word 'magnificat' in Latin, the Church's official language, means 'magnify'. A magnifying glass makes things clearer, and Mary makes her son Jesus clearer. I only say this, because the new versions say: 'My being proclaims the goodness of the Lord'. These words do NOT mean the same thing!!!!! It is another slam against Our Blessed Mother, just to please the protestants who helped set up the new mass and bibles. Every verse which is about Mary has been changed. They might be approved by the weak clergy, but they are WRONG!! My opinion is this: "If you can't say anything nice about Jesus's Mother, shut up!" We wouldn't like it if someone talked bad about our moms, and Jesus is no different. He will remember. Have no doubt!
My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;
And his mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of his mercy
Even as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.
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Now, let us contemplate the canticle below, which is in today's Mass, and refers to Mary:
Hail, star of the sea! Blessed Mother of God, yet ever a Virgin! O happy gate of heaven!
Thou that didst receive the 'Ave' from Gabriel's lips, confirm us in peace, and so let 'Eva' be changed into an 'Ave' of blessing for us.
Loose the sinner's chains, bring light to the blind, drive from us our evils, and ask all good things for us.
Sho9w thyself a Mother, and offer our prayers to him, who would be born of thee, when born for us.
O incomparable Virgin, and meekest of the meek, obtain us the forgiveness of our sins, and make us meek and chaste.
Obtain us purity of life, and a safe pilgrimage; that we may be united with thee in the blissful vision of Jesus.
Praise be too God the Father, and to the Lord Jesus, and to the Holy Ghost: to the Three one self-same praise. Amen.
V. Blessed art thou among women.
R. And blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
And now, to end this post, something from 'The Liturgical Year' by the Abbot Gueranger, about today's readings:
The church introduces us into the depth of the mystery. What she has just been reading to us is the explanation of that word of Elizabeth's which sums up the whole of today's feast: "When thy voice sounded in mine ear, the infant in my womb leaped for joy." O voice of Mary, voice of the turtledove, putting winter to flight, and announcing springtide flowers and fragrance! At this sweet sound John's soul, a captive in the darkness of sin, casts off the badge of slavery, and suddenly developing germs of highest virtues, appears as beautiful as a bride decked in nuptial array: and, therefore, how Jesus hastes unto this well-beloved soul! Between John and the Bridegroom, oh! what ineffable outpourings! what sublime dialogues pass between them, from womb to womb of Mary and Elizabeth! Admirable mothers! Sons yet more admirable! In this happy meeting, the sight, the hearing, the voice of the mothers belong less to themselves than to the blessed fruit each bears within her; thus their senses are the lattices through which the Bridegroom and the friend of the Bridegroom see one another, understand one another, speak one to the other!
How awesome is that?! Isn't God great?