The Objectives of Magnificat:
Magnificat encourages Catholic women to grow in holiness through the following means:
- Live out the mystery of Mary's visit to Elizabeth
- Help Catholic women to open more and more to the Holy Spirit through a deeper commitment of their lives to Jesus as Lord and to impart the Holy Spirit to one another by their love, service, and sharing the good news of salvation
- Provide opportunities which foster growth in holiness
- Sponsor the Magnificat Meal, the essential function of Magnificat
- Imitate Mary through the spiritual adoption of priests and seminarians
Magnificat encourages Catholic women to grow in holiness through the following means:
- Daily personal prayer
- Realization of the personal love of God the Father
- Personal Knowledge of and love for Jesus Christ and commitment to Him as Lord
- Experience of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit and openness to all His gifts
- Frequent participation in the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist and Reconciliation
- Study and daily reading of the Sacred Scriptures, the word of God
- Deep love for and loyalty to the Catholic Church, as expressed through the Church's teaching authority, the pope and the bishops in communion with Him, who serve as guides in matters of faith and morals
- Sensitivity to the needs of the Church and willingness to address these needs through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy
- Deep love for and devotion to Mary as mother and model of all Christians, especially women
- Appreciation of the vocation of Christian Women
- Reverence for the sanctity of life from its origins to its fulfillment in God
- Fostering the work of intercessory prayer, and
- Promoting unity as expressed in Ephesians 4:3 - "Make every effort to preserve the unity which has the Spirit as its origin and peace as its binding force."
Magnificat, A Ministry to Catholic Women
Magnificat is canonically rooted in the church as a Private Association of the Christian Faithful. What started as a prayer meal for 200 Catholic women has become an International Ministry spread across the world with chapters currently located in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, Malta, Poland, and Africa. Its primary purpose is to inspire spiritual growth in holiness for women and to evangelize them to the fullness of faith. We believe it to be a response to the 2nd Vatican Council message to women December 8, 1965:
“But the hour is coming, in fact has come, when the vocation of woman is being achieved in its fullness the hour in which woman acquires in the world an influence, an effect, and a power never hitherto achieved. That is why, at this moment when the human race is undergoing so deep a transformation, women impregnated with the spirit of the Gospel can do much to aid mankind in not falling…”
The late Archbishop Fulton Sheen stated that “woman is the measure of the level of our civilization”. The moral level of any society is formed by women. Woman’s influence is powerful – for good or for evil. When a woman’s heart is captured by the Lord, she brings many to Him. We have seen that the transformation of a woman in Christ has had an effect in families, parishes, and the work place. Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter on the Dignity and Vocation of Women states:
In order to intervene in the history of His people, God addressed Himself to women” and He continues to address Himself to women today. Unfortunately, the world has effectively evangelized women more than the Word of God. Therefore, it is imperative that women become impregnated with the spirit of the Gospel so that they can do much to aid mankind in not falling. Perhaps, Magnificat has been raised up for “a time such as this”. Esther 4
Magnificat takes it inspiration from the Visitation in St. Luke’s gospel, Chapter 1. After Mary was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and Jesus was conceived within her, she runs in haste (92 miles) to her cousin, Elizabeth, who was also with child. Scripture tells us that at the moment Mary’s greeting reached Elizabeth’s ears, the child in her womb (St. John the Baptist) leaped for joy and Elizabeth was also filled with the Holy Spirit. At that moment, there was an explosion of grace and Mary sang the Magnificat.
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior. … The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” Luke 1:46-47, 49
May Mary’s soul be in each of us to proclaim the greatness of the Lord!
For More Information on How to Bring Magnificat to your Area, Contact:
Magnificat Central Service Team
1629 Metairie Road, Suite 3
Metaireie, LA 70005-3926 USA
Tel: (504) 828-6279
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.magnificat-ministry.net
Magnificat is canonically rooted in the church as a Private Association of the Christian Faithful. What started as a prayer meal for 200 Catholic women has become an International Ministry spread across the world with chapters currently located in the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, Malta, Poland, and Africa. Its primary purpose is to inspire spiritual growth in holiness for women and to evangelize them to the fullness of faith. We believe it to be a response to the 2nd Vatican Council message to women December 8, 1965:
“But the hour is coming, in fact has come, when the vocation of woman is being achieved in its fullness the hour in which woman acquires in the world an influence, an effect, and a power never hitherto achieved. That is why, at this moment when the human race is undergoing so deep a transformation, women impregnated with the spirit of the Gospel can do much to aid mankind in not falling…”
The late Archbishop Fulton Sheen stated that “woman is the measure of the level of our civilization”. The moral level of any society is formed by women. Woman’s influence is powerful – for good or for evil. When a woman’s heart is captured by the Lord, she brings many to Him. We have seen that the transformation of a woman in Christ has had an effect in families, parishes, and the work place. Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter on the Dignity and Vocation of Women states:
In order to intervene in the history of His people, God addressed Himself to women” and He continues to address Himself to women today. Unfortunately, the world has effectively evangelized women more than the Word of God. Therefore, it is imperative that women become impregnated with the spirit of the Gospel so that they can do much to aid mankind in not falling. Perhaps, Magnificat has been raised up for “a time such as this”. Esther 4
Magnificat takes it inspiration from the Visitation in St. Luke’s gospel, Chapter 1. After Mary was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and Jesus was conceived within her, she runs in haste (92 miles) to her cousin, Elizabeth, who was also with child. Scripture tells us that at the moment Mary’s greeting reached Elizabeth’s ears, the child in her womb (St. John the Baptist) leaped for joy and Elizabeth was also filled with the Holy Spirit. At that moment, there was an explosion of grace and Mary sang the Magnificat.
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior. … The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” Luke 1:46-47, 49
May Mary’s soul be in each of us to proclaim the greatness of the Lord!
For More Information on How to Bring Magnificat to your Area, Contact:
Magnificat Central Service Team
1629 Metairie Road, Suite 3
Metaireie, LA 70005-3926 USA
Tel: (504) 828-6279
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.magnificat-ministry.net