The song of Mary, the mother of Jesus, found in Luke 1:46–55. The name "Magnificat" comes from the first word of the song in Latin, which means "magnifies" or "praises greatly."
This poem is in the style of the Old Testament psalms and is very similar to the prayer of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2:1–10. Christians began using the Magnificat in their worship services very early in church history. The Roman Catholic Church made it part of their evening prayer services. Later, Lutheran and Anglican churches also began using it in their services.
Over many centuries, many composers have created music for this beautiful song of praise. They have written versions in Latin and many other Western languages.