Mary’s Magnificat echoes the Lord’s action on the misery especially of barren women in the Old Testament. While praying for a child, Hannah, the mother of Samuel, says: “O Lord of hosts, if you look with pity on the hardship of your servant…” (1 Sm 1:11). The “lowliness” is more appropriate to the barren women rather than to a young virgin like Mary. For Luke, however, Mary’s virginity is like the barrenness of Old Testament women: both constitute a human impossibility which only God can overcome. In using “handmaid” and “lowliness” for Mary, Luke associates her with the Poor Ones (Hebrew anawim) whom God has helped by his might, whether women yearning for children, or people of low estate who can only rely on God.

Mary’s assumption is the summit of God’s favor to her. Because of her role as mother of the Word Incarnate, she was conceived without sin. Untouched by sin, her body did not undergo decay in death, but she was assumed body and soul to heaven. Mary likewise embodies the exaltation of the humble and the poor who put their trust in God.

Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.”

Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.