Magnificat!

Catholics in Britain and Ireland have cause for good cheer because the superb monthly magazine called Magnificat is now being edited by Léonie and Stratford Caldecott for use in this country. Described as a “monthly liturgical prayer book”, the aim of Magnificat, as the editors say, is to “help you enter into the spirit of the Church’s year … By entering into the spirit of the liturgy, we allow the Holy Spirit to come more completely into our lives, guiding us towards the wisdom of God”.

Magnificat was first produced in France, and the format has been highly successful. It is now published in French, Spanish, and English. The latter version is published in America, and the editor is a Dominican friar, fr Peter John Cameron OP. The UK edition is based on the US edition but has specially commissioned articles, including ones written by English and Irish Dominicans.

The magazine, which is produced in a handy pocket-size format, is beautifully and clearly laid out. Every day of the month, it offers psalms and prayers for both morning and evening, drawn from the Divine Office, the prayer of the Church. The official texts of daily Mass are given, with the readings drawn from the familiar Jerusalem Bible Lectionary. This is the version in use in many parishes throughout the country. Also included is the order of the Mass, and this will be very useful indeed come September 2011 when the new English translation of the Roman Missal comes into use. Then, each day, the readings are complemented by meditations by great spiritual writers of the Church from the apostolic era to Pope Benedict XVI. There are also essays on the lives of the saints sprinkled throughout the magazine, and an enlightening article to explain the beautiful sacred art found on the glossy cover. Finally, there is even some music drawn from the Church’s treasury of sacred music, Gregorian chant.