“HAIL MARY, FULL OF GRACE” Advent Reflection

“Hail Mary, Full of grace,” this is the Angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary which preceded the annunciation of both the conception of the Word in her womb and the birth of the God-man. This greeting is twofold: first, Gabriel greets Mary – a sign of reverence; second, he affirms her state of grace. Indeed, the latter caused the former: the state of grace caused the angel’s reverence.

Let us understand this greeting in its biblical context: Mary is greeted as full of grace, she is told that she has found favour with God, she is told that the Holy Spirit would overshadow her, that she is to be Mater Dei: she conceives the Word and bears forth the Christ (cf. Lk 1:26-38). 

Mary’s state of grace is connected to her Immaculate Conception; hence some biblical translations speak of her as highly favoured. She is highly favoured because she was purposed to bring forth the God-man – a singular gift.

Also, the angel Gabriel says that she has found favour with God. This means that a pure life attracts God’s blessings and favours. This is seen in the reasons for the many purification practices of the Old Testament Judaism. The clarion call of Christ to conversion and repentance presupposes this also. We can, then, summarily say that because of her being full of grace and thus divinely favoured, Mary was privileged to become full of Christ, so much so that a union ensued from this spiritual inebriation, a union that eventuated in our salvation – Mary being the first to benefit from this. 

The point I wish to make here is that there is a relationship between Mary’s being full of grace, and her becoming the singularly privileged mother of God. My emphasis is on Grace which is a divine activity that calls down God into our souls, and happy are those souls whom God finds as worthy dwelling places.

GRACE AS A DIVINE GIFT

Grace is a divine gift freely bestowed on us for our sanctification and salvation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church no.1848 says simply that the work of grace is to ‘uncover sin, so as to convert our hearts and bestow on us “righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”’. As regards Sanctification – purity and holiness of life – the psalmist says that only the one who is pure can be admitted to God’s mountain (cf. Ps 1:1). In fact, the whole mission of Christ becoming man is to achieve this, for we are to be presented to God whole and untarnished. As regards Salvation – St Paul speaks of it as Justification – here, it refers to union with Christ. Mary became one with her Christ, she also received salvation; of her, the words of scripture apply: “Today salvation has come to this house” (Lk 19:9). 

Jesus says that he came that we may have life and have it in full (John 10:10), and elsewhere he says: “I am the way the truth and the life (John 14:16); hence, since salvation consist in living in Christ and sharing in his life, then, through grace we are saved. And since grace purifies us and transforms us, it privileges us hear these sweet words: My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (Jn 14:23). All these are practically seen in Mary’s divine preparation and eventual conception of the God-man.

ADVENT AS A PREPARATION IN GRACE

When we put all we have been saying in the context of the Advent season in which we are in, the objective of our discourse becomes conspicuous, i.e. clear. Advent calls for preparation for the reception of the new born king at Christmas. A coming which refers to St Bernard’s idea of a third coming: a spiritual coming that requires a spiritual reception. Thus, Advent, in line with our topic, reminds us of the need for Grace. We need to be emptied of sin and self so as to be filled with grace, for as the apostle Paul teaches us, a life of grace is necessary for our justification (cf. Romans 6:1-10ff). This life of grace, I believe, is the condition that will necessitate our well reception of Jesus at Christmas; a transformational reception that makes us Christians in fact, full of the divine life and worthy abodes of the Trinitarian presence.

In this Advent season of preparation, as we pray for increase in Grace, let us also dispose ourselves to the overshadowing power of the Holy Spirit, by making renewed conscious effort to empty ourselves of ourselves. And in this wise, Let us turn to the Blessed Mary who is full of grace to intercede for us and to obtain for us the grace we need to be well prepared for a worthy celebration of Christmas.

-Friar Anthony-Mary Obialasor, OFM Cap. 

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