"Hail, favored one!"

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 1:26-38.
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.


Commentary of the day : Saint Epiphanius of Salamis
"Hail, favored one!"

How can I speak? What praises could I possibly make of the holy and glorious Virgin? She surpasses all other beings except for God himself. She is by nature more beautiful than the cherubim and seraphim and the whole angelic host. No language, whether of heaven or earth or even of the angels, is enough to praise her. Blessed Virgin, spotless dove, heavenly bride..., temple and throne of the Godhead! Christ, the sun that shines resplendently in heaven and on earth, belongs to you. You are the luminous cloud that brought Christ down to earth, he who is the bright streak of lightening who shines across the world.

Rejoice, full of grace, gate of heaven! It was of you the author of the Songs of Songs speaks... when he cries aloud: «A garden enclosed is my sister, my bride; an enclosed garden, a fountain sealed» (4,12)... Holy Mother of God, spotless ewe: you gave birth to Christ the Lamb, the Word made flesh in you... How amazing a wonder in the heavens: a woman clothed with the sun (Rv 12,1), carrying the light in her arms!... How amazing a wonder in the heavens: the Lord of angels become the Virgin's child. Angels judged Eve; now they fill Mary with glory since it was she raised Eve from her fall and brought Adam, expelled from Paradise, into heaven.

Vast is the grace given to this holy Virgin. Hence Gabriel first addresses her with this greeting: «Hail, full of grace», resplendent as the heaven. «Hail, full of grace», Virgin adorned with countless virtues... «Hail, full of grace», you quench our thirst at the sweetness of the everlasting stream. Hail, holy and immaculate Mother, you conceived the Christ who existed before you. Hail, royal purple, you clothed the king of heaven and earth. Hail, O sealed book, you enabled the world to read the Word, the Father's Son.