Heaven’s Messenger: Gabriel’s Announcement to Mary

In the book of Luke, chapter 1 verse 28, the angel Gabriel’s greets to Mary. He said, “Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” This greeting is significant as it marks the beginning of the Annunciation, where Gabriel informs Mary that she will conceive and give birth to Jesus, the Son of God.

These are the words that start the Hail Mary. The next phrase is “blessed is the fruit of your womb,” which acknowledges the miraculous birth of Jesus and the profound nature of Mary’s calling as His mother. This is the greeting Saint Elizabeth gives to Mary during the Visitation, a moment filled with joy and recognition of God’s presence by Saint Elizabeth and John the Baptist leaping in his mother’s womb. This is the first half of the Hail Mary, where we honor Mary’s unique role in salvation history. Finally, the last part is “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,” a heartfelt petition that invites Mary to intercede on behalf of all believers, reminding us of our need for grace and guidance in our daily lives.

A lot of people struggle with asking Mary for help. Honestly, I don’t see a problem with it—talking to her feels just like chatting with your mom. Alright, let’s say you’re not on board with that. But just hear me out. You really want a promotion from your bosses, right? You’ve asked your boss about it. And also, you go and ask their assistant to speak on your behalf, not even sure what they’ll say. Now, if we switched it up and said it was about your parents—same deal… Everyone ends up asking someone else for a hand.

Similarly, according to Church tradition, Mary was born to Joachim and Anne, who were both elderly and had long despaired of having children. They fervently prayed and asked God to grant them a child, vowing that this child would be dedicated to the service of the temple. After years of longing, Anne became pregnant with Mary, a miraculous gift. They cherished her deeply and nurtured her until she was 3 years old, during which time they instilled in her the values of faith and devotion. At that pivotal moment, Joachim and Anne brought their beloved daughter Mary to the temple, fulfilling their promise to God, and marking the beginning of her sacred journey in a life set apart for holiness and grace, where she would grow in wisdom and closeness to Our Heavenly Father.

Mary remained in service at the Temple until she became of age. At that point, she became betrothed to Joseph. According to different traditions, there are varying accounts of Joseph’s age. The idea of Joseph being closer in age to Mary is a newer concept, emphasizing his role as a young and supportive partner. Yet, the more traditional and widely held view in early Christian writings, known as Church Tradition, depicts Joseph as a much older man. This perspective highlights Joseph’s wisdom, righteousness, and protective nature, making him well-suited to safeguard Mary and Jesus. I have a tendency to believe the more traditional.

****As I felt I needed to go into a little more detail, this post will be in multiple parts.