Why did Gabriel’s words trouble Mary?, Mary: Day 201

Last updated on: February 7, 2016 at 3:30 am by Pete Socks

Why did Gabriel’s words trouble Mary?, Mary: Day 201 2016-01-01T14:59:13-05:00 Pete Socks

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Why did Gabriel’s words trouble Mary?

St. Alphonsus considers the various possible reasons why the angelic greeting to Our Lady would have troubled her.

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles him- self will be exalted” (Mt 23:12). These are the words of our Lord, and they can- not fail. When God determined to become man, he had to choose a mother on earth, and he sought among women for the one who was not just the most holy, but the most humble.

It was revealed to St. Elizabeth of Hungary that on the day of the Annun- ciation, the humble Virgin Mary was in prayer in her poor little cottage. She is sighing and begging God to send the Redeemer, with prayers more fervent than ever, and with desires more ardent than ever. Then the archangel Gabriel arrives, the bearer of the great message. He enters and salutes her, saying: “Hail, full of grace; the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women” (see Lk 1:28). Hail, Virgin, full of grace! For you were always full of grace above all other saints. The Lord is with you, because you’re so humble. You are blessed among women, for all others fell under the curse of sin. But you, because you are the mother of the Blessed One, are and always will be blessed and free from every stain.

But what does the humble Mary reply to a greeting so full of praises? Nothing. She remains silent, but reflecting upon it, she’s concerned: “But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be” (Lk 1:29). Why was she troubled? Did she fear it was a hallucination? Was it her virginal modesty that caused her to be disturbed at the sight of a man, as some suppose, in the belief that the angel appeared under a human form? No, the text is clear: “She was greatly troubled at the saying.” Her trouble, then, arose entirely from her humility, which was disturbed at the sound of praises so far exceeding her own lowly estimate of herself.
—St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
How do I respond to words of praise from others? Do I imitate the humility of Mary?

CLOSING PRAYER
From a prayer of St. Bernard of Clairvaux: You, Mary, are the beautiful garden in which God has planted all the flowers that adorn the Church—among others, the violet of your humility, the lily of your purity, the rose of your charity. With whom can we compare you, O mother of grace and beauty?

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