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Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
Angelus
Message
On Mary, Full of Grace
"God Was Captivated by Mary's Humility"
H.H. Benedict XVI
December 8, 2006
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
Today we celebrate one of the most beautiful and popular feasts of the
Blessed Virgin -- the Immaculate Conception. Not only did Mary not
commit any sin, but she was also preserved from that common inheritance
of the human race which is original sin, because of the mission to which
God had destined her from all eternity: to be the mother of the
Redeemer.
All this is contained in the truth of the faith of the Immaculate
Conception. The biblical foundation of this dogma is found in the words
the Angel addressed to the maiden of Nazareth: "Hail, full of grace, the
Lord is with you!" (Luke 1:28). "Full of grace," in the Greek original "kecharitomene,"
is Mary's most beautiful name, the name God himself gave her to indicate
that from all eternity and forever she is the beloved, the chosen one,
chosen to receive the most precious gift, Jesus, "the incarnate love of
God" ("Deus Caritas Est," 12).
We might ask ourselves: Why did God choose, among all women, Mary of
Nazareth specifically? The answer is hidden in the unfathomable mystery
of the divine will. However, there is a reason that the Gospel
highlights: her humility.
Dante Alighieri underlines this in the last canto of "Paradise": "Virgin
mother, daughter of your Son, humble and loftier than any other
creature, fixed term of the eternal counsel" (Paradise XXXIII, 1-3). The
Virgin herself in the Magnificat, her canticle of praise, says this: "My
soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord ... For he has looked upon his
handmaid's lowliness" (Luke 1:46, 48). Yes, God was captivated by Mary's
humility, who found favor in his eyes. (cf. Luke 1:30). In this way she
became the Mother of God, image and model of the Church, chosen among
the peoples to receive the Lord's blessing and radiate it to the whole
human family.
This "blessing" is Jesus Christ himself. He is the source of "grace," of
which Mary was full from the first instance of her existence. With faith
she received Jesus and with love she gave him to the world. This is also
our vocation and our mission, the vocation and mission of the Church: to
receive Christ in our lives and give him to the world "so that the world
might be saved by him" (John 3:17).
Dear Brothers and Sisters: The feast of the Immaculate Conception
illuminates like a beacon the season of Advent, which is a time of
vigilant and confident awaiting of the Savior. While we go out to
encounter God, who comes, let us look at Mary who "shines as a sign of
sure hope and of consolation for the people of God on the way" ("Lumen
Gentium," 68).
With this awareness I invite you to join me in the afternoon when, in
Piazza di Spagna, I will renew the traditional homage to this gentle
Mother by grace and of grace. We now turn to her with the prayer that
recalls the angel's announcement.
[Translation by ZENIT]
[At the end of the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims in several
languages. In English, he said:]
I greet all the English-speaking visitors present at this Angelus. Today
the Church celebrates the Immaculate Conception of our Lord's mother,
Mary. She who was conceived without sin is a constant reminder of God's
covenant with his chosen people, a promise that is fulfilled in our
savior Jesus Christ.
May Christians everywhere, following the example of Mary, allow the gift
of grace to bear fruit in a life of holiness. I wish you a happy feast
day and a pleasant stay in Rome.
© Copyright 2006 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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