Hail Mary, full of grace...
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"Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you." An article published in the old Life magazine estimates that those words are recited perhaps two billion times a day, around the world. As any Roman Catholic will attest, they are part of the simple, rote prayer known as the "Hail Mary," so often assigned in the confessional booth as a penance for sin.
Long before they became an act of popular devotion, those words fell from the mouth of an angel. "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." That's the New Revised Standard Version's take on Luke 1:28. The old Latin Vulgate version of the Bible has the more familiar "Hail Mary, full of grace."
In any translation, it's clear that Mary is being singled out for a very special purpose. Another way of expressing the angel's words would be, "Mary, you are God's favorite." As the Christmas story unfolds, we will soon see it's not Mary who is God's favorite (or if she is, it is for a greater purpose). The human race is God's favorite: God has chosen Mary to bear the child who will save us all from sin.
Long before they became an act of popular devotion, those words fell from the mouth of an angel. "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." That's the New Revised Standard Version's take on Luke 1:28. The old Latin Vulgate version of the Bible has the more familiar "Hail Mary, full of grace."
In any translation, it's clear that Mary is being singled out for a very special purpose. Another way of expressing the angel's words would be, "Mary, you are God's favorite." As the Christmas story unfolds, we will soon see it's not Mary who is God's favorite (or if she is, it is for a greater purpose). The human race is God's favorite: God has chosen Mary to bear the child who will save us all from sin.
