The Perfect Faith of the Blessed Virgin
The Perfect Faith of the Blessed Virgin | Carl E. Olson | "The Blessed Mother and Advent", Part 2 of 4 | Ignatius Insight
This is the second of four reflections that consider the relationship
between four phrases of the "Hail Mary" and the Advent season. These
pieces were originally published during the Advent season of 2004 in Our Sunday Visitor, and are reprinted
here, with minor changes, with the gracious permission of Our Sunday Visitor newspaper (200 Noll Plaza;
Huntington, IN 46750; 1-800-348-2440, x 2; www.osv.com).
The Perfect Faith of the Blessed Virgin
"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!" Uttered by the
heavenly messenger, Gabriel, to a Jewish maiden (Lk 1:28), these words, of
course, make up the first phrase of the Hail Mary. The second phrase of that
great prayer come from an earthly creature, Elizabeth, the cousin of Mary, who
exclaims: "Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy
womb" (Lk 1:42). St. Bede remarks that this is fitting since the two remarks
show that Mary "should be honored by angels and by men and why she should
indeed be revered above all other women."
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