The Angel and the Handmaid

In a sermon on the Feast of the Annunciation, the English monk St. Bede (d. 735) provided a meditation on the Blessed Virgin Mary's true dignity and her understanding of herself, which are displayed in the few but deeply meaningful words she exchanged with the Archangel Gabriel:

" 'And the Angel went unto her and said: Hail, full of grace, The Lord is with you.  Blessed are you among women.'  This greeting, which is so unheard of according to human custom, is very fitting to the dignity of Holy Mary.  Truly she who was the first among women to offer the most glorious gift of her virginity to God, was full of grace.  Thus, she who was to imitate the angelic life rightly merited to enjoy the angelic appearance and address.  Truly, she was full of grace, for it was given her to bear Jesus Christ, through whom grace and truth were made.  And so, truly, The Lord was with her whom he first raised up, through the love of the new chastity, from earthly things to the longed-for heavenly things, and afterwards consecrated her with all the fullness of his divinity by his mediating human nature.  And, truly, she who rejoiced in the honor of motherhood with the beauty of her virginity, without precedent in the way of women, was blessed among women.  And so it was fitting for the Virgin Mother to bear God the Son. 

" 'Behold the handmaid of The Lord: let it be done to me according to your word.'  She held great constancy to her humility in naming herself the handmaid of her Creator when he chose her as his mother.  It was foretold by the angelic prophecy that she would be "blessed among women", although as yet unknown to the rest of mankind to whom the mystery of our redemption was not known.  Singularly, she did not extol herself regarding the uniqueness of her most excellent merit.  Rather, mindful of her state and of the divine dignity, she humbly joined herself to the company of Christ's handmaids, and devoted herself to the servitude which Christ commanded.  Let it be done to me, she said, according to your word; let it be done that the Holy Spirit come to me and make me worthy for the heavenly mysteries; let it be done that the Son of God may clothe himself in human nature in my womb, and proceed as a Bridegroom from this wedding chamber for the redemption of the world (cf. Psalm 18, 6).  Dearest brethren, let us consider ourselves to be the servants of Christ in all our acts and movements, following his voice and mind, according to our state; let us ever surrender all the members of our body in his obedience; let us direct all of our mind for the fulfilling of his will, that having received his gifts, we may render him back our thanks by our way of life and may merit to receive greater ones, standing before him."