05/26/2026
One of the most significant passages centered on Mary is in Chapter 1 of the Gospel of Luke, in which the birth of Jesus is foretold. She was a young, faithful woman whose world radically changed when the angel Gabriel appeared to her saying: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" (Lk 1:28).
First, the angel says, "Hail, full of grace." No one else in the Bible has ever been honored by an angel with such an exalted title.
Second, the angel says, "The Lord is with you!" Often in the Old Testament the words "the Lord is with you" signal that someone is being called to a daunting task, such as when God calls Moses at the burning bush to confront Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.
When Mary hears the angel say to her, "The Lord is with you," she realizes that God is asking something important and difficult, but he will be with her. Mary's "yes" -- her "fiat" -- allowed God's plan for our salvation to unfold. We recall this marvelous moment recalled each time we recite a Hail Mary.
