The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-03-28
THE ANNUNCIATION.

THE ANNUNCIATION
The Ambassador of Heaven Goes to
the HumbIest Being of Earth-The
"HaiI Mary" and Its Wealth of
Meaning.
On March 25 the Church is mindful
of the first act in the sacred drama
of mans Redemption, the Annuncia-
ton. God sends an angel to ask a
poor obscure maiden in the village
of Nazareth if she will be the mother of
the Compromised Messias. The heav-
emily messenger, writes Chaignon, is
Gabriel, 1.-The strength of God" He
comes from, and in the name of God.
Sent from God" All heaven is in
tent upon the great event about to
be accomplished; but it is an event
Of far greater interest for earth.
There is question of lifting up man
kind, fallen through Adam, of recon
CLING God with men. The Holy Trim
1Iy uOcS l1OL say IONoyS do VI O1O
Let us make men to our likeness"
1t says: Let us make God to the
likeness of man, let us make the God
man, let the immense ruin of guilty
humanity be repaired by Him. JUS
tice shone forth in the punishment of
the rebellious angels; let mercy have
it's glorious manifestation in the sal
walton of mem" o wonder of love!
o unexpected blessing! Will it ever
be necessary to recall it to the re-
membrance of mortals? The. person
of the Word is about to deliver us
from hell, to lift up our nature to the
very throne of the divinity! Whittier
does the prince of heaven go? To
whom do you think will He offer the
most signal honor which God Himself
can offer a creature? There were in
those days, as there are in our own,
women of high and honorable estate,
of noble blood, fabulously wealthy.
The Creator of the universe seeks a
spouse, a mother. Yet He does not
seek her in palaces, nor among the
udAA1C InC eye. DC-
hold the realization of the word of
the prophet when he represented God
sitting upon the cherubim, and at the
same time beholding the depths. dan.
iii, $50. The most Holy Trinity, in
order to choose a dwelling for hum
BILE and annihilated God, regards with
approval an abyss of humility and
establishment.
The Hail Mary.
The Angelica Salutation contains
two distinct parts: The first is a
hymn of praise made up of the very
words which the Holy Ghost placed
on the lips of Gabriel and of st. Eliza
beth, in honor of the Blessed Virgin;
the second is short invocation added
by the Church The two parts, taken
together, contain an abridgment of
our duties toward Mary, which con-
sist in honoring her as our Queen,
and invoking her as our Mediatrix
and Mother. Faith, however, should
vivify this salutation, and while re-
citing it we should enter into the
sentiments of the Holy Ghost and OF
the Church.
Hail Mary" Let us remember first
to whom those homages are addressed
What is the name of this venerated
creature, whom we greet with the
archangel Gabriel? Next to the name
of Jesus is there on earth another
name so sweet. How great thou art
o Mary, how merciful, how worthy OF
praise!
Full of grace" Mary is full OF
grace and of beauty. Solomon had
seen her coming forth as the morn
ing rising, beautiful as the moon
radiant as the sun" Her exterior
graces are merely reflection of the
beauty of her soul 'All the beauty
of the kings daughter is within" She
is filled with heavenly gifts. Full OF
grace" To us grace is measured out
but it entered like a river into the
Lords tabernacle in order to sanctify
it, and to make it the channel of al
graces Mary is full of grace, through
the privilege of her Immaculate Con
ception, and of her perfect co-opera
ton with all those graces which she
ceased not to receive from that first
moment She has, says st. Thomas
graces for herself, for us all also, anG
for all our miseries.
"The Lord is with thee" The Lore
is with Mary. He assists and pro
tects her, and communicates Himself
to her spirit, and to her heart with {
plentitude proportional to her merit!
and sublime dignity. He was will
her in manner quite ineffable, ever
before the Incarnation; but what shall
we say of His presence in her, when
during nine months, He dwelt in he
pure bosom? o my God, am I les
privileged than Thy Mother when
: return from Communion? Where ar
Thou, o Lord, at that precious mo
ment? Does not my guardian ange
say, THE Lord is with thee" to M
} also? Alas, how quickly I forget it
Blessed Mother, do thou assist me
J pray for me and with me, when l cor
, tract with Jesus a union so intimate
Oh, may He be with me, with m
mind to enlighten it, with my heart t
, inflame it, in my trials, that l may b
always with thee, and with Him il
His kingdom.