The following is from a Book from 1891, 'Half Hours with the Servants of God'. On the eve of the eve of the Annunciation.
ON THE ANNUNCIATION
An angel presented himself to Mary, and she was troubled. Scarcely had he begun to speak to her than fear seized her, so that she felt within her a host of perplexing thoughts: "She was troubled at his saying, and thought within herself, shat manner of salutation this should be."
If Mary had been one of those worldly persons, who are only virgins in body, but not so in spirit, this visit she received would not have surprised her much, and the praises bestowed upon her, instead of astonishing her, would have agreeably flattered her. But the profession she had made as a virgin was undertaken solely with the view of devoting herself entirely to God; the rules which had been prescribed had been strictly kept, which were to renounce the manners and customs of a profane age; her exact and severe regularity, her attention never to relax in the least duty, the preservation of an irreproachable conduct which was proof against the slightest censure, the modesty and bashfulness which were with her supernatural; the opinion she had formed that praises bestowed on her sex and favorably received, that praises even tolerated and quietly listened to, were to her a secret and contagious poison; ---all these caused her a trouble which she was not ashamed of showing; because being troubled in that was, she manifested the true character of a virgin faithful to God.
On Mary's answer depended the accomplishment of this glorious mystery. This consent was, in order of the eternal decrees of God, one of the conditions required for the Incarnation of the Word; and this is the essential obligation we are under to this Queen of virgins, since it is of faith that it is through her that Jesus Christ has been given to us, and it is to her we are indebted for this Divine Saviour. For if the Son, even of God, descends from His glory in heaven, if He enters into the chaste tabernacle of Mary to be made flesh, it is at the moment she has said, and because she has said it, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to Thy word."
It is not in consequence of this answer and consent of Mary that the Son of God came down from heaven and became Incarnate. Mary conceived the Word first through the humility of her heart, and secondly through the purity of her body.
It is humility, says St. Augustine, which, on the part of man, should be the first and most necessary acquirement when conferring with God. If then, God chose Mary to be His mother, it was that she alone appeared to Him to possess that perfect humility which He required. In fact, as St. Bernard remarks, a God who was on the point of humiliating Himself, even to the excess of clothing Himself with our flesh, ought to have an infinite liking for humility.
But what is there so peculiar in Mary's humility? Why, first of all, it was a humility joined to a fullness of grace; she was saluted as Gratia plena, full of grace; and she replies that she is the handmaid of the Lord. Secondly, it was also a humility highly honorable; an angel comes to tell her that she will be Mother of God, and she gives herself the title only of handmaid of the Lord.
This is what delighted Heaven; this it is that determined the Word of God to leave the bosom of His Father, and enclose Himself in the womb of Mary.
Whilst she humiliates herself before God, the Son of God empties Himself in her. "Emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant."
From all this let us learn to be humble. A mother of God humble, a God emptied! What a lesson for us! Without humility there is no Christianity, no religion, since without humility, we should not have had the Incarnation or a God made man.
Secondly, Mary conceived the Word through the purity of her body and through her virginity. The prophet had foretold that the Messiah should be born of a virgin; and it was, ways St. Bernard, essential that a God, by making Himself man, should have had a virgin for mother, since any other conception than that would not have suited the dignity of God, and would have dimmed the brightness and glory of His divinity. Also, according to the beautiful idea of St. Bernard, the whole of this mystery passes between God, an angel, and Mary, which traces out for us three different characteristics of the most perfect purity.
From this, what conclusion can we come to? Why, that God being of Himself the essence of purity, it was necessary that a union so wonderful should be in harmony, and this was accomplished when the Word was made flesh. God, in this mystery, gives the preference to virginal purity by choosing a virgin-mother, and by deputing an angel to be His ambassador.
Do not be astonished, continues St. Bernard, since the purity of this Virgin was so meritorious that it raised her above the level of angels. The angels are naturally pure, by a privilege of beatitude and glory, but Mary was so be election and virtue, so much so that she was troubled at the sight of an angel; this was the effect of her watchfulness to preserve the treasure of her purity. She was also ready to renounce the dignity of divine maternity rather than cease to be a virgin, and thus it was that God felt induced to descend into her in order that Word should be made flesh: Verbum caro factum est.
You see form this what care we should ever take to preserve our bodies from any stain of impurity.
re: Le Pere Bourdaloue.
Imagine what it is to be a Son of God, and you can have some idea what it is to be His mother; the excellence of the one will make you understand the excellence of the other.
re: St. Gregory, on First Book of Kings.
And now from a more recent writing ('The Liturgical Year' in 1923), a hymn:
Hail, star of the sea! Blessed Mother of God, yet ever a Virgin! O happy gate of heaven!
Thou that didst receive the Ave from Gabriel's lips, confirm us in peace, and so let Eva be change into the Ave of blessing for us.
Loose the sinner's chains, bring light to the blind, drive from us our evils, and ask all good things for us.
Show thyself a Mother, and offer our prayers to Him, who would be born of thee, when born for us.
O incomparable Virgin, and meekest of the meek, obtain us the forgiveness of our sins, and make us meek and chaste.
Obtain us purity of life, and a safe pilgrimage; that we may be united with thee in the blissful vision of Jesus.
Praise be to God the Father, and to the Lord Jesus, and to the Holy Ghost: to the Three one self-same praise. Amen.
ON THE ANNUNCIATION
An angel presented himself to Mary, and she was troubled. Scarcely had he begun to speak to her than fear seized her, so that she felt within her a host of perplexing thoughts: "She was troubled at his saying, and thought within herself, shat manner of salutation this should be."
If Mary had been one of those worldly persons, who are only virgins in body, but not so in spirit, this visit she received would not have surprised her much, and the praises bestowed upon her, instead of astonishing her, would have agreeably flattered her. But the profession she had made as a virgin was undertaken solely with the view of devoting herself entirely to God; the rules which had been prescribed had been strictly kept, which were to renounce the manners and customs of a profane age; her exact and severe regularity, her attention never to relax in the least duty, the preservation of an irreproachable conduct which was proof against the slightest censure, the modesty and bashfulness which were with her supernatural; the opinion she had formed that praises bestowed on her sex and favorably received, that praises even tolerated and quietly listened to, were to her a secret and contagious poison; ---all these caused her a trouble which she was not ashamed of showing; because being troubled in that was, she manifested the true character of a virgin faithful to God.
On Mary's answer depended the accomplishment of this glorious mystery. This consent was, in order of the eternal decrees of God, one of the conditions required for the Incarnation of the Word; and this is the essential obligation we are under to this Queen of virgins, since it is of faith that it is through her that Jesus Christ has been given to us, and it is to her we are indebted for this Divine Saviour. For if the Son, even of God, descends from His glory in heaven, if He enters into the chaste tabernacle of Mary to be made flesh, it is at the moment she has said, and because she has said it, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to Thy word."
It is not in consequence of this answer and consent of Mary that the Son of God came down from heaven and became Incarnate. Mary conceived the Word first through the humility of her heart, and secondly through the purity of her body.
It is humility, says St. Augustine, which, on the part of man, should be the first and most necessary acquirement when conferring with God. If then, God chose Mary to be His mother, it was that she alone appeared to Him to possess that perfect humility which He required. In fact, as St. Bernard remarks, a God who was on the point of humiliating Himself, even to the excess of clothing Himself with our flesh, ought to have an infinite liking for humility.
But what is there so peculiar in Mary's humility? Why, first of all, it was a humility joined to a fullness of grace; she was saluted as Gratia plena, full of grace; and she replies that she is the handmaid of the Lord. Secondly, it was also a humility highly honorable; an angel comes to tell her that she will be Mother of God, and she gives herself the title only of handmaid of the Lord.
This is what delighted Heaven; this it is that determined the Word of God to leave the bosom of His Father, and enclose Himself in the womb of Mary.
Whilst she humiliates herself before God, the Son of God empties Himself in her. "Emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant."
From all this let us learn to be humble. A mother of God humble, a God emptied! What a lesson for us! Without humility there is no Christianity, no religion, since without humility, we should not have had the Incarnation or a God made man.
Secondly, Mary conceived the Word through the purity of her body and through her virginity. The prophet had foretold that the Messiah should be born of a virgin; and it was, ways St. Bernard, essential that a God, by making Himself man, should have had a virgin for mother, since any other conception than that would not have suited the dignity of God, and would have dimmed the brightness and glory of His divinity. Also, according to the beautiful idea of St. Bernard, the whole of this mystery passes between God, an angel, and Mary, which traces out for us three different characteristics of the most perfect purity.
From this, what conclusion can we come to? Why, that God being of Himself the essence of purity, it was necessary that a union so wonderful should be in harmony, and this was accomplished when the Word was made flesh. God, in this mystery, gives the preference to virginal purity by choosing a virgin-mother, and by deputing an angel to be His ambassador.
Do not be astonished, continues St. Bernard, since the purity of this Virgin was so meritorious that it raised her above the level of angels. The angels are naturally pure, by a privilege of beatitude and glory, but Mary was so be election and virtue, so much so that she was troubled at the sight of an angel; this was the effect of her watchfulness to preserve the treasure of her purity. She was also ready to renounce the dignity of divine maternity rather than cease to be a virgin, and thus it was that God felt induced to descend into her in order that Word should be made flesh: Verbum caro factum est.
You see form this what care we should ever take to preserve our bodies from any stain of impurity.
re: Le Pere Bourdaloue.
Imagine what it is to be a Son of God, and you can have some idea what it is to be His mother; the excellence of the one will make you understand the excellence of the other.
re: St. Gregory, on First Book of Kings.
And now from a more recent writing ('The Liturgical Year' in 1923), a hymn:
Hail, star of the sea! Blessed Mother of God, yet ever a Virgin! O happy gate of heaven!
Thou that didst receive the Ave from Gabriel's lips, confirm us in peace, and so let Eva be change into the Ave of blessing for us.
Loose the sinner's chains, bring light to the blind, drive from us our evils, and ask all good things for us.
Show thyself a Mother, and offer our prayers to Him, who would be born of thee, when born for us.
O incomparable Virgin, and meekest of the meek, obtain us the forgiveness of our sins, and make us meek and chaste.
Obtain us purity of life, and a safe pilgrimage; that we may be united with thee in the blissful vision of Jesus.
Praise be to God the Father, and to the Lord Jesus, and to the Holy Ghost: to the Three one self-same praise. Amen.
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