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| The Annunciation - Fra Angelico |
God's great gift of Free Will to mankind has caused many an unusual
situation in its operation. Many, but never one like this !
Great lover of mankind that He is, He had a plan to bring about the
Redemption of Man and, to set this plan in train He had sent the
Archangel Gabriel on this day, to the Virgin Mary a young maiden of
Nazareth. But unlike most Divine plans this plan depended for its
operation on the prior consent of the young maiden.
One can imagine the unfamiliarity of the circumstance. God, who knows
even what is yet to happen, knew that Mary would accept, but left the
decision to her - the Angels did not know and we might imagine , in our
limited terms,their keen interest in the matter.
The Blessed Virgin had been uniquely prepared for her sacred role, she
had been in the "mind"of God from all Eternity, and so when the time
came for her to be conceived , she was accorded Immaculate Conception.
That is to say, from the very first moment of her existence she was
preserved free of the taint of Original Sin. Little wonder the Archangel
would say to her : "Hail full of grace"- the salutation recognised her
unique status. And it was this fullness of grace that was to lead her
response to what was put to her
In her profound humility, she did not
express doubt that it could happen. She humbly, modestly asked only how
this could happen.The Archangel's explanation, though it must have been
mysterious to her, was enough - now she knew God's Will fully.
The great silence was broken by her ready reply of complete trust: "Be
it done unto me according to thy word." The most extraordinary exercise
of Free Will in the history of the world.History was made at that moment
, thanks be to God! Who at that moment became Man and took up His abode
in the Womb of that Blessed Virgin who thus became the Ark of the New
Covenant. Truly "full of Grace."
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