HAIL, Full of Grace!

[Jaypeeto3]

I was reading a Catholic Answers book last night called, I think, Meeting Mary, and saw something in there that had always blown right past me as a non-Catholic and even as a Catholic.
And that is, that when the angel Gabriel addresses the young virgin Mary, he says to her “HAIL, full of Grace.”
The author pointed out that HAIL in the ancient world was commonly used by a subordinate to show respect and homage to a superior. After all the angels didn’t greet everyone in the New Testament with “Hail”, only Mary.
“Hail, full of grace !!”

That’s like when the Roman soldiers pretended to pay homage to Jesus by saying, “Hail, King of the Jews !!”

So Gabriel viewed the Virgin Mary as his superior, it would seem. After all, we do call Mary “Queen of the Angels”.

Just thought I would share that. I found it quite thought provoking.

Jaypeeto3 (aka Jaypeeto4)

 

[Della]

You analysis is quite sound, Jaypeeto. Paul tells us:

1Cor.6:3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels?

This is because the Incarnation changed everything. Now that the Son of God has taken human form we humans are elevated with him. And Mary, having been preserved free from original sin in anticipation of her Son’s redemptive act on the cross, was the first person to be so elevated. So, it is no surprise that Gabriel would address her as he did, probably on bended knee (as it were), recognizing her as the first-fruits of the redemption and Mother of his Lord.

 

[Jaypeeto3]

I agree, Della.
We’ll notice, too, that when angels later appeared to Peter, they didn’t address them with a homage-like greeting such as “HAIL !” That was for the Mother of God alone.

Jaypeeto3 (aka Jaypeeto4)

 

[RyanL]

Listening to one of my Tim Staples CDs, I seem to remember him retracting his initial reaction - which was that ‘Hail’ was remarkably significant. I believe in his retraction he said that there was in fact nothing particularly significant in the ‘Hail’ part, as it could be used as a common greeting as well as a more formal greeting.

However…the ‘full of grace’ part is remarkably significant, as it is the title used by the angel for Mary. Since the angel is the direct messenger of God, it is no small thing! Every other time God changes a name in the Bible it’s particularly significant.

…but that’s a different thread.

God Bless,
RyanL

 

[Eireann]

I was reading a Catholic Answers book last night called, I think, Meeting Mary, and saw something in there that had always blown right past me as a non-Catholic and even as a Catholic.
And that is, that when the angel Gabriel addresses the young virgin Mary, he says to her “HAIL, full of Grace.”
The author pointed out that HAIL in the ancient world was commonly used by a subordinate to show respect and homage to a superior. After all the angels didn’t greet everyone in the New Testament with “Hail”, only Mary.
“Hail, full of grace !!”

That’s like when the Roman soldiers pretended to pay homage to Jesus by saying, “Hail, King of the Jews !!”

So Gabriel viewed the Virgin Mary as his superior, it would seem. After all, we do call Mary “Queen of the Angels”.

Just thought I would share that. I found it quite thought provoking.

Jaypeeto3 (aka Jaypeeto4)

Thanks for sharing, very thought provoking, never thought of it before.