…Mary, as today’s Gospel shows, does not excel in appearance: of a simple family, she lived humbly at Nazareth, an almost unknown hamlet. And she wasn’t famous: even when the Angel visited her, no one knew it, that day there was no reporter there…
…However, she who was full of grace lived a beautiful life. What was her secret? We can gather it looking again at the scene of the Annunciation. In many paintings Mary is depicted seated before the Angel with a small book. This book is the Scripture. Thus Mary was usually listening to God and dwelling on Him. Her secret was the Word of God: close to her heart, who then took flesh in her womb. By remaining with God, conversing with Him in every circumstance, Mary made her life beautiful. Not appearance, not what passes, but a heart pointed to God is what makes life beautiful.…
