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1. Mary.
In Galilee, in the
town of Nazareth, there sat in solitude a virtuous virgin named Mary,
who was betrothed to a carpenter named Joseph. Both came from Bethlehem
in Judah and from the blood of King David and, despite their royal
origins, were almost as poor as Ruth, the mother of their lineage, when
she picked ears of corn in the fields of Bethlehem. For this is how
human destinies change. Everything earthly returns to its beginning, and
a pure heart and God's grace still remain the greatest and surest riches.
An angel spoke to the Virgin in her solitude: ‘Hail Mary! The Lord is
with you, you most blessed of women.’
The Virgin was startled and thought: ‘What kind of greeting is this?’
The angel said: ‘Do not be afraid, Mary! You have found favour with God.
Behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name
Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and
the Lord will give him the throne of his father David, and he will be
king over the house of Jacob forever, and there will be no end to his
kingdom.’ - Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this happen, since I
know of no man?’ - The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit
will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
therefore also the holy thing that will be born of you will be called
the Son of God.’
Mary also learnt from him that Elizabeth, her friend, also hoped to
become the mother of a son. Now Elizabeth was a pious woman, the wife of
a priest in Judah named Zechariah. Then Mary longed for her good friend
Elizabeth, whom the angel called her, that she might speak to her and
tell a soul what God had revealed to her through the angel. For a great
favour from God is not to be boasted of to everyone, nor can it be shut
up in one's heart alone. Mary went from Galilee over the mountains to
Judah to visit her friend. Elizabeth greeted her with joy that the
mother of her Lord was coming to her. But Mary rejoiced and praised God
in a beautiful song of praise for fulfilling the promise he had made to
Abraham and his descendants, and she realised in her humble heart how
great the grace God was showing her. ‘God has seen the lowliness of his
handmaid,’ she said. ’Behold, from now on all my children's children
will call me blessed, for he has done great things for me, who is mighty
and whose name is holy.’
Poor virgin, an hour is coming in which no one will call you blessed.
Mary stayed with her friend for three months. Afterwards, Elizabeth was
blessed with a son, and they named him John. John grew and became strong
in spirit, and when he was grown up he hid himself from men and lived in
the desert in lonely places. But his father Zechariah prophesied of him
that he would become a prophet and that he would go before the Lord and
prepare the way for him.
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