Our Blessed Mother could accept the message of Gabriel for one reason. She was pure of heart, mind, and soul from the moment of her conception. The Immaculate Conception, the most perfect person ever created by God, had been prepared from the moment of her existence for this day.
To be called to be the Theotokos, Mary was set aside among all women. She is "full of grace".
We cannot be like Mary, as she is unique. But, we can be holy as God has called us to be holy.
We can cooperate with grace to the extent that God created us to do so.
All saints are not equal. There are great saints, like SS. Bernard of Clairvaux, Therese of Lisieux, Catherine of Siena, Padre Pio, Augustine.
There are small saints like Blessed Margaret of Castello, Pier Giorgio Frassati, Tarcisius, Dula.
We can be the saints God has called us to be only if we allow Him to take away all sin and tendencies towards sin. Is this impossible? No, but we may fail now and then at first. The call to being in union with God demands work and attention. Those of us who were born in Original Sin, unlike Mary, Our Mother, must be humbled.
She is our model, but as the Queen of Saints, she is far above us, and we can only sit and her feet and learn from her how to please God. She is the greatest woman ever created and the New Eve, set on earth to bear the New Adam, Christ, the God-Man. By one man sin came into the world, and by One Man came salvation. Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinit.y came from a perfect woman and from God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, to be Incarnated on earth. Christ, with the Trinity from all ages, at one time in history, became a tiny embryo in the womb of Mary. We can hardly grasp the meaning, the reality of the Incarnation. But, Mary did. She said "Yes" as she had been prepared from all time for this moment.
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
The Theotokos, the God-Bearer, deserves our honor and praise. She is not merely the best of women, she is The Woman, called from all time, to be the Mother of God.
May we ask her today to lead us to Christ and to cooperate with grace to become saints.
May that be the grace for each of us today.
Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with Thee.
