The Annunciation - Cardinal Bacci

The First Joyful Mystery of the Rosary

The Annunciation

1. The Rosary is both a vocal and a mental prayer. When reciting the first five decades, we should meditate on the principal joyful mysteries of our faith, beginning with the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin. In other words, during the first decade we should visualise the scene described in the Gospel.

“The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the Virgin’s name was Mary. And when the Angel had come to her, he said ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women.’” (Luke 1:26-28)

Note the manner in which the Angel greets Mary. He proclaims that she is full of grace, pleasing and acceptable to God. He bows before her and says that she is blessed among women. On previous occasions Angels had appeared to Patriarchs, Kings, and Prophets, but always as superior beings bearing a command from Almighty God. Why, then, does an Angel bow before this maiden and salute her with such reverence? The reason is twofold. Mary is the purest of creatures, immaculate from the moment of her conception; she is also destined to become the Mother of God, a destiny of quasi-infinite dignity. Let us poor sinners bow before her also and beg her to obtain for us from God the graces of forgiveness and of sanctification. It is in this spirit of loving humility that we should recite the first decade of the Holy Rosary.

2. Consider now Mary’s reaction to the reverence and praise with which the Angel greets her. Is she carried away by delight and exaltation at this solemn moment? Nothing of the sort. In her humility and modesty she is disturbed by the Angel’s salutation and wonders what is the reason for it. “She was troubled at his word, and kept pondering what manner of greeting this might be.” (Luke 1:29)

How do we behave when we receive praise from our superiors or from our friends and acquaintances? We are pleased, and overcome perhaps by feelings of vanity. We smile to ourselves and are convinced that we are of more consequence than we are. We even feel the need to reveal our thoughts to others. There is a world of difference between the simplicity and humility of the Blessed Virgin and our vain hunger for praise and honour.

3. The Angel reassures Mary. “Do not be afraid, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God…” (Luke 1:30) “Thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son… Jesus… the Son of the Most High… the Son of God.” (Cf. Luke 1:31-36)

The Virgin remains humble and thoughtful. She asks frankly how she can become the Mother of God when she has resolved to remain a virgin for the rest of her life. The Angel reveals to her the tremendous mystery by which the Holy Spirit will descend on her and the power of the Most High will overshadow her.

Only when Mary understood that this was the will of God, and that the privilege of the divine Motherhood would be compatible with the other privilege of virginal purity, did she utter the momentous words: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word.” (Luke 1:38)

Let us bow our proud heads before the Virgin, the humblest and most exalted of creatures. (Dante, Paradiso, XXXIII, 2-3) Let us learn from her to love purity above all things and to be prepared to make any sacrifice rather than lose this beautiful virtue.