HAIL  MARY, FULL OF GRACE

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Hail Mary, Full of Grace.”

Today’s gospel gives us the beginning as well as a key piece of the famous prayer, “The Hail Mary.”

The translation from the Greek – Luke 1:28 – in today’s gospel goes like this:

“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she [Mary]  was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.”

A 15 YEAR OLD GIRL

This part of today’s gospel is translated from the Greek as – “Hello, Highly favored one.” Or, “Hi O Blessed one.” Or, “Hail, full of grace.”

The Greek is, “Kekaritomene.”

God picks this young girl – probably around age 15 – to bring Jesus into the world – as a baby.

It’s an amazing story. It’s the Christmas story. It’s our story.

This Christmas – when you see the stable – the crib – the Christmas scene – whether it’s on a Christmas card – here in church – outside church – under your Christmas tree – wherever …. Whenever you see that scene: stop, pause, see, take a look at the baby, then take a look at Joseph, take a look at Mary, take a look at the shepherds, the kings, the animals, the stable – the manger, the crib  – where food is put for animals in a barn or stable or a cave.  Stop. Look. See. Be amazed.

The crib which the baby Jesus is placed in at his birth is as humble – as simple as those silver metal bowls outside some stores – with water for dogs. 

God, the Son of God, Jesus, the Savior, the Redeemer, when born is placed in a crib for food for animals.

Stop – get in touch with the Christmas crib.

Hear the angel Gabriel say, “Hail Mary, full of Grace.”

Hail, O Highly favored one.

Hear the angel Gabriel tell Mary God’s plan.

2000 years ago – for some reason  - God only knows – God chooses this 15 year old girl to be the mother of Jesus – the Son of God.

Mary asks questions.

“HelloOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

“I’m nor married. How can this happen? How is the possible? You have to be kidding. You are aren’t you?”

The voice, the messenger, is serious.

And Mary says, “Yes!”

Someone said the greatest prayer to say to God is, “Thy will be done.”

It can sometimes be the hardest prayer to say – to pray.

In this short homily I asking you to see the Christmas stable, crib, or manger and hear the simple story of this 15 year old girl.

GREEN LIGHT - RED LIGHT

Picture a 15 year old girl in the back seat of her family car – or on a bus – and the bus or car comes to a red light  - just outside a catholic crib.

The car stops. The girl looks out the window and sees the Christmas scene in the cold night air.

She wonders what it would be like if God had chosen her.

“Hail, Mary, Hail, Cheyenne,  Hail, Deborah. Hail Penny, Hail Christine, full of grace….The Lord is with you.”

And this young 15 year old girl gets it. 

She thinks, “God wants me in the year 2015 – to be like Mary and bring Christ to our world.”

She realizes how strange that seems.

She says, “I’m not immaculate.”

She realizes, “I’m only 15.”

And yet she gets the grace to say, “Thy will be done.”

She realizes  that others might make fun of her. She realizes how difficult this will be.

She remembers how in English class this past week – when they were studying Hemingway, the teacher said that  Hemingway gave as a definition for “guts” – “Grace under pressure.”

The red light changed to green.

Yet she stayed with that thought and for the rest of her she tried to bring the gift of Christ – like Mary did – to all the people of her life.

It was difficult but she had the grace to try to do it.

And in that car – that December night – December 21^st – the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, this girl realized the Christmas message – that all of us are called to be like Mary – to bring Christ to the world.

We’re called to evolve – beyond being an animal – a cat that scratches, a dog that bites, a cow that moos, an ox that gores and pushes – we’re called to be human – and to be like Christ – and like Mary who brought Christ to our world – and to have the guts to do just that – in the pressure of daily living.

“Then she said in the back seat of that car on  a cold December night, “They will be done.”

CONCLUSION

And her dad who was driving, looks in the rear view mirror, sees her daughters face in the back seat of the car. Her face is glowing. Her dad asks, “What are you thinking about?”

“Oh, just Christmas, dad. Just Christmas.”

And her dad said, “About presents?”

“Yes, dad, yes, but not the regular ones, dad.”

“It’s Christ – the gift of Christ.”

And her dad, almost crashed the car – at that.

And sitting there in the front seat of the car – with his wife asleep on the other side of him and her brother playing with an electronic game – her dad thinking about what his daughter just said, tears came to his eyes. And he want back to Mass that Christmas – and for the rest of his life.

His daughter without knowing it started her life’s job that night in that car: being like Mary – bringing Christ to our world.