Grace And The Annunciation

Sed quid egerit angelus audiamus: Ingressus ad eam, dicit: Ave, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. In hac voce oblatio muneris, non simplex salutionis officium. Ave. Hoc est accipe gratiam. Ne trepides, ne sis sollicita de nature. Gratia plena. Quia in aliis gratia, in te tota gratiae pariter veniet plenitudo. Dominus tecum. Quid est in te Dominus? Quia ad te non visitandi studio venit, sed in te novo nascendi illabitur sacramento. Adjecit congrue: Benedicta tu in mulieribus. Quia in quibus Eva maledicta puniebat viscera, tunc in illis gaudet, honoratur, suspicitur Maria benedicta. Et facta est vere nunc mater viventium per gratiam, quae mater exstitit morientium per naturam. Sanctus Petrus Chrysologus, Sermo CXL, De Annuntiatione Divae Mariae Virginis Source: Migne PL 52.576a-b

Let us hear what the angel did. Having come to her, he says: 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.' 1 In this voice is the giving of a gift, not just the simple performance of a greeting. 'Hail.' That is, receive grace. Do not be distressed or anxious about nature. 'Full of grace.' Because though there is grace in others, the whole fullness of grace shall come to you. 'The Lord is with you.' Why is the Lord with you? Because He is coming to you not for the sake of a visit, but He comes down into you in a new mystery of birth. Fittingly the angel adds: 'Blessed are you among women.' Because in those affairs which Eve who received a curse had punished the body, Mary now receives a blessing, and rejoices and is honoured. Now truly woman is a mother of the living through grace, who had been a mother of the dead by nature. Saint Peter Chrysologus, from Sermon 140, On The Annunciation 1 Lk 1.28