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| The Annunciation. 1442-3. Fra Angelico. San Marco Museum, Florence. |
I have included my own (fairly literal) English translation, together with a number of Scriptural references.
Introduction
In this salutation are contained three parts. The Angel contributed one part, namely: “Hail full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women” [Luke i. 28]. Elizabeth, the mother of John Baptist, contributed another part, namely “Blessed is the fruit of thy womb” [Luke i. 42]. The Church added a third part, namely “Mary,” for the Angel did not say “Hail Mary,” but “Hail full of grace.” This name, which is to say, Mary, according to its meaning agrees with the words of the Angel.
Prooemium
In salutatione ista continentur tria. Unam partem fecit Angelus, scilicet ave gratia plena, dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus. Aliam partem fecit Elisabeth, mater Ioannis Baptistae, scilicet[1] benedictus fructus ventris tui. Tertiam partem addidit Ecclesia, scilicet Maria: nam Angelus non dixit, ave Maria, sed ave, gratia plena. Et hoc nomen, scilicet Maria, secundum suam interpretationem convenit dictis Angeli, sicut patebit.
[1] scīlĭcet, adv. contr. from sci- (root of scire) licet; cf. vide-licet, i-licet, or scīre lĭcet. you may understand or know, = Gr. Δηλονότι; serving to imply that a statement is in itself obviously true, and is not overlooked.
Article 1: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee”
The first point to be considered is that in ancient times it was a very great event when Angels appeared to men; and that men should show them reverence was especially praiseworthy. Whence it is written to the praise of Abraham that he received the Angels with a warm welcome and showed them reverence. But that an Angel should show reverence to a man was never heard of until the Angel greeted the Blessed Virgin saying reverently: “Hail.”
For in ancient times, an Angel would not show reverence to a man, but a man would unto an Angel; the because an Angel was greater than a man, and this for three reasons.
Firstly, in point of dignity: because an Angel is of a spiritual nature: “Who makest thy angels spirits: and thy ministers a burning fire” [Ps. Ciii. 4]. Man, however, is of a corruptible nature, whence Abraham said: “I will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes” [Gen. Xviii. 27]. It was therefore not fitting that a spiritual and incorruptible creature should show reverence to one corruptible, which is to say a man.
Secondly, in point of familiarity with God. For an Angel is of the family of God and stands, as it were, before Him: “thousands of thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him:” [Dan. vii. 10] Man, on the other hand, is distant and almost a stranger to the family: “Lo, I have gone far off flying away;” [Ps. Liv. 8] Hence it is fitting that a man should reverence an Angel, as being in truth a close member of the King’s household.
Thirdly, an Angel is pre-eminent on account of the fullness of the splendour of Divine grace; for Angels participate in the highest degree in this Divine light: “Is there any numbering of his soldiers? and upon whom shall not his light arise?” [Job xxv. 3] For this reason, an Angel always appears clothed in light. But men, even though they partake somewhat of that very light of grace, it is however to a lesser degree and with a certain obscurity. It was therefore not fitting that an Angel should show reverence to a man until someone should be found in human nature who passed over the Angels in these three points. This was the Blessed Virgin. To acknowledge, therefore, that she was pre-eminent in these three points, the Angel wanted to show reverence unto her, whence he said: “Ave.”
Articulus 1: Ave Maria gratia plena, dominus tecum
Est ergo circa primum considerandum, quod antiquitus erat valde magnum quod Angeli apparerent hominibus; vel quod homines facerent eis reverentiam, habebant pro maxima laude. Unde et ad laudem Abrahae scribitur, quod recepit Angelos hospitio, et quod exhibuit eis reverentiam. Quod autem Angelus faceret homini reverentiam, nunquam fuit auditum, nisi postquam salutavit beatam virginem, reverenter dicens, ave.
Quod autem antiquitus non reverebatur hominem Angelus, sed homo Angelum, ratio est, quia Angelus erat maior homine; et hoc quantum ad tria. Primo quantum ad dignitatem: ratio est, Angelus est naturae spiritualis. Psal. CIII, 4: qui facit Angelos suos spiritus; homo vero est naturae corruptibilis: unde dicebat Abraham (Gen. XVIII, 27): loquar ad dominum meum, cum sim pulvis et cinis. Non ergo erat decens ut spiritualis et incorruptibilis creatura reverentiam exhiberet corruptibili, scilicet homini. Secundo quantum ad familiaritatem ad Deum. Nam Angelus est Deo familiaris, utpote [2] assistens. Dan. VII, 10: millia millium ministrabant ei, et decies millies centena millia assistebant ei. Homo vero est quasi extraneus, et elongatus a Deo per peccatum. Psal. LIV, 8: elongavi fugiens. Ideo conveniens est ut homo revereatur Angelum, utpote propinquum et familiarem regis.
Tertio praeeminebat propter plenitudinem splendoris gratiae divinae: Angeli enim participant ipsum lumen divinum in summa plenitudine. Iob. XXV, 3: nunquid est numerus militum eius, et super quem non surget lumen eius? Et ideo semper apparet cum lumine. Sed homines, etsi aliquid participent de ipso lumine gratiae, parum tamen, et in obscuritate quadam. Non ergo decens erat ut homini reverentiam exhiberet, quousque aliquis inveniretur in humana natura qui in his tribus excederet Angelos. Et haec fuit beata virgo. Et ideo ad designandum quod in his tribus excedebat eum, voluit ei Angelus reverentiam exhibere: unde dixit, ave.
[2] ut-pŏtĕ, adv., as namely, namely, as being, as, seeing that, inasmuch as, since.
“Full of grace”
Gratia plena
Whence the Blessed Virgin was superior to the Angels in these three points. Firstly, in the fullness of grace, which is greater in the Blessed Virgin than in any Angel; accordingly, to indicate this, the Angel demonstrated reverence towards her, saying: full of grace. As if he were to have said: “Thus I show reverence to thee because thou dost excel me in the fullness of grace.”
Unde beata virgo excessit Angelos in iis tribus. Et primo in plenitudine gratiae, quae magis est in beata virgine quam in aliquo Angelo; et ideo ad insinuandum hoc, Angelus ei reverentiam exhibuit, dicens, gratia plena, quasi diceret: ideo exhibeo tibi reverentiam, quia me excellis in plenitudine gratiae.
The Blessed Virgin is said to be full of grace in three ways: firstly, as to her soul, in which dwelt every fullness of grace. For the grace of God is bestowed for two reasons: namely, for the doing of good and for the avoidance of evil; and as to these two, the Blessed Virgin possessed the most perfect grace. For she avoided every sin more than any saint after Christ. For sin is either original, and from this she was cleansed in the womb; or else it is either mortal or venial , and she was free from these both. Whence it is written: “Thou art all fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee.” [Cant. iv. 7] In his book on Nature and Grace, St Augustine writes: “With the exception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, if all the saints, men and women, when they were alive were to have been asked whether they were without sin, they all would cry out with one voice: ‘If we say we are without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. The Blessed Virgin, I say, excepted, whom I do not wish to question directly when it comes to sin, on account of the honour of Our Lord. For we know that to her was granted more of grace to overcome every kind of sin by Him whom she merited to conceive and bring forth, Who certainly was reckoned to have no sin.
Dicitur autem beata virgo plena gratia quantum ad tria. Primo quantum ad animam, in qua habuit omnem plenitudinem gratiae. Nam gratia Dei datur ad duo: scilicet ad bonum operandum, et ad vitandum malum; et quantum ad ista duo perfectissimam gratiam habuit beata virgo. Nam ipsa omne peccatum vitavit magis quam aliquis sanctus post Christum. Peccatum enim aut est originale, et de isto fuit mundata in utero; aut mortale aut veniale, et de istis libera fuit. Unde Cant. IV, 7: tota pulchra es, amica mea, et macula non est in te. Augustinus in libro de natura et gratia: excepta sancta virgine Maria, si omnes sancti et sanctae cum hic viverent, interrogati fuissent utrum sine peccato essent, omnes una voce clamassent: si dixerimus quia peccatum non habemus, ipsi nos seducimus, et veritas in nobis non est. Excepta, inquam, hac sancta virgine, de qua propter honorem domini, cum de peccato agitur, nullam prorsus volo quaestionem habere. Scimus enim quod ei plus gratiae collatum fuerit ad peccatum ex omni parte vincendum quae illum concipere et parere meruit quem constat nullum habuisse peccatum. [ De natura et gratia 36]
But Christ excelled the Blessed Virgin in this, because He was conceived and was born without original sin. The Blessed Virgin, however, was conceived in original sin but was not born in it. She also exercised the works of all the virtues, whereas other saints exercised to take your lower virtues: one inhumanity, another in chastity, another in mercy; and so these are given as an example of special virtues, for example Saint Nicholas is an example of mercy, and so on.
Sed Christus excellit beatam virginem in hoc quod sine originali conceptus et natus est. Beata autem virgo in originali est concepta, sed non nata. Ipsa etiam omnium virtutum opera exercuit, alii autem sancti specialia quaedam: quia alius humilis, alius castus, alius misericors; et ideo ipsi dantur in exemplum specialium virtutum, sicut beatus Nicolaus in exemplum misericordiae et cetera.
But the Blessed Virgin is an example for all the virtues; because in her an example of humility: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord” [Lk i:38].And again, further on, "Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid;"[Lk i:48] of chastity, " for I know not man,"[Lk i:34] and of all the virtues, as is evident. Thus the Blessed Virgin is for of grace as to the doing of good and as to the avoidance of sin. Secondly, she was full of grace as to the overflowing of the soul unto the flesh or body. For it is a great thing in the saints to have so much grace that it sanctifies the soul; but the soul of the Blessed Virgin was so full of grace that it flowed therefrom into her flesh, so that she might conceive therefrom the Son of God.
Sed beata virgo in exemplum omnium virtutum: quia in ea reperis exemplum humilitatis: Luc. I, 38: ecce ancilla domini, et post, vers. 48: respexit humilitatem ancillae suae, castitatis, quoniam virum non cognosco, vers. 34, et omnium virtutum; ut satis patet. Sic ergo plena est gratia beata virgo et quantum ad boni operationem, et quantum ad mali vitationem. Secundo plena fuit gratia quantum ad redundantiam animae ad carnem vel corpus. Nam magnum est in sanctis habere tantum de gratia quod sanctificet animam; sed anima beatae virginis ita fuit plena quod ex ea refudit gratiam in carnem, ut de ipsa conciperet filium Dei. Et ideo dicit Hugo de s. Victore: quia in corde eius amor spiritus sancti singulariter ardebat, ideo in carne eius mirabilia faciebat, intantum quod de ea nasceretur Deus et homo. Luc. I, 35: quod enim nascetur ex te sanctum, vocabitur filius Dei.
Thirdly, as the overflowing (of grace) into all men. It is a great thing in any saint when he has so much grace that it is sufficient for the salvation of many souls. But when he has so much grace that it is sufficient for the salvation of all men in the world, he is the most wonderful: and this is true of Christ and of the Blessed Virgin. For in every danger you can find safety from this same, glorious Virgin. Whence it is written: “a thousand bucklers” (, that is, remedies against dangers) “hang upon it” (the Virgin’s neck) [Cant. iv. 4][3] Similarly, in every work of virtue you can have her as helper; thus she herself says: “In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue.” [Eccli. Xxiv. 25][4] She is accordingly full of grace, and she exceeds the Angels in the fullness of grace. For this reason it is fitting that she is called Mary which means “in herself enlightened;” whence it is written: the Lord “ will fill thy soul with brightness.”[5] Thus she is a source of light in others, unto the whole world; and thus she is compared to the sun and to the moon.
Tertio quantum ad refusionem in omnes homines. Magnum enim est in quolibet sancto, quando habet tantum de gratia quod sufficit ad salutem multorum; sed quando haberet tantum quod sufficeret ad salutem omnium hominum de mundo, hoc esset maximum: et hoc est in Christo, et in beata virgine. Nam in omni periculo potes salutem obtinere ab ipsa virgine gloriosa. Unde Cant. IV, 4: mille clypei, (idest remedia contra pericula), pendent ex ea. Item in omni opere virtutis potes eam habere in adiutorium; et ideo dicit ipsa, Eccli. XXIV, 25: in me omnis spes vitae et virtutis. Sic ergo plena est gratia, et excedit Angelos in plenitudine gratiae; et propter hoc convenienter vocatur Maria quae interpretatur illuminata in se; unde Isai. LVIII, 11: implebit splendoribus animam tuam; et illuminatrix in alios, quantum ad totum mundum; et ideo assimilatur soli et lunae.
[3] Thy neck, is as the tower of David, which is built with bulwarks: a thousand bucklers hang upon it, all the armour of valiant men. Sicut turris David collum tuum, quae aedificata est cum propugnaculis; mille clypei pendant ex ea, omnis armatura fortium.
[4] In me is all grace of the way and of the truth, in me is all hope of life and of virtue. In me gratia omnis viae et veritatis : in me omnis spes vitae et virtutis.
[5] And the Lord will give thee rest continually, and will fill thy soul with brightness, and deliver thy bones, and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a fountain of water whose waters shall not fail. Et requiem tibi dabit Dominus semper, et implebit splendoribus animam tuam, et ossa tua liberabit; et eris quasi hortus irriguus, et sicut fons aquarum cujus non deficient aquae.
The Lord is with thee
Dominus tecum
Secondly, she is higher than the Angels within the Divine Family. Indicating this, therefore, the Angel said: “the Lord is with thee,” as if he were to say, I show reverence unto thee because thou art closer to God than I am, for the Lord is with thee. The Lord, he says, meaning the Father with the same Son, Whom no Angel, nor any creature, has: “ therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” [Luke I. 35][6] God the Son was in her womb. “Rejoice, and praise, O thou habitation of Sion: for great is he that is in the midst of thee, the Holy One of Israel.” [Isai. Xii. 6][7]
Secundo excellit Angelos in familiaritate divina. Et ideo hoc designans Angelus dixit: dominus tecum; quasi dicat: ideo exhibeo tibi reverentiam, quia tu familiarior es Deo quam ego, nam dominus est tecum. Dominus, inquit, pater cum eodem filio; quod nullus Angelus, nec aliqua creatura habuit. Luc. I, XXXV: quod enim nascetur ex te sanctum, vocabitur filius Dei. Dominus filius in utero. Isai. XII, 6: exulta et lauda habitatio Sion, quia magnus in medio tui sanctus Israel.
[6] And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Et respondens angelus dixit ei : Spiritus Sanctus superveniet in te, et virtus Altissimi obumbrabit tibi. Ideoque et quod nascetur ex te sanctum, vocabitur Filius Dei.
[7] Rejoice, and praise, O thou habitation of Sion: for great is he that is in the midst of thee, the Holy One of Israel. Exsulta et lauda, habitatio Sion, quia magnus in medio tui Sanctus Israel.
The Lord, therefore, is with the Blessed Virgin in a way different from that in which He is with the Angel; for He is with her as a son but with the Angel as Lord. Whence it is written: “the Temple of the Lord, the Sanctuary of the Holy Spirit,” because she conceived of the Holy Spirit: “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee” [Luke I. 35][8]. The Blessed Virgin is therefore closer to God than is the Angel,, for with her are Lord God the Father, Lord God the Son and Lord God the Holy Ghost: that is to say the whole Trinity, whence it is sung of her: “noble home[9] of the whole Trinity.”[10] “The Lord is with thee” are the noblest words that the Angel could have uttered. With justice, therfore, the Angel reverenced the Blessed Virgin because she is the Mother of the Lord and therefore our Lady. Whence this name of Mary is fitting for her which in the Syrian tongue means “Lady.”
Aliter est ergo dominus cum beata virgine quam cum Angelo; quia cum ea ut filius, cum Angelo ut dominus. Dominus spiritus sanctus, sicut in templo; unde dicitur: templum domini, sacrarium spiritus sancti, quia concepit ex spiritu sancto: Luc. I, 35: spiritus sanctus superveniet in te. Sic ergo familiarior cum Deo est beata virgo quam Angelus: quia cum ipsa dominus pater, dominus filius, dominus spiritus sanctus, scilicet tota Trinitas. Et ideo cantatur de ea: totius Trinitatis nobile triclinium. Hoc autem verbum, dominus tecum, est nobilius verbum quod sibi dici possit. Merito ergo Angelus reveretur beatam virginem, quia mater domini, et ideo domina est. Unde convenit ei hoc nomen Maria, quod Syra lingua interpretatur domina.
[8] And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Et respondens angelus dixit ei : Spiritus Sanctus superveniet in te, et virtus Altissimi obumbrabit tibi. Ideoque et quod nascetur ex te sanctum, vocabitur Filius Dei.
[9] The English translation above misses the Latin’s play on the words “Trinitatis” and “Triclinium,” for if by Trinitas we mean of the “Three in One God” then “Triclinium” may be taken to mean “Three couches in one cenacle.” See, for example, the entry for Triclinium in the DMLBS:1 triclinium [CL] 1 an arrangement of three couches, (transf.) room or hall containing (three) couches, (esp.) dining room; The upper-room or Cenacle, scene of the Last Supper and of the Apostles’ first Holy Communion, later became a place of safety for Our Lady and the disciples. Our Lady’s womb is this place of nourishment and safety for the unborn baby Jesus, as well as being a place of safety for the three Persons of the Trinity; whence the expression “triclinium,” being a room equipped with three couches.
[10] From the 12th century hymn Salve, Mater Salvatoris! by Adam of St Victor
Thirdly, she exceeds the Angels in point of purity, because the Blessed Virgin is not only pure in herself but she also obtains purity for others. She herself was perfectly pure and free from stain of sin for she, a virgin, committed neither mortal nor venial sin. So, too, was she free from sin’s penalties.
Three curses are given to men on account of sin:
The first is given to woman, who conceives in corruption, bears her child with difficulty and gives birth with labour pains. But the Blessed Virgin was free from this because she conceived without corruption, bore her child in comfort and gave birth to the Saviour in joy. “It shall bud forth and blossom, and shall rejoice with joy and praise:” [Isai. xxxv. 2] [11]
The second is given to man, which is to say that in the sweat of his face he shall eat his bread [Gen. iii. 19]12 The Blessed Virgin was exempt from this because, as the Apostle says: Virgins are free from the cares of this world and have time for the Lord alone. [I Cor. vii. 34][13]
The third was common to men and to women, which is to say that they should both return to dust. From this, too, the Blessed Virgin was exempt because she was assumed bodily into Heaven. For we believe that, after her death, she was raised up and borne into Heaven: “Arise, O Lord, into thy resting place: thou and the ark, which thou hast sanctified” [Ps. cxxxi].[14]
Tertio excedit Angelos quantum ad puritatem: quia beata virgo non solum erat pura in se, sed etiam procuravit puritatem aliis. Ipsa enim purissima fuit et quantum ad culpam, quia ipsa virgo nec mortale nec veniale peccatum incurrit. Item quantum ad poenam. Tres enim maledictiones datae sunt hominibus propter peccatum.
Prima data est mulieri, scilicet quod cum corruptione conciperet, cum gravamine portaret, et in dolore pareret. Sed ab hac immunis fuit beata virgo: quia sine corruptione concepit, in solatio portavit, et in gaudio peperit salvatorem. Isai. XXXV, 2: germinans germinabit exultabunda et laudans.
Secunda data est homini, scilicet quod in sudore vultus vesceretur pane suo. Ab hac immunis fuit beata virgo: quia, ut dicit apostolus, I Cor. VII, virgines solutae sunt a cura huius mundi, et soli Deo vacant.
Tertia fuit communis viris et mulieribus, scilicet ut in pulverem reverterentur. Et ab hac immunis fuit beata virgo, quia cum corpore assumpta est in caelum. Credimus enim quod post mortem resuscitata fuerit, et portata in caelum. Psal. CXXXI, 8 : surge, domine, in requiem tuam; tu, et arca sanctificationis tuae.
[11] It shall bud forth and blossom, and shall rejoice with joy and praise: the glory of Libanus is given to it: the beauty of Carmel, and Saron, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the beauty of our God. Germinans germinabit, et exsultabit laetabunda et laudans : gloria Libani data est ei, decor Carmeli et Saron; ipsi videbunt gloriam Domini, et decorem Dei nostri.
[12] In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the earth, out of which thou wast taken: for dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return. In sudore vultus tui vesceris pane, donec revertaris in terram de qua sumptus es : quia pulvis es et in pulverem reverteris.
[13] And the unmarried woman and the virgin thinketh on the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she that is married thinketh on the things of the world, how she may please her husband. Et mulier innupta, et virgo, cogitat quae Domini sunt, ut sit sancta corpore, et spiritu. Quae autem nupta est, cogitat quae sunt mundi, quomodo placeat viro.
[14] Arise, O Lord, into thy resting place: thou and the ark, which thou hast sanctified. Surge, Domine, in requiem tuam, tu et arca sanctificationis tuae.
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