[Kolokotronis]

Just for you three because you’ll really appreciate this:

“The Holy Virgin is herself both an honourable temple of God and a shrine made pure, and a golden altar of whole burnt offerings. By reason of her surpassing purity [she is] the Divine incense of oblation, and oil of the holy grace, and a precious vase bearing in itself the true nard; [yea and] the priestly diadem revealing the good pleasure of God, whom she alone approacheth holy in body and soul. [She is] the door which looks eastward, and by the comings in and goings forth the whole earth is illuminated. The fertile olive from which the Holy Spirit took the fleshly slip of the Lord, and saved the suffering race of men. She is the boast of virgins, and the joy of mothers; the declaration of archangels, even as it was spoken: “Be thou glad and rejoice, the Lord with thee”; and again, “from thee”; in order that He may make new once more the dead through sin.” +Gregory the Wonderworker

[Salvation]

Amen!

[NYer]

Thank you, K, for posting these beautiful Eastern insights into the Blessed Mother.

While praying the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary one night, I paused in reflection on the Announcement to Mary. Suddenly, it hit me that the Creator of this ...

Who also created Mary, would ask for her permission to become the mother of His Son, the Savior of the World.

Luke
Chapter 1

26

¹⁰ In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

27

to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.

28

And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."

29

But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

30

Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31

Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.

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He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, ¹¹ and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,

33

and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

34

But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" ¹²

35

And the angel said to her in reply, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

36

And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived ¹³ a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;

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for nothing will be impossible for God."

38

Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

How many times had I heard this Gospel proclaimed or read it at home. But that night was different. It was as if someone had suddenly turned on a light. There it was ... Mary's "yes" when she could have said no. More importantly, there was the Creator of the Universe asking for her permission, when He could have simply said "it's done".

This was no ordinary woman. This is the Mother of God Incarnate, Jesus Christ. How many swords pierced her loving heart as a result of that fiat. What greater love can there have been than between Mary and her Son, a true gift from God. How can anyone render her any less dignity than that which she deserves.

Holy Mary, Mother of God
pray for us sinners
now, and at the hour of our death.
Amen

[AnAmericanMother]

Thank you — what a blend of holy and homely images!

[Mad Dawg]

Yep. That's lovely. I love the whole thing but I really love:
The fertile olive from which the Holy Spirit took the fleshly slip of the Lord, and saved the suffering race of men.

I will think differently of the name "Olivia" from now on.