Take a Break from the Chaos of Christmas with Advent Apologetics: The Annunciation

Take a Break from the Chaos of Christmas with Advent Apologetics: The Annunciation

By Rietta Parker, Contributing Writer

The Annunciation-Luke 1

The angel Gabriel greets Mary and announces her conception through the Holy Spirit. As we know, in so doing, Gabriel gives us Catholics the beginning of the “Hail Mary” prayer: “Hail, full of grace…” (Luke 1: 28) 

When reading this gospel passage, I ask all Christians: why would an angel greet an “ordinary” human by first saying “hail?”

The Greek original translation of “hail” as used in Luke 1:28 translates to χαίρω = chairō which means to rejoice, to be glad, and was often times used in this way to greet royalty or to honor someone of great importance. Mary herself was “greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be,” not seeing herself as someone who warranted this sort of respect. (Luke 1:29)

When else is someone greeted like this in the whole of the Bible, and who are they?

-“Weaving a crown out of thorns, they placed it on his head, and a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews,’” (referring to Jesus) (Matthew 27:29)

-And in the same context of the crowning of thorns, ”They began to salute him with, ‘Hail, King of the Jews,’” (Mark 15:18) and ”…’Hail, King of the Jews,’” (John 19:3) 

(New American Bible, 1986) 

*Note for our Protestant friends and family: the King James translation of the Bible also describes Jesus telling the disciples after his Resurrection to “All hail” and they worshipped him.*

So, in other words, the only “characters” in the Bible greeted with this same original translation of “hail” are Jesus and Mary. Why? Because they are the King and Queen of Heaven. Following the tradition in Biblical Israel that the queen is actually the king’s mother. Heaven being the New Israel. 

How do angels greet other people in the Bible in comparison to Gabriel greeting Mary? Here is a comprehensive list of all the other times an angel greets someone verbally in scripture:

Old Testament: 

Reference	Recipient(s)	Angel’s Initial Words (NAB 1970)
Genesis 16:8	Hagar	“Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?”
Genesis 22:11	Abraham	“Abraham, Abraham!” (to stop Abraham from harming Isaac)
Judges 6:12	Gideon	“The Lord is with you, O champion!”
Judges 13:3	Manoah’s wife	“Though you are barren and have had no children, yet you will conceive and bear a son.”
Daniel 10:11	Daniel	“Daniel, beloved…understand the words which I am speaking to you…”

New Testament: 

Reference	Recipient(s)	Angel’s Initial Words (NAB 1986)
Matthew 1:20	St. Joseph	“Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.”
Matthew 28:5	Women at the tomb	“Do not be afraid! I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.”
Mark 16:6	Women at the tomb	“Do not be amazed! You seek Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified.”
Luke 1:13	Zechariah	“…’Do not be afraid, Zachariah, because your prayer has been heard.”
Luke 2:10	Shepherds	“Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim good news to you of great joy that will be for all the people.”
Luke 24:5	Women at the tomb	“Why do you seek the living one among the dead?”
Acts 10:3–4	Cornelius	“Cornelius…Your prayers and almsgiving have ascended as a memorial offering before God.”
Acts 12:7	St. Peter	“Get up quickly…Put on your belt and your sandals.”
Acts 27: 23-24	St. Paul	“Do not be afraid, Paul. You are destined to stand before Caesar…”

I again ask non-Catholic Christians, what do you make of this stark difference between the way Mary is greeted by an angel of the Lord versus anyone else in the Bible? In virtually every other instance listed above, the angel immediately starts giving the human commands to follow. What must it take for an angel to stop and honor a human being the way Gabriel honors Mary when greeting her?

Our Protestant loved ones might answer these questions by focusing on the fact that Christians should not dwell on Gabriel’s wording in an attempt to equate Mary to Jesus in any way. Well, happily for all Christians, we Catholics aren’t equating Mary to Jesus and of course, neither is the angel Gabriel. That’s why Gabriel didn’t greet her just with “Hail, Mary.” He said, “Hail, full of grace.” (Luke 1:28) Grace only comes from God and is what all humans need to do God’s will and to be any measure of “Christ-like.” This full greeting shows Mary plays a royal part in all of salvation and should be honored in that role (hail) but of course only with God is she able to fulfill that role (full of grace.) 

Furthering this important distinction between Jesus and Mary, Gabriel goes on in his encounter with Mary to explain how the Holy Spirit will come upon her, “Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing is impossible for God.” (Luke 1: 35-36) The wording Gabriel uses here again leaves no room for confusion: Mary is honored for her role in salvation, but these miraculous conceptions in Mary and Elizabeth are ultimately brought to fulfillment through and with God. 

The Chaos of Christmas

In a world where secularism is becoming a universally accepted religion and lifestyle, it can be difficult to stay grounded in the spiritual renewal this celebration of Jesus’s birth should bring to each and every one of us. The chaos of Christmas exists obviously in the never-ending to-do lists: the planning, cooking, cleaning, wrapping, traveling, and year-end preparations, but it also exists not so obviously in the hollowness of what humanity today brings to the stable. As hard as it is for us to discuss openly, I think every Christian carries a heaviness each year in the reality that Christmas isn’t exactly what it should be. There’s an empty seat at the table. The people or places you spent years associating with Christmas celebrations are no longer present or have aged beyond recognition. You or loved ones are struggling with health or finances. You might feel burnt out and as if you spent so much energy trying to make Christmas as magical as it once was, that you don’t actually have much energy left to prepare your own personal gift for baby Jesus: your fiat. Your yes to the Lord. I encourage all Christians to meditate on the Annunciation with the goal of re-centering your soul for Christ. Who knows what Mary was thinking or feeling in the days or hours leading up to Gabriel’s announcement? We can assume she might have been feeling some of the same things as us: the burnout of seemingly never-ending labor, the uncertainty and fear of the future, the grief of what once was. She chose to be brave, trusting, and accepting in Gabriel’s proclamation. In these final few days before Christmas, hear these words from this gospel repeated in your day-to-day struggles as if you are having your  own conversation with your guardian angel: 

“Do not be afraid.”

“How can this be?”

“…for nothing will be impossible for God.” 

“May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:30-38) 

The Magnificat-The Prayer Of Mary

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, 
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. 
From this day all generations will call me blessed: 
the Almighty has done great things for me, 
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation. 
He has shown the strength of his arm, 
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, 
and has lifted up the lowly. 
He has filled the hungry with good things, 
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy, 
the promise he made to our fathers, 
to Abraham and his children forever.

(Lk 1: 46-55)

(taken from EWTN.) 

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Rietta Parker holds a BS in secondary English education and an MA in English-Creative Writing from Auburn University. She writes fiction, poetry, reflections, and prayers. Her work has been published in Bridge: Bluffton University’s Literary Journal, Quiet Lightning, and Poet’s Choice. In 2020, her reflection on being at home in the Church was featured in The Catholic Woman’s “Portrait of a Catholic Woman” social media campaign. She’s a member of the Catholic Writers Guild where she serves as an anthology and blog editor. When she isn’t teaching or writing, she loves to sing, dance, and act.