The petition includes briefly everything for which we may ask Mary.

Let us then give our attention to this beautiful prayer in the name of Jesus and Mary, His blessed mother.

I. I said, that in the first part of the “Hail Mary” all the privileges and glories which made the blessed Virgin so worthy of praise are contained.  A closer examination will show us how true this is.  Let us transport ourselves in spirit to Nazareth, to the quiet little room where Mary is praying in deepest devotion.  Suddenly there enters this room one of the most exalted spirits that stand at the throne of the Creator.  What does this messenger from heaven desire of this humble virgin, unknown to the world?  He desires no less than her participation in our redemption.  The only begotten Son of God, in His infinite love for mankind, has offered to take upon Himself human nature, to atone for our sins and to redeem us.  The time appointed by God’s providence, when this great work was to be consummated, had now come.  Mary, in the divine counsels, is destined to be the mother of the Saviour.  The celestial messenger appears to bring this message to her, and to obtain her consent.  God desired that Mary should voluntarily cooperate in the redemption.

Mary cooperated in our redemption by proving herself worthy to be called to the divine motherhood, as far as this is possible for a human being.  This she did by cooperating faithfully with the abundance of grace granted her by God, and thus proving herself worthy to become the mother of the Saviour.  Through her virginity she rendered herself worthy according to the body, and through her most profound piety and humility according to the spirit.  Both virtues stand forth most brilliantly in the annunciation of the angel.  But she wished rather to forego the exalted dignity of divine motherhood, than relinquish the virginity which she had dedicated to God.  And when the highest dignity which can be bestowed upon a creature was announced to her, she called herself the handmaid of the Lord.  Mary, when convinced of the will of God, humbly consented, saying, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to thy word.”

Through this consent Mary conferred upon the world an unspeakable great blessing, for which we should be eternally grateful to her.  By this consent she became the second Eve, me spiritual first parent of the redeemed race.

The angel, recognizing in Mary his future queen, now reverently set forth in brief words all the prerogatives which God had granted her, and was about to bestow upon her.  These prerogatives are:  (1) the fulness of grace which God had already granted unto her; (2) the dignity of mother of God which He now granted her, and, finally (3), the veneration and glorification which on account of this fulness of grace and this dignity she would partake of in heaven and earth.