The first privilege, fulness of grace, which she had received from God, the angel expressed with the words “full of grace.”  These words mean:  thou art filled with all the divine graces in a measure possible to no other creature; thou hast received to the full all graces.  As God will exalt thee to a dignity beyond that of the most exalted spirits of heaven, so He has granted you more and greater graces than even to the Seraphim and Cherubim.  Now since thou hast cooperated in a perfect manner with all these graces, thou hast become the most virtuous, the holiest, the most perfect of all creatures.  Therefore, art thou worthy to become the mother of the Most High.

Mary’s second privilege which the angel mentioned was her elevation to the dignity of mother of God.  “The Lord is with thee,” that is, God has bestowed upon thee every grace, and, finding thee worthy, thou art to be the mother of His Son, to cooperate in the redemption and the salvation of the world.

In the words “The Lord is with thee” is expressed the intimate relationship of Mary to God, accomplished by the Incarnation.  Not merely through the fulness of His grace and love is God with her, but even according to the flesh God is intimately united to her.

Mary’s third privilege announced by the angel is the exalted veneration which she merits for her dignity and sanctity.  The angel expresses this in the words “Blessed art thou among women.”  The angel had reference to the promise given by God in Paradise, that there would come a woman who should crush the serpent’s head.  He had in mind also the renowned women of the old law who had rescued the people of God from peril and oppression, and who were for this reason blessed by the people, such as Judith and Esther.  These heroic women were glorious prototypes, pointing to Mary who was to crush the serpent’s head, to destroy the designs of Lucifer, and to save the human race from destruction.  Yes, truly, Mary is blessed by God among all women, and is herself an infinite blessing for the entire world.  The Lord hath done great things in her.  She realized this herself, in those prophetic words, “Behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed, for he that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is his name.”  And so it has been, and ever will be, as long as the sun illumines the earth.  For more than nineteen centuries the people and nations have joyfully repeated the angel’s words, “Blessed art thou among women.”  By precept of the Church we add the words “and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus,” in order to join to our praise of Mary that of Jesus, from whom and on whose account she received all her privileges, and for whose sake she receives all this praise.