Annotation CXXXIII

”Hail, full of grace.” — Luke 1:28

Whether the Virgin Mary is rightly called "full of grace."

Bernard, in homily 3 on the history of the Lord’s Annunciation, narrating these [things], Erasmus censures in his annotations — because he philosophizes wrongly and beside the point in these words, as though it peculiarly belonged to Mary to be called “full of grace,” whereas it was not said by Luke, “full of grace,” but κεχαριτωμένη [kecharitōmenē], that is, “graced [favored]”; and this expression is found promiscuously attributed to many [persons] in the sacred writings. For indeed of John the Baptist it is read, “He shall be filled with the Holy Spirit”; and of Elizabeth, “She was filled with the Holy Spirit”; and Stephen is called “full of grace.” Certainly I do not see why Erasmus thinks Bernard is to be censured in this matter, since all the Latin fathers through so many successions of ages have read “full of grace,” and St. Ambrose, skilled in the Greek tongue, judged that this epithet rightly agrees with Mary — because she is second to none in [her] graces. Jerome too — or Sophronius, familiar with Jerome (for each was excellently versed in the Greek tongue) — in the sermon On the Assumption, explaining this praise-title, says: “Well [is she called] ‘full of grace,’ because grace is bestowed on the rest in parts [piecemeal]: but into Mary the whole plenitude of grace poured itself at once. Truly ‘full of grace,’ through whom every creature has been overflowed with the abundant shower of the Holy Spirit.” Moreover Theophylact, the Greek author, recognizing both readings — both “gracious” and “full of grace” — reads [thus], saying: “For this is to be gracious, or full of grace: that she found grace with God. For many others also found grace before God; but that she conceived the Son of God in [her] womb — this [was] singular to her, which was granted to no other.” This same [thing] St. Athanasius most clearly proclaims in the sermon On the Most Holy Mother of God, speaking in this manner: “The Holy Spirit descended into the Virgin with all his essential virtues [powers], imbuing her with grace, that she might be gracious in all [things]; and therefore she was surnamed ‘full of grace,’ because by the infilling of the Holy Spirit she abounded in all graces.” And below: “For it is fitting that thou be surnamed mother, regeneratrix, lady, and mistress — because from thee came forth the King, the Lord, and our God — [thou] standing beside him, to us indeed terrible [awesome], but to thee sweet, and bestowing every grace: for which cause it came to pass that thou art called ‘full of grace’ — inasmuch as thou didst abound in every grace.” From the words of these authors it is easily washed away [refuted], what Erasmus says: that in the sacred writings other saints too are called “full of grace.” For although we confess the saints [to be] full of grace, yet we believe — as Sophronius says in the same sermon — that the mother of Christ has so great a plenitude of grace as no [other] of mortals has received. For God made her such and so great that he himself willed to be born through no [other] creature than through her.