22 December 2025

For centuries, the Latin Vulgate was the official  version of the Bible used by the Church in the West. St. Jerome, who was commissioned to translate the Bible into Latin by the Pope in the late fourth century, translated the Greek, ‘Rejoice, highly favoured one’ as ‘Ave gratia plena’, ‘Hail, full of grace’.

As a consequence, Mary was considered to be full of grace and having such a plenitude of grace was able to share it through the prayers of the faithful. But notice what has happened here.

Instead of being the focus of God’s choice, the one who is highly favoured by God, she becomes the focus of other people and through her misappropriated plenitude of grace is considered worthy of their worship.

Mary’s sanctity is not in being filled with grace. It is to be found in her obedience to the Word of God. Despite her perplexity, her fear and the uncertainty of  what lies before her, she says simply, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’

And we know what God’s Word says about the nature of the Incarnation. ‘And the Word became flesh and lived among us and we have seen his glory, the glory of a Father’s only son, full of grace and truth.’ The plenitude of grace does not reside in Mary but in the Word Incarnate.