8/15/2019 Jesus at the very centre

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Jesus, at the Very Centre

By Fr. Nelson Medina, O.P.

It is most familiar to everybody that the Hail Mary has two parts. Not always werealize though that the very joint of these two parts is precisely the HoliestName of Our Lord, Jesus Christ. I think it is good to remember this fact and tomeditate a bit on it, for it certainly is not a coincidence.

In the Hail Mary, Jesus is first mentioned as the blessed fruit of Marys womb;then He is explicitly named. The interesting fact is that we have two versions inthe Bible about how this came to be the name of the Holy Infant. According toMathew 1,21, it is Joseph who hears from an angelic voice: She [Mary] will givebirth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he is the one who will savehis people from their sins. According to Lukes version there is even more tothis name, for St. Gabriel affirms to Mary: You have found favour with God.Listen! You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you are to name himJesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the LordGod will give him the throne of his forefather David. He will rule over the houseof Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end. (Luke 1,30-33).

Therefore, we do not know for sure whether the name was given by Joseph or byMary. What is clear is that this name came from Heaven and that it does contain atremendous expression of grace and a unique announcement of salvation. In fact,the name Jesus, in Hebrew means Yahweh shall save, as Joseph was able to hear.

It is not without reason that Mary hears the name of her Son immediately afterlearning how she stands before God. You have found favour with God; You willbecome pregnant and give birth to a son: the two phrases resemble the two sidesof a coin, one facing to the past, You have found; the second facing to thefuture: You will give birth to a son. Jesus Christ is the very expression ofGods favour, and the first to perceive this fact, which is at the very centre ofthe New Testament, is the Blessed Virgin.

In his letter to Titus, St. Paul relates Christs presence on this earth and Godsmerciful saving work: When the kindness of God our Saviour, and his love towardman, appeared, not by works done in righteousness, which we did ourselves, butaccording to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration andrenewing of the Holy Spirit, which he poured out upon us richly, through JesusChrist our Saviour (Titus 3:,4-6). Jesus, our Lord, expresses and fulfillseverything that is within Gods favour and grace.

Consequently, we can see the Hail Mary as telling us the marvelous way in whichthe grace we receive becomes the grace we share. In the first part we address Maryas the Blessed One; in the second , we invoke her so that we come to be blessed aswell. She received Gods grace in, and because of, her Child, Jesus. Now She isable to pray efficaciously for us, sinners, and She does so in, and because of her

Child, Jesus. That is why we call Her Mother of God, that is: Mother of the Onewho is God, for every power of her intercession derives solely from the fact ofChrists action in her life.

Summary: the two parts of the Hail Mary can be related to the two basic aspects ofChristian life: receiving and sharing Gods grace; at the centre of the Hail MaryJesus himself stands as best expression of Gods favour and mercy.