The angel’s greeting—“Hail!”—literally means “rejoice” in Greek, and this coincidence was not lost on the Fathers of the Church, who saw the angelic announcement as a declaration of joy. Nine months from now, a multitude of angels will proclaim joy to the world, but today this proclamation of joy is reserved for the Theotokos, the one by whom our Joy—Jesus Christ himself—enters the world and is united with creation. This is why we, with the angel, sing to her over and over: “Rejoice!” For she is full of grace, and full of Joy, joy that she shares with us through the mystery of her childbearing and motherhood.
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