Text

 

1       I greet you, Mary,

                  holy Lady,

                  holy Queen,

                  Mother of God,

 

2       Through the choice of the most holy heavenly Father

(1e)   you have become the Virgin Church,

         whom he has consecrated

                  with his most holy Son, the Beloved,

                  and the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.

3       In you were and are all fullness of grace and all good.

 

4       I greet you, God's palace.

         I greet you, God's tent.

         I greet you, God's home.

 

5       I greet you, God's robe.

         I greet you, God's servant.

         I greet you, God's Mother.

 

[Virtues, means of conversion]

 

6       I greet you,

         all you holy Virtues.

         You are poured into the hearts of the faithfujl

         by the grace and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit

         to turn unbelievers

         into believers in God.

 

Commentary

 

1. Relationships

 

The background thought of this Marian greeting is the Incarnation, through which Mary is so very closely tied to her Son and the entire Trinity.

 

Mary has also a special relationship to the Church. The 4th century bishop of Milan, Saint Ambrose (374-397, liturgical feast on December 7) writes of Mary as a type (or model or pattern) of the Church (Expositio Lucae 2,7: PL 15, 1555). Since then, other theologians have followed him herein. More new titles are given to Mary: “tabernaculum” (tent, verse 4b) and “domus Dei” (God’s house, verse 4c) by Saint Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury and Doctor of the Church (1033-1109) (PL 158, 1040 and 1047) in the second half of the 11^th century; and, in the first half of the 12^th century, “palatium” (palace, verse 4a) by Pierre the Venerable (= Pierre of Montboissier, 1092-1157, abbot of Cluny from 1122 on) (PL 198, 976). And so we can go on. Finally, in the 20^th century, Pope Paul VI (1963-1978) adds to Mary the title of “Mother of the Church”.  But Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) has gone far beyond all of them. In the first quarter of the 13^th Century, he boldly states that Mary is the Virgin Church (Maria, quae es virgo ecclesia facta et electa a Patre, verse 2ab/1e). This expression is much stronger and much profounder than "Mary, Mother of the Church". Saint Francis is quite unique in his view.

 

Francis has some other surprising sayings. Mary is the spouse (wife) of the Holy Spirit in a spiritual sense (sponsa Spiritus Sancti: Antiphone of the Psalter of Francis, verse 2c). Francis also says: The spirit of the Lord, dwelling in his faithful, that it is that receives the most holy Body and the Blood of the Lord (Spiritus Domini, qui habitat in fidelibus suis, ille est qui recipit sanctissimum corpus et sanguinem Domini, Admonition 1,12). Theologians have so far ignored  the theologian in the Poverello of Assisi.

 

2. Observations on the text

 

The original title Salutation of the Holy Virgin Mary (Salutatio beatae Mariae Virginis) ends with a genitive on -is, but it is the dative (to: Virgini without an s) which is the real meaning for Francis addresses his greetings TO Mary, as out translation expresses.

 

The threefold  structure of these Marian greetings has been expressed in a visible way. Besides the names of the Holy Trinity we find a number of three words:

·       three titles of Mary (verse 1bcd)

·       three verbs (2abc: facta et electa, consecravit)

·       three divine names (verse 2ade)

·       three greetings (twice, verses 4 and 5)

·       three times the same word (verse 6cef: in corda fidelium, de fidelibus, fideles Deo)

It is a total of 6 times three.

 

3. Interpretation

 

This is my interpretation of "Virgo Ecclesia" (the Virgin Church): the Virgin Mary is God's dwelling, the presence of the Holy Trinity  on earth. "Ecclesia" (Church) is like "Palace" of verse 4a and "Tent" of verse 4b. The word "Tabernaculum" must not be translated as tabernacle, for that makes us think of the Holy Eucharistic presence. Andr this prayer deals not with the Eucharist but with the Incarnation. "Tabernaculum" refers to God's presence with his chosen people during thir 40-year travelling in the desert, until the Tent was replaced by the Temple in Jerusalem (Palace).

 

The word "eius" (his) in verses 4 and 5 can be correctly translated as "God's" (Dei) or "of the Trinity" (Trinitatis).

 

"Omnis plenitudo gratiae" (all the fullness of grace) refers to the Holy Spirit and "omne bonum" (all good) to God the Father. Mary carries the embryon Jesus in her womb. But "fuit" (was) does not apply to him, because -- apart from the eternal thought of the Father -- he was conceived in time. And thus he has changed the history of mankind forever.

 

The entire Trinity was not incarnated; only the "Word took flesh" (John 1:14). On the other hand, the Father took part in it because he willed and caused it, with the consent of his eternal Son. The Father acted through the Holy Spirit, who can be considered as the spouse (husband) of the Virgin Mary,in a spiritual sense (see the antiphon of the Psalter of Francis, verse 2c).

 

Translation and commentary: Francis de Ruijte, 2005 November 25 - December 27. (Commentary 3: December 11)