Hail or Rejoice??

I was listening to Fr. Rocky on Relevant Radio yesterday and he was talking about different bible translations and some of the specific distincitions they can make in a theological sense.

He noted that one translation renders the Angel Gabriel's greeting to Mary as "Rejoice O Highly Favored Daughter" while Catholic theology prefers the greeting to be rendered into English as "Hail Full of Grance."

I think I would agree with Fr. Rocky and orthodox Catholic theology.

I can feel God loving me as one of his "favored daughters."

But only Mary, the Mother of God, is "full of grace" and merits a "HAIL" from an archangel.

This is not a mere semantic difference, it is of deep theological significance to us...

I cannot remeber if it was a Saint or Chesterton who noted that humility is the virtue that reminds us who we really are in relationship to who God really is. I need to remember this when I am making all my plans and schemes and schedules and 10-year-future-goals.

And every time I say the Hail Mary, it helps me to remember....
and rejoice!