I’ve been puzzled that when the angel told Mary, “‘Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you’ …she was greatly troubled at what was said.” You would think that after hearing such compliments she would be pleased, not troubled. On further reflection, I realized that if someone came up to me and said “John, you are a great guy and I admire you” I would expect another shoe to drop, that he would want me to do something for him. Perhaps that’s what troubled Mary — that God was going to stretch her out of her comfort zone. So with us — God asks us to grow in holiness by being more forgiving, more generous, more charitable. May we be as ready to respond as Mary was.
