The passage of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary, chosen to be the Mother of Jesus, is singularly dear to the Liturgy on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
Mary the "filled with grace", as Luke emphasises in his Gospel, always found unspeakable love with Francis of Assisi because, as he repeated: "she had made the Lord of majesty our brother".
"To his honour he sang special praises, raised prayers, offered affections so many and such as human tongue could not express" (FF 786).
And in the Letter to the Faithful:
"The Most High Heavenly Father, through his holy angel Gabriel, announced this Word of the Father, so worthy, so holy and glorious, in the womb of the Holy and glorious Virgin Mary, and from her womb received the true flesh of our humanity and frailty" (FF 181).
The Poverello, who was in love with Mary, always concluded the recitation of the psalms with a wonderful Marian antiphon, extolling all the prerogatives of God in Her:
"Holy Virgin Mary, there is no one like you, born in the world, among women, daughter and handmaid of the Most High and Supreme King the heavenly Father, mother of our most holy Lord Jesus Christ, spouse of the Holy Spirit; pray for us with Saint Michael the Archangel and with all the powers of heaven and with all the saints, to your most holy beloved Son, Lord and Master. Glory to the Father [...]" (FF 281).
But what, in my opinion, most exalts the Beauty of Mary "she who has found Grace with God" (Lk 1:30) is Francis' wonderful prayer known as "Salutation to the Blessed Virgin Mary":
We read in his writings:
"Hail, Lady, Holy Queen,/ Holy Mother of God, Mary,/ who is a virgin made Church/ and chosen by the most holy heavenly Father,/ who has consecrated you/ together with her most holy beloved Son/ and with the Holy Paraclete Spirit;/ you in whom was and is all fullness of grace/ and all good.
Hail, his palace,/ Hail, his tabernacle,/ Hail, his house./
Hail, his robe,/ Hail, his handmaid,/ Hail, his Mother [...]" (FF 259).
Even in Clare, "àltera Maria", we find expressions that attest to the fact that the holy Virgin was the model of her daily life.
We read in the 3rd letter addressed to her spiritual daughter:
"In the same way, then, that the glorious Virgin of virgins bore Christ materially in her womb, you too, following his vestiges, especially of his humility and poverty, can always [...] bear him spiritually in your chaste and virginal body. And you will contain in you Him by whom you and all creatures are contained" (FF 2893).
«The Holy Spirit will descend upon you and the power of the Most High will cover you with his shadow» (Lk 1:35)
Immaculate Conception Blessed Virgin Mary (Lk 1:26-38)
