• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
A 17th-century painting by Bartolomé Estebán Murillo depicts the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception with cherubim at her feet holding a proclamation of her freedom from sin. The art is owned by the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. (Courtesy Walters Art Museum, Baltimore)

‘Full of grace’

December 2, 2021
By George P. Matysek Jr.
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Amen, Amen Matysek Commentary, Christmas, Commentary, Feature, Saints

When the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be the mother of Christ, he didn’t initially greet the young woman by using her name. Instead, the heavenly messenger called Mary “Full of Grace.”

More than 2,000 years later, millions of people around the world utter that exact phrase every day as they pray the Hail Mary.

But what does it mean to be “full of grace?”

Pope Francis explained four years ago that in calling Mary “full of grace,” the angel was acknowledging that the Blessed Mother was “filled with the presence of God.”

“(I)f she is entirely inhabited by God, there is no room within her for sin,” the pope said at St. Peter’s Square in Rome.

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which we celebrate Dec. 8, is the Catholic Church’s annual liturgical commemoration of the dogma that Mary was kept free from original sin from the moment of her conception.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore has a special connection to the feast because it was in 1846 inside the archbishop’s residence next to the Baltimore Basilica that the U.S. bishops unanimously agreed to petition the Holy See to name Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception, to be patroness of the still-young country. Pope Pius IX granted the request one year later.

As an added distinction for America’s first diocese, Immaculate Conception Parish in Baltimore – still active today in the city – was established in 1850 as the very first parish in the country named in honor of the Immaculate Conception.

Eight years following his decision on a patroness for the United States (and maybe partially prompted by the American bishops’ devotion to the Immaculate Conception), Pope Pius IX formally proclaimed the Immaculate Conception to be an infallible dogma of the Catholic Church.

At a time when our country seems hopelessly divided and when so many people have given up faith, I wonder what would happen if we used the upcoming celebration of our national feast day to remind ourselves of Christ’s call to holiness.

We can never be the kind of missionary disciples our church needs if our lives are not set apart. For us to attract others to Christ, people must notice something different in us – a joy, a goodness and a love for God and others that makes people want to know more about what it means to be a Christian and how they, too, can encounter Christ.

Three years after he became the first bishop in the United States – heading a sprawling diocese that then encompassed the entire nation – Baltimore Bishop John Carroll consecrated the new nation to Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception.

Last year, Archbishop William E. Lori joined bishops across the country offering prayers to renew the consecration to Mary, under the title “Mother of the Church,” while retaining the original patronal identification with the Immaculate Conception.

During this Advent and Christmas season, let’s make those consecrations more than mere pious sentiment. Let’s look to Mary as a model of holiness and seek her intercession for the healing of our country.

We all can strive to lead lives full of grace.

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

Also see

Baltimore’s strongman

The gift of time

In the footsteps of St. Isaac Jogues

RADIO INTERVIEW: Camp St. Vincent

RADIO INTERVIEW: Extraterrestrial Intelligence and the Catholic Faith

RADIO INTERVIEW: Parish Renewal

Copyright © 2021 Catholic Review Media

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

George P. Matysek Jr.

George Matysek, a member of the Catholic Review staff since 1997, has served as managing editor since September 2021. He previously served as a writer, senior correspondent, assistant managing editor and digital editor of the Catholic Review and the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

In his current role, he oversees news coverage of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and is a host of Catholic Review Radio.

George has won more than 100 national and regional journalism and broadcasting awards from the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association, the Catholic Press Association, the Associated Church Press and National Right to Life. He has reported from Guyana, Guatemala, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.

A native Baltimorean, George is a proud graduate of Our Lady of Mount Carmel High School in Essex. He holds a bachelor's degree from Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore and a master's degree from UMBC.

George, his wife and five children live in Rodgers Forge. He is a parishioner of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland.

View all posts from this author

Recent Commentary

A personal flyswatter and other gifts, hummus, and a new room (7 Quick Takes)

A Faith Lesson After a Power Outage

Chocolate birthday cake with 4 candles

My birthday festivities, a painting project, and spaghetti pizza for lunch (7 Quick Takes)

Just by showing up

Where is God on your family’s calendar?

Recent Local News

Anna’s Gift Foundation helps hope bloom for hospitalized children

Young adults from Archdiocese of Baltimore invited to experience local and international World Youth Day events

Archdiocese of Baltimore welcomes new school leaders

RADIO INTERVIEW: Camp St. Vincent

Archbishop Lori decries Biden executive order, ‘continued promotion of abortion’

Catholic Review Radio

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Health care workers denied religious exemption on vaccine win settlement
  • Stepping down: Experts draft proposed laws on status of a retired pope
  • Catholic prayers for peace interrupted after alleged assault on officer
  • Baltimore native Babe Ruth and former Oriole Brooks Robinson among winners in balloting for Catholic baseball all-star team
  • Anna’s Gift Foundation helps hope bloom for hospitalized children
  • Young adults from Archdiocese of Baltimore invited to experience local and international World Youth Day events
  • Overturning of Roe provides ‘chance to win fight for life,’ says top Knight
  • Desire for eternal youth is ‘delusional,’ pope says
  • Archdiocese of Baltimore welcomes new school leaders

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2022 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED