Introduction

In a town of Galilee called Nazareth there lived a girl who was hardly known to anyone. There are many people who are unknown on earth but well-known in Heaven.

This girl has been distinctly chosen by God because He alone was aware of the fine qualities this noble soul possessed. She, though, was so humble that she was unaware of that great privilege. One thing she knew well and thought was sufficient for her: she was the handmaid of the Lord. But even though her ears were not inclined to listen to words of praise from anyone, nor ever to any words of applause, yet those same ears heard what nobody has ever heard before, "Hail to you who is full of grace. The Lord is          with you."

When she saw the angel she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her  mind what manner of greeting this should be. She did not think, though, about herself or what troubled her; all her thoughts were oriented towards the Lord, the Holy, and the Glorious.

She grew up and her soul has been filled with holiness and virtue. The voice of the angel was something new to her ears and drew her attention to facts she never before thought about. "How glorious you are! You blessed saint of grace."

These are the qualities of the virgin St. Mary, the love and pride of the church. The church reserves, indeed, a great love and an unlimited  admiration to the Virgin St. Mary. Ablaze by her inner beauty, it addresses her in the most eloquent terms: St. Mary is the queen, the bride, the stock  of the true vine, have borne the cluster of life, the bush seen by Moses in  the wilderness, that flamed bush which has never been consumed by fire,  the pure golden censer with which Aaron, the priest, censed the alter, the sweet dove through which the Word has been incarnated, the tabernacle in which God has dwelled.

The noble girl who has borne the holiest of all holies undoubtedly possessed a pure soul. No wonder she deserves to carry in her womb for nine months the source of all holiness. He was part of her, eating what she ate, following her anywhere she went, in unity with her thoughts, her words and her feelings.

Probably, nobody knew Jesus Christ as much as the Virgin Mary. She followed Him closely from His first day on earth. When the shepherds came to relate what they saw and heard, and when Jesus, at age of twelve, spoke with wisdom to the priests and elders in the temple, explaining to her that He must be about His Father's business, Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

And now, O glorious saint, how can we justly define your inner beauty! Our tongues become mute and our words remain far from perfect when we try to praise you, but may the Holy Spirit who has descended upon you guide us in our attempt.

Dear reader, we shall, henceforth, present a profile of the Virgin St. Mary from the following perspectives:

1. The historical point of view;
2. The doctrinal point of view;
3. The ritual point of view, and
4. The spiritual point of view.

Let us, dear reader, follow the steps of the blessed ever virgin, the Mother  of God, throughout her whole life, and be guided by her faith. Let us also listen carefully to those glorious words she uttered, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior for He has regarded the lowly estate of his handmaiden; for behold, from henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things to me, and holy is His name. And His Mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has shown strength  with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly He  has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty." (Luke 1:46-54).

Father Mikhail E. Mikhail, D. Min.