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The Gospel of the Nativity of Mary

Unknown

Chapter 9

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Author: Unknown

And in those days, that is, at the time of

‹ Chapter 8 Chapter 10 ›

her

first

coming

into

Galilee

,

the

angel

Gabriel

was

sent

to

her

by

God

,

to

announce

to

her

the

conception

of

the

Lord

,

and

to

explain

to

her

the

manner

and

order

of

the

conception

.

Accordingly

,

going

in

,

he

filled

the

chamber

where

she

was

with

a

great

light

;

and

most

courteously

saluting

her

,

he

said

:

Hail

,

Mary

!

O

virgin

highly

favoured

by

the

Lord

,

virgin

full

of

grace

,

the

Lord

is

with

thee

;

blessed

art

thou

above

all

women

,

blessed

above

all

men

that

have

been

hitherto

born

.

And

the

virgin

,

who

was

already

well

acquainted

with

angelic

faces

,

and

was

not

unused

to

the

light

from

heaven

,

was

neither

terrified

by

the

vision

of

the

angel

,

nor

astonished

at

the

greatness

of

the

light

,

but

only

perplexed

by

his

words

;

and

she

began

to

consider

of

what

nature

a

salutation

so

unusual

could

be

,

or

what

it

could

portend

,

or

what

end

it

could

have

.

And

the

angel

,

divinely

inspired

,

taking

up

this

thought

,

says

:

Fear

not

,

Mary

,

as

if

anything

contrary

to

thy

chastity

were

hid

under

this

salutation

.

For

in

choosing

chastity

,

thou

hast

found

favour

with

the

Lord

;

and

therefore

thou

,

a

virgin

,

shalt

conceive

without

sin

,

and

shalt

bring

forth

a

son

.

He

shall

be

great

,

because

He

shall

rule

from

sea

to

sea

,

and

from

the

river

even

to

the

ends

of

the

earth

;

and

He

shall

be

called

the

Son

of

the

Most

High

,

because

He

who

is

born

on

earth

in

humiliation

,

reigns

in

heaven

in

exaltation

;

and

the

Lord

God

will

give

Him

the

throne

of

His

father

David

,

and

He

shall

reign

in

the

house

of

Jacob

for

ever

,

and

of

His

kingdom

there

shall

be

no

end

;

forasmuch

as

He

is

King

of

kings

and

Lord

of

lords

,

and

His

throne

is

from

everlasting

to

everlasting

.

The

virgin

did

not

doubt

these

words

of

the

angel

;

but

wishing

to

know

the

manner

of

it

,

she

answered

:

How

can

that

come

to

pass

?

For

while

,

according

to

my

vow

,

I

never

know

man

,

how

can

I

bring

forth

without

the

addition

of

man’s

seed

?

To

this

the

angel

says

:

Think

not

,

Mary

,

that

thou

shalt

conceive

in

the

manner

of

mankind

:

for

without

any

intercourse

with

man

,

thou

,

a

virgin

,

wilt

conceive

;

thou

,

a

virgin

,

wilt

bring

forth

;

thou

,

a

virgin

,

wilt

nurse

:

for

the

Holy

Spirit

shall

come

upon

thee

,

and

the

power

of

the

Most

High

shall

overshadow

thee

,

without

any

of

the

heats

of

lust

;

and

therefore

that

which

shall

be

born

of

thee

shall

alone

be

holy

,

because

it

alone

,

being

conceived

and

born

without

sin

,

shall

be

called

the

Son

of

God

.

Then

Mary

stretched

forth

her

hands

,

and

raised

her

eyes

to

heaven

,

and

said

:

Behold

the

hand

-

maiden

of

the

Lord

,

for

I

am

not

worthy

of

the

name

of

lady

;

let

it

be

to

me

according

to

thy

word

.

It will be long, and perhaps to some even tedious, if we insert in this little work every thing which we read of as having preceded or followed the Lord’s nativity: wherefore, omitting those things which have been more fully written in the Gospel, let us come to those which are held to be less worthy of being narrated.

Notes

1
Luke i. 26–38.
2
Ps. lxxii. 8.
3
Luke i. 32, 33.
4
Rev. xix. 16.
5
Luke i. 35.