The Catholic Defender: The Angel Gabriel Said

Kecharitomene
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Kecharitomene

Recently, I was being challenged by an individual who began attacking the Catholic position on Luke 1:28, And he
came to her and said, Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you! This Gentleman obviously had been misinformed
about what the Angel Gabriel had said to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In part, he stated to me, The dogma of the Immaculate Conception has to be the worst example of the Catholic
Church engaging in whole cloth interpretation of Scripture. Interestingly, I couldn't help but recognize how he
was really guilty of his own complaint?

How many denominations had been formed based on their own whole cloth interpretation of Scripture. I named
off Sola Scriptura, a doctrine developed by Martin Luther as one of the main doctrines held against the Catholic
position of Scripture as an example. There are many

It was easy to make this case, but I wanted to show that the Catholic Churchs 2,000 year approach to Luke 1:28 is
backed by the apostolic tradition. The individual wanted to offer his chief challenge asking me if St. Stephen had
been born Immaculately Conceived? I had heard this argument before, what he was referring to was Acts 6:8 which
states, And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

What I was being challenged with is clear, is the Virgin Marys scripture text, full of grace and that of St. Stephen
be identical? This takes some consideration, especially when being challenged by someone who thinks they know
the answer.

Obviously, the challenge centers on two things, one, that the Catholic Church either defies Scripture choosing to
base itself on its tradition, and two, that the Immaculate Conception is a man made myth based on tradition.

To really understand this more fully, I had to take this out of the English vernacular and look at the Greek Text for full
of grace.

The Greek Text was what the New Testament was originally written.
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That would be the usual second language for many in the Holy Land at the time, much like English is today around
the world.

Here is the Greek Text for Luke 1:28,Kai eiselthon pros auten eipen, Caire, kecharitomene!, ho Kurios meta sou.

Here is the Greek Text for Acts 6:8, Stephanos de plrs charitos kai dynames epoiei terata kai smeia megala en
t la.

Can you see the difference and similarity here? Interestingly, both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts were
written by St. Luke. Notice in Luke 1:28, the title Caire, kecharitomene is used, in Acts 6:8, the title plrs
charitos is used.

The English word grace comes from the Greek word, charis and we can determine that both text use the word
charis or grace in it, but does the meaning amount to being the same? No, it does not.

Notice that the word used in Acts 6:8 referring to Stephen is a different word from the one referring to Mary. That is
clear.

Acts 6:8 describes Stephen pleres charitos which literally means filled up with grace.

The Catholic view here is that St. Luke was meaning St. Stephen, at that moment, he was full of grace. From
Catholic teaching, a true martyr would go straight to heaven. They bypass Purgatory and would be understood from
this text, that at that moment, St. Stephen was full of grace at that moment in time.

In the same way, lets look again at Luke 1:28, the title given to Mary from the angel Gabriel is Kecharitomene, a
perfect passive participle of charitoo.

Remember that Charis means grace, charitoo is a verb that comes from the Greek root of charis - which
means grace. So, from this text, charito means to fill or endow with grace or in other words: Hail, one who has
always been full of grace.

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Where Stephen is being defined as full of grace at that moment, Mary is being defined as being full of grace from
the beginning of her existence.

So, kecharitomene by definition is the perfected passive participle meaning to fill with grace. That the Virgin
Mary received this singular grace by God for the purpose of bringing Jesus into the world.

Mary is more than being full of grace for a period of time, but for all time. Her yes opened the door not only for St.
Stephen, but for all those who keep the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus. Revelation 12:17

This is the Immaculate Conception, and St. Luke clearly writes this to his followers expecting that they understand
what he is saying. Without having the 2,000 year history and teaching of the Catholic Faith, St. Lukes text would be
taken out of context, much like my friend attempted to do today.

You do not have to be a Greek scholar to be able to see this, but thankfully, the Catholic Faith has presented this
Christmas story now for nearly 2,000 years and its application has endured the passage of time. St. Paul tells us to
hang on to the traditions which were first taught to us by mouth or by letter (2 Thessalonians 2:15) and this includes
the whole teaching of Christ (Matthew 28:20).

Usually, when someone comes knocking on your door making such arguments against the Virgin Mary, they have
an agenda seeking to undermine the Catholic Faith. As Catholics, it is important that we trust the Lord with all
our hearts and trust those whom He has sent from the beginning. Again, another Scriptural Text from St. Luke
drives this point home, He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me
rejects him who sent me. Luke 10:16

One more point I like to make here because we are

talking about grace, consider Ephesians 1:5-6 which
states, He destined us in love to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise
of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

St. Paul uses the Greek word, echaritosen, and notice again the word Charis or charitoo giving an important
meaning here.

Here, God graced us or He bestowed grace on us representing a certain time as a result of an action.

St. Paul would share that his becoming an apostle of Christ, was not of his own doing. It was not for his own ego, it
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was for our benefit.

Through the Sacraments, we receive grace through an encounter with the Living Christ through the Ministry of the
Church. The grace that St. Stephen received by God was a great grace, we are called to live out this great grace
as St. Stephen because of this great grace.

When you receive Holy Communion, you are receiving the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ.

This is a very important encounter with Jesus. When you go to Confession, you receive the same grace as given to
the woman caught in adultery. This is Gods grace imparted on those who follow Him. The great news that has
developed as a result of this conversation, the challenging Individual has been received into the Catholic Faith. God
is so good!

St. Stephen's Feast day is December 26.

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