Noe et Maria

Amici, Americani, Compatriotae,

Yesterday's Old Testament reading for daily Mass was Genesis chapter 6, the beginning of the story of the patriarch Noah. There is an interesting parallel to be found between Noah and the Blessed Virgin Mary which I hadn’t previously noticed. Both are called “favored” or “full of grace.” In Genesis 6:8, the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate describes Noah as having found grace (i.e., χάριν and gratia respectively). In Luke 1:28, the Greek original and the Latin Vulgate describes Mary as most favored or full of grace (i.e., κεχαριτωμένη and gratia plena respectively). Note in both cases the occurrence of the Greek that root word χαρι (grace). You can easily see it in χάριν used to describe Noah and in right after the κε and before the τωμένη in κεχαριτωμένη used to describe Mary.

Now why were both Noah and Mary found with grace before the Lord God? Because in the face of being given what was humanly impossible (e.g., prepare for a world-wide flood and conceive a child without having known a man), both Noah and Mary said YES to God. The first built an Ark (to rescue people and animals), and the second became an Ark (the Ark of the New Covenant). The first provided the means of saving humanity from a planetary flood, and the second provided the Christ Child who would save humanity from its sins.

So Noah found grace with God and Mary was full of grace. Here is a comparison of the Greek, Latin and English texts. Gaudeatis magna cum laeitita!

GENESIS 6:8

GREEK SEPTUAGINT

Νωε δὲ εὗρεν χάριν ἐναντίον κυρίου τοῦ θεοῦ

LATIN

Noë vero invenit gratiam coram Domino

ENGLISH

Noah found grace before Lord the God.

LUKE 1:28

GREEK

καὶ εἰσελθὼν πρὸς αὐτὴν εἶπεν, Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ὁ κύριος μετὰ σοῦ.

LATIN

Et ingressus ad eam dixit: “Ave, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.”

ENGLISH

And [the angel] having come to her said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord with you.”