Mary, The Favored One

In Sunday's gospel, Mary is called by the angel Gabriel, a "favored one."

What a special term.

In the bible, rarely do angels show any respect to humans. One releases Peter from prison, only to leave him alone outside with no further assitance, but with Mary, she is immediately recognized as favored and with respect. How holy she must truly be to deserve such a response from an angel... a being who stands in the presence of the Almighty and who knows just how far from the pure light humanity stands, yet Gabriel treats Mary with dignity and honor.

I hope that, by the time of my death, I have reached some level of respect in the eyes of the Almighty. It's a hec of a long journey from where I am to where I need to be. I guess the trick is to make sure that every step I take is in the right direction.