Sermon for Feast of the Annunciation: Nick Named

Feast of the Annunciation: Nick Named

Isaiah 7:10-14; Luke 1:26-38

The Reverend Paul D. Allick, The Church of the Advent, March 25, 2025

When I was 14, I went to live with my dad in his hometown on the

Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota. Turtle Mountain is a

remarkably diverse place. Gathered there are Ojibwa and Cree,

mixed French-Cree people known as the Metis, and a

smattering of Lebanese and Syrian families. Sometimes all of

these ethnic groups can be found in one extended family.

One of the many things I had to get used to was all of the nick

names. Most people had their legal name and then a name

given to them. It could be based on a physical attribute, a story or

some family connection.

Few people knew my dad by his legal name, “Paul Allick.” So I

would ask if they knew him by his nick name, “Do you know

Lemmy Bunagee?” (Lemmy, meaning that since he was a little

boy he acted like an old man, just like that old man Lemmy who

lived down the road. Bunagee, meaning he was one of the kids of

that Lebanese man, Bunagebe.)

Then they knew, “Oh, yes, Lemmy, I grew up with him.”

Today we remember how Mary of Nazareth received her nick

name. As the story begins, she is still just known as Mary, the

daughter of that elderly couple, Anne and Joachim.

Gabriel greets her, “Greetings favored one.” This phrase in Greek

is more popularly translated, “Hail, Mary, full of grace.” A technical

translation might be “Greetings to you, the one who has been

graced.”

St. John Paul II wrote that at the Annunciation, Mary received her

God given nickname. Now she is known as “Full of Grace.”

Naming and renaming are elemental to the Salvation Story.

Jacob wrestles with God and survives and then is known as Israel

– the striver. Abram and Sarai trust in God that they will be the

ancestors of many peoples, and their names are enlarged to

Abraham and Sarah. But this is only after Abram fell on his face

laughing at God’s message. Thus, the son they would have to

usher in these many peoples, was named, Isaac, “he laughs.”

Andrew’s brother Simon is identified by Jesus as the one who will

exemplify the faith of the Church and is so nicknamed, Cephas,

Peter, the Rock.

The Church from the earliest days has taught that Mary was filled

with grace at the moment of her conception. This happened so

that she would be ready to take on the immense mission God

gave to her.

She was asked to become the first disciple of Jesus when no one

had any idea of what that was going to mean. She witnessed

none of his miracles nor heard any of his words of truth before

she answered, “yes.”

She was given the grace to say yes to bearing him in her body

and holding him in her arms at his death.

Now we are fortunate to turn to her as our Mother. And we see in

her a sacramental life. Her mission as the Mother of our Savior

was an outward and visible sign of the inward and spiritual grace

given to her by God.

Each of us in our baptism is called into the same life of grace.

Tonight, as we remember Mary’s ministry we can may time to

contemplate what outward and visible signs we are living out to

show forth the inward and spiritual grace given to us by God in

our baptism and in our ongoing participation in the sacramental

life of the Church.

You might even wonder what nickname God has given you at this

time in your walk with Christ.

Reference to St. John Paul II and Biblical Naming: Behold Your Mother by Tim Staples

Catholic Answers Inc., 2014 Kindle Edition, Chapter 3.