1One day Mary took a pitcher and went to fill it with water. But behold she heard a voice that said to her: 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women.' And she looked around, to the right, to the left, to see where that voice came from. And, trembling, she returned home, left the jug, took the purple, sat on the couch and began to weave it.
2But soon an angel of the Lord presented himself before her saying: 'Fear not, Mary, for you have found grace before the almighty Lord and you shall conceive by his word.' But she, upon hearing it, was perplexed and said to herself: 'Shall I conceive by virtue of the living God and shall I give birth like other women?'
3To which the angel answered: 'It shall not be so, Mary, for the power of the Lord will overshadow you; then, the holy fruit that shall be born of you will be called Son of the Most High. You shall call him Jesus, for he will save his people from their iniquities.' Then Mary said: 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord in his presence; let this happen to me according to your word.'