When God the Father gave His only Begotten Son through the power of the Holy Spirit to the Blessed Virgin, God became vulnerable before the Immaculate Mary. God became completely vulnerable, as vulnerable as a new born baby, because He gave Himself completely. All the riches and treasures of the Divinity lay open to Mary. Recall her words “the Almighty has done great things for me.”
In His Almighty power God could have saved us without becoming one of us, but He wanted something even more: to elevate human nature and clothe it with His own Divine nature. In order to accomplish this God would need to commune with human nature on its level, with human language, and so 'translate' His own Nature into human words and gestures, human signs and actions. And in order to do this, God would need to enter into relationship with a human being who has the capacity to receive God's gift of Himself and to reciprocate God's love, otherwise God's gift might possibly be wasted.
This God found in the faithful Mary from Nazareth. Remember that the Angel declared to Mary that she is "full of grace" and that "the Lord is with you". But God found also Joseph to be His human father, who is called in the scriptures the "just man". In calling Mary and Joseph to an intimate and reciprocal love with Himself, God was calling the whole human race to enter into His friendship. This accomplished communion became the foundation and pattern for the entire human race.
God entrusted Himself, not only in His humanity, but also in His Divinity to Mary and Joseph. Mary is mother of the Son of man and also mother of the Son of God. All the treasures of the Divinity were open to Mary and Joseph, and they in their turn reciprocated the love of God. Even more: God Himself was entrusted to them and communicated Himself to their souls in His fulness. That is why Mary declared, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord." To "proclaim" the greatness of the Lord in one's soul means to "show forth" the greatness of the Lord. In these humble words is hidden the entire mystery of God Himself. A human soul can "show forth the greatness of the Lord" only if God Himself has been communicated to that soul and completely transformed it.
God freely entrusted to Mary and Joseph that which Adam and Eve tried to take by force. This is the nature of original sin--that Adam and Eve tried to steal the Godhead, as Saint Augustine attests in his commentary on the Psalms. It was the supreme act of pride.
In His Almighty power God could have saved us without becoming one of us, but He wanted something even more: to elevate human nature and clothe it with His own Divine nature. In order to accomplish this God would need to commune with human nature on its level, with human language, and so 'translate' His own Nature into human words and gestures, human signs and actions. And in order to do this, God would need to enter into relationship with a human being who has the capacity to receive God's gift of Himself and to reciprocate God's love, otherwise God's gift might possibly be wasted.
This God found in the faithful Mary from Nazareth. Remember that the Angel declared to Mary that she is "full of grace" and that "the Lord is with you". But God found also Joseph to be His human father, who is called in the scriptures the "just man". In calling Mary and Joseph to an intimate and reciprocal love with Himself, God was calling the whole human race to enter into His friendship. This accomplished communion became the foundation and pattern for the entire human race.
God entrusted Himself, not only in His humanity, but also in His Divinity to Mary and Joseph. Mary is mother of the Son of man and also mother of the Son of God. All the treasures of the Divinity were open to Mary and Joseph, and they in their turn reciprocated the love of God. Even more: God Himself was entrusted to them and communicated Himself to their souls in His fulness. That is why Mary declared, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord." To "proclaim" the greatness of the Lord in one's soul means to "show forth" the greatness of the Lord. In these humble words is hidden the entire mystery of God Himself. A human soul can "show forth the greatness of the Lord" only if God Himself has been communicated to that soul and completely transformed it.
God freely entrusted to Mary and Joseph that which Adam and Eve tried to take by force. This is the nature of original sin--that Adam and Eve tried to steal the Godhead, as Saint Augustine attests in his commentary on the Psalms. It was the supreme act of pride.
Father Andrew Doze has illustrated well (see his book, “Discovering Saint Joseph”) that Saint Joseph is the shadow (reflection or image) of God the Father. It was in the shadow of the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that God the Son was confided with complete trust and openness to Mary (see Saint Luke 1:35).
Mary received and guarded this Gift with perfect fidelity and love. She did not disappoint God’s openness and vulnerability. This is the meaning of Mary’s “yes” to God. This is the meaning of her “Let it be done unto me according to your word”. She reciprocated God’s love and fidelity. She never took God's fidelity for granted. What an awesome responsibility! She was perfectly faithful. She is forever faithful and true. Her humility is incomprehensible. Recall her words “the Lord has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid.” Therefore, God has made her blessed throughout all generations.
Out of this faithful and fertile love between God and Mary has come the fruit of their redeeming love for the whole world: Jesus Christ.
That is why St Elizabeth exclaimed, “Blessed is the fruit of your womb.” The womb is the most intimate part of the female body, just as merciful love is the most intimate part of the soul. St Elizabeth realised that just as Mary’s love had given birth to the Son of God so also Mary’s love had given birth to the redemption of the world. The womb is analogous to the life-giving love and mercy of the soul. Perhaps that is why women generally (although not exclusively) have a particular sensitivity to love and mercy, while men generally (although not exclusively) have the propensity to protect and to guide.
The point is that God made man and woman equal in dignity and complementary in their roles, as the late Pope John Paul II observed in his letter “On the Dignity and Vocation of Women”. See also Pope Benedict XVI’s (formerly Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger) “God and the World”, especially the section on 'marriage' for a brilliant analysis of the nature of marriage. Each of the two genders can learn from the other and support one another.
God chose to redeem humankind, not with great glory and power and might, but by abasing Himself, because God’s weakness is His strength—to speak in a human way. By contemplating God’s example we may be conformed to our true nature, for we are made in the image of God, male and female. Compare with St Paul: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” In any case, St Paul said that God’s weakness is greater than human strength and that God’s foolishness is greater than human wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25).
Not only did Mary receive God’s Son with complete fidelity, she also nourished the Baby Jesus on her love. Together with St Joseph she protected Him, brought Him up, donated Her Son to the world in His public ministry, accompanied Him all the way to the foot of the Cross, received His lifeless Body from the Cross, and waited with confident expectation for His resurrection. She witnessed His ascension into Heaven. Afterwards Mary prayed with the Apostles for the coming of the Holy Spirit, and watched over the infant Church for several years before she was gloriously assumed into Heaven and made Queen of Heaven. And she continues to intervene in our lives from Heaven to prevent us from ruining ourselves.
St Louis De Montfort said that the Holy Trinity delights to dwell in Mary more than in Heaven itself. She is the paradise of the Holy Trinity, the joy of the Angels, and the refuge of sinners (see St Louis’ book, “True Devotion To Mary”, especially the “Preliminary Remarks”).
Pere Jean Edouard Lamy, a French priest of the early 20th century, had regular visitations from the holy Mother. She is known there as our Lady of the Woodlands. There is a chapel dedicated to her in the “Woodlands” and it is close to Macon in Lyon, I remember. Some Australian friends took me to visit there in 1987 when I was staying with them in France.
Pere Lamy conversed regularly with our Lady. She revealed many intimate details about herself to him. Among other things, he said that the Holy Trinity loves to hear Mary’s prayers just to win the sight of her smile. He also said the angels love to be around Mary. They are delighted to receive an order from her, to be given any task by her. And they call her “Queen”, while she regards them with the compassion of a mother.
He wrote many other things about the personality of the Blessed Virgin. But I remember clearly one thing: if God in His justice, he said, were to destroy the world into thousands of pieces, Mary would collect all the pieces and present herself to God, praying Him to put the world back together again.
Leba Sleiman
8th March 2008
