Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today let us ponder Mary’s humility more, for Jesus told us: “Behold your Mother” and His Church teaches that Mary is not only our Mother but our Model as well. St. Louis de Montfort wrote:
260… we must look upon Mary, although a simple human being, as the perfect model of every virtue and perfection, fashioned by the Holy Spirit for us to imitate, as far as our limited capacity allows. In every action then we should consider how Mary performed it or how she would perform it if she were in our place. For this reason, we must examine and meditate on the great virtues she practised during her life, especially:
- Her lively faith, by which she believed the angel’s word without the least hesitation, and believed faithfully and constantly even to the foot of the Cross on Calvary.
- Her deep humility, which made her prefer seclusion, maintain silence, submit to every eventuality and put herself in the last place…And so on for her other virtues… Mary is the great, unique mould of God, designed to make living images of God at little expense and in a short time. Anyone who finds this mould and casts himself into it, is soon transformed into our Lord because it is the true likeness of Him.
Mary’s humility is the Truth (as St. Teresa of Avila defined humility). Being immaculately conceived, Mary did not have the darkness of intellect or weakness of will we have as a consequence of original sin, so in looking upon Jesus with the faith she was given, she saw His Truth more clearly, and followed His Way more perfectly than anyone could, she lived her human life as she experienced Him living in her womb, and after His birth as she saw Him poor and meek, humble of heart as a tiny Baby and watched Him grow.
St. Louis begins with Mary’s gift of Faith. Faith is our gift too in Baptism, but we falter in hard times. Mary, ever-faithful, when the Angel Gabriel came to her, believed. God wants us to behold our Mother that we too may believe in His Great Love for us and in His power to enable us to live His Way, His Truth and His Life in this world. We were baptized into Christ and into His Church; the baptismal font is a symbol of Mary’s womb:
…The typological relationship between Christ’s conception in Mary’s womb and that of Christians in the baptismal font, was indicated sagely by the Fathers of the Church: the Spirit who begot Christ in the Virgin’s womb, begets Christ in the faithful, making them his Body. This is how St Ambrose (+ 397) comments to his neophytes about the mystery of holy Baptism: “In coming upon Mary, the Holy Spirit brought about the conception and accomplished the redemption; in the same way, by resting on the baptismal font and on those who receive baptism, the same Spirit effects the reality of rebirth”… ( Full text can be read HERE)
Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary is a perfect renewal of our Baptismal promises. Those baptized as babies had parents and Godparents speak for them, but now we speak for ourselves; we choose to renounce satan and to believe in God. The virtue of humility can grow in us as we continue to hear Jesus words: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me for I am Meek and humble of Heart…” (Matthew 11:29). Dying on His Cross, Jesus said: “Behold Your Mother”. John took her into His own life. By Grace, may we hear and do the Truth we hear, lovingly.
Mary’s words reveal her humility for she speaks of God, worthy of all praise. She responds to her cousin Elizabeth from a heart united in a unique way with the Word made Flesh in her womb:
… Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name. His mercy is from age to age to those who fear Him. He has shown might with His arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry He has filled with good things; the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped Israel his servant, remembering His mercy, according to His promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to His descendants forever.” ( Luke 1: 46 - 55)
Litany of the Holy Spirit HERE
Ave Maris Stella HERE
Five Decades of the Most Holy Rosary