"...guardian of hope in the human heart"

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This morning, I went back to the link I posted yesterday on “The Holy Spirit and Mary” from Dayton University’s website HERE. There is much to ponder. The beginning paragraphs explained some of the resources:

The Catholic Church was in its final stage of preparation for the Great Jubilee 2000. The year 1998 was dedicated to the Holy Spirit and concentrated its catechesis on the Church’s teachings about the Holy Spirit. It was also a time of renewal of sound Marian catechesis, since Christianity’s third millennium was a celebration of the Incarnation of Jesus, who, as the Creed professes,

“was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.”

It then quoted from an article in the Marian Library Newsletter:

…The Holy Spirit is the guardian of hope in the human heart, so it is appropriate that hope be given special attention in 1998, especially “a better appreciation of the signs of hope present in the last part of this century.” Mary was the woman docile to the voice of the Spirit, the woman who was “hoping against hope.” In Mary, the Church sees a “sign of certain hope.” (LG 68) Vatican II speaks of Mary as “molded, so to speak, by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature.” (LG 56)

The Vatican Council Document “Lumen Gentium” (Latin for “Light to the Gentiles”) included an entire chapter on Mary, (chapter 8). There had been some discussion as to whether or not a separate document on Mary be written, but it was decided that Mary was so integrally united with the Church, it was better to include her as part of that document.

The Holy Spirit is always at work in the Church, and so we need to trust in what God permits. We need to trust in God’s power to work all things unto good (cf Rom 8:28) and we need continually to depend on His Grace to bring us into the complete truth of Jesus, Who is our Way, our Truth and our Life. (cf John 16:13 and John 14:16). The words, “trust” and “hope” are synonymous to describe our loving dependence on God. The phrase I chose for this thread is one I believe the Lord wants us to hear deeply, and to ponder again the work of the Holy Spirit in Mary and in each of us. It seems to me we need to be renewed in hope even more than in 1998. We have not seen the hoped for renewal of Marian catechesis.

The Vatican Document on the Church, “Lumen Gentium” states in paragraph 68:

1. In the interim just as the Mother of Jesus, glorified in body and soul in heaven, is the image and beginning of the Church as it is to be perfected is the world to come, so too does she shine forth on earth, until the day of the Lord shall come, as a sign of sure hope and solace to the people of God during its sojourn on earth.

Who made Mary this sign of sure hope? God, of course, and specifically the Holy Spirit sanctified Mary by overshadowing her and continuing to sanctify her before, during and after the birth of Jesus. She is both our Mother and our Model. Just as the Holy Spirit was the “Guardian of hope” in Mary’s heart as she endured the trials of this life, so He is the guardian of hope in our lives as well. We need to heed the words of Jesus: “Behold your Mother”. We need to do as John did and take Mary into our lives if we are to learn from her, how human persons can truly be docile to the Holy Spirit and molded into the perfection of Christ’s Life, as she was molded her whole life on this earth. Anyone have some additional thoughts on this? I would greatly appreciate it.