How Mary LIVED ... (5th installment)

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Before I begin today, I need to apologize for a “typo” on the 3rd installment. The first sentence was supposed to read:

The Catechism tells us: “To pray to the Father, is to enter into His Mystery as He is and as the Son has revealed Him”.

It is then followed by the sentence: “Mary was always ready to enter more deeply into the Mystery of God…”

So sorry for the strange typo which read: “To pray to the Father is 0” I have no idea how it happened, nor how I missed it in proof-reading. I could speculate but I won’t. I’m just grateful to the person who noticed it and sent me a PM to alert me to the fact. Thanks so much dear brother for asking about it! Others may have read and thought there was something they were missing, but whatever happened the Catechism is not telling us “0” but on the contrary is saying much.

Here is today’s installment:

…We do not hear many words from Mary in the Gospel but what we do hear reveals her heart was always open to receive as a child, from God as she knew Him. She went wherever God wanted her to go and did whatever He asked. When Jesus began his public ministry Mary followed as His Most faithful disciple. The word “our” (I believe) opened her heart to include all, and on Calvary she received all, in receiving John —even us, who by our sins crucified her Son. As Jesus said from His Cross, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do,” so Mary forgave them and continues to forgive as Jesus forgives, for she is united with God forever.

The Words of the “Our Father” continually formed Mary more and more into the image of Jesus. The more she learned, the more she desired to become like Him, and by cooperating with the graces she received, her union with Him enabled her to walk as He walked, to live in deeper and deeper union with Him — truly one in heart and soul with Him. Mary in comparison with God is nothing, as St. Louis de Montfort wrote; she is less than an atom in comparison, but God has so filled her with His Grace — sharing His Life with her — she shines with His light. She is not God; she is a human person whom God has perfected as our Mother and Model. Mary is all that we as human persons are called to be. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said to His disciples: “You are the light of the world.”

God hid much of her life but He reveals in the Gospel enough for us to see how perfectly He can work in a humble, childlike soul. Jesus rejoiced to see Mary’s childlikeness, and childlikeness growing in his disciples. In Mt. 12: 25 - 26 we hear Jesus declare: “I thank Thee Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yes Father, for such was thy gracious will.” In Mt. 18, his disciples asked Jesus, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And calling to him a child, Jesus put him in the midst of them and said: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom.” Mary is the most humble of God’s children.

So far, I’ve only shared with you the first two words of the perfect prayer. “Our Father”. When we hear those two words I believe by grace they become more and more a joyful, grateful calling upon God Who loves us as “Our Father”. The words reveal Him and all He calls us to be. The words “Who art in heaven” may have been experienced by Mary even before Jesus taught the words. By the power of the Holy Spirit, it seems to me Mary knew heaven is where God is; it is not a place but a way of being. Mary held the Trinity within her heart spiritually even before she held the Incarnate Son in her womb physically. God was always with her and so she dwelt in both heaven and earth before and after the Incarnation because God dwelt in her soul.