Mary's humility

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Yesterday I posted a thread on “Mary and the world”. I repeated in that thread a comment made by a poster from another forum on the possibility of pride being the reason why people can resist Mary. To read that thread see HERE. Today, I want to go back to this question of pride and it’s opposite – humility – and so again, let us “behold” our Mother, that by grace we may “see” her more clearly with eyes of faith, and again by grace, “do” the Truth as we see.

God has revealed – and as we open ourselves to His Holy Spirit – He continues revealing Mary our Mother to us. Jesus would not have told us through John’s Gospel: “Behold your Mother”, if He did not intend to show us who she is in His Plan of Divine Love. He has revealed much to the Church already in Scripture, the writings of saints, and in magisterial documents to help us know and love her, and to find – in her example and through her intercession – the holiness to which we are all called. Personally, I hope to spend time listening to the Gospel of Luke, where we “hear” Mary’s humility for the first time. St. Paul tells us that faith comes through hearing.:

…But not everyone has heeded the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?”
Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. (Romans 10: 16-17)

By God’s grace, I want to “hear” more deeply Mary’s words to the angel, and learn to share by the power of the Holy Spirit, her faith and her humility. God willing I’ll post more on Luke 1: 1-38 tomorrow after I have time to pray and ponder this beautiful passage from God’s Word. What a grace to be spending this Advent in a special way with our Mother, who is Mother of the Word!

Today is the First Friday of December, and I’m mindful of Jesus words: “Learn of Me for I am meek and humble of heart” (Mt. 11:29) and of His words to St. Margaret Mary, revealing His desire for reparation : “Behold this heart which has so loved men and received so little in return.” Jesus asked for First Friday devotion in reparation to His Sacred Heart. How truly Mary has – as we are called to have – the mind and heart of her Son ( cf Phil.2: 1-11)! Tomorrow is the First Saturday of the month and we find in the writings of Sr. Lucia of Fatima, Jesus’ request that there be devotion to the Immaculate Heart of His Mother. Sr. Lucia recorded a vision in which both Mary and Jesus as a child appear to Sr. Lucia, and recounts that Jesus told her to have pity on her Mother. Mary asked for First Saturday Devotion in reparation.

 

[Belshazzar]

A wonderful example of the humility of our Blessed Mother is found in the Magnificat. Although Elizabeth praises her for being the mother of Our Lord and that she had found such favor with God, she responds, “My soul magnifies the greatness of the Lord.” Elizabeth praises her, and she in turn rightly praises God, deflecting all honor from herself. It was because of her humbleness that she could say, “All generations will call me blessed.”

 

[Jeannie52]

This is such a powerful topic about Mary’s complete humility to God

Her complete humility - so powerful and profound - she found favor with God that He chose her to be the mother of Our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Being human our mission on earth is to keep trying to get our lives to do a complete 180 degree turn from being human to complete holiness or to be in the state of grace as much as possible. That each person accepts God’s will and says “God’s will be done”, just like Mary said for her life.

 

[MariaChristi]

A wonderful example of the humility of our Blessed Mother is found in the Magnificat. Although Elizabeth praises her for being the mother of Our Lord and that she had found such favor with God, she responds, “My soul magnifies the greatness of the Lord.” Elizabeth praises her, and she in turn rightly praises God, deflecting all honor from herself. It was because of her humbleness that she could say, “All generations will call me blessed.”

Dear Belshazzar,

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I agree – Mary’s response to Elizabeth’s praise is a wonderful example of Mary’s humility. As I may have said somewhere before, my favorite definition of humility is “Truth”. Mary responded in such a way as to give the true praise to God alone. Her soul was filled with His Grace. She knew by hearing the scriptures of God’s great love and mercy and her Magnificat testifies to her faith in Him, her hope in Him, and her love for Him. The very first words of her response: “My soul magnifies the Lord” give us an example for our own practice of humility, and for growing in faith, hope and above all charity.

Mary truly magnifies the Lord as we all are called to do, by hearing and doing the Truth we hear from Him, by the power of His Holy Spirit. Jesus warns us in the Gospel about accepting the praise of men and not being concerned about God. If we continue to focus on God as Mary did, we do not forget we have life only because of Him and without Him we can do nothing. Praise from others can “puff us up” but focusing on God and all He has done, is a good way to keep ourselves in His Truth, it seems to me. It’s not always easy, but always worth the effort.

I’m still on the Annunciation scene in Luke and have not yet moved from that visit the Angel made to Mary, but thanks for your own pondering of her visit to Elizabeth.

 

[MariaChristi]

This is such a powerful topic about Mary’s complete humility to God

Her complete humility - so powerful and profound - she found favor with God that He chose her to be the mother of Our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Being human our mission on earth is to keep trying to get our lives to do a complete 180 degree turn from being human to complete holiness or to be in the state of grace as much as possible. That each person accepts God’s will and says “God’s will be done”, just like Mary said for her life.

Dear Jeannie,

Thanks for your reply. Yes, it is a powerful topic for many reasons. Most spiritual writers agree that humility is foundational for any spiritual life. Our Blessed Mother, being conceived without original sin had an intellect filled with light – we are born however with original sin, and its consequences thus our intellects are darkened. Having no sin she saw clearly how God is All in all. She had a will strongly inclined toward God, while we have a weakened will, again as a consequence of original son.

Mary never ceased being “human” however. That is why she is the perfect icon for the Church. She is completely dependent on God from her Immaculate Conception to her Assumption, she did not sin because she continually said “Yes” freely to His Will. Her humility was grace she never refused. She pondered His word in her heart, believing always the Truth she heard and doing His Truth as He revealed it to her each day on earth.

Nor do we ever cease being human. We are baptized and are “born again” by water and the Holy Spirit into the life of Christ. We were born in sin but Baptism cleanses us of sin - original sin if baptized as infants, as well as any personal sins if baptized as adults. We are given supernatural life which is a participation in God’s Life through sanctifying grace. We are set on the journey to holiness, union with the Trinity, and strengthened by the other sacraments to continue our spiritual lives, growing in grace as Mary did on this earth. Yet we continue to battle the consequences of original sin.

Holiness is union with God and there are stages of growth which human persons go through in our supernatural – also called spiritual or interior – life, as there are stages we go through in our natural life from birth, childhood, adolescence and adulthood. For a good explanation of the stages see HERE

This is a long reply, Jeanne, but it seemed good to clarify: the gift of Baptism gives us a share in God’s Life in which we are intended to grow more and more holy, but we remain human even as Mary our Mother is human. I hope you will read more from the link above about the stages of growth. Thanks again for your reply.