During May, I’m posting on “The Love of Eternal Wisdom” to share the beauty of its truth: Mary is God’s way of giving Jesus, His Incarnate Wisdom, to us. Today Chap. 3 concludes; Chap. 4 begins. The online version of this little book, is HERE.
But, alas, the vessel of the Godhead was shattered into a thousand pieces. This beautiful star fell from the skies. This brilliant sun lost its light. Man sinned, and by his sin lost his wisdom, his innocence, his beauty, his immortality. In a word, he lost all the good things he was given and found himself burdened with a host of evils. His mind was darkened and impaired. His heart turned cold towards the God he no longer loved. His sin-stained soul resembled Satan himself. The passions were in disorder; he was no longer master of himself. His only companions are the devils who have made him their slave and their abode. Even creatures have risen up in warfare against him. In a single instant, man became the slave of demons, the object of God’s anger (Cf. Eph. 2:3), the prey of the powers of hell. He became so hideous in his own sight that he hid himself for shame. He was cursed and condemned to death. He was driven from the earthly paradise and excluded from heaven. With no hope of future happiness, he was doomed to eke out a pitiable life upon an earth under curse (cf. Gen. 3:10; 17:23; 4:11,12). He would eventually die like a criminal and after death, together with all his posterity, share the devil’s damnation in body and soul. Such was the frightful calamity which befell man when he sinned. Such was the well-deserved sentence God in his justice pronounced against him.
Seeing himself in such a plight, Adam came close to despair. He could not hope for help from angels or any of God’s creatures. Nothing could restore his privileges because he had been so eminently fair, so very magnificently fashioned when he was created, and now by his sin he had become so hideous, so repulsive. He saw himself banished from Paradise and from the presence of God. He could see God’s justice pursuing him in all his descendants. He saw heaven closed and no one to open it; he saw hell open and no one to close it.
CHAPTER FOUR
Eternal Wisdom was deeply moved by the plight of Adam and all his descendants. He was profoundly distressed at seeing his vessel of honour shattered, his image torn to pieces, his masterpiece destroyed, his representative in this world overthrown. He listened tenderly to man’s sighs and entreaties and he was moved with compassion when He saw the sweat of his brow, the tears in his eyes, the fatigue of his arms, his sadness of heart, his affliction of soul.
Mary “reflects” His Wisdom by her union with Him in the Mystery of the Incarnation. Mary is the “Seat of Wisdom” for God enshrined His Son, the Incarnate Wisdom in her womb by the power of His Holy Spirit. Holy Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us. Come Holy Spirit, fill us with Jesus. Jesus we trust in You!
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