Mater Christi: Meditations on Our Lady. St. Paul Mother
and child-like was her trust! The path pointed out to her appeared to be directly opposite to the one she had chosen, but it was pointed out by those whom God had chosen to represent Himself to her – the priests of the Temple, or her parents, or both. Her faith was great enough to believe that God can make no mistakes, that He cannot call in two different directions, that all will work together to fulfil His Will, if only His Will is put first. What a lesson for us! How often in my life has something happened, some way opened, which seemed to cut at the very root of some cherished plan! And yet, on looking back, I see that had I not followed God's call along the path which seemed to be leading the wrong way, I should never have been able to carry out that plan which I had made for His glory. Why was Abraham called the friend of God? Was it not because of his confidence in God – confidence shown in his readiness to follow wherever God called – even when He called him to sacrifice the child of the promises? God loves to lead us about, by circuitous paths, and thus to bring out our love and trust and obedience. Had Mary taken a line of her own, and refused to marry because of her Vow, she would have frustrated God's plans for the Incarnation.
I do not want to frustrate His plans for me. Let me remember this the next time I am tempted to turn a deaf ear to a call of His, which does not fit in with my tastes and desires and hopes.
The husband, chosen by God for this most delicate and most responsible position, was our dear St Joseph. He was the one man in all the world of whom God could be sure. He was "a just man," one who would put no obstacle to God's designs, but would, by his silence, tact, self-sacrifice, and fidelity lend himself to further them.
Let me dwell for a little while on these qualities – qualities which God values and looks for, when He wants someone to whom He can entrust His work or His secrets; and perhaps I shall discover things which may help me to be more zealous in His service, to be less for self and more for Him.
Some have thought that Mary confided her secret to Joseph; and that he showed his sympathy, and readiness to enter into all her interests, by taking the Vow of Virginity too, thus preparing himself to be the husband of Mary and the foster-father of Jesus.
And so this most beautiful marriage took place; and the Holy Spirit, Who was ever watching over His spouse, blessed and sanctified the union of these two virgin souls. It was a union in which the body was forgotten – or rather, the spiritual life had reached such heights by means of the body, that is, of the senses, that the soul was able to live entirely in those heights. The soul was helped upwards by the body, as God intended it to be. When the body is dead, the soul can grow no more. The level of the spiritual life, at which I am found at death, will be mine through all eternity. The converse of this truth is, that the body is necessary for the growth of the spiritual life, and that the soul grows in proportion to the help it gets from the body. These thoughts will help me to understand how much the chaste marriage of Joseph and Mary must have aided their spiritual life, and how the Angels must have rejoiced at a union which savoured so much more of Heaven than of Earth.
Now, all was ready. The Virgin who was to conceive and bear a child, Whose name was to be Emmanuel – God with us – had got a guardian. God could work His stupendous miracle, and keep it hidden, as He willed it to be for the present, from the curious gaze of unbelievers. Mary, by her self-abandonment, was supplying God with all He needed, never thwarting Him, nor putting the least obstacle in His way.
And so we leave her, doing the work of the little cottage at Nazareth, while her carpenter-husband labours to support her. Mary has changed her abode; her outward circumstances have altered; but her union with God suffers no change; it remains unbroken, undisturbed; nothing has the power to disturb her thoughts of Him. And Mary is my model. What I have to aim at, too, is a union with God so real and so close that the changes and chances of this mortal life have no power to interrupt it. This blessed lot will be mine when I have faith enough to see God's Hand in every circumstance of my life. If I know that He is there, why need I trouble so much about the ups and downs? The sea of life is bound to have waves. What I have to do is to see to it that my little barque rides on the top of them in the most perfect security and peace. The Master is at the helm, and I am with Him in the boat. My thoughts, surely, will be fixed on Him rather than on the changes in the weather!
Colloquy with Our Lady, asking her to get me more faith.
Resolution. To let nothing interrupt my union with God.
Spiritual Bouquet. "Sancta Virgo virginum, ora pro nobis."
Hail Mary!
"The Angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the Virgin's name was Mary. And the Angel, being come in, said unto her: Hail! full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women!" (St Luke i. 26-28.)
1st Prelude. Gabriel saying the first Hail Mary.
2nd Prelude. Grace to say my Hail Maries well.
When all was ready and God's moment had arrived – "when the fulness of the time was come" (Gal. iv. 4) – heaven opened, and one of God's messengers, Gabriel, an Archangel, was sent to Nazareth on a secret errand to Mary. He knew her well, and he expressed his knowledge in the first Hail Mary that was ever said. Let us meditate on these familiar words, and try to find a few thoughts which may help us to say our Hail Maries better.
Reverently he salutes her; for though she is not yet the Mother of God, she is immaculate, and worthy of all honour; besides, he is in the secret, and knows God's designs. "Hail! full of grace."
What does it mean – this word "Ave," Hail! with which Gabriel begins his message? It is an expression of respect, honour, and reverence. It was the salutation always given to the Roman Emperor: Ave! Cæsar Imperator. But it is not only a form of greeting; it implies also that he who uses it is anxious to attract attention because he has something to say or some favour to ask.
How often I say it! —Hail Mary! What do I mean by it? I ought to mean that I am saluting the Queen of Heaven with all respect, honour, and reverence; and also that I, her child, am calling my Mother's attention. When she hears my Hail! she expects that I have something to say to her, or that I want something. Is it so? And if Mary turned and said: "Yes, my child, what is it?" should I know?
My Hail! should be also to call my Mother's attention to the fact that I am there if she has anything to say to me, or if she wants anything. Hail Mary! Your child is here, ready to do anything for you. When she turns at my Hail! to ask me for something, does she always get it? Or is she disappointed to find that her child's thoughts are not really with her at all?
What shall I do, for I know that I stand convicted; and much though I should like each Hail Mary that I say to mean all this, I know that it does not? Would it be better not to say it at all, than to risk any want of respect to that Mother whom I love so dearly?
Oh no. Does not a mother love to hear the voice of her babe in its cradle, even though the sounds it makes are quite inarticulate, and it cannot say what it wants? She always understands, and is able to interpret the baby language, and will give it what is good for it, though it may be all unconscious of its needs. None but the mother would recognise that the babe was calling her attention – not even the babe itself. Is not this something like my Hail Maries carelessly and lightly said? I say them because I am Mary's child; it is the most natural thing to do; and she will interpret them as her Mother's heart knows how. And, like the babe in its cradle, I love to feel that she is at my side, because I have attracted her attention, even though I may have done it almost from habit, and may not know exactly why.
Hail Mary! I will say the blest words as often as I can, putting into them all the meaning and fervour of which I am capable, and leaving it to my Mother to make up all deficiencies.
How is Mary full of grace?
1. Because she was conceived without sin: that is, her soul was full of grace instead of original