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This brings us to the concept of spirituality. It is simply a way of life under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the practice of piety. The Modern Catholic Dictionary defines spiritual life thus: "The life of the Holy Spirit, dwelling in the souls of the faithful and enabling them to praise and love God and serve him in the practice of virtue. It is called the spiritual life because: 1. its animating principle is the Spirit of God, the "Soul of the soul" in sanctifying grace; 2. it is the supernatural life of the human spirit; 3. it is mainly lived out in the spiritual faculties of intellect and will, although affecting the whole person, body and soul." Generally speaking, Catholic spirituality involves the spiritual practice of trying to be perfect by living out a personal act of faith according to the teachings of the Catholic Church. There are several ways in which different individuals choose to follow living out the Gospel message in spirit and in truth, especially through prayer. The Spirituality of the Blessed Virgin Mary is essentially Christocentric in nature, for she wholeheartedly embraced Christ; first in her heart, then in her womb. The Cross became for her the perfect symbol of discipleship, for the Lord tells us: "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:27). Therefore, to understand and embrace the spirituality of Mary Our Mother, we must first accept the Word of God in our hearts. That is why the Church, in her wisdom, has given us two out of the twelve calendar months - May and October - during which we practice direct devotion to Our Blessed Mother through the recitation of the Most Holy Rosary, a prayer that focuses on the life of Christ and draws us closer to Him in meditation through Mary's intercession. By praying the Rosary frequently, Mary walks us through her spirituality. The richness of Mary's spirituality can best be summarized through her overwhelming beauty: "A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (Revelation 12:1). Our radiant Queen has the sun for her garment, dressed in gold, the moon for her footstool and a crown of twelve stars on her head! What a marvel! The elements of nature used to portray Mary's eloquence speak for themselves. They are all light-giving bodies found in the heavenly realm. How dark the earth would be without these essential sources of light. More significantly, she is the Mother of Christ, the Light of the World, the source of all lights, from Whom the eternal rays of grace flow. How wonderful that the Mother of Light is able to give us the grace to see this abundant Light of Christ that we celebrate at the Easter Vigil. As such, our hearts should be on fire like the Easter fire of the Resurrection: "Christ our light". This beautiful and relevant prayer is said as the priest lights the Easter Candle: "May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds" (Breaking Bread 2010, p. 126). The sacramental grace that hovers around Our Lady calls to mind the significance of the word Sacrament: "an outward sing of inward grace" (Catechism of the Catholic Church, # 1131). The splendor of Mary's elegance reflects the fullness of grace attributed to her by the Father, grace that radiates to those who embrace her as a model in the pursuit of holiness; holiness that brings us back to God; for she "… comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array" (Legion of Mary Handbook), ready to break through and offset any barriers of sin that may hold us back from receiving the grace of God, by crushing the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). By virtue of our Baptism, we are all called to be signs of grace as well, to manifest the goodness of God by witnessing to the risen Christ. The best way to Jesus is through Mary, since Jesus came to us through her. What's more, she is the Mother of the Church, given to us as our Mother at the Foot of the Cross (John 19:25-27); a role confirmed at Pentecost in the Upper Room where Our Lady was with the Apostles when the Holy Spirit descended from above. Mary tutored the Apostles in her spirituality no sooner than the "… hour the disciple [John] took her into his home" (John 19:27). Before we delve further into the Blessed Virgin's spirituality, let us take a look at two great characteristics that Mary has. They are Humility and Total Commitment. Our Lady's humility gained for her the greeting "Full of grace" from the Angel sent by God. When we humble ourselves, God fills us with His grace and we are able to also commit ourselves totally and accept His will in our lives. Thus, we live no longer for ourselves but for Him. Our thoughts and actions become those of God. Hence, Mother Mary's gift of SPIRITUALITY comes to us thus: Silence The diverse values that Mary's spirituality offer are like the many petals of a rose flower that never wither. It is deeply rooted in the Passion of Christ for she draws her strength from His suffering. She is empowered and motivated to move on the road of Calvary in order to fulfill the glory that awaits her at the other end. Silence Though Mary does not speak much in Scripture, she is nevertheless a woman of great faith and action. Her very few utterances are indeed timely and meaningful. For the most part, "Mary remembered all these things and thought deeply about them" (Luke 2:19). This teaches us that we ought to control how we speak, when necessary and especially what we say in order not to bear false witness (Eighth Commandment). Silence enables us to listen to the voice of God speaking to us in many different ways, especially when Jesus tells us: "My mother and brothers are those who hear the word of God and obey it" (Luke 8:21). Prayer Mary's calm gave her the opportunity to pray a great deal. All instances were moments of prayer for her. It was at the Visitation that she proclaimed her great Song of Praise, the - Magnificat - Luke 1:46-55. Again we see Our Blessed Mother in prayer at the first Cenacle in the Upper Room as she prayed with the Disciples of Jesus, while waiting for the gift of the Holy Spirit. From all indications, Mary was praying when the Angel visited her. "Peace be with you" (Luke 1:28) was the Angel's greeting. We learn that when we pray we are at peace with God, one another and with ourselves. In this encounter Mary converses with the Angel. This shows that we bring our worries, doubts, concerns and joys to God on a one-on-one level. Prayer is intimacy with God Who knows our entire being, for we are created in His image and likeness. Incarnation It is only with a prayerful heart that we can accept the Word of God and obey it (Luke 8:21). Then the Lord will come and dwell within us. He took flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary. So too will He dwell in us and enable us to bear good fruit that will last. The Good Lord promised to be with us till the end of time. What a great gift! Readiness to forgive With Christ in us and us in Him, we will have the grace and courage, not only to learn how to forgive, but also to practice it well. The Prophecy of Simeon prepared Mary for this (Luke 2:33-35). She meets her Suffering Son at the fourth station and under her watchful eye He is led to Calvary where she joins Him at the Foot of the Cross to forgive those who crucify Him, not only the soldiers, but also all of us, for He came to die for our sins (Luke 23:34). When we learn to forgive, the Our Father becomes more meaningful each time we pray it. Intercession Forgiveness opens the heart to love one another as God loves us. As such, praying and interceding for each other help us on the way to salvation. Mary gives us a good example at the wedding feast at Cana (John 2). We should always be disposed to lift each other in prayers. Tolerance Prayer gives us the grace and strength to bear hardships in life. All was not so rosy for Mary. Though Joseph was a just man with good intentions, his initial rejection of Mary was painful for her, at least from the human perspective. Following, there was no place for them at the inn (Matt. 1:18 - 25 / Luke 2:1-7). Jesus was born in a stable and had a manger for a crib. The Prophecy of Simeon, King Herod's plans to kill Jesus, the flight to Egypt at night in the cold, the difficulty of traveling with the Infant Jesus, the killing of other children - innocent blood crying out, the loss of Jesus in the Temple, and the way to Calvary were all moments of pain and terrible worry for Mary. But the grace of God saw her through. We should therefore have recourse to her in our own moments of trial. We become fortified as we share in the suffering of Christ. Unity It is by uniting our sorrows with those of Mary that we are reunited to Jesus. She kept the Apostles together after the death of Christ, and stayed with them in prayer. So too we are united with Christ and His Church and with one another in one Body. Adoration Our worship of God becomes more meaningful as one Body. Mary, the first Tabernacle, bore Jesus in her heart, then in her womb. John the Baptist adored Him by leaping for joy - the first miracle of grace at the Visitation. Thus, looking towards Mary focuses our gaze on Christ the center of our worship. Love The radiant presence of God in the Eucharist empowers us to keep the greatest Commandment: "Love one another" (John 13:34). Mary loved God so much that He came to dwell in her. We too should do the same and let God's love take control of us. Then the world would be a better place. Invitation Love gave Mary the ability, not only to intercede, but also to invite others to know and love Christ, develop a personal relationship with Him, obey the Will of God and invite others to do the same. As she spoke to the servants at the wedding feast at Cana then, her words are even more significant for us today in a world overtaken by evil and self gratification: "Do whatever he tells you" (John 2:5). To us, the Lord asks us to hear the Word of God and obey it, loving one another. Truth It is by accepting God's invitation that we shall come to know the truth about Jesus. Mary knew the truth about Jesus and accepted to be His Mother. She leads us to this same truth so that we too can make the right decisions in life, for Jesus is "… the way the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Yes With all the foregoing dispositions, we will be able to say "YES", like Our Lady, to the will of God and mean it. God rewarded her for her role in the economy of salvation of mankind with her Assumption and Coronation. Now she is the Queen of Heaven and earth, "fair as the moon and bright as the sun". This should be our goal as well, sharing the heavenly glory and beholding the Good Lord face-to-face. Embracing Mary's personal act of faith takes us on to another level of belief; a higher level that allows us to see the world differently, accept the Will of God without doubt, be able to forgive without thinking twice and cater for the spiritual and temporal needs of one another. This wraps us in a glow of holiness on life's journey. It becomes a way of life for our everyday imperfections, a sure means to salvation. May Mary Our Mother continue to pray and intercede for us all. Amen. Vunda Moutchia can be contacted at: 215.474.3914 (H) and/or vmoutchia@yahoo.com. |
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When some one asks you: "Who is your mother?" What
will be your response? What will you say? Will you have to read up from a book
before answering, or will you respond from the heart? Will you search here and
there, or will your response be spontaneous? This is the feeling I get each time
I am called to speak about Our Blessed Mother. Of course, the experience of Mary
Our Mother for me is one of Mother and son. To begin to speak about her is like
trying to gather all the waters of the ocean into a single channel. After all,
is she not the "
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