The Virgin Mary: Perfect Instrument of Jesus

The saints were ones who were given a special privilege to God but also chose in a high degree to give themselves and love God. Each 'yes' of the saint is 'yes' to different aspects of God since God is infinite and not simply binary. He is, so to speak, of an infinite amount of colors and different saints focused on different aspects or colors of God. The way this translates is that there are saints that are patrons of different countries, different careers, or different situations in life. Since everything that is created is a reflection of the infinity of God, those that had a particular love for some aspect of creation consequently had a particular love for that 'reflection' of God. So if you really love the people of China over and above other people, you will also love that particular aspect of God in a way that is more than others who loved other aspects of God. That's why some saints have more influence with certain situations than others because in their life they had a special dedication to that specific situation. So if you choose, for instance, to love animals with a particular love on Earth, this will affect the love that you have access to in Heaven, since you chose to love the aspect of God that is reflected in animals. There are saints that loved with such an intense love that they have more universal love that is able to cover more people. Examples would be the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph. They had a love for God that encompassed a wider variety of aspects of the creation than most other saints, therefore they have more influence in Heaven since they loved more universally on Earth. So if we think of God's infinity in terms of the spectrum of light...those that opened their hearts more widely on Earth will be able to allow more of God's light (in terms of spectrum) shine from Heaven. What is the role then of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is able to allow a greater outpouring of God's light for several reasons. Due to the special gift of her Immaculate Conception, she has a superabundant freedom and ability to say yes to God and so to love His creation in a way far above that of other humans. So in this way, Mary had a head start, in that she required no healing of her ability to say yes to God. She had no interior stumbling blocks in embracing all that is a part of the mystery of God. Let's come up with a simple analogy to help explain the difference between Mary and the other saints. If Jesus is a race car driver and we are cars, then it seems that he wants to drive us past the finish line. We will finish the race depending on how fast we can go but also how little time we need to re-fill on gas and fix the car. If we require constant fill-ups and constant engine check-ups, then we will finish the race but while taking a very long time. If we have nothing to fix and are fuel-efficient, then we will finish the race at the time that is appropriate for us. So while the other cars are not as fuel efficient and are missing certain parts or have defective parts, Mary is both fuel-efficient and in perfect working condition. Therefore she can finish the race before many of us can even get ourselves started. She finishes the race so fast, that she can drive Jesus back and forth to help those that have blown out tires, have run out of gas, or haven't even started the race. In this way, we can say that Mary is the Co-Redemptrix, in that she was so effectively healed by Christ at her conception that she was a true vehicle for bringing forth God's grace into the world. Now while Jesus could have finished the race without use of a car, out of love for Mary he allowed her to be a instrument of his power.

Mary: Virgin Mother

The Church teaches and believes that the Blessed Virgin Mary is in fact that: a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. What is the significance for us in our lives? Is this just a teaching that is important to nuns or priests? What is God doing through Mary, that will also affect us?

It will be important for us to understand that Mary's Virginity is completely the initiative of God. This is something that is given to her as a gift in order to establish a type of new creation. Mary's perpetual virginity is closely connected to the reality that she is redeemed by Christ in a completely unique and singular way. What does this mean? The Church knows that Christ became incarnate in order to restore creation to its original beauty. After all, if there was nothing wrong with the world and there was no sin, then it wouldn't have needed a savior.

Christ, through his suffering on the Cross and through a complete gift, redeemed Mary to such a degree that she became as Paul says a new creation. So in this way, Mary is like an icon of the Garden of Eden, the original creation. What God created when he made the garden of Eden, he re-created when he made the Virgin Mary. Just as the Garden of Eden, Mary was completely in harmony with God. There was nothing keeping her separate from God nor was there anything that would enter into her that would keep her from God. So in this way, her Virginity speaks loudly about her 'untouched' nature just as we speak of the "Virgin Islands". Why are they the Virgin Islands? Because of their pristine nature.

This took Mary an incredible amount of faith and shows her wonderful gift of self to God. There was no way that she could understand what God wanted to do with her, since she had never seen it or experienced it before. God wanted to make her a 'new creation', and she completely allowed and trusted in his hand. How did she have the strength to give herself completely to God? We can understand that in being redeemed even before her birth, she was given a freedom that was truly free. She was fully free to say yes to God.

The Church is called to be like a new Garden of Eve. This is first true in the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is like a spiritual "Virgin Islands" and we are called to travel there to bask in the waters, to walk on the pristine sand, to enjoy the sweet tropical fruits...in a word to allow this Virgin land to 'mother' us. And who do we find dwelling in this Garden? The same gardener that Mary Magdalene found...Jesus is the gardener who is dwelling in the midst of its beauty, waiting for us to find him. Mary is where we go for vacation, for prayer, and for rest. She is always there to be like a 'home country' where we find Jesus walking in the breezy time of the day...

The disobedience of Eve & the obedience of Mary

Why was Eve disobedient? Why did Mary disobey? God is a God of love and not an evil genius that delights in our uncertainty. He gives us many signs under the guise of our ordinary life.

The Fathers of the Church will say that the whole of the universe is waiting for the "yes" of Mary.

What preceded Eve's disobedient was disbelief because perhaps she felt that she knew better than what God had to say. Mary on the other hand felt that she didn't know better and that she had in fact every right to trust in God. What a struggle we have in choosing between Eve and Mary. The early Church fathers saw the Virgin Mary as the new Eve, the new mother of all the living.

In today's class we compared and spoke much about the difference between the two. On a very simple level, Eve was disobedient and Mary was obedient. This leads us to ask several questions but most importantly 'what was behind their decisions?' We believe that Even was created perfectly and so why did she disobey God whom she knew so well? What becomes apparent is that she disobeyed God first because she began to lose faith and trust in him. The devil in Genesis is shown to strike at her relationship with God. He wanted her to believe that God was somehow sinister and did not want the good for her. *This is so much like our hearts! We struggle to come closer to God because as we come closer, we realize how mysterious and unknown he is to us. God is a mystery and there is always more to learn and know about him.

Therefore, God causes much fear in us because he is like an abyss of light...although He is light...there is so much that we are afraid to dive in... It seems that there are two fundamental reactions to God...to be afraid or to trust...once we fear...we distrust...and then we disobey...which is the path of Eve. When we choose to release our fear...we trust..and then we obey...which is the path of Mary. Clearly, this courage that we are invited to have before God is only something that can be given to us as a Grace.

This week's class, the Annunciation: mirror of our life

In the previous week we focused on the profound joy that is be found in the Annunciation. This week we focused on how the Annunciation has elements of a miraculous birth but also of a vocation narrative. I want to spell out here the second part.

We can see in the Annunciation, a mirror for our own life. The Angel Gabriel presented to Mary first a greeting of joy and then an explanation of what God will do in her life. Our life is perhaps much more simple but nonetheless wonderful. Think about it, our life isn't always chosen by us but instead it comes to us new each day like an invisible angel that is presenting it to us as a gift. Every morning that we wake up, we don't choose the day and how it will come to us, rather, the day has already been chosen for us. It comes to us like a gift; it also comes to us as a challenge. Our life tells us: 'this is what will happen to you and this is who you are to become..."

It makes us ask the same questions that the Virgin Mary asks: "But how can this come about, since I do not know man?" We might ask: Who will I become? How will I accomplish all the things my hearts desires? How will I accomplish all the things that the hearts of others and God's heart desire for me? And notice that for all of us, God is merciful. He is not afraid of our questions, but we are often afraid of His answers! Gabriel explains to Mary and even offers her tangible signs that what he says is indeed from God. This has certainly been true in my life: I ask, God, 'How will I know that you will be there for me?' Time after time, the Father has shown me through signs and other people how his power will bring things about.

The answer is almost always the same as for Our Lady: "for nothing is impossible to God" This is where we need the help of Mary to say "let what you have said be done to me." Why is it so hard to say yes to Our Heavenly Father's will? Because we don't know what is truly in His Heart!! Who knows the heart of the Father as much as the Blessed Mother? She knew His heart so deeply, that she realize in the depths of her heart that He indeed was trustworthy. We run to the Blessed Mother because SHE first said yes to God's will and will give us the strength to say yes to the Father!

Thoughts from this week's Mariology class: the Joy of the Blessed Virgin Mary

These are just some thoughts from part of my class in Mariology. Take a close look at the greeting given the Virgin Mary and the great joy that is spoken of by the prophet Zephaniah. What came to mind for me is that although Luke doesn't describe with much detail the joy experienced by Mary, Zephaniah gives us a deep insight into her inner world even though he wrote inspired by the Holy Spirit centuries before Mary's birth.

The greeting that Gabriel gave to Mary has a parallel with the prophet Zephaniah. Zephaniah has an incredible hope and speaks of the Daughter of Zion, which can be fulfilled most fully in Mary.

Luke 1
28 And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. 32

The Prophet Zephaniah 3:14-18

"14 Shout for joy, daughter Zion! sing joyfully, Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, daughter Jerusalem! 15 The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear. 16 On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, Zion, do not be discouraged! 17 The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior, Who will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, Who will sing joyfully because of you, 18 as on festival days."

There are these themes found in Zephaniah, Zechariah, and Joel. There is a tremendous amount of joy that is contagious and should be shared. Joy is not the absence of suffering but the presence of God. These New Testament authors give us the secret of Christianity that there is this incredible joy to be shared. If we haven't found this Christian joy then the encounter with the Lord Jesus has not be efficacious. So in the encounter that we see with Elizabeth and Mary, we have an invitation to enter into this Christian joy.

Our Lady: Our Hope

When we come to Our Lady, we often don't recognize how much she is our hope. Karl Barth, a famous Protestant Theologian once correctly recognized that the central teaching of the Catholic Church is that on Our Lady. How so? Jesus of course came to save us and to die on the cross for our sins, but if we do not give our YES to Him, then all is for nothing. Jesus cannot save us if we do not give him permission or allow his grace to work in our hearts. Our Lady is the only one who gave a full YES to God. Her YES was so powerful, that it not only was for her, but it was also for all of the rest of humanity. Her YES was able to be the yes for the whole human race. In her YES, we are able to say yes to God. For example, when riding a bicycle, it is much easier if we are following in the draft of another person because they take all of the friction of the wind and allow us to ride with much greater eases. Our Lady is able to take the wind so much in giving her YES to Jesus that it gives us the opportunity to keep up with her Son. Had the Blessed Mother not given her Yes to God, Jesus would not even have been born and we would not have had salvation. Our yes depends tremendously on hers. She is God's YES to Man and Man's YES to God. Allow the Blessed Mother to place her hands on your heart and join it to her Immacualate Heart so that you can give your full yes to the will of God in your life.

October 7th: Our Lady of the Rosary

The Rosary is such an incredible gift! How sad it is when people completely ignore it or minimize it's power.  It is not something that can be fully understood on the outside but rather you must pray it and experience the power that it has to interiorly change us.  Ever since my Uncle said so simple, "If you want to go to Heaven, pray the Rosary!!" I experienced how the beautiful "Our Father" and the glorious "Hail Mary" have resonated in my soul and heart and cleared & cleaned away all sin and filth.  Whereas so many people I know still struggle with many sins, the Rosary has given me such freedom to say YES to God in this vocation in a way that is fuller than other people.  Why is that?  Am I better than others? No, but the Blessed Virgin Mary IS!! And when you pray the Rosary, you get caught up into her virtues and her freedom and ability to say YES to God.  She is not merely a Model, just as Jesus is not merely a Prophet:: No, she is the Theotokos, the God-bearer and the Mediatrix of all graces.  She is our Yes to God and God's Yes to us.  Brothers & Sisters, I invite you to experience in your own bodies her intercessory and healing power.  Don't listen to the cynics or the lukwarm who care not for the Blessed Virgin, rather listen to a converted sinner who has been deeply touched by her powerful & motherly love.

De Maria Numquam Satis!!