"Risen Lamb Writings"
"Whispers of Light" (part 5)
Any
overview of the gift of the Holy Spirit of wisdom is incomplete without
speaking of the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Louis de Montfort says of Mary, "She
became the mother, mistress and throne of divine wisdom" (The Love of
Eternal Wisdom, by St. Louis de Montfort, p. 203). These three titles
reference her to each of the divine persons of the Trinity. Mary holds a
unique, special place in the "heart" of the Trinity. She is the Mother of
Jesus, and in the mystical tradition of the Church she is sometimes referred to
as the "Spouse" of the Holy Spirit, and the "daughter" of the Father. Mary
knows how to form the heart of an intercessor to experience "Trinitarian"
intimacy.
In the mystery of the Annunciation, in
the "secret shrine" of Mary's virginal womb, Wisdom Incarnate was conceived:
"If Mary is capable of guiding us in
the quest for Wisdom, it is by reason of her proximity to Him who is not only
the source of Wisdom but who is very Wisdom in person, Jesus Christ" (Jesus
Living in Mary: Handbook of the Spirituality of St. Louis Marie de Montfort;
p. 1268).
Mary is
associated with the coming of the Word of God into the world--Jesus, the
"Saving Word", the "Crucified Word". She knows how to form the heart of an
intercessor to receive the word of God and to keep it.
The mystery of the Incarnation of the
Word is a very particular type of Incarnation: A redemptive Incarnation. The
reason why God en-fleshed himself in a human nature
was to offer his life for us and save us in a human nature. Thus, the mystery
of the Annunciation is oriented towards the eradication of sin. By the singular
grace of her being conceived Immaculately in the womb of her mother, St. Anne,
Mary was set apart and prepared for the moment in salvation history that we
call the mystery of the Annunciation. At the Annunciation Mary was invited to
be a most active participant in the "drama" of sin. She became a "partner" in the saving work of
God--not an equal partner, but the most exalted partner nonetheless. Mary
became associated with God in the very work of reconciliation between God and
humanity: The new covenant of love. For Mary this is a perpetual partnership.
Mary desires her "Spouse", the Holy
Spirit--the Spirit of Wisdom--to fill each of us so that we can live the new
covenant of love. She desires to draw each of us more deeply into the mystery
of the Incarnation so that we can be more and more conformed to the image of
the Lamb interiorly. The Spirit of Wisdom and the "mistress of Wisdom" are
always dedicated to the saving mission of Jesus. Intercessors are formed to be
dedicated in this same mission.
The salvation of the world is linked
to the faith of Mary. She is a woman of outstanding faith. She is a "pillar of
faith" (see Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, vol.
1: Missal, p. 250). She conceived Jesus
in faith at the Annunciation and followed him in faith throughout his life.
Faith is a total trust in someone. In Luke 1:45 we hear Elizabeth praise Mary
for her deep abiding faith:
"Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."
A fully flowered faith lives in the
certainty of fulfillment; for, the true believer knows that God, Who is Love,
is faithful to his word. At the Annunciation Mary trusted totally in the
words of the One whom she loved wholeheartedly. Mary knows how to form an
intercessor to be firm in faith, strong in hope, and burning with love. She
knows how to form an intercessor with a "faith that forges new frontiers",
"believing beyond boundaries", and empowered with "pioneering prayer". An
intercessor needs a deep trust to believe that God's word will be fulfilled not
only in one's own life, but also within the heart of those whom one is praying
for.
(to be continued)
Questions:
1) What
is my relationship with Mary like?
2) Where
in my life do I need greater faith and deeper trust in standing in God's word?
Scriptures:
Prov. 1:20-23; Sir. 4:11-14; Sir. 6:19-20; Sir. 6:27-29; Sir.
15: 2-6.
