2 December 2012 Immaculate Conception Novena “Thou art the glory of Jerusalem; thou art the joy of Israel; thou art the honour of our people.” (Judith 15:10) Day 3 -- Handmaid of the Lord The vocation of Mary. “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid.” (Lk 1:46-8) (‘Entrance Antiphon’, Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, ‘Handmaid of the Lord’) Prior to Our Lady’s consent, “God sent the Archangel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town of Galilee” (Lk 1:26). This exceptional envoy conveys to the most beloved creature of God the special news: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” (Lk 1:30-33) Mary’s meditation on Sacred Scriptures makes her know well the Messianic passages. She joins to this knowledge an extraordinary interior sensitivity to the Will of God. Through a particular grace, Our Lady learns that she will be the Mother of the Redeemer, the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophecy concerning a virgin who will conceive and give birth to “Emmanuel” (Is 7:14), which means ‘God with us’. In her youth Our Lady, moved by the Holy Spirit, consecrated herself to the Lord. Her later correspondence with grace is a reaffirmation of her commitment to fulfilling the divine Will in her life. “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to your word ...” (Lk 1:38). This consent to motherhood is above all a result of her total self-giving to God in virginity. At Our Lady’s ‘Fiat’, the Word of God, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, becomes flesh in her most pure womb. Mary, understanding her vocation, knows why the Holy Spirit showers her with many graces; why she is so responsive to these inspirations. “The Archangel’s declaration makes Mary’s attitude assume a completely supernatural explanation.” (Federico Suarez, “Mary of Nazareth”, 29) The adolescent Mary does not hesitate at the prospect of assuming the incomparable dignity. She is humble and confides in the Almighty to whom her dedication is complete. “The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Teacher of unlimited self-giving. Ask this good Mother that the generosity of her answer may, with the vigor of love and affection, gain strength in your soul. ‘Ecce ancilla Domini’ ... Behold the handmaid of the Lord.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Furrow”, 33) God calls each one of us. He seeks out and grants his grace to ordinary people in carrying out his plan of redemption. What St Thomas says about the Blessed Virgin applies to every Christian: “God prepares whomsoever he desires for a specific mission. He also grants the particular person the necessary graces to carry out the task they are entrusted with.” (St Thomas, “Summa Theologiae”, 2, q27, a4) The Lord can prepare a given person’s vocation from childhood. Frequently the Lord makes use of personal friends as instruments to make a vocation known. He can also do it in a sudden or unexpected way as in the case of St Paul. One experiences an interior motion, ‘like a two-edged sword’. We can tell Jesus in the intimacy of our prayer: Lord, count on me for whatever you want. I shall not put any limits on your grace or on whatever you ask of me. Don’t stop making demands and continue to support me with your strength. Our Lady’s response to her vocation summarizes the complete response to God’s loving invitations -- ‘Ecce ancilla Domini.’ Her sole desire is to fulfill the Will of God. Today we can entrust our unconditional 'Yes' to Our Lady, although at times a complete response requires renewed generosity. She will present our gift of self at the throne of her Son. Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 7:282-8 Mary, the Greatest Woman of the Bible In “Genesis”, Mary, the new Eve, is simply described as the “Woman” who will crush the serpent’s head, and bring a new life into the world, through the redemptive power of her offspring. Isaiah said: ‘A virgin will conceive and bring forth a son, the Redeemer.’ All the prophets talk about the promise of a great woman who will bring salvation to the world by giving birth to a Saviour. Holy Church writers compared this woman’s virtues to those of great women of the Old Testament: Sara, Lia, Rebecca, Judith, Ruth, Queen Esther ... Finally, in complete obscurity, this ‘Woman’ was born, exempt from original sin; her name was 'Mary'. She lived a quiet life; gave birth to Jesus, the Redeemer, but mentioned only three times during His public life. She spoke very little, and out of 27 books which make up the canon of the New Testament, only four mention Mary by name. One speaks of her only as the ‘Mother of Jesus’ or ‘His Mother’ but ‘never mentions’ her by name. The four books are the “Gospel” according to Matthew, Mark, John and Luke with the “Acts of the Apostles”. St Paul in the “Letter to the Galatians” mentions “Jesus born of a woman”. Clearly, the Evangelists’ discourses on Christ find light and support in Mary. She is not the Gospel. There is no Gospel of Mary; but without Mary, there is no Gospel either. So she is not absent in any of the four. Garbed with the sun, crowned with stars, standing on the moon, Mary, like her Son, remains forever. The world and the stars will pass, but Mary lives on, like the Word of God of which she is the Echo. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, belongs to the domain common to Jesus and His disciples. His Father is our Father, His hour is our hour. His glory, our glory. His Mother, our Mother. Ref: Rev Joseph A Viano, SSP, “Two Months with Mary”, 1984, p12 Friendship -- “Have recourse to the Blessed Virgin every day with complete confidence. Your soul and your life will feel comforted at once. She will let you partake of the treasures she keeps in her heart, for ‘never has it been known that anyone who sought her protection was left unaided’.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Furrow”, 768) To fight once more -- If you feel proud to be a son of Our Lady, ask yourself: How often do I express my devotion to the Virgin Mary during the day, from morning to night? (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Forge”, 433) • Our Lady of Dydinia, in Cappadocia, before which St. Basil besought the Blessed Virgin to remedy the disorders caused by Julian the Apostate; he was there favored with an apparition which presaged the death of the emperor.—(Baronius, ad ann. 303.) “Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar (www.bethlehemobserver.com) • Our Lady of Didinia, Cappadocia, Turkey. (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html); (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm) • Our Lady of Didynia (Cappadocia). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (http://mariedenazareth.com) • Our Lady of Liesse. (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html) • Our Lady, Cause of Our Joy. (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)