Mother

“How villainous has been my behaviour and how unfaithful I have been to God’s grace. My Mother, Refuge of sinners, pray for me. May I never again hinder God's work in my soul.” (Saint Josemaria, “The Forge”, at 178). 

Mary Queen of Heaven (Master of the Saint Lucy Legend)

I have been thinking about the Blessed Virgin.  The Blessed Virgin is such a significant Human Soul.  She was in the Mind of God since the beginning of time.  In fact, in the account of Venerable Maria Aggreda, which are NOT yet endorsed by the Catholic Church, the Venerable described the first sin of Lucifer being caused by his jealousy of God’s plan for the Blessed Virgin and his unwillingness to submit to the Holy Will of God in allowing this.

You see, since the beginning of time, God has known and loved the Soul of the Blessed Virgin.  He has known since the beginning of time that she would be sinless and beautiful to Him and because He knew this since the beginning of creation, God also knew that she would be the Queen of heaven.  And He knew that she would sit above the Angels and the Saints.  And it is – according to Venerable Maria Aggreda – this very position in Heaven that caused Satan to have jealousy and reject God.

And I have been thinking about how beautiful is the Blessed Virgin.  After all, she lived in an imperfect world, riddled with sin and corruption and yet – despite all of that – she managed to remain pure and sinless.  We call the Blessed Virgin the “new Eve” because Eve, who was supposed to be the mother of our salvation  (and who was created to live in a perfect and uncorrupted world), sinned and thus caused the downfall of humankind, but it was instead the Blessed Virgin who was able to remain sinless.

There was ever single reason for the Blessed Virgin to sin.  I used to think that she was born sinless so therefore she would not sin.  But that argument bears no merit because Eve was also born sinless and she sinned.  And what is more, Eve was born into a perfect world and still chose corruption.  Alternatively, the Blessed Virgin was born into an imperfect world and her faith was such that she never ever sinned.

And when I compare that incomparable example to the weakness and limitations in my own behaviour, I am quite overcome.  For were it not for the Graces so freely disposed upon me, I would be lost completely.  And it seems to me today, that those Graces have been bestowed upon me, at least in part, because I have the Blessed Virgin interceding for me – with all her perfect beauty before God Himself.  And it seems to me that for love of HER, God loves me…

And so, today, I pray the prayers of Saint Josemaria to the Blessed Virgin, when I pray…

“How villainous has been my behaviour and how unfaithful I have been to God’s grace. My Mother, Refuge of sinners, pray for me. May I never again hinder God's work in my soul.” (Saint Josemaria, “The Forge”, at 178).  Our Mother, our Hope! How safe and sure we are when we keep close to you, even when everything around us is quivering and shaking.” (Saint Josemaria, “The Forge”, at 474)

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.