“Tradition ascribes to Mary the titles Mother of Divine Grace, Mother most amiable, Mother most admirable, Mother of Mercy… God has chosen her to be treasurer and dispensatrix of all His graces.. . . Since Mary has formed the Head of the predestined, Jesus Christ, it pertains to her to form also the members of the Head, who are the true Christians . . . She has received from God a special power to nourish souls and to make them grow in Him. St. Augustine goes so far as to say that the predestined in this world are enclosed in Mary's womb and that they come to the light only when their good Mother brings them forth to eternal life. It is to her that the Holy Ghost has said "Take root in my elect" (Eccl. xxiv, 13) ---- roots of profound humility, of ardent charity and of all the virtues.”
Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.
For Reflection:
Following is an excerpt from a poem written by Gerard Manley Hopkins about Our Lady under this title. Prayerfully read the poem. In light of the above quote, which verse(s), phrase(s), or word(s) from the poem echoes St. Augustine’s concept of the “world enclosed in Mary’s womb” and the idea that Mary brings us forth to eternal life? What other similarities do you see between the above quote and the sentiments of the poem? To what extent does this increase your appreciation of Our Lady’s role in your own salvation? How does the above quote and the poem relate to yesterday’s considerations?
from, Mary Mother of Divine Grace, compared to the Air we breath
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An international women's organization devoted to combating forced abortion and human trafficking has published an impassioned letter to President Barack Obama calling upon him to provide diplomatic protection for Chen Guangcheng, the blind Chinese dissident and "warrior of women's rights" who recently escaped house arrest after opposing China's brutal one-child family planning program.
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Even though the group of dissident nuns known as the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) is now under the control of the Vatican, the group's annual convention, scheduled for August and featuring New Age "visionary" Barbara Marx Hubbard, is being permitted to go forward.
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A national survey of law enforcement agencies has found that the sluggish economy has contributed to an increase in domestic violence.
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For centuries, the month of May has been dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary perhaps influenced by the ancient Greek and Roman cultures. In ancient Greece, May was dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of fecundity, and ancient Rome dedicated it to Flora, the goddess of bloom. But what better woman exemplifies the beginnings of life than the one whose fertile fiat ushered Eternal Life into the world? Mary the Mother of God, Mary the Mother of Mercy, Mary the Mother of the Mysteries of Salvation, Mary the Perfect Woman!
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, now our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, put it this way: "The mood of springtime informs the church's interior; nature's blossoming, the warm air of May evenings, human gladness in a world that is renewing itself -- all these things enter in. Veneration of Mary has its place in this very particular atmosphere, for she, the Virgin, shows us faith under its youthful aspect, as God's new beginning in a world that has grown old. In her we see the Christian life set forth as a youthfulness of the heart, as beauty and a waiting readiness for what is to come." (Seek That Which is Above, Ignatius, 1986, pp. 95-96).
For Reflection:
To what extent do I feel the “fertility of the fiat” stirring within me? Am I filled with a “waiting readiness for what is to come?” Explore this in light of your call to spiritual motherhood. Journal your insights.
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