MARY, MOST HUMBLE, PRAY FOR US!

As we have seen in a previous post (http://wp.me/p6k7Mv-1Gj ), God the Father was the First Person ever to live the Season of Advent, promising a Savior, born from a woman, and who will strike the head of the serpent (cfr. Gen 3:15).

In preparation for the Incarnation of His Son, God the Father chose a virgin from a little and unknown town called Nazareth and gave her all the necessary privileges enabling her to be the mother of His Only-Begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. That woman is the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was conceived without original sin, and thus full of grace, of holiness and of all virtues.

Ever aware of her role as the instrument chosen by God to be the mother of His Son, Mary never allowed herself to be affected by pride and vainglory. Rather, she was the most humble of all creatures, for she acknowledges that all that she is and she has, she received unmeritedly from God. She recognized her lowliness and unworthiness as she herself proclaimed in the Magnificat (Lk 1:46-55):

“My soul magnifies the Lord,  and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;  for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree;  he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,  as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.”

Our Lady’s canticle of humility led St Bede to exclaim: “It was fitting, then, that just as death entered the world through the pride of our first parents, the entry of Life should be manifested by the humility of Mary (In Lucae Evangelium expositio, in loc.).”

The reward for her humility? God rewards our Lady’s humility by mankind’s recognition of her greatness: “All generations will call me blessed.” This prophecy is fulfilled every time someone says the Hail Mary, and indeed she is praised on earth continually, without interruption.

“From the earliest times the Blessed Virgin is honoured under the title of Mother of God, under whose protection the faithful take refuge together in prayer in all their perils and needs. Accordingly, following the Council of Ephesus, there was a remarkable growth in the cult of the people of God towards Mary, in veneration and love, in invocation and imitation, according to her own prophetic words: ‘all generations will call me blessed, for he who is mighty has done great things for me (Vatican II, Lumen gentium, 66).”

Dear brethren in Christ, let us ask God for this indispensable virtue if we are to love God above all things and others through and for him; if we are to walk along the path of holiness to which He has called us: holiness which is the fullness of love and of Christ’s life in us.

  Mary, Most Humble, pray for us!

Fr. Rolly Arjonillo, priest of Opus Dei, Catholics striving for holiness, with the help of God’s grace. Kindly do us a favor by liking our FB page so we could reach and help more people. Thanks and God bless!

SEE AS WELL:

THE HUMILITY OF JESUS in https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.com/2015/06/14/on-the-humility-of-jesus-learn-from-me-for-i-am-meek-and-humble-of-heart-lk-1129/

WHY IS HUMILITY IMPORTANT? In   https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.com/2015/06/17/on-humility-know-thyself-why-is-it-so-important-humility-the-basis-of-all-virtues-the-dwelling-place-of-love/

AUDIO SOURCE AND CREDIT: “Prelude in C (BWV 846)” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

PHOTO SOURCE AND CREDIT: Peter Paul Reubens, The Glorious Virgin”, photo mine from Various authors, “El libro de la Virgen,” Joker: Madrid 1963.