by Father Thomas de Saint-Laurent
Out
of love for us, the Eternal Word was made flesh in the chaste womb of
Mary. His plan was marvelously arranged. From all eternity, He chose a
man after His heart who would be the virginal spouse of His divine
Mother, His adopted father on earth, and the guardian of His childhood.
While
not granting Joseph the same privileges He had granted our Blessed
Mother, the Lord adorned his soul with the rarest virtues and raised him
to great holiness.
When Our Lady had completed her education in
the Temple, she was wed to this humble artisan. Like her, Saint Joseph
belonged to the royal race of David, then fallen from its ancient
splendor. Also like her, he had consecrated his virginity to God and
ardently desired to see with his own eyes the promised Messias, the
salvation of Israel.
The Annunciation and Saint Gabriel
The
Most High had prepared this excellent union by revealing His will to
these humble and obedient souls. Mary accepted Joseph as the guarantor
of Divine Providence, while Joseph received Mary as a precious treasure
entrusted to him by Heaven. Neither one nor the other suspected what
blessings the Lord would lavish on their modest dwelling. The young
spouses had lived but a short time in the little house of Nazareth when
the scene of the Annunciation took place in all of its divine
simplicity.
The last days of March had brought the return of
spring to the Galilean countryside. The fig trees had begun to unfold
their ample leaves and the doves to build their nests in the hollows of
the rocks. Flowers dotted the rejuvenated fields. Soon another flower,
infinitely more precious, would blossom from the root of Jesse.
In
Heaven, the Holy Ghost acclaimed the spotless conception of the
Immaculate Virgin with admiration and seemed impatient for the hour when
the work of His infinite charity would be fulfilled. No longer did the
Divine Spouse wish to delay. He resolved to send an extraordinary
messenger to her whom He called "My Spouse" —Soror mea, sponsa. 1
The Annunciation in Art: A Stunning Comparison
God
chose the Archangel Gabriel from among the princes of the celestial
court who remained constantly before the throne of the Almighty. He
entrusted to him the most important and glorious assignment ever
confided to a creature, the mission of announcing to the Virgin the
awesome mystery of the Incarnation.
All Heaven now looked upon
that simple house of Nazareth, where a profound peace reigned. Joseph
probably rested from his hard labor. In the adjoining room, his virgin
spouse was praying. The angel appeared and respectfully bowed before his
Queen. His countenance resplendent with supernatural joy, he said to
her, "Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou
among women." 2 Saint Gabriel uttered but the strictest truth.
At
the moment of Mary's conception, divine grace flooded her magnificent
soul. Ever since then, this grace had grown ceaselessly in proportions
far surpassing our feeble understanding. Now, at this moment, the
adorable Trinity wanted this already extraordinary holiness to shine
with even greater brilliance: Our Lady would shelter in her womb the
very Author of grace.
Yet, the Archangel's salutation troubled
the Immaculate Virgin. By divine enlightenment she had long understood
the immensity of God and the nothingness of creatures. In her prodigious
humility, she considered herself the lowliest of creatures and thus
wondered at receiving such praise. She pondered what hidden meaning
could be shrouded in such words.
Seeing this most incomparably
perfect of all creatures with such a humble opinion of herself, the
celestial ambassador exulted with admiration. "Mary," he said to the
trembling Virgin, "fear not, for thou hast found grace with God."3
Then
slowly, majestically, in the name of the Eternal God, he communicated
his sublime message: "Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt
bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great
and shall be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God shall
give unto Him the throne of David His father, and He shall reign in the
house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end."4
These
words were far too clear to Our Lady for any hesitation in grasping
them. She immediately understood the incomparable honor reserved for
her. It seems that she experienced no hesitation on account of her
virginity. Indeed, it would be a gratuitous insult to her intelligence
to suspect her of such ignorance. She was aware of the prophecy of
Isaias that the Emmanuel would be born of a virgin.
Rather, she
simply sought to know how God, so rich in miracles, would accomplish
such a marvel. "How shall this be done," she asked the angel, "for I
know not man?"5
"The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High
shall overshadow thee. Therefore, the child which shall be born of thee
shall be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth,
she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth
month with her who is called barren; for nothing shall be impossible
with God."6
Profound silence filled that small room in Nazareth, one of those
dramatic silences wherein the world's destiny hangs in the balance.
The
angel had ceased speaking and Mary was quiet. How many thoughts crowded
in upon her! In her mind's eye, she saw the resplendent crown divine
motherhood would place on her head, yet she remained too profoundly
humble for any complacency about this singular grandeur. She saw the
indescribable joys that would surely fill her heart when holding her
dear treasure against her bosom, her Jesus, both God and infant. Yet
again, her self-mortification would not allow that she be guided by the
allure of joy alone, even the most holy of joys.
She also saw
the awful martyrdom that would rend her soul. Through Holy Scripture she
knew that the Messias would be delivered to His death like a tender
lamb to the slaughter. She foresaw and heard the mournful cry: "I am a
worm, and no man; the reproach of men, and the outcast of the people."7
Yet, such was her fortitude that she would not allow future sorrow to
dishearten her. Above everything, she saw the extremely lofty, fatherly,
and holy will of God. She owed obedience to Him; she did not hesitate.
The Annunciation and Saint Gabriel
The
Immaculate Virgin at last broke the solemn silence. The angel waited to
receive her consent in the name of the Holy Ghost. In accepting, she
pronounced one of those sublime expressions that only the genius of
humility can find. It was the most simple and modest formula of a soul
completely submissive to the will of God: "Behold the handmaid of the
Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word."8 At
that, the grandest of all miracles took place. From the very flesh of
the Immaculate Virgin, the Holy Ghost formed a small human body. To this
body He joined a human soul; to this body and soul He united the Second
Person of the Most Holy Trinity, the Word of God.
Although it
is necessary to explain these three facts separately to make clear what
took place, the three took place completely simultaneously as a single
act. Not even for a second were this small body and soul separated from
the Word. From that first instant the Child formed in the womb of Our
Lady was the Word Incarnate. Without losing her virginity, Mary became
the Mother of God, and in becoming the Mother of Christ, our Head, she
also became the Mother of men—our Mother.
In this chapter I have
simply followed the Gospel narrative step by step. We will later study
the nearly infinite dignity the Immaculate Virgin confers on divine
motherhood. We shall see how this privilege should inspire our Christian
hearts to great respect, deep gratitude, limitless confidence, and
filial devotion. But let us first complete our meditation on this
mystery.
Through God's infinite love for us, the Word utterly
humbled Himself in the womb of the Virgin. At the same time, other
events took place in her soul. When God entrusts a mission to one of His
creatures, He also provides the grace to accomplish it fully. Thus, the
Most High, having granted a double motherhood to the Blessed Virgin
Mary (to be mother of God and of men), conferred upon her a love that
was doubly maternal. Such was the splendor in this work of grace that we
will never perfectly understand it. Never will we completely understand
the ardor of Mary's love for Jesus or the merciful goodness by which
the Virgin loves each one of us in particular. Indeed, were we to
further reflect upon this mystery, we would pray to her with greater
fervor, and serve her with greater zeal. She, in turn, would lavish
torrents of grace on us.
The Annunciation in Art: A Stunning Comparison
The
Incarnation had just been completed. Our Lady remained in ecstasy.
Every theologian agrees that during this thrice-holy moment God raised
her to the most sublime contemplation a pure creature can attain upon
earth. Perhaps she was even granted a momentary glimpse of the beatific
vision. The Archangel Gabriel had fulfilled his mission. Upon his
arrival he had respectfully bowed before the Queen of heaven. Before
departing, he prostrated himself, for Mary was no longer alone. In true
justice, the Child she bore in her womb merited the adoration of the
archangel, who adored the God-made-man and then returned to Heaven.
From
this mystery, we must draw a stronger and deeper devotion to the
Blessed Virgin. The Church, which encourages us to pay special honor to
the Immaculate Mother, does not wish to place her on the same level as
the Most High. While Mary reigns over all the angels and saints in
Heaven, she is still but a simple creature and, accordingly, an infinite
distance stands between her and her adorable Son. Nevertheless, God has
united Jesus and Mary so intimately that we cannot separate Them. By
consenting to the work of the eternal God, Our Lady has become ipso
facto the moral cause of our salvation. She is morally necessary for us
to go to Jesus.
Souls today are powerfully attracted to the
Heart of Jesus. To penetrate this adorable Heart, the sanctuary of the
Divinity, more fully, we must go through Mary. Let us ask Our Lady for
the sovereign grace of placing us confidently in the arms of Jesus and
there, upon His heart, let us rest both in time and in eternity.
Written by Father Thomas de Saint-Laurent
Notes
1. Canticle of Canticles 4:9. [back]
2. Luke 1:28. [back]
3. Luke 1:30. [back]
4. Luke 1:31-33. [back]
5. Luke 1:34. [back]
6. Luke 1:35-37. [back]
7. Psalm 21:7. [back]
8. Luke 1:38. [back]
[back to top]
No comments:
Post a Comment