Читать книгу Mater Christi: Meditations on Our Lady - St. Paul Mother - Страница 8

"And Mary said to the Angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man?" (St Luke i. 34.)

1st Prelude. A picture of the Annunciation.

2nd Prelude. That my love for God may be great enough to separate me from all else.

Point I.– Mary's Silence

We do not know what Mary was doing when the heavenly visitor arrived with his message. She is generally represented as kneeling in contemplation. She may have been: or she may have been about her work. In any case, she was engaged in prayer, for Mary's heart and mind were ever lifted up to God; and that is prayer. And God can reveal His secrets just as easily to those who are working as to those who are given up to contemplation.

No wonder Mary's attention is arrested, for not only does she see one of God's Archangels, but it is to her that he has come, to her that he is showing such reverence and honour, to her that he is now delivering his message: "Hail! … full of grace; the Lord is with thee… Blessed art thou among women." Each sentence of the message seems more wonderful and startling than the last. Mary does not speak, but she is troubled, as she thinks within herself what manner of salutation this is. Her intelligence is perfect, and she knows at once what the message means. It means that she, the one woman who has cut herself off from every prospect of being the Mother of the Messias; that she, who has felt herself so utterly unworthy that legend tells us she used to pray that she might be His Mother's servant; that she has been singled out by God as the one who was to be blessed among women. And she is troubled. It is not the presence of the Angel nor the dignity of his message which is disquieting her – her trouble goes deeper; but still she does not speak – she waits in silence for God to explain Himself or to direct her.

How much wiser in most cases it would be for me, if I kept silence, for a time at any rate, when I am face to face with trouble, or difficulty, or perplexity. Of one thing I may be sure – that the trouble is a message from God, and if I wait patiently, He will reveal more to me, and throw light upon what seems so obscure. Nothing is gained by making complaints, and losing my calm and self-possession. Much is gained by silence; for silence to man, at such times, generally means converse with God, and to obtain this more intimate union with my heart is one of His chief reasons for sending me His messages.

Gabriel, seeing that she is troubled, hastens to reassure her: "Fear not, Mary." He is God's messenger, and he is giving God's consolation, so he calls her by her name. Consolation is never far off when it is to God alone that we turn for it. Gabriel then tells her quite plainly what are God's intentions concerning her, if she gives her consent and co-operation – that she is indeed to be the Mother of the Messias; that she is to call Him Jesus; that her Son is to be great, and is to be called the Son of the Most High; that God will give Him a throne and a kingdom; and that of His kingdom there shall be no end.

Point II.– Mary's First Word

She has pondered in her heart, and now she speaks: "How shall this be done?" St Bernardine, who calls the seven recorded words of Our Lady, "Seven Flames of Love," calls this first word "A Flame of Separating Love" (flamma amoris separantis). Let us try to find out why.

"How shall this be done?" Her question shows clearly what is the cause of her trouble. It is the thought of her vow of virginity – that precious offering which, as a little child, she had made to God. This it is which forces Mary, who so values silence, to speak. "How shall this be done," and yet my vow be left intact? To it at any cost I must be faithful. Mary, by her first word, shows that her love for God is so intense that it separates her from all else besides. It was out of love for Him that she made that vow. It was a flame of separating love that burnt within her, making a clear division between God and anything, however lawful and even desirable in itself, which might hinder her union with Him. And it is the same flame of love which now impels her to speak: "How shall this be done?" seeing that I am separated, consecrated to God. Her love so detaches her from all else that even the honour of being singled out to be the Mother of God has no attraction for her in comparison with keeping that contract made with God, by which she promised to be wholly His.

Am I, like Mary, absolutely faithful to any contract that I may have made with God? Do I say: "How can this be done?" seeing I have made that promise, seeing I am a Christian, seeing I have been to Holy Communion, seeing I have taken certain vows. All these are so many cords of love which should separate me from the world. My contract with God must come before everything else – all turns upon my fidelity to it. Mary was troubled because she feared her vow was in danger; and her trouble was pleasing to God.

Mary's separating love for God was the outcome of God's separating love for Mary. Her very vow of virginity, which, humanly speaking, made it impossible for her to be the Mother of the Messias, was part of God's plan, separating her from the rest of the world for this honour. When God wants something done, He separates the soul which He has chosen to do it, though at the moment the soul may be wholly unconscious of the reasons for the process which gives it so much pain. The separation may be one of place, or family, or affections, or cherished hopes and plans. God's separating love takes various forms: but in some way or other He must and will separate from self those whom He intends to use for His service. St Paul says of himself that God separated him from his earliest infancy. (Gal. i. 15.) None would have guessed that he was separated when he was haling the Christians to death and persecuting the Church of God beyond measure. We understand so little of God's plans, and of His preparation of souls for His service. St Paul tells us that later he was "separated unto the Gospel of God." (Rom. i. 1.) And when Our Lord wanted him for a special mission, the order went forth to the Church: "Separate me Saul and Barnabas for the work whereunto I have taken them."

Help me, my Mother, to co-operate with grace, lest I hinder God's designs for me; and while His love is a separating one, may mine be the same – a love strong enough to separate me from all but His Will.

Colloquy with Mary, asking her to obtain for me the grace to say with her: "How shall this be done?" whenever the least thing comes between me and my duty to God.

Resolution. To let nothing to-day separate me from the love of God. (Rom. viii. 39.)

Spiritual Bouquet. "How shall this be done?"