ATTEND IN SPIRIT THE GREATEST PEACE CONFERENCE EVER HELD. IT IS A PEACE CONFERENCE BETWEEN GOD AND MANKIND. IN THAT CONFERENCE GOD WAS REPRESENTED BY ONE OF HIS ANGELS, AND MANKIND WAS REPRESENTED BY HER. Let it be done to me according to your word (LK 1:38), THOSE WORDS THAT BROUGHT GOD DOWN TO EARTH AND SIGNED THE GREAT PEACE PACT OF HUMANITY. WHAT A SOLEMN THING THAT IS! WHAT A TERRIBLE THOUGHT TO THINK THAT GOD HAS MADE THE ENTRANCE OF THE REDEEMER DEPENDENT UPON THE Let it be with me (LK 1:38) OF THE HANDMAID OF NAZARETH; THAT THIS SAYING BE THE TERMINATION OF THE OLD WORLD, THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW, THE FULFILLMENT OF ALL PROPHECIES, THE TURNING-POINT OF ALL TIME, THE FIRST BLAZE OF THE MORNING STAR WHICH IS TO ANNOUNCE THE RISING OF THE SUN OF JUSTICE, WHICH AS FAR AS HUMAN WILL WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, KNIT THE BOND THAT BROUGHT HEAVEN DOWN UPON THE EARTH AND LIFTED HUMANITY UP TO GOD! NO TRUE CHRISTIANITY WITHOUT MARY. SHE WHO BROUGHT CHRISTIANITY ON EARTH CANNOT BE DENIED A PLACE IN CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. BUT WHAT OF THE MANY IN THIS WORLD WHO HOLD HER CHEAPLY, THE MANY WHO SLIGHT HER, THE MANY WHO DO WORSE? DOES IT EVER OCCUR TO THOSE PEOPLE TO THINK THAT EVERY GRACE THEY HAVE THEY OWE TO HER? DO THEY EVER REASON THAT IF THEY WERE EXCLUDED FROM HER WORDS OF ACCEPTANCE THAT NIGHT, THEN REDEMPTION HAS NEVER COME ON EARTH FOR THEM? IN THAT SUPPOSITION THEY WOULD STAND OUTSIDE ITS SCOPE. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY WOULD NOT BE CHRISTIANS AT ALL, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY CRY: Lord! Lord! ALL THE DAY AND EVERY DAY. (MT 7:21). AND ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THEY ARE INDEED CHRISTIANS, AND IF THE GIFT OF LIFE HAS COME TO THEM, THEN IT HAS ONLY COME BECAUSE SHE GAINED IT FOR THEM, BECAUSE THEY WERE INCLUDED IN HER ACCEPTANCE. IN A WORD, THE BAPTISM THAT MAKES A PERSON A CHILD OF GOD MAKES ONE SIMULTANEOUSLY A CHILD OF MARY. REDEMPTION IS THE JOINT GIFT OF THE FATHER AND OF MARY. THE SON IS ALWAYS FOUND WITH HIS MOTHER. VIVIDLY AND UNMISTAKABLY REVEALED IN PROPHECY. - THE COURSE OF PROPHECY CONTINUES: THE VIRGIN, THE VIRGIN AND CHILD, THE WOMAN, WOMAN AND CHILD, THE QUEEN SEATED AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE KING, THE CONSTANTLY RECURRING ASSURANCE THAT A WOMAN IS TO BE A PRIME ELEMENT OF OUR SAVING. WHAT SORT OF FUTURE DOES THIS FORETELL OF HER? DO NOT THE VERY GREATEST THINGS THAT CAN BE SAID OF HER SEEM TO FOLLOW LOGICALLY ON? HARDLY DO WE REALIZE HOW CRUSHING, HOW CONCLUSIVE IS THE BEARING OF PROPHECY ON THIS QUESTION OF THE PLACE OF MARY IN THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION. A PROPHECY IS A SHADOW OF A THING TO COME, A GLANCE WHICH PIERCES TIME INSTEAD OF SPACE, A PALE OUTLINE OF A DISTANT PROSPECT. NECESSARILY, A PROPHECY MUST BE LESS VIVID, LESS CLEAR, LESS REAL, THAN THE REALITY OF WHICH IT SPEAKS. BUT NECESSARILY, TOO, IT MUST PRESERVE HARMONIOUS PROPORTION WITH THAT REALITY. PROPHECY WHICH PICTURED REDEMPTION AS WROUGHT BY A WOMAN AND HER CHILD TOGETHER (AND NO OTHER WITH THAT PAIR), SHE CRUSH THE HEAD OF SATAN, WOULD BE RADICALLY INCONSISTENT WITH AN ACTUAL REDEMPTION WHICH RELEGATES THE WOMAN TO OBSCURITY. THUS, IF PROPHECY IS TRULY NAMED, AND IF SALVATION IS A LIFELONG WORKING OF THE INCARNATION AND THE DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST INTO THE FABRIC OF HUMAN SOUL (AND HOLY CHURCH AND HOLY SCRIPTURE JOINTLY SO DECLARE), THEN IN THE CHRISTIAN SYSTEM MARY MUST BE FOUND WITH JESUS, INSEPARABLE FROM HIM IN HIS SAVING WORK, THE NEW EVE, DEPENDENT ON HIM BUT NECESSARY TO HIM - INDEED NO OTHER THAN THE MEDIATRIX OF ALL GRACES, AS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SUMS UP HER GRACIOUS OFFICE. IF WHAT PROPHECY HAD GLIMPSED IS REALLY GODS COUNTRY, THEN THOSE WHO BELITTLE MARY ARE ALIENS TO IT. ALONE, OUT OF ALL CREATURES THAT WILL EVER BE, SHE IS DIVINELY DESIGNATED AS THE CO-WORKER OF SALVATION. NOT ANY PROPHET - EVEN THE BAPTIST - IS THUS SET WITH HIM, NOR KING NOR LEADER, NOR APOSTLE NOR EVANGELIST - INCLUDING PETER AND PAUL THEMSELVES; NOT THE GREATEST AMONG THE POPES AND PASTORS AND DOCTORS; NOR ANY SAINT; NOR DAVID, NOR SOLOMON, NOR MOSES, NOR ABRAHAM. THE ANNUNCIATION SHOWS HER KEY POSITION: THE CULMINATION OF THE PROPHECIES ARRIVES; THE FRUITION OF HER AGE-OLD DESTINY IS NOW AT HAND. CONSIDER THE AWE-INSPIRING WORKING OUT OF THE MERCIFUL DESIGN OF GOD. ATTEND IN SPIRIT THE GREATEST PEACE CONFERENCE EVER HELD. IT IS A PEACE CONFERENCE BETWEEN GOD AND MANKIND, AND IT IS CALLED THE ANNUNCIATION. IN THAT CONFERENCE GOD WAS REPRESENTED BY ONE OF HIS ANGELS, AND MANKIND WAS REPRESENTED BY HER WHOSE NAME THE LEGION IS PRIVILEGED TO BEAR. SHE WAS BUT A GENTLE MAIDEN, YET THE FATE OF ALL MANKIND HUNG UPON HER ON THAT DAY. THE ANGEL CAME WITH OVERWHELMING TIDINGS. HE PROPOSED TO HER THE INCARNATION. HE DID NOT MERELY NOTIFY IT. HER LIBERTY OF CHOICE WAS NOT VIOLATED; SO THAT FOR A WHILE THE FATE OF MANKIND TREMBLED IN THE BALANCE. THE REDEMPTION WAS THE ARDENT DESIRE OF GOD. BUT IN THIS, AS IN ALL MATTERS MINOR TO IT, HE WOULD NOT FORCE THE WILL OF MAN. HE WOULD OFFER THE PRICELESS BOON, BUT IT WAS FOR MAN TO ACCEPT IT, AND MAN WAS AT LIBERTY TO REFUSE IT. THE MOMENT HAS ARRIVED TO WHICH ALL GENERATIONS HAD LOOKED FORWARD, JUST AS EVER SINCE ALL GENERATIONS HAVE LOOKED BACK TO IT. IT WAS THE CRISIS OF ALL TIME. THERE WAS A PAUSE. THE MAIDEN DID NOT ACCEPT AT ONCE; SHE ASKED A QUESTION AND THE ANSWER WAS GIVEN. THERE WAS ANOTHER PAUSE, AND THEN SHE SPOKE THE WORDS: Let it be done to me according to your word (LK 1:38), THOSE WORDS THAT BROUGHT GOD DOWN TO EARTH AND SIGNED THE GREAT PEACE PACT OF HUMANITY. THE FATHER MADE REDEMPTION DEPEND ON HER. HOW FEW REALIZE ALL THAT FOLLOWS FROM THAT CONSENT OF HERS. EVEN CATHOLICS IN THE MAIN DO NOT REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PART THAT MARY PLAYED. THE DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH SAY THESE THINGS: SUPPOSING THAT MAIDEN REFUSED THE OFFER OF MOTHERHOOD THAT WAS MADE TO HER, THE SECOND DIVINE PERSON WOULD HAVE NOT TAKEN FLESH IN HER. WHAT A SOLEMN THING THAT IS! WHAT A TERRIBLE THOUGHT TO THINK THAT GOD HAS MADE THE ENTRANCE OF THE REDEEMER DEPENDENT UPON THE Let it be with me (LK 1:38) OF THE HANDMAID OF NAZARETH; THAT THIS SAYING BE THE TERMINATION OF THE OLD WORLD, THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW, THE FULFILLMENT OF ALL PROPHECIES, THE TURNING-POINT OF ALL TIME, THE FIRST BLAZE OF THE MORNING STAR WHICH IS TO ANNOUNCE THE RISING OF THE SUN OF JUSTICE, WHICH AS FAR AS HUMAN WILL WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, KNIT THE BOND THAT BROUGHT HEAVEN DOWN UPON THE EARTH AND LIFTED HUMANITY UP TO GOD! (HETTINGER). WHAT A SOLEMN THING INDEED! IT MEANS THAT SHE WAS THE ONLY HOPE OF MANKIND. BUT THE FATE OF MEN WAS SAFE IN HER HANDS. SHE PRONOUNCED THAT CONSENT WHICH, THOUGH WE CANNOT FULLY UNDERSTAND, COMMONSENSE NEVERTHELESS TELLS US MUST HAVE BEEN INCONCEIVABLY THE MOST HEROIC ACT EVER PERFORMED IN THE WORLD - SUCH THAT IN ALL AGES NO OTHER CREATURE BUT SHE COULD HAVE PERFORMED IT. THEN TO HER CAME THE REDEEMER; NOT TO HERSELF ALONE, BUT THROUGH HER TO POOR HELPLESS HUMANITY, ON BEHALF OF WHOM SHE SPOKE. WITH HIM, SHE BROUGHT EVERYTHING THAT THE FAITH MEANS, AND THE FAITH IS THE REAL LIFE OF MEN. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. EVERYTHING MUST BE ABANDONED FOR IT. ANY SACRIFICES MUST BE MADE TO GET IT. IT IS THE ONLY THING IN THE WORLD OF ANY WORTH. CONSIDER, THEREFORE, THAT THE FAITH OF ALL GENERATIONS: THOSE THAT HAVE PASSED AWAY UP TO THE PRESENT, AND THE UNCOUNTABLE MILLIONS YET TO COME: THE FAITH OF ALL HAS DEPENDED ON THE WORDS OF THAT MAIDEN. NO TRUE CHRISTIANITY WITHOUT MARY. - IN RETURN FOR THE INFINITE GIFT, ALL GENERATIONS MUST HENCEFORTH CALL THAT MAIDEN BLESSED. SHE WHO BROUGHT CHRISTIANITY ON EARTH CANNOT BE DENIED A PLACE IN CHRISTIAN WORSHIP. BUT WHAT OF THE MANY IN THIS WORLD WHO HOLD HER CHEAPLY, THE MANY WHO SLIGHT HER, THE MANY WHO DO WORSE? DOES IT EVER OCCUR TO THOSE PEOPLE TO THINK THAT EVERY GRACE THEY HAVE THEY OWE TO HER? DO THEY EVER REASON THAT IF THEY WERE EXCLUDED FROM HER WORDS OF ACCEPTANCE THAT NIGHT, THEN REDEMPTION HAS NEVER COME ON EARTH FOR THEM? IN THAT SUPPOSITION THEY WOULD STAND OUTSIDE ITS SCOPE. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY WOULD NOT BE CHRISTIANS AT ALL, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY CRY: Lord! Lord! ALL THE DAY AND EVERY DAY. (MT 7:21). AND ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THEY ARE INDEED CHRISTIANS, AND IF THE GIFT OF LIFE HAS COME TO THEM, THEN IT HAS ONLY COME BECAUSE SHE GAINED IT FOR THEM, BECAUSE THEY WERE INCLUDED IN HER ACCEPTANCE. IN A WORD, THE BAPTISM THAT MAKES A PERSON A CHILD OF GOD MAKES ONE SIMULTANEOUSLY A CHILD OF MARY. GRATITUDE, THEREFORE - A PRACTICAL GRATITUDE - TO MARY MUST BE THE MARK OF EVERY CHRISTIAN. REDEMPTION IS THE JOINT GIFT OF THE FATHER AND OF MARY. THEREFORE, WITH THE WORDS OF THANKS TO THE FATHER MUST GO UP THE WORD OF THANKS TO MARY. THE SON IS ALWAYS FOUND WITH HIS MOTHER. IT WAS GODS WILL THAT THE REIGN OF GRACE SHOULD NOT BE INAUGURATED WITHOUT MARY. IT WAS HIS PLEASURE THAT THINGS SHOULD CONTINUE IN SELF-SAME WAY. WHEN HE DESIRED TO PREPARE ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST FOR HIS MISSION OF GOING BEFORE HIMSELF, HE SANCTIFIED HIM BY THE CHARITABLE VISIT OF HIS BLESSED MOTHER IN THE VISITATION. ON THE FIRST CHRISTMAS NIGHT THOSE WHO TURNED HER FROM THEIR DOORS TURNED HIM AWAY. THEY DID NOT REALIZE THAT WITH HER THEY REFUSED HIM WHOM THEY AWAITED. WHEN THE SHEPHERD-REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CHOSEN PEOPLE FOUND THE PROMISED OF ALL NATIONS, THEY FOUND HIM WITH HER. IF THEY HAD TURNED AWAY FROM HER, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE FOUND HIM. AT THE EPIPHANY, THE GENTILE RACES OF THE WORLD WERE RECEIVED BY OUR LORD IN THE PERSONS OF THE THREE KINGS, BUT THEY ONLY FOUND HIM BECAUSE THEY FOUND HER. IF THEY HAD REFUSED TO APPROACH HER, THEY WOULD HAVE NOT REACHED HIM. WHAT HAD BEEN DONE IN SECRET AT NAZARETH HAD TO BE CONFIRMED OPENLY IN THE TEMPLE: JESUS MADE OFFERING OF HIMSELF TO THE FATHER, BUT IT WAS BETWEEN THE ARMS AND BY THE HANDS OF HIS MOTHER. FOR THE BABE BELONGED TO ITS MOTHER; WITHOUT HER THE PRESENTATION COULD NOT BE MADE. PROCEED, AND IT IS LEARNED FROM THE FATHERS THAT OUR LORD DID NOT ENTER UPON HIS PUBLIC LIFE WITHOUT HER CONSENT. LIKEWISE HER REQUEST AT CANA OF GALILEE WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE SIGNS AND WONDERS AND MIGHTY DEEDS BY WHICH HE PROVED HIS MISSION. MAN FOR MAN: MAID FOR MAID: TREE FOR TREE WHEN THE LADY SCENE CAME ON CALVARY WHICH FINISHED THE AWFUL DRAMA OF REDEMPTION, JESUS HUNG UPON THE TREE OF THE CROSS AND MARY STOOD BENEATH IT, NOT MERELY BECAUSE SHE WAS A FOND MOTHER, NOT IN ANY ACCIDENTAL WAY, BUT PRECISELY IN THE SAME CAPACITY AS SHE WAS PRESENT AT THE INCARNATION. SHE WAS THERE AS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL MANKIND, RATIFYING HER OFFERING OF HER SON FOR MENS SAKE. OUR LORD DID NOT OFFER HIMSELF TO THE FATHER WITHOUT HER ASSENT AND OFFERING, MADE ON BEHALF OF ALL HER CHILDREN; THE CROSS WAS TO BE THEIR SACRIFICE AND HIS SACRIFICE. For as truly as she suffered and almost died with her suffering Son - THESE ARE THE WORDS OF POPE BENEDICT XV - so truly did she renounce her maternal rights over that Son for the sake of our salvation, and immolate him, as far as with her lay, to placate Gods justice. HENCE IT MAY JUSTLY BE SAID THAT WITH CHRIST SHE REDEEMED THE HUMAN RACE. THE HOLY SPIRIT OPERATES ALWAYS WITH HER. - COME A LITTLE FURTHER TO THE FEAST OF PENTECOST - THAT TREMENDOUS OCCASION WHEN THE CHURCH WAS LAUNCHED UPON ITS MISSION. MARY WAS THERE. IT WAS BY HER PRAYER THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT DESCENDED ON THE MYSTICAL BODY AND CAME TO ABIDE IN IT WITH ALL HIS greatness, power, glory, victory and majesty. (1 CHRON 29:11) MARY REPRODUCES IN RESPECT OF THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST EVERY SERVICE WHICH SHE RENDERED TO HIS ACTUAL BODY. THIS LAW APPLIES TO PENTECOST, WHICH WAS THE SORT OF NEW EPIPHANY. SHE IS NECESSARY TO THE ONE AS SHE HAD BEEN TO THE OTHER. AND SO OF ALL DIVINE THINGS TO THE END: IF MARY IS LEFT OUT, GODS PLAN IS NOT CONFORMED TO, NO MATTER WHAT ONES PRAYERS AND WORKS AND STRIVINGS MAY BE. IF MARY IS NOT THERE, THE GRACE IS NOT GIVEN. THIS IS AN OVERPOWERING THOUGHT. IT MAY PROVOKE THE QUESTION: Do those who ignore or insult Mary receive no graces? THEY DO, INDEED, RECEIVE GRACES, FOR FAILURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE MARY MAY BE EXCUSED ON GROUNDS OF UTTER IGNORANCE. BUT WHAT A SORRY TITLE TO HEAVEN! AND WHAT A WAY OF TREATING HER WHO HELPS US! MOREOVER, THE GRACES WHICH COME IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES ARE BUT A FRACTION OF WHAT SHOULD FLOW, SO THAT ONES LIFES WORK IS LARGELY FAILING. Mary is the Mother of all the members of the Saviour, because by her charity she has co-operated in the birth of the faithful in the Church. Mary is the living mould of God, that is to say, it is in her alone that God Man was naturally formed without losing a feature, so to speak, of His Godhead; and it is in her alone that man can be properly and in life-like way formed into God, so far as human nature is capable of this by the grace of Jesus Christ. - ST. AUGUSTINE LEGIO MARIAE youtu.be/HsM15NgQYV8
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 02:24:39 +0000
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