The Eighth Day of May

Greatness of the Divine Maternity.

Mary, Mother of Jesus, the Son of God, Maria de qua natus est Jesus! Behold the sublime eulogium that the Gospel pronounces on Mary! The Holy Spirit praises neither her gifts nor her virtues. He limits Himself to pointing out the divine principle, the law of expediency, namely, her divine maternity. Because she was to be the Mother of God, Mary received all graces, all honors. But when we call her the Mother of God, we say all that can be said of her, we recount all her greatness.

I.

She came to raise up the human race, to restore to mothers that crown of honor and nobility which Eve lost by her sin. Satan uncrowned our first mother. Mary reinstated her. She came as the queen, the liberatrix, prefigured by those noble women of the Old Law, Judith, Esther, Deborah. When the angel presented himself before Mary, he saluted her with sovereign respect, not daring to pronounce her name: Ave, gratia plena. Behold the difference between the angel’s language to the true mother of the living, and that of the fallen seraph to our unhappy mother Eve.

Mary conceived of God. She bore in her womb the Savior of the world, the source of love, Him who came to bring peace to men; whilst the first-born of Eve is a sinner, Cain the fratricide.

Mary was honored by shepherds and kings, by the poor and the rich. Her quality of Mother of the Messiah established her Sovereign of the whole world. The Son of God honored Mary as His true Mother, and rendered to her all the duties of a son. He gave us the example of the perfect fulfilment of this Commandment: "Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother."

II.

Eve, by her transgression, lost her liberty and her power, sub potestate viri eris: "Thou shalt be," said God to her, "under the power of man." It was then that woman became subject to man, the slave of man.

Behold the strong woman, the Mother par excellence. A mother has a right over her son, be he king or be he God, and so Mary commands Jesus, and Jesus, before whom the powers of heaven tremble, obeys Mary! She alone commands Him, addresses Him in public, claims the rights of a mother over Him: Fili, quid fecisti nobis sic? Do we comprehend the power of Mary? She it is who will unbind the power of Jesus at Cana, who will, in a way publish His majority. Crown of power, such is the second privilege of Divine Maternity.

III.

It gives Mary a crown of glory, also. By her ambition Eve lost her glory. She was shamefully driven out of Paradise, and she brought forth in sorrow and ignominy.

Mary gave birth to the Savior in joy. She knew not the sorrows of maternity. Passing through her womb, Jesus left there His glory; and Mary shall be a queen, because she brought into the world Jesus the King. She shall be the Queen of the angels, the Queen of the Church. Kings will lay their empires at her feet. Nations will confide to her their safety, and wherever Jesus will have a throne, Mary will have hers, also. Mary’s altar will always be side by side with that of Jesus.

Behold the honor, the power, the glory of the Divine Maternity! Mary is honored, powerful and glorious in Jesus and by Jesus. She is His Divine Mother!

Practice: Frequently to receive the God of the Eucharist as a remedy against concupiscence, and a safeguard of purity.

Aspiration: Hail, Mary, spiritual Paradise of God, in which flourished the spot less and fragrant Lily, our Eucharistic Jesus!