Preparation for Total Consecration

WEEK 3:
KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LADY

Our Lady is a superb person to help us come alive to what it means to be baptised. Graced as she is by the Holy Spirit, always reflecting the glory of God on the face of Christ, her authentic living of the Gospel can only help us too if we open ourselves to what she now sees.

Fourth Day: Lk. 17: 7-10

TRUE PERSPECTIVE

Parable.Will any one of you, who has a servant ploughing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down at table?' Will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterwards you shall eat and drink'? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that is commanded, say 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty'.

Reflection.Think of our Lady in the light of this parable. All she has is given. Her life is a response, once in faith, now in glory, to God giving himself in Christ. Her unique glory is to be chosen as mother of the Redeemer. Ever since, generations have called her blessed as they rejoice with her in God their Saviour.

This is the basic Christian perspective. Life is a gift and faith is a gift. To be fully alive is to respond with both to the God who gave us them. The response of the saint is to make the best use of what has been given. The sinner's indifference or ill-will is to ignore them. In either case, considering all that has been given, the best they can attain to is the realisation that 'we are unworthy servants; we have done what was our duty'.

So our Lady, perfectly attuned to the will of God from her conception, grows into a woman graced by God to reflect his glory. The sound of her voice in greeting, after hurrying to Elizabeth's house, shows this. 'When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit'. If her voice did that then, what might her presence do now?

When Elizabeth in ecstasy remarks on this, our Lady deflects the compliments, without denying the truth of what she says, to their source in God. 'My soul magnifies, ... rejoices in God my Saviour, ... for he who is mighty has done great things to me'. All who love our Lady keep that perspective too.

Prayer.Lord Jesus, we can never put you in our debt. All is given. To live life and faith fully is to do as you wish. Your blessed Mother is shown recognising this. 'I am the Lord's slave; let it be to me according to your word'. Her spirit exults in her Lord since 'He has recognised the low estate of his slave'. As I reflect on the wonder of this, may I make Elizabeth's insight mine - 'why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?'

Montfort.'The Blessed Virgin ... never allows herself to be surpassed in love and generosity ... Just as one who is consecrated belongs entirely to Mary, so Mary belongs entirely to him or her ... This produces ... a great confidence in Mary with complete self-abandonment to her' (TD 144).