He went down with them and came to Nazareth,
and was obedient to them;
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
and was obedient to them;
and his mother kept all these things in her heart.
Saint Maximilian Kolbe, who may be the conservative's ideal of a conservative, taught that Mary was given from her birth the grace of immaculation. Rather than a static grace of being born without sin, this blessing enabled her to detect and defer every temptation to sin, to always choose the will of God as the Holy Spirit revealed it to her, and to grow "from grace to grace" and freedom to freedom. With every thought, word and deed she pleased God more, and she delighted in God's presence.
I heard a short article on the radio lately about identical twins. Although they are genetically exactly alike, from their earliest days they begin to differentiate. This is in part due to different experiences which their fond parents cannot always control; and it is also due to the different choices they make. Although they are like clones to one another, they are not fated always to make the same choices. They enjoy the privilege of free will.
When we consider the Immaculate Heart of Mary we ponder the choices she made.
Another story, perhaps more familiar, is that of Bartleby the Scrivener, a short story by Herman Melville. The fiction is of a man who mysteriously and consistently refuses what is obviously best for himself. To every invitation to work, eat and live he replies, "I would prefer not to." Persuasion, reason, compassion, threats, arrest and imprisonment: nothing can force him to cooperate with others. He finally dies of starvation.
In the past year I have met some Veterans who are severely alcoholic. Despite their charming manners and the compassion that is consistently offered to them, they choose to return to drinking. They insist they want to be sober... but they drink. Kindness, compassion, even voluntary confinement cannot dissuade them from drinking again.
Perhaps they don't believe they have a choice; perhaps they cannot see the choice that, to others, is so apparent. Veterans in recovery, doctors, counselors, social workers and chaplains just shake our heads and console one another in our helplessness. We remind ourselves that many others do choose sobriety, sanity and serenity -- even if these fellows do not. We don't give up but we remind one another we must respect the sovereign freedom of every person.
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| O healing river! |
Mary had a choice. She was elected but not doomed to be the Mother of God. She could have chosen otherwise. She could have later regretted her decision and the course of her life. The Immaculate Heart never entertained such thoughts, not even as her son was crucified before her eyes and laid in a borrowed grave.
For all eternity we will be grateful to her for the choices she made and to God who gave her such freedom.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.