Mary under her most beautiful title and in her most glorious prerogative: Mother of God. This title and prerogative were solemnly proclaimed by the Council of Ephesus, to oppose the Nestorian heresy. Today the Church congratulates Mary for this supreme dignity, which raises her above all other creatures, even to the threshold of infinity, and makes her Queen, not only of men, but also of angels. An extract from the book of Wisdom (Sir 24:23–31), sings the praises of her divine maternity: Mary is the fruitful vine which bore the fairest fruit, Jesus. Mary is “the mother of fair love” in whom is “all grace of the way and of the truth… all hope of life and of virtue,” since through her alone God gave to the world His only-begotten Son; through her alone men have had their Saviour.
He who wants Jesus must seek Him in Mary’s arms; he who wishes to propitiate the Saviour must have recourse to her who is His Mother. How sweetly, then, does her maternal invitation sound in our ears: “Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be filled with my fruits.” Yes, let us go to Mary and we shall not be deceived; in her we shall find all we can desire, because Mary gives us Jesus, the Redeemer, Father and true Food of our souls. Not only does she give Him to us, but, by the example of her wonderful life, she teaches us to love Him, to imitate Him, to follow Him, and to profit as much as possible from His redemptive, sanctifying work. Thus Mary extends her maternity to us too, fulfilling toward us the duties of a Mother.
Mary’s Maternity should awaken in our hearts confidence and trust in her who, because of her dignity as Mother, has the greatest influence with her divine Son. In praising the Mother of God, we beg her to use her maternal power on our behalf: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners.” What greater advocate could we find? What more powerful Patroness? Jesus cannot resist His Mother’s supplications, nor can Mary resist those who invoke her under her sweetest title: Mother. If every woman is touched when she hears herself called “Mother,” will not Mary be even more deeply touched when she is invoked as “Mother of God”?
Then let us call her by that name, let us treat her as a mother — as the Mother of God first of all and then as our own Mother — since Jesus, when dying on the Cross, put at our disposal the treasures of her maternity.
Our Lady has a maternal mission to accomplish in our souls. Jesus Himself has entrusted it to her; therefore, it is very dear to her, and she desires to fulfil it perfectly. Yes, Mary wishes to be our Mother, she wishes to use the privileges and treasures of her maternity for our advantage, but she cannot do so unless we entrust ourselves to her care like docile, loving children. Not everyone realizes sufficiently the necessity of giving themselves to Mary as her children, of opening their soul to her maternal influence, of having recourse to her with complete confidence, of calling upon her aid in all their difficulties and dangers, and of placing their whole spiritual life under her patronage.
In the natural order a child needs a mother, and suffers both morally and spiritually without one; so also in the supernatural order, souls need a mother, they need Mary, most holy. Without her and her maternal care, souls suffer, their spiritual life is stunted and often becomes lax, or, at least, is not as vigorous as it should be. On the other hand, when souls give themselves to Mary, seek Mary, and trust themselves to her, their interior life progresses rapidly, their journey toward God is more simple and swift; everything becomes easier because there is a Mother’s hand to sustain them, there is a Mother’s heart to comfort them.
Fr. Karl Stehlin
Warsaw, on the 27th of June,
the Feast of the Mother of Perpetual Help
