Holy Mary, Mary: Day 135

Holy Mary

Blessed John Henry Newman examines the fundamental meaning of holiness in order to understand the title “Holy Mary.”

By holiness we mean the absence of whatever sullies, dims, and degrades a rational nature; all that is most opposite and contrary to sin and guilt. In his mercy, God has communicated in various measures his great attributes to his rational creatures, and first of all, as being most necessary, holiness. Thus Adam, from the time of his creation, was gifted, over and above his nature as man, with the grace of God, to unite him to God, and to make him holy. Grace is therefore called holy grace; being holy, it is the connecting principle between God and man. Adam in paradise might have had knowledge, and skill, and many virtues; but these gifts did not unite him to his Creator. It was holiness that united him.

When man fell and lost this holy grace, he had various gifts still adhering to him. He might be, in a certain measure, true, merciful, loving, and just; but these virtues did not unite him to God. What he needed was holiness; therefore the first act of God’s goodness to us in the Gospel is to take us out of our unholy state by means of the Sacrament of Baptism, and by the grace then given us to reopen the communications, so long closed, between the soul and heaven.
We see then the force of Our Lady’s title, when we call her “Holy Mary.” When God would prepare a human mother for his Son, this was why he began by giving her an immaculate conception. He began, not by giving her the gift of love, or truthfulness, or gentleness, or devotion, though according to the occa- sion she had them all. But he began his great work before she was born; before she could think, speak, or act, by making her holy, and thereby, while on earth, a citizen of heaven. Nothing of the deformity of sin was ever hers. —Blessed John Henry Newman, Meditations and Devotions

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
My baptism, as Blessed John affirms, brought me into a state of holiness, of reconciliation and thus reconnection with God. But my sins can once again diminish and damage that connection. Am I making frequent use of the sacrament of Recon- ciliation as a remedy? Do I ask Mary to help me make a good Confession?

CLOSING PRAYER
From a prayer of St. Athanasius: Give ear to our prayers, O most holy Virgin, and be mindful of us. Distribute to us the gifts of your riches, and the abundance of the graces with which you are filled.

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