Mary, Lovable Mother, Mary: Day 147

Mary, Lovable Mother

What exactly makes Mary so lovable? What is it about her that charms and attracts all who come to know her? Blessed John Henry Newman explains.

Mary is called the “Lovable Mother” because she was without sin. Sin is something odious in its very nature, and grace is something bright, beautiful, attractive. There is a vast difference between the state of a soul such as that of the Blessed Virgin, which has never sinned, and a soul, however holy, which has once had upon it Adam’s sin. For, even after baptism and repentance, it suf- fers necessarily from the spiritual wounds which are the consequence of that sin.

Now, whatever lack of amiableness, sweetness, attractiveness, really exists in holy men arises from the remains of sin in them, or again from the lack of a holiness powerful enough to overcome the defects of nature, whether of soul or body. But as to Mary, her holiness was such that if we saw her and heard her, we should not be able to tell to those who asked us anything about her except simply that she was angelic and heavenly. Of course her face was most beautiful. But we would not be able to recollect whether it was beautiful or not; we would not rec- ollect any of her features, because it was her beautiful sinless soul, which looked through her eyes, and spoke through her mouth, and was heard in her voice, and compassed her all about—when she was still, or when she walked, whether she smiled, or was sad—her sinless soul: This it was which would draw all those to her who had any grace in them, any remains of grace, any love of holy things.

There was a divine music in all she said and did—in her mien, her air, her deportment, that charmed every true heart that came near her. Her innocence, her humility and modesty, her simplicity, sincerity, and truthfulness, her unself- ishness, her unaffected interest in everyone who came to her, her purity—it was these qualities which made her so lovable. —Blessed John Henry Newman, Meditations and Devotions

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
In which of the people I know do I recognize the qualities that make Mary so lovable? Do I possess any of these qualities myself, at least in some measure? How might I deepen these qualities in myself, with Mary’s help?

CLOSING PRAYER
From a prayer of St. Germanus: My sovereign Lady, delight of my soul, heavenly dew quenching my burning thirst, liquid flowing from God into my parched heart, bright light in the midst of my soul’s darkness: Listen to my prayers.

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