Mary, Most Faithful Virgin, Mary: Day 168

Mary, Most Faithful Virgin

Blessed John Henry Newman examines the meaning of faithfulness, as it ap- plies to Mary, to all God’s servants, and to God himself.

One title of the Blessed Virgin is Virgo Fidelis, “Most Faithful Virgin.” The word faithfulness means loyalty to a superior, or exactness in fulfilling an engagement. In the latter sense it is applied even to Almighty God himself who, in his great love for us, has promised to limit his own power in action by his word of promise and his covenant with his creatures. He has given his word that, if we will take him for our portion and put ourselves into his hands, he will guide us through all trials and temptations, and bring us safe to heaven. And to encour- age and inspirit us, he reminds us, in various passages of Scripture, that he is the faithful God, the faithful Creator.

And so, his true saints and servants have the special title of “faithful,” as being true to him as he is to them; as being simply obedient to his will, zealous for his honor, observant of the sacred interests which he has committed to their keeping. Thus Abraham is called the “faithful”; Moses is declared to be “faith- ful in all his house”; David, on this account, is called the “man after God’s own heart”; St. Paul returns thanks that God accounted him faithful; and at the last day, God will say to all those who have well employed their talents, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Mary, in like manner, is preeminently faithful to her Lord and Son. Let no one for an instant suppose that she is not supremely zealous for his honor or, as those who are not Catholics fancy, that to exalt her is to be unfaithful to him. Her true servants are still more truly his. Well as she rewards her friends, she would deem him no friend, but a traitor, who preferred her to him. As he is zealous for her honor, so is she for his. He is the Fount of grace, and all her gifts are from his goodness. —Blessed John Henry Newman, Meditations and Devotions

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
Some claim that to honor and serve Mary is to be unfaithful to her Son. How might I explain to them that “her servants are still more truly his”?

CLOSING PRAYER
From a prayer of Blessed John Henry Newman: Mary, teach us ever to worship your Son as the one Creator, and to be devout to you as the most highly favored of creatures.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Remember to subscribe to my feed so you will not miss a day! This recurring feature at The Catholic Blogger is possible through the cooperation of author Paul Thigpen and publisher Saint Benedict Press. To get your own copy of this book, click below.