Mary is exalted above the angels, Mary: Day 172

Mary is exalted above the angels

As glorious as the angels may be, St. Alphonsus observes, God has placed her above them, the Queen Mother at the right hand of King Jesus.

Rightly does the Church sing in her liturgy, that because Mary loved God more than all the angels, “the Mother of God has been exalted above them all in the heavenly kingdom.” Yes, “she was exalted above the angels,” says the Abbot Guarric, “so that she sees no one above her but her Son,” the Only- begotten of the Father. For this reason, the learned Gerson asserts that, as all the orders of angels and saints are divided into three hierarchies (according to St. Thomas and St. Denis), so Mary in herself constitutes a hierarchy apart, the most sublime of all, and next to that of God. St. Antoninus adds that just as the mistress is, without comparison, above her servants, so also is “Mary, who is the sovereign Lady of the angels, exalted incomparably above the angelic hierar- chies.” To understand this, we need only know what King David said: “At your right hand stands the queen” (Ps 45:9).

It’s certain, as St. Ildephonsus says, that Mary’s good works incomparably surpassed in merit those of all the saints. So her reward must have surpassed theirs in the same proportion: “Just as the One she bore was incomprehensible, so is the reward that she merited and received incomprehensibly greater than that of all the saints.”

As the Apostle Paul writes, it’s certain that God rewards according to merit; “he will render to every man according to his works” (Rom 2:6). So it’s also certain, as St. Thomas teaches, that the Blessed Virgin, “who was equal to and even superior in merit to all men and angels, was exalted above all the heavenly orders.” “In short,” adds St. Bernard, “let us measure the unique grace that she acquired on earth, and then we can measure the unique glory that she obtained in heaven.” For “according to the measure of her grace on earth is the measure of her glory in the kingdom of the blessed.” —St. Alphonsus Liguori, The Glories of Mary

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
The more exalted Mary’s position, the greater is her power to assist us. What is it that I’m facing today that presses me most to seek her help?

CLOSING PRAYER
From a prayer of a Bernardine sister: Most holy Mother, send your angels to defend us and to drive the cruel enemy from us. All you holy angels and archangels, help and defend us.

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