GRACE AND HER POWER
Power, the second essential quality of fullness of presence, is Mary’s in an unusual degree because she dispenses God’s grace. Without grace we cannot merit heaven, advance in holiness, help any soul, or perform any act pleasing to God in the spiritual world. Grace, then, is most necessary for us at every moment, and all graces come to us through Mary. Nor is she merely a blind channel through which grace flows as water might flow through a lifeless pipe. Mary’s humble Annunciation fiat brought Christ, the source of all our graces: to earth. Her co-operation brings that grace to each of us. She is still God’s loving handmaid doing His will in all things, but now she enjoys an even fuller knowledge and love as she and the Spirit, her Spouse, work together to foster the Christ-life in each of our souls.
All through the hours of every day Mary offers us the grace we need at that particular moment. She offers it wisely, knowing just why and how we need it. She offers it lovingly, her love for God and her love for us uniting to make her generous in helping us live Christ’s life, the life with which she herself lived and lives. Each opportunity and inspiration we have to suffer for God, to overcome our selfishness, to practise any virtue whatsoever it be, is a clear sign to us that Mary is actively helping us. Each time that we fail to use a grace, we fail her; each time that we do use one, we delight her. Our lives are wrapped up in hers most intimately at every moment.
