OUR MOTHER'S LOVE
Mary has the love. Even a brief discussion of this thought would take much space. There is no need, however, for such development here, for a mother’s love is one thing that all understand, and Mary is truly our loyal Mother. Through her Annunciation fiat, her offering of Christ in the temple and on Calvary, and her active co-operation at our Baptism, she has given us supernatural life. She co-operates in our supernatural birth and growth as our earthly mothers co-operate in our natural birth and growth, though in both cases the ultimate source of life is God. We do not speak figuratively but truly and exactly, therefore, when we say that Mary is our Mother. And since our supernatural life is greatly superior to our natural life, Mary is much closer to us than even our natural mothers are.
In God’s plans the lower things are intended to serve the higher. Our physical life is rightly subject to our spiritual life, for if our souls are in grace at death even our bodies shall be glorious eternally. But if our souls are without grace, our bodies, too, will suffer miserably in hell. God, in giving Mary, all the gifts she needs to mother our spiritual life successfully, also gives her all the power she needs over physical things. War, for instance, may be the occasion of spiritual loss or gain to many of Mary’s children; hence we are not surprised that she has the power implied by her words at Fatima: “If the people do these things, I will grant peace to the world.”
Love is a spiritual thing which is not hampered by numbers. A mother who loves her first child with her whole heart does not love it less when she is blessed with more children. Love is a gift from God and His power is infinite. Through God’s grace Mary loves each of us individually, consciously, personally, at all times, as fully and completely and intensely as if each of us were her only child. This is strictly true. Just as Christ her Son died for each of us as fully as if we were the only one for whom He died, so Mary, who offered Him to that death for each of us and who has free access to God’s infinite resources, knows and helps and loves each of us as fully as if each were her only child. As Pope Pius XII wrote, “Mary hears the voice of Jesus saying to her of each of us, as He once said to her of His beloved disciple, “Behold thy son”.
