by
Fr. Peter Richard Kenrick
“She shall crush thy head.” — Genesis
iii. 15
The mind can imagine nothing more
venerable among men, than the long line of patriarchs which connects Moses with
Adam. Mary is said in a special manner to be their queen; because she was the
mother of Him, whose hope consoled them for the loss of primeval happiness and
innocence, and sustained them in all the trials of their pilgrimage here below.
Adam beholds in her the mysterious creature, who, by bringing forth the
Redeemer, who cancelled the decree of God's justice against him and all his
posterity, was the means of repairing his transgression, and crushing the head
of the infernal serpent who had seduced Eve. Abel beholds in her the mother of
Him, whose sacrifice his own death so well prefigured. Noe regards her as the
mystic ark of which that, in which he and his family were saved from the
deluge, was but a type, and was the means of saving, not one family, but all
nations, from being overwhelmed by the deluge of iniquity. Abraham venerates
her as the mother of that blessed seed, promised to him, in whom all the
nations of the earth were to be blessed. Isaac sees in her the Virgin, whose
mysterious fecundity was typified by the benediction given to the sterility of
his mother, Sarah; and the sacrifice of whose Son, his own sacrifice on Mount
Moria prefigured. Jacob beholds in her the mystic ladder, which he saw when he
was fleeing into Mesopotamia from the face of Esau; whose feet stood on the
earth while the top thereof touched the heavens —m on the steps of which the
angels of God ascended and descended, while the Lord himself leaned on the
summit, and renewed to him the promise of a future Redeemer, which he had made
to Abraham and Isaac. (Genesis xxviii. 12.13-14) Joseph venerates in her that
stainless purity, of which he himself had given an illustrious example; as also
the bright reward which was given to it, in making her the mother of the
Saviour of the world, as it had made him the Saviour of the land of Egypt. Who,
then, can conceive the glory and veneration which Mary receives, as Queen of
the patriarchs?
She is also styled the Queen of prophets,
because Christ her son was the great object of prophecy. After the deliverance
of the Jewish people from the bondage of Egypt, God raised up a series of
prophets, who foretold the future coming of the Messiah, and detailed all the
circumstance of his birth, life, and passion. Moses venerates in her the mother
of that prophet whom God promised by him to the Jewish people, and whom all the
sacrifices of the law prefigured. Josue honours her, as the mother of the true
Josue or Jesus, whose victories acquired for men the tide to the true land of
promise. Samuel reverences her as the mysterious root of Jesse, which budded
forth salvation to the nations; and which, in the person of David, he had been
the instrument of placing over Judea. Isaias admires her as the accomplishment
of that glorious prophecy which he made to Achaz; and as the mother of that
prince of peace, whose birth he celebrated, and whose glories and humiliations
he foretold. Elias sees in her that hope of man, which was prefigured by the
mystic cloud, which was the forerunner of those abundant showers that refreshed
a world, which by its iniquity had made the heavens of brass for the sons of
men. Jeremias reveres her as the restorer of that Jerusalem, over whose ruins
he wept; and the mother of Him, who brought back the people from a more severe
captivity than that of Babylon. Daniel honours her as the proximate cause of
the shortening of the captivity of the human race, by giving to the world Him,
by whom iniquity was abolished, and everlasting justice fulfilled. Micheas
beholds her, whose virginal maternity he bad present to his view when he
foretold, that Bethlehem of Juda was to be the temporal birthplace of Him,
whose going forth is from the days of eternity. In a word, as jail the prophets
foretold Christ, all rejoice in the contemplation of His Virgin Mother, who, in
bringing forth Jesus, accomplished all the prophecies of the law, and was
herself a prophetess, by foretelling that all generations should call her
blessed.
The providence of God in preparing the
world for the appearance of His Divine Son in human flesh is most worthy of our
admiration. A series of prophecies, which commenced immediately after the fall
of man, was continued for near four thousand years, and increased in clearness
and minuteness of detail, in proportion as the happy term approached, in which
they were to be accomplished. This was a preparation most worthy of God, and
well calculated to give us a lively faith in the mysteries announced by the
Redeemer, and an exalted idea of the benefits He has conferred on us. Well may
we apply to ourselves what Jesus said to the Jews: “Many prophets and
just men have desired to see the things that you see, and have not seen them,
and to hear the things that you hear, and have not heard them.” (Matthew
xiii. 17) Let us endeavour to imagine with what feelings of veneration the just
who lived before Christ looked forward to that mysterious Virgin, who was to
conceive the Son of the Most High, and give to the world the long expected
Messiah. How much does the fervour of these holy souls, who saw the gloried of
His reign through the dimness of futurity, reproach us for our indifference to
the benefits we actually possess, but which we do not sufficiently appreciate!
Ah, let us fly to Mary, and ask of her to obtain for us from Jesus, the grace
to know the inestimable happiness of living in the noon-tide light of his
revelation. Let us never be “rebels to the
light,” but, on the contrary, profit by it, to advance on our journey,
going from virtue to virtue, until we arrive at the term of our course, and be
permitted to behold the splendours of His glory, who “dwelleth in light
inaccessible.”
EXAMPLE
St Bernard, the first abbot of Clairvaux,
was a great ornament, and pillar of the church, in the twelfth century. He did
much for the promotion of God's glory, by the unction of his eloquence, his
apostolic zeal, and the holiness of his life. Devotion to Mary was his
characteristic virtue. No one can read the prayers or sermons he composed in
her honour without feeling himself moved. Bernard put himself under her
protection, even from his very childhood, and the Mother of mercy shewed him,
on many occasions, how acceptable to her was his devotion. When young he had a
vision of the Queen of heaven, by which he learned much on the incarnation.
This vision enkindled in his heart the strongest love for Jesus and Mary, and
gave him the idea of a great work, which he afterwards composed, to honour the
Mother of God and her divine Son. Among other favours which he received from
Mary was the instantaneous restoration of his health, when he lay dangerously
ill, and his physicians had given up all hopes of his recovery. Bernard
endeavoured to inflame all hearts with devotion to the Queen of heaven. To
excite the faithful to have confidence in her intercession, he was accustomed
to say: “She does
not want power to help us, for she is the Mother of God; nor yet good will, for
she is the Mother of Mercy, and our Mother also. She is not a mother merely of
the just, but also of sinners.” St Bernard may lie
justly called the “panegyrist
of Mary” because none of fee holy fathers and doctors of the
church have spoken of the greatness and goodness of
Mary, with more unction and eloquence.
His writings would alone suffice to proclaim her
praise to the end of the world, and to enkindle
the love of her in all hearts. He died in the
62nd year of his age, in 1153, and was buried
in his church, before the altar of that holy
Virgin, whom he so tenderly loved, and so
faithfully served.
PRAYER
O Mary, Queen of heaven and of earth,
Thou hast surpassed all the patriarchs, by the purity, constancy, and endurance
of thy confidence in God; by thy hope of man's redemption, and by thy reliance
on all the other promises of God. Thou hast excelled all the prophets, by the
liveliness, submission, and extent, of thy faith. Thou art the Queen of both,
for they all sighed for thee, they all rejoiced at thy coming, as at the aurora
of the world's salvation: and all praise and honour thee in heaven as their Queen,
and the Queen of all creatures. Obtain for me a participation of that lively
faith and that unshaken hope, through which they have attained eternal life;
that through faith and hope I may obtain perfect charity, and persevere to the
end in the love of God. Thus do I hope to attain eternal life, and with the
patriarchs and prophets, and all the elect of God, honour and adore the Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost, through all eternity. Amen.
PRACTICE
Return God thanks for the gift of faith;
and say a “Hail
Mary,” for the conversion of all who are strangers to this divine light.
ASPIRATION
“Mary aid thy
servants, who have been redeemed with the precious blood of thy Son!” –
Saint Bonaventure
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