Mary, Mother Most Chaste

by Fr. Peter Richard Kenrick (1840)

"Because thou hast loved chastity, therefore shalt thou be blessed for ever." — Judith xv.2

Although the holy woman Judith was distinguished for the practice of all the virtues, she was especially honoured for her love of chastity: for although "exceedingly beautiful" and rich, and deprived of her husband at an early age, she spent the days of her widowhood in the practices of austere retirement But the virginal chastity of Mary was of a much higher order, and therefore merited for her a much greater reward: it was her peculiar privilege to possess the joys of motherhood and the honour of virginity. When the angel announced to her that "she should conceive in her womb, and bring forth a son," although he declared that he should be the "Son of the most high God," Mary hesitated; because she did not comprehend how this could be effected without detriment to the virginity she had vowed to preserve. The difficulty she found in the accomplishment of the angel’s promise necessarily supposes that die had made a vow of perpetual continence, as otherwise such a difficulty could not have presented itself to her mind. It was only on being told by the angel, that it was to be the work of the Holy Ghost, and that " the virtue of the Most High should overshadow her," that she gave her assent, and received the greatest favour God can confer on a pure creature, a favour, however, which she would have relinquished, had it been incompatible with her virginal purity.

This great mystery of Mary's virginal maternity was typified in the bush which Moses saw burning on Horeb without being consumed, and from out of which God sent him to free the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt—an expressive figure of our deliverance from the slavery of the devil by Jesus Christ, the Son of this Virgin Mother. St. Bernard compares it to the rod of Aaron, which, when laid in the ark, budded and blossomed without having struck root; —to the fleece of Gideon, which became moist with dew while the ground around remained dry;—and to the eastern gate which Ezekiel saw in a vision, and of which "the Lord said: —This gate shall be shut: it shall not be opened, and no man shall pass through it, because the Lord the God of Israel hath entered in by it, and it shall be shut" (Ezech. xliv. 2.) In the enclosed garden and sealed fountain of Solomon, and in the new sepulchre in which the body of Jesus was deposited, and in which none other was placed, the great doctor of the church, St Jerome, recognised figures of that perpetual virginity of the Mother of God, which he advocated so powerfully against Jovinian, and which is an article of Catholic faith. Impressed with the most profound veneration for the extraordinary love of purity which Mary possessed, and for the great rewards with which God crowned it, let us say to her with St John of Damascus: "O pure and immaculate Queen, save me, — deliver me from eternal damnation!"

"O how beautiful is the chaste generation with glory." (Wisdom, iv. 1.) This virtue, which shines so conspicuously bright in Mary, has always been the special favourite of Heaven. God delights to dwell with pure souls, whom he enriches with extraordinary graces here be- low, and rewards with peculiar glory hereafter. Of them it is said by our divine Saviour: "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God." (Matth. v. 8.) His love of this virtue may also be seen in the punishments He formerly inflicted, and even now inflicts, on those guilty of the opposite vice. Are we practically convinced of the beauty of this virtue? If so, why are we not more careful to shun all the occasions which might cause the lustre of it to be tarnished? Are not our senses unrestrained? Do we not spend much of our valuable time in reading the fashionable productions of the day; and thus lay open for ourselves the source of a thousand temptations or unbecoming recollections? Are our manners marked with that modest reserve without which we are sure to disgust, while we endeavour to please; and what is still more to be apprehended, expose ourselves and others to offend God? Ah! Let us turn our eyes to Mary, in whom God has given us a perfect model of purity, and in whom he has shown how powerful is His grace, when we duly co- operate with it Such was the modesty of this most pure virgin, that St Ambrose says, "she inspired those who beheld her with a love for this most amiable virtue." Let us guard cautiously this precious treasure, which we carry about in frail vessels, and be ever mindful that our success in preserving it, will be proportioned to the vigilance with which we protect it. Let us often raise our eyes to Mary, whose name alone is expressive of all purity, and beg of her, by her love of this virtue, to obtain for us that we may sanctify the state in which God has placed us, by being holy both in body and in spirit.

EXAMPLE

As Mary is the "mother of holy love," she regards with peculiar affection pure souls. What more special favourite of Heaven and brighter example of this virtue can be proposed as a model to the servants of Mary, than St Aloysius Gonzaga, whom the church styles an "angelical youth?" Aloysius was devoted to the service of the Blessed Virgin by his pious mother, whose life was exposed to great danger in his birth; she had recourse to the powerful intercession of Mary, to whom she promised to dedicate the fruit of her womb. Her prayer was heard; and Aloysius thought he could not better employ his life than in consecrating it to the service of her, who had obtained it for Him. In his childhood he never pronounced the holy names of "Jesus and of Mary" without the greatest respect and affection, and he soon learned from his pious parent to address his "dear mother," in the words of the angelical salutation. In his seventh year he had his regular hours of prayer, part of which consisted in the office of Our Lady. In his ninth year he was sent to Florence, for the purpose of prosecuting his studies; and his prepress in learning while m this city, was only surpassed by his rapid advances in virtue and perfection. He was particularly attached to the devotion of the Rosary; and being willing to do something to testify his affection for the Queen of heaven, he thought he could not do any thing more agreeable to her than imitate her example, by dedicating his virginity to God. This he did, by a vow which he pronounced before the rich altar, over which is a miraculous picture of the Blessed Virgin, in the church of the Annunziata at Florence. Mary showed how acceptable was the offering, by the abundant graces she obtained for the holy fit youth, who enjoyed in a special manner the privileges God ordinarily confers on pure souls. His greatest delight was to visit a church where his “dear mother" was specially venerated ; and from his twelfth year he fasted in her honour on bread and water on all Saturdays, as well as on all the vigils of her festivals. Under the influence of her inspiration, he resolved to renounce his princely title and expectations, and dedicate himself to God in the Society of Jesus; and he sought through her intercession strength to overcome the obstacles which the unwilling- ness of his father opposed to the performance of his resolution. He especially proposed to imitate the virtues of this most pure Virgin; and in his love of poverty, humility, obedience, purity, love of God and man, he endeavoured to prove himself a faithful child of his heavenly mother. The examples of Jesus and Mary were ever before his eyes, as the love of them was ever in his heart, and their sacred names continually on his lips. He died in the twenty-second year of his age,—young in years, but matured in virtue and perfection, and was pro- posed to the veneration of the faithful in 1626, by Benedict XIII., who solemnly canonized him. He may not be inaptly styled "the apostle of youth;" on account of the wonderful influence of his example, and of the tender affection with which the pious youth of all countries, most especially of Italy, cherish his memory.

PRAYER

O Mary, thou art the most fruitful of mothers, and the chastest of Virgins. I venerate, with the most profound respect, the mysterious union of these prerogatives in thee; and I congratulate thee on thy exemption from all the miseries of our condition,—on thy spotless purity, and on thy divine maternity for which it pre- pared thee. O Virgin Mother, protect me through thy heavenly purity, and defend me against so many enemies, who surround me, and seek to deprive me of this most precious possession. Obtain for me, most pure Virgin, the grace to aim at the perfection of this virtue, by cautious vigilance over my unruly passions, and by carefully avoiding whatever might render me unworthy to look up to thee as the model of my conduct, or prevent thee from recognising in me, a faithful and devoted child. O Mary, mother of pure souls, show thyself a mother to me now and at the hour of my death, and bring me to the beatitude promised to those who are clean of heart—the contemplation and enjoyment of God in heaven. Amen.

PRACTICE

Commit to memory, and frequently repeat, the following prayer, which is recommended by spiritual writers as a most efficacious remedy against temptation: "Through thy sacred virginity and immaculate conception, O most pure Virgin and Queen of Angels, obtain for me purity of soul and body, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."

ASPIRATION

Show thyself a Mother!