Mary, Mother of Our Creator

by Fr. Peter Richard Kenrick (1840)

"He who created me, rested in my tabernacle." — Ecclesiastes xxiv. 12

"It is indeed," says St Chrysostom, "an unheard-of wonder, that the ineffable God, whose greatness cannot be conceived by thought or expressed in language, and who is equal to the Father in all things, should come to us by the womb of the Virgin, and vouchsafe to be born of a woman." When we before considered the dignity of Mary, as Mother of God, we rather explained the doctrine of the church, than dwelt on the consequences which follow from this truth. Mary is the mother of our Creator; because she is the mother of Jesus Christ—who is the brightness of His (the Father's) glory, and the figure of His substance (Hebrew i. 3); who was in the beginning with God; by whom "all things were made, and without whom was made nothing that was made (John i. 3 ); and "who is over all things God blessed for ever." (Romans ix. 5) She then can say, and the expression is strictly true: "He who created me rested in my tabernacle." O sublime and mysterious privilege! The dignity of Mary is infinite, inasmuch as it results from the infinite dignity of her divine Son, which no created intelligence can comprehend. The angels who stand before the throne of God; the seraphim who veil their faces before the splendours of His presence, and exclaim, "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts, the heavens and the earth are full of thy glory;" the spirits of the just made perfect, who are inebriated with torrents of delight in contemplating and enjoying God; — these have an idea of Mary's dignity, infinitely more correct than we can possibly have, but yet infinitely short of its real character. For as none but God can fully comprehend the perfection of His own nature, none but God can duly estimate the greatness of her who stands to Him in the close and endearing relation of mother.

This dignity is so great that St Bonaventure did not hesitate to say, what, on a moment's reflection, must appear evident to all; "that although God could create a thousand worlds more beautiful than the one we inhabit, yet he could not create a greater mother;" because her dignity as Mother depends on the dignity of her Son; and what mother can be greater than the Mother of God? Hence the holy fathers, and other saints of God's church, in proportion as they meditated on, and endeavoured to conceive, the Majesty of God, in the same proportion increased in respect and profound veneration for that singularly favoured creature who was chosen to be the Mother of God. "Mary," says St. Bernard, "calls the God and Lord of angels, her Son: 'Son, why hast thou done so to us.’ What angel would dare to say this? But Mary showing that she is mother, confidently calls that God her Son, whom the angels humbly adore." In contemplating this incomprehensible elevation of Mary, let us address her with sentiments of admiration and profound reverence, in the words of her holy cousin St Elizabeth: "Blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished which were spoken to thee by the Lord." (Luke i. 45) "Although we had innumerable tongues," says a very ancient author, "we could not sufficiently praise her. This is she who alone merits to be called by God, spouse and mother. She first repaired the evil of our first mother, and brought salvation to lost man." The greatness of Mary's dignity is best calculated to give us an idea of her supereminent sanctity. God, who always adapts the means to the end, prepared her for a dignity without parallel, by a degree of sanctity as far exceeding that of other saints, as the dignity of mother exceeds that of friends and servants. "Wherefore," says St. Bernard, "it was meet that the Creator of men, when he assumed the nature of man, should choose, or rather create, such a mother among all, as He knew was worthy of Him, and would please Him." St. Gregory the Great mystically interprets the mount of Ephraim, mentioned in the first book of Kings, of Mary: "She was a mountain," says he, "which rose above all other created height, by the dignity of her election." — "Was not Mary," says he again, "a lofty mountain, who, that she might be worthy to conceive the Eternal Word, was raised above all the choirs of angels, and approached the very throne of the Godhead? Isaiah, foretelling the superexcellent elevation of this mountain, says : 'And in the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the summit of the mountains.' It was indeed a mountain on the mountain's top; because the elevation of Mary shone resplendent above that of all the saints." But the supereminent dignity and sanctity of Mary should not be the matter for mere admiration; — it should serve to impress us more deeply with a sense of the greatness of the God whose creatures we are, and who, in our creation, has imposed on us the obligation of being holy, as he said to the Jewish people: "Be ye holy; because I, the Lord your God, am holy”

EXAMPLE

In the fifth century of the Church, Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople, a proud and haughty man, who concealed much impiety under an appearance of zeal and piety, displayed at length the venom of his heart by preaching publicly in the church, that it was not permitted to call Mary the Mother of God. The people heard this impiety with the greatest consternation. All Constantinople was excited; and the faithful were indignant at the insult offered to Mary, by attempting to deprive her of a tide which had been given her from the days of the apostles. Venerable old men, who in the desert had spent their lives in the practice of the severest austerities, now abandoned their retreats, and appeared in the streets and public assemblies, to defend the honour of the Queen of Heaven, and to caution the people against the impious errors of Nestorius. The bishops and pastors of the church, well knowing that the whole mystery of human redemption would be annihilated, if the error of Nestorius prevailed, undertook the defence of Mary's dignity with the greatest zeal. A general council was held at Ephesus, in 431, at which bishops from various countries assisted, and over which St. Cyril, the patriarch of Alexandria, presided, as legate of Pope Celestine. The error of Nestorius was condemned, and he himself anathematized as an innovator. It is difficult to describe the joy and exultation which this decision of the Church excited in Ephesus and throughout all Christendom. On the day in which the decree of the council, on the nature of Mary's dignity, was solemnly announced, almost the whole city assembled before the church were the bishops were assembled. The people patiently awaited the whole day, as if nothing was more important or dearer to their hearts than the determination of this question. At length the doors being thrown open, St. Cyril appeared at the head of more than two hundred bishops, and announced to the people the condemnation of Nestorius and his impious doctrine. Scarcely had he ceased to speak, when the multitude burst into exclamations of joy, and the whole city resounded with hymns and congratulations to Mary. — "The enemy of Mary is overcome," they exclaimed. "Joy to Mary, the great, the sublime, the glorious Mother of God!" The fathers of the council were received by the people with loud praises, and conducted home, accompanied by innumerable torches. Costly perfumes were burned in the streets through which they passed; the whole city was illuminated ; and nothing was omitted to render the triumph of Mary complete. It was on this occasion that the Church added to the angel's salutation the words: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

PRAYER

I salute thee, O Mary, Mother of my Creator, and hope of Christians. Listen to the prayer of a sinner, who wishes to love thee tenderly, and who places in thee all his hope of salvation. To thee I owe all the spiritual advantage which Jesus Christ has procured for me: reinstate me in the favour of thy Divine Son, and be the advocate of my weakness and unworthiness. I beseech thee to obtain from Him the pardon of all my sins: dissipate the darkness of my understanding, destroy the worldly affections of my heart, repel the temptations of my enemy, and preside over all the actions of my life, that by thy assistance and maternal direction, I may arrive at eternal happiness. Amen.

PRACTICE

Exercise this day some act of humility in honour of Mary.

ASPIRATION

Make me worthy to praise thee, O Sacred Virgin!