The Communion of Mary, Pt. 1, Ch. 14

The Communion of Mary

Part 1, Chapter 14

The living faith of Mary in the real presence of her divine Son in the Eucharist.

All the mysteries of the Incarnate Word are incomprehensible to our minds, because of their height or their depth. They are either too high or too humble. Their sublime nobility cannot be understood; their profound humility cannot be perfectly known. Faith alone can unfold these august mysteries for us and reveal to us the grandeurs and depths of them.

The Incarnation which must operate secretly in the womb of Mary is of this rank. There the Divinity is lowered all the way to the nothingness of a created being, and there our being is sublimely raised to union with the person of the eternal Word. In order worthily to prepare the Virgin Mary for this great mystery, the Holy Spirit puts a lively faith in her heart. “Blessed are you, O Mary!” said her cousin Elizabeth, “for having believed; the things which have been said to you will be accomplished in you” (cf. Lk. 1:45).

Our Lady and Child (Spoleto)

The Most Holy Eucharist is a mystery where Jesus Christ is not less elevated and humiliated than in the Incarnation. Mary, being destined to participate in it, must also be disposed for it by a lively faith in the real presence of her divine Son, hidden under the Eucharistic veils.

It is a constant truth admitted in the Church that the Virgin Mary, while she was on earth, was simply a traveler in the obscurities of life. Her mind had as much need of the torch of Faith for the direction of her thoughts, as the eyes of her body needed the light of the sun for the direction of her steps. Before all the mysteries of her Son were worked either in her womb or in her presence, she had, therefore, to be enlightened by the splendors of Faith, in order to conceive the depths of them and the great counsels of God in their accomplishment.

There are three principal mysteries where Faith was communicated to her. On the day of her Immaculate Conception, Faith was poured into her mind in all its fullness. “Then,” says Suarez, “she was instructed in all the mysteries which look to the divinity and Incarnation of her Son.” An admirable increase of faith was also granted to her on the day of the Incarnation, her faith being able to increase, with regard to the circumstances of the mysteries which were revealed to her; but it is on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit, by descending into Her, crowned her faith and raised it to the highest degree which a creature can achieve.

The Blessed Virgin received Faith with such a fullness, say several doctors of the Church, that she has surpassed in the understanding of the mysteries all theologians, and the Apostles themselves, although they received excellently from the Holy Spirit the knowledge of all truths, says St. Anselm.

Through the divine anointing of this same Spirit of truth who dwelt in her, Mary understood more perfectly still all our divine mysteries. That’s why the Fathers of the Church call Mary the Teacher of the Apostles. “She is,” said St. Ignatius of Antioch, “the teacher of religion.” “It is not surprising,” says St. Ambrose, “if John revealed to us such profound mysteries, since he was always in the company of Mary, who is the school where we learn the knowledge of all our sacraments.” (De Instit. Virgo Maria est aula omnium sacramentorum.)

Of all those who have approached the table of the Lord, it is therefore Mary who participated in it with a more lively faith. I cannot even doubt that the faith of Mary was no more lively in Communion than in the Incarnation. Indeed, in the Incarnation the faith of Mary was helped by a practical knowledge, the Virgin not only believing the presence of her Son in her womb through faith, but also felt it by experience; whereas in Communion her Faith was completely pure, supported only on the authority of the revelation which the divine truth made to her of the real presence of her Son in her womb.

Back To Marian Articles Page

+ + +

Free Bonus Giveaway

And if you want a free ebook specifically on how to live ‘in Mary’ (the one part St. Louis explained the least), and to be notified when new Marian articles and books are published, please click the button below and join our group. You can unsubscribe after you get the free ebook, but I hope you’ll remain part of our Marian group. It’s up to you.