Let us consider in this meditation how our adorable Saviour and His Most Holy Mother united perfect obedience to profound humility.Let us consider in this meditation how our adorable Saviour and His Most Holy Mother united perfect obedience to profound humility.
Our Lord preferred the death of the Cross rather than fail in obedience. 'Jesus Christ,' says the great Apostle, 'was obedient unto death, even to the death of the Cross' - Factus obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem crucis. And what signal obedience did not Mary exercise at the death of her Son, the only object of her heart's affection! She stood firm and constant at the foot of the Cross, pierced with the sword of sorrow, perfectly resigned to the Will of the Eternal Father. All the actions of Our Divine Saviour were regulated by obedience, as He Himself declared, saying: 'I am come not to do My Will, but the Will of Him that sent Me' - Descendi de cœlo non ut faciam voluntatem meam sed voluntatem ejus qui miset Me. Thus He teaches us that the Will of His Heavenly Father was the sole guide of all His thoughts. Notice Our Lady's life, and you will always see her obedient. So highly did she esteem this virtue of obedience, that she obeyed the command to espouse Saint Joseph, although she was bound by a vow of virginity. She always persevered in the practice of this virtue, and as the mystery of the Purification shows us, she presented herself in the Temple, that she might observe the Law she was not bound to observe. Thus her obedience was the more precious as it was voluntary. Indeed, this is the only virtue that she has recommended to the practice of mankind. The Gospel tells us that when she spoke to the attendants at the marriage of Cana, she said to them: 'Whatsoever He shall say to you, do' - Quodcumque dixerit vobis facite. Here she teaches the practice of holy obedience, which is inseparable from the virtue of humility, because it springs from this virtue. Only those who are truly humble subject themselves to the Will of God.
Our Lady had no fear of being disobedient, because she was not obliged to obey the Law, but she shunned its very shadow. Many would have misunderstood her conduct, if she had not gone to the Temple to offer her Divine Son and perform the ceremony of her Purification. She would, therefore, remove all suspicion of disobedience, and at the same time teach us not merely to avoid sin, but also its very appearance, and the occasions which may expose us to it. Let us learn, also, not to be satisfied with the testimony of our conscience alone, but to try to remove from others every occasion of thinking ill of us and of our actions.
The example of Our Saviour and of His Most Holy Mother should animate us to submit not only in those things that are commanded us, but in those that are merely of counsel, that we may thus become more dear to the Divine Goodness. O God! is it then so great a work to subject ourselves to obedience, when for this alone we have been sent into the world, and when the Supreme King, to Whom all things should be subject, practised it?
We must learn then from the example of our adorable Saviour and of His Most Holy Mother, to be docile, pliable, and easily ruled, not only for a certain time, and in some actions, but even unto death. But two fundamental conditions of this virtue of Obedience must be observed. These are - firstly, that to obey perfectly we must love God Who commands; and secondly, we must love the action that is commanded. All the faults committed against obedience proceed from the want of one of these conditions. Many love the thing commanded, but not God Who commands it. For instance, some will perform their devotions, not out of obedience to the Will of God, but on account of the consolation they experience in this exercise. In this there is nothing but self-love; and it will be perceptible by the repugnance, or discontent, which is felt in the performance of those observances that are not according to our inclinations. In this case, it is plain that it is not God Whom we love, but only the thing that He commands. If we loved God Who commands, our hearts would be indifferent as to our occupation, because in all we should be equally sure to find the Will of God.
Others will love God Who commands, but not the action commanded. These will say: I know very well that it is the Will of God that I should do this or that, but I feel so great a repugnance, that I cannot resolve to do it, and were I to strive to obey, the person who, in the name of God, desires me to perform the action, enjoins it so ungraciously, as to rob me of all the satisfaction I might experience in an act of obedience.
The source of all our difficulties is that we obey readily only when our superiors accommodate themselves to our natural inclinations. On all other occasions, the smallest obligations appear to us difficult and disagreeable. It is therefore evident that we do not regard God Who commands us through another, but we look at the person who speaks to us in His Name, to see how he is clothed so to speak; that is to say, we look only at his external deportment. O God! what a mistake! We ought to submit to the Will of God in obedience, without any exception, and from whatever quarter the order may come; and not only love God Who commands, but also the thing that is commanded; taking the command and placing it upon our heads - that is, in our inmost heart, to execute it with all fidelity and sincere goodwill.
Spiritual Flowers
Bless God for having given you Mary as your Mother. Imitate her, and consider what a blessing it is for you to have so powerful an advocate in Heaven. - Saint Teresa
Humility cannot subsist without love, nor love without humility - and one can never be acquired without the other. - Saint Teresa
The more we mortify our natural inclinations, so much the more do we merit to receive supernatural inspirations. - Saint Francis of Sales
Example
A Conquest of the Blessed Virgin's
Father Paul Stub, a Barnabite, became a conquest of grace, and an Angel in virtue and learning, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He himself thus relates his conversion in his excellent book for the Month of Mary, entitled 'The School of Mary':
'A Protestant youth set out from the North, in 1826, to take a post at Genoa, in the family of the Consul of Sweden and Norway, who was a very good Catholic. But the wife of the Consul, fearing that this youth might by his conversation have an evil influence on a nephew who lived with them, went to the sanctuary of Our Lady of Graces, and made the following prayer to the Queen of Heaven and Earth:
"'O Mary! if you see that this Protestant youth will become a Catholic and be virtuous, then let him arrive, but if otherwise, send his ship to America."
'The ship arrived safely at Genoa, and the boy entered on his situation. He was edified by the examples of virtue that he witnessed, but had no thoughts whatever of becoming a Catholic - until after some time, when he was in trouble, calling to mind the devotion which Catholics bear to Our Lady, he said to her: "O Mother of Jesus! it is the first time that I invoke you, but if you do me the favour I desire I will invoke you all my life."
'The favour was obtained most completely, and after that time the young man began to pray to God to know the truth, entered upon the study of religion, and became a Catholic in 1829, to his own great joy and that of many others. He afterwards took the Religious habit, and has since exercised his zeal for the glory of the Most Blessed Virgin in preaching; and, to give her a new proof of his gratitude, he composed this little book in her honour.'
Prayer - Most pure Virgin! obtain for me the grace to understand henceforth the Divine sweetness of union with God. May my adorable Saviour abide with me under the veil of Faith as He dwelt with you in the seclusion of a hidden life! May He live in me through the union of my heart with His adorable Heart as He lived in you, forming one heart and soul with you! Oh that henceforth I may know how to love, to desire, and to relish only Jesus! May He alone, during the whole course of my life, be my strength, my life, the heart of my heart, the soul of my soul, that after having been frequently nourished with His virginal Body, which was conceived and born of you a Virgin, I may be able to say with the Apostle: 'I live now, not I, but Christ liveth in me.' Amen.
Ejaculation - My heart is prepared to obey you in everything, O my Mother!
Practice - Do everything you do today be done in the spirit of obedience.
- text taken from the book A Month of Mary According to the Spirit of Saint Francis de Sales, by Father Gaspar Gilli