Women: Meditations - Part Three

 

This Second Eve, He would make certain to be of such a character as to lift the status of woman from the degradation to which she fell during the course of time and in different civilizations, to a state of being worthy of the vocation to which she would be called in the Order of the Incarnation. And He would do this by creating and choosing, by asking her permission, one woman of such singular and exceptional beauty, holiness and purity, as to be the wonder and glory not only of Israel but of the entire human race. Tu Gloria Jerusalem – Tu laetitia, Israel – Tu honorificentia populi nostril….Tota pulchra es, O Maria….(Judith 13 and 15. – See Mass of the Immaculate Conception and of the Assumption.) 

 

 

 

Types are one thing. The anti-type or reality always far surpasses the type. And so it is throughout Holy Scripture – both for Our Divine Lord and for His Immaculate Mother. We need only look at Genesis 3:15 to see the supereminently, supernatural role that Mary was destined to fulfill throughout history – facing off with none other than the Arch-Enemy of the human race and of God Himself! Lucifer! A Woman! The Feminine Principle of Sub-ordination – She alone is destined to crush the head of the evil Serpent – Chief of the rebellious Angels. Of course She does it by the power of Her Divine Son! But it is given by Him to her to do it! Why is this?

 

 

 

It would seem that God is that anxious to regard and exalt the lowly, the humble…(Luke 1: 41-50 – and in other places where we are told that the last shall be first.) And so it is. But there is more. The great thing about the exaltation of the lowly is that – besides being founded in the Truth – or because of it, God’s exaltation of the lowly gives Him Glory. It magnifies Him! Does this sound a trifle “Self-Serving” on God’s part? Only from our inherently distorted fallen point of view. From Our Blessed Mother Mary’s point of view, as given to us, for example, by a great Marian saint like St. Louis-Marie Grignon de Montfort, there can be no greater blessing bestowed on a creature than that of being allowed to give Him glory, however small a bit it may be! The reason is because of His Goodness! Yes..it is that simple. It is because He deserves it. He deserves it infinitely, that is, in a degree far beyond even what we can imagine. He is more than worthy of it! Everything not only presupposes Creation, but everything requires or demands that glory be given to God. This is why the heavens declare the Glory of God, even if man did not exist, or the angels. This is why the Canticle of the three young men in the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:57-88.) is so fitting. The Angels - the Heavens - the Waters above - the clouds - the hosts of stars - showers and dews - winds - fire - chill - cold - ice and frost and snow - nights and days - light and darkness - the earth and all the works of the Lord- all creatures - even if men did not command them to do so, would - by their very being proclaim and give glory to God. But I digress....

 

 

 

To put it as briefly as possible: God took the Feminine Principle out of Adam because He - God - willed from all eternity to exalt the lowly in a super-eminently - supernatural model of humility. Secondly, to manifest in corporeal creation the Feminine Principle as a personification of the Holy Ghost. Thirdly, to model, by reflection, the Most Blessed Trinity in the Holy Family of the Incarnation. Fourthly, to serve as a super-eminent Model of what the human family should aspire to be. Fifth, to manifest in Mary - by her prerogatives - each and every one of Eve's transgressions and their punishments: sorrows in conceptions - pain in childbirth - degradation by men. (Gen:3:16).

 

 

 

Therefore, in Mary there is - first of all: the eternal enmity set in place between Mary, the Super-eminent model of humility - truth and purity against Lucifer, the chief of rebellious angels in prideful arrogance, superhuman craftiness and deceit with most foul impurity. Two camps: Eternal enmities between the 2 seeds, (Gen.3:15). Mary's single, miraculous conception in atoning opposition to Eve's lustful conceptions. Mary's joyful - painless and bloodless giving birth in the miraculous nativity of her Son, the Word of God. Mary's relation to St. Joseph as one of singular modesty and mystery, subordinate but queenly. And all of this reflects her super-eminently - supernatural relationship to God the Father as His Daughter. In all things, Mary is the super-eminent model of all that a woman should be in fulfillment of the feminine principle and personification of the Holy Ghost, her Divine Spouse and love of the Father for the Son and the Son for the Father. 

 

 

 

That the Word be made Flesh and dwell among us, it was necessary for the Second Adam to have a Second Eve - not as His wife, for that would violate all established ORDER...but to be His Mother, providing the Human Nature incarnate, to fulfill the requirements of the Redeeming Price. Only by taking Flesh from a Royal Daughter in the line of David - could the plan of God to redeem mankind and Image the Most Blessed Trinity in a corporeal creation, the Holy Family, for the Church and for the World. And this is also why it is so very true - as she herself said to the children of Fatima, "Only I can help you!" It is as spouse and personal model of the Holy Ghost - soul of the Church, that the Blessed Virgin Mary requests the consecration of Russia to Her Immaculate Heart, by the Pope in union with all the Bishops. Only she can help us because God Himself has so arranged it! And so it is not only - or merely as the Blessed Virgin alone, super-eminently Holy as she is, who calls for this consecration by the Pope and Bishops....No! It is the Holy Ghost Himself, speaking in and through His Immaculate Spouse and personal delegate as it were! His Representative! 

 

 

 

 

And all the while, at the same time, Mary - ever-virgin, did and continues to do in her followers, all the duties of the wife or spouse. For she is always and ever the Handmaid of the Lord. (Luke 1:38). And a Handmaid is essentially a servant. And this is the basis of all her super-eminent and supernatural sanctity, her humility.