Tom Reflections Par. 33-36

What I'm finding is that there are many important points to the true devotion to Mary that I did not understand, failed to grasp, or see the importance of, and many of these are coming to light in the reading already.

In paragraph 33, St. Augustine's insight was very meaningful. "All the predestined . . . are in the world hidden in the womb of the most holy Virgin, were they are guarded, nourished, brought up and made to grow by the good Mother, until she has brought them forth to glory after death, which is properly the day of their birth, as the church calls the death of the just". The thought of being protected and nourished in her womb and that our true birth is when we physical die and are born into eternal live with our Lord is truly beautiful and an amazing point to ponder. "Blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus". WOW!!!

In paragraph 35, "Mary . . . will consequently produce the greatest saints that there will be in the end of time. The formation and education of the great saints who shall come at the end of the world are reserved for her. For it is that singular and miraculous Virgin who can produce in union with the Holy Spirit, singular and extraordinary things". This ring true to me. In the past I was tainted by protestant theology i.e., since there is only one mediator, Jesus, why go to Mary or anyone else for that matter. The one big hitch to that is that the people that I have most deeply admired for there sanctity, like John Paul II, Mother Theresa, St Maximillian Kolbe, St. Therese of Lisieux and most of the great saint I have read about have all had a huge devotion to Our Lady. In the back of my mind I'd tell myself, since the saints which have attained such a high level of sanctity saw Mary as a necessity to achieve this closer walk with our Lord, then what am I holding back for. Some of it was ignorance but much of it was just plain pride and the protestation influence.

Paragraph 36 continues to develop this. "When the Holy Spirit, her spouse, has found Mary in a soul, He flies there. . . . one of the greatest reasons why the Holy Spirit does not now do startling wonders in our soul is because He does not find there a sufficiently great union with his faithful and inseparable spouse". The commentary goes on to state that "the union of Mary and the Holy Spirit in a soul produces the greatest outpouring of the charismatic gifts, there is an indissoluble union. Our life style of true devotion bring us into the heart of their spousal relationship and the bond of their love". I never was truly aware of this spousal relationship of Mary with the Holy Spirit exception for our Lord's conception. It makes since to me now that these great saint that I have admired have understood this relationship profoundly. I pray that I too begin to understand and more truly live this true devotion to Mary.