University of Dayton eCommons Marian Reprints Marian Library Publications 1953 016 - The ysM tery of Mary Emil Nuebert Follow this and additional works at: http://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_reprints Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Nuebert, Emil, "016 - The ysM tery of Mary" (1953). Marian Reprints. Paper 28. http://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_reprints/28 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Marian Library Publications at eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Marian Reprints by an authorized administrator of eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. ||fu EMlt NEUBERT, S.M. Number l6 ABOUT THE AUTHOR "The Mystery of Mary" was originally given as an ad.dress zt the convention of the Mariological Society of Spain, held at Sala- manca in 1949. It was published in the official journal of the or- ganrzation, Estudios Murianos (vol. 10, 1950). The present trans- lation is the work of Rev. J. Willis Langlinais, S.M. F ather Neubert is now chaplain of the French Marianist No- vitiate, Institution Sainte-Marie , La Tour de Scay, Rigney ( Doubs ) . His recent books include Marte et Notre Sacerd,oce (1953), Apotra de laVlerge et de J.O.C. (1954),Ittotre Don d,e Dieu (1954), LaVie d'union a ll[ari,e (1954), (Jne Ame Mariale Victime (1956), and, Lu Mission Apostolique tle Marie et la Notre (1956). In 1954 Bruce published Mary in Doctrine, an English translation of Marie dans le Dogme. An earlier Marian Reprint, "Mary and the Apostolate" ( No. 3 ) , is also the work of Father Neubert. (published with ecclesiustical approual) Fisrt Printing June, 195.3 Reprintd, JuIy, 1957 The Marian Library U n iversity of Dayton Dayton, Ohio ..THE MYSTER.Y OF ftIARY'' EMIL NEUBERT, S.M. THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST AND THE AAYSTERY OF MARY St. Paul, especially in the third chapter of his Epistle to the Ephesians, speaks with much enthusiasm of the Mysfery of Christ. God had chosen Paul, despite all his imperfections, to be the minister of this mysfery to the Gentiles, the mystery so long unknown to men, so long hidden in the bosom of the Father. And what was this myslery? That the pagans were co-heirs wilh the Jews, that they were included in the promises of Christ, that lhey were one with lhe Jews in the Body of Christ. For some time now, in books and magazines and sermons, we have been hearing more and more of the "Mystery of Mary" also. Father Bernard , O.P., some years ago wrote a book with that title, a work of Mariology now noted for its depth and originality. Now the most sublime of the mysteries of Mary is beyond all doubt her Divine Maternity. Who could dare imagine such a privilege ! A simple girl, Uoknown to the world, from an unknown little village, chosen by the Most High God to be His Mother? o A Mother superior in dignity and in grace to all human creatu res, pasi, present, and possible. o A Mother who surpasses even the angels. o A Mother who can say to the very Son of God, "My Child." ' A Mother whom the Son of God Himself obeys. A Mother who "possesses a certain infinite dignily in consequence of the infinite goodness of God so that nothing greater than her can be made, iust as there can be noihing greater than God." (St. Thomas) ' A Mother whose dignity makes her "belong to ihe order of the hypostatic union" (Fr. Nicolas, O.P.) and "fouch the very limits of the Divinity." (Caietan) The mind loses ilself in the abyss of this grandeur, is sure only of barely approaching its depths, of hardly enlering the. ireasure-room no mafter how much is grasped. But it is not usually lhis mystery of the Divine Maternity that we have in mind when we speak of the "Mystery of Mary." We mean rafher the participation of the Blessed Virgin in the Mission of her Son, a mission God wanted her lo share when He made her our Mother. For indeed the elevation of a daughter of Adam fo lhe dignity of Mother of God was necessary if the Son of God was to unite Himself hypostatically fo that human nalure which had fallen with Adam. Thus once God willed the Incarnation, il was not strange that He willed a woman to become the Mother of God. That is why most heretics who did not deny the Incarnalion conlinued to believe without difficulty in the Divine Maternity of Mary. But what they always ignored, or refused to accept, or everl attacked with indignation-once they learned its im- portance to lhe Catholic Faith, was the sublime role we allribule to a creature, a human being, a woman. Can she hold such a high place nexi to the Divine Redeemer in the economy of our salvation? Indeed we must admit that many Catholics do not have the slightest idea of the very existence of this myslery. Do not many fervent souls, in fact, possess only lhe vaguest notions on the subiect? Many priests, indeed, many theologians, do not really appreciate the fundamental imporfance of this myslery. A. THE APPARENT STRANGENESS OF IHE MYSIERY OF MARY Our first altempts at analyzing the "Mystery of Mary" will immediately show us something that is very sfrange, even astonishing. We are nol so much surprised that Mary should be the Mother of God, as lhat she should be our Mother as well. However, once we recall that we are one with Christ, then it appears quite natural that the Mother of Christ-the- Head be likewise the Molher of His members, Mother of the whole Christ. The Spiritual Maternity of Mary with regard to all the brothers of Christ is then a logical part of the economy of God's love for His crealures. But what astonishes us even more is lhe manner He chose to make Mary the real Mother of men. An example, one thal appears a bit shocking at first, will bring oul this point. Let us suppose thal during a particularly tragic era of Church history, some saintly woman would offer God all sorts of prayers and sacrifices with the intention that He give her a son who would become a Pope capable o{ the great leadership that the times demanded. Eventually she would be blessed with a son. who, she prayed, might become a priest. In lime he would be ordained priest, lhen consecrated bishop, and finally, elected Pope. Suppose too fhat he were the best Pope the Church ever had. Now would it not be natural for him lo be forever groteful to her, to grant her every wish, lo shower her with favors she had not even thought of, to please her by fulfilling the desires of friends she recommended to him? Indeed it would be quite logical that he even ask her io intensify her prayers and sacrifices so that he might govern the Church ever more perfectly according to the mind of Christ. We would also expect him lo share with her his sorrows and his ioys, his hopes and his fears. Such intimacy would be only Proper. Nor would we be surprised that he tell her of his plans, even discuss them with her, that he follow her sugges- tions, and ask for her commenfs. Governmen{' Shared with Mother But what would we think if this Pope, while maintaining as his own, the principle responsibility, shared with his mother the very governmeni of the Church? Suppose that he never chose a cardinal, or appointed a bishop, or commissioned a legate. without having consulted his mother. What if he never published an encyclical , or a bull, or a decree, Without having agreed with her on its contents and its form? Srppose that he never ordered a missionary to a pagan country without her approval of the proiect and her share in the choice of such ambassadors of Christ. Let us say that he never permitted the foundation of a new religious order, even one which professed some special spirit or some new means of apostolate, without her f irst approving the whole process. He would encourage no new means of personal sanctification, for example in devo- tion to the Holy Eucharist or to the Blessed Virgin, or issue no new directive concerning Catholic Action, without having considered all the pro's and con's with her. In brief , he wou ld pronounce not one of f icia I word, wou ld perform no off icial act without his mother having a share therein. We would surely agree that the role this Pope had confided to his mother was altogether out of proportion, oo matter what exceptional mystic graces might be hers. And yet, would not her role be analagous to that which Christ has confided to Mary? Has He not decreed that no single grace, great or sma ll, sacramenta I or otherwise, intended for per- sonal sanctification or for the apostolate, comes to us except through Mary? ls not the intercession of Mary necessary to obtain absolutely any favor from heaven? And this intercession may indeed be physical, accord- ing to a well established opinion and the experience of many mystics. Mary's Role in the Church In fact is not Mary's role even more strange than that of the mother of the Pope iust portrayed? Christ's intervention in our favor, and Mary's too, is continuous and extends itself not only to all the faithful but to all men.