“Virginity of the flesh and the virginity of the
heart is virginity of faith”
Respected Fathers and Brothers, today I would like
to speak on the Topic “Holiness of Mary and of the Church.”
Dear Friends, as we know, the Virginity of the
Church helps one to understand Mary’s Virginity, so Mary’s holiness assists one
to grasp the holiness of the Church.
The sanctity of both is caused by the same grace of
God. The main difference lies in the receptivity of Mary and of the church is
that no refusal or reluctance ever marked Mary’s acceptance of God’s advances,
but the church is a collective men and women who never hold their souls
completely open to God’s Generosity. All men and women are called to holiness
in the church. The church is holy because it has received from God the means of
holiness, faith and the sacraments, which produce holiness in the members.
However, although the church is entirely holy, its members are subject to defects
and sins that hamper the diffusion of its holiness.
Dear friends, if we compare Mary’s holiness and
holiness of the Church, the Church brings out Mary’s superiority.
She was redeemed by being preserved and Her
Immaculate conception involved Her freedom from concupiscence (lust). But the church
is formed of members who all, with exception of Mary, contract original sin
Consequently, although we are purified from all
guilt by baptism; we are burdened with the weight of concupiscence (lust),
which slows down the growth of grace.
Friends, the Blessed Virgin Mary’s progress in
sanctity was constant and rapid. Her whole life, and Her actions were
unfailingly directed towards God.
She mounted form holiness to holiness, always full
of grace because each grace increased Her capacity for further grace and
fulfilled her soul.
The Church also grows in grace, aspiring to the full
stature of Christ. But the Church is made up of both saints and sinners. The
sinners must unceasingly repent and be converted anew: its progress is hindered
by the members sluggish response to grace.
Sanctity flowers into glory and resurrection, the
final –triumph. On earth, the church plods along, in the order of holiness,
with all its setbacks.
But Mary is now in glory, prior to the Church, She
was taken up to heaven, body and soul.
Yet Her Assumption, coming as the climax of the
fullness of grace, pre-figures and anticipates the assumption of the Church.
Therefore, St.
Augustine says, “Virginity of the flesh and the Virginity of the heart is
Virginity of faith.” St. Bernard
says, “Mary is the neck through which every grace descends from the head to the
members of the body.”
St. Louis de Mont fort says, “Call Mary and
Echo will answer Jesus.”
Archbishop
Fulton J. Sheen says, “Keep
Mary in your mind and Jesus will grow in your heart.”
Don Bosco says, “Have faith in Mary and you will see what
miracles are.”
Dear Friends, let us imitate Our Blessed Mother, let
us try to grow in grace after the example of our Blessed Mother.
“Following Mary you never go astray, asking Her you
never despair, thinking of her you never go wrong.” - St. Bernard
