The author, Fr. Jacques Parent, has been a Marist for forty years. Throughout these years, he worked mostly in parishes in different dioceses. On several occasions, his superiors asked him to work with young people as spiritual animator and as formator of candidates to Marist religious life. He is presently director of communications at the General House of the Marist Fathers in Rome.
When I entered the Marist minor seminary as a student in 1959, there was in the chapel, above the main altar, a niche with a statue of Our Lady. Every evening, after prayers, the lights of the chapel went off. The only remaining light was coming from Mary’s niche. As Mary’s light was shining in the chapel, we sang the Salve Regina. We could go to sleep in peace. Mary was looking after us and protecting us. This contemplation of Mary, lifted up in the glory of heaven, was in harmony with the understanding of Mary we had back then. Popular devotion emphasized much more her glory than her pilgrimage of faith.
When we think of Mary today as Mother of the Church, our understanding is rooted in the Second Vatican Council. In the dogmatic constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium), the summit is chapter 8, which speaks of Mary in the context of the mystery of Christ and of the mystery of the Church. Bringing to light the privileged role of Mary in the mystery of salvation, the Council revealed to us Mary’s true vocation: to be the Mother of the Son of God and the Mother of the Church, that is to say the Mother of all believers. In other words, the person who takes “her into his own home” and follows her pilgrimage of faith welcomes Mary as his mother. Like a mother who gives life, Mary conceives in faith the one who wants to become a true disciple.
In the tradition of the Marist Fathers, this reality is translated in a wonderful way with these words that represent the heart of the Marist spirit: “they must think as Mary, judge as Mary, feel and act as Mary in all things.” We do not privilege above all the spread of particular devotions to Mary. What takes first place for a Marist is to learn to act and to live as Mary, to imitate her faith and her actions as we contemplate them in the Gospels. To “think as Mary, judge as Mary, feel and act as Mary in all things” means to learn a unique way to believe, to be inspired by Mary’s example and to breathe her own spirit. When we establish together with Mary a deep life of faith, she becomes very alive for us. This is why, the call to be a Marist is “a gracious choice”: “Marists bear in mind this woman who by a gracious choice called them and gave them her name.” They “always bear in mind that they belong by a gracious choice to the family of the blessed Mary, Mother of God, from whose name they are called Marists.”
When I was on retreat in a monastery, preparing for ordination to the diaconate, I was astonished to discover that the niche that once sheltered the statue of Our Lady was now empty. I was, however, both reassured and joyful when I saw Mary standing next to the monks’ stools, as if she had found her place among them. For me, this little anecdote depicts clearly what Mary is for us. She is standing next to us and she walks together with us. Following in the footsteps of our Mother, we learn, so to speak, how to walk. Following Mary’s pilgrimage of faith, the “yes from her heart” becomes progressively the “yes from our heart.” Truly, I love this young woman from Nazareth when she guides our feet into the way of faith. I love this Mary who begets us and teaches us day after day to bear the life of the Lord. |
