A great union with Jesus and Mary in the
tenderness of the Father
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover
you with its shadow …"
The meaning of the angel's message was not restricted to the birth of Jesus
alone - its magnificence resounds through the centuries. Mary understood this so
well that she was able to sing: "For behold, henceforth all generations will
call me blessed." She knew that the history of the world was unfolding in her.
More truly than St. Paul and the other saints, Mary could say "it is no longer I
who live, but Christ who lives in me". Thus her entire meditation has as its
purpose to make us into "other Christs", to fashion within us, trait by trait,
the image of Jesus.
To be an apostle is to allow Jesus Christ to be born and to grow within
ourselves, and to bear Him to our brothers and sisters. Through our union with
Mary, we extend the work of the Spirit in the Church. This union imposes itself
on us, therefore, as if it were a law.
Mary precedes our efforts. When Mary is present in a soul, she gives it a more
profound, more enduring love of humanity.