The faith of our fathers - Carmel Apologetics

"THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY. 213and the paps that gave thee suck." It is true thatour Lord replied:Yea, rather (oryea, likewise),blessed are they who hear the word of God and keepit." It would be an unwarrantable perversion ofthe sacred text to infer from this reply that Jesusintended to detract from the praise bestowed on HisMother. His words may be thus correctly paraphrased She : is blessed indeed in being the choseninstrument of My incarnation, but more blessed inkeeping My word. Let others be comforted in knowing that though they cannot share with My motherin the privilege of her maternity, they can participate with her in the blessed reward of those whohear My word and keep it.In the preceding passages we have seen Mary declared blessed on four different occasions, and hencein proclaiming her blessedness, far from paying herunmerited honor, we are but re-echoing the Gospelverdict of saint and angel, and of the Spirit of GodHimself.Wordsworth, though not nurtured within thebosom of the Catholic Church, conceives a trueappreciation of Mary s incomparablethe following beautiful lines :"Mother! whose virgin bosom was uncrossedWith the least shade of thought to sin allied;Woman !above all women glorified,Our tainted nature s solitary boast;Purer than foam on central ocean tost,1Luke xi. 27.holiness in