9781644135945

The Light of the World
First Day in the Octave
“Thou art all fair, O Mary, and the stain of Original Sin is not in thee, alleluia.” Thus sings the
Church today, and gratefully we join our voices to hers.
“The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His ways, before He made anything, from the
beginning” (Epistle). Mary is likewise contained in the eternal Wisdom, who is to become man
in time, who adorns her with His person, His purity, and His glory, and is most intimately united
with her in His work on earth. God ordained the creation of Mary with the same act by which
He willed the Incarnation of His Son. “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His ways.”
God chose Mary from all eternity as the one from whom His Son, the eternal Wisdom, was
to take His sacred humanity. By virtue of this intimate union with divine Wisdom and divine
purity, she is herself possessed of unlimited purity, wisdom, and holiness.
In the liturgy she is presented to our wondering eyes clothed with divine wisdom, as the
Seat of Wisdom. “Now, therefore, ye children, hear me. . . . Blessed is the man that heareth me,
and that watcheth daily at my gates, and waiteth at the posts of my doors. He that shall find me
shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord” (Epistle).
In today’s liturgy Mary is the woman of fortitude who will crush the head of the serpent
and will overcome singlehanded the ancient enemy of the Church and of the kingdom of God.
Mary is the Judith of the new chosen people. She it is who rescues beleaguered souls from the
hand of Holofernes. With hearts filled with joy and gratitude, we greet her on the day of her
triumph over Satan and Original Sin. “Blessed art thou, O Virgin Mary, above all women upon
the earth. Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel” (Gradual). Today thou
shalt crush the head of the vile serpent who rages against thy Son and His people. We fly to thy
patronage, O immaculate and victorious Virgin.
The liturgy presents Mary to us as full of grace. “At that time the angel Gabriel was sent
from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name
was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel being come
in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women”
(Gospel). “Full of grace.” “He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, and with the robe
of justice He hath covered me, as the bride adorned with her jewels” (Introit). From the first
moment of her conception she is enriched with more grace than the most highly favored angel
or archangel in heaven. Richer in grace and more resplendent with supernatural beauty than the
holiest of the saints of the Church, is this immaculate mother of ours. “Thou art all fair, O Mary.”
“The stream of the river [the fullness of grace] maketh the city of God [Mary] joyful; the Most
High hath sanctified His own tabernacle. God is in the midst thereof, it shall not be moved;
God will help it in the early morning [at her conception]. . . . Come and behold ye the works of
the Lord, what wonders He hath done upon earth [in Mary] making wars to cease even to the
end of the earth. He shall destroy the bow and break the weapons [Satan and Original Sin], and
the shield He shall burn in the fire. Be still and see that I am God. I will be exalted among the
nations, and I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of armies is with us [in Mary]; the God of
Jacob is our protector” (Ps 45:5 ff.).
Purity is union with God. Purity is the strength that brings victory. Purity is the most
precious of graces. “Blessed are the clean of heart” (Mt 5:8). “Draw us, O immaculate Virgin.”
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