n this episode of The Heart of Fiat Crucified Love, Dr. Mary Kloska shares St. Bonaventure's prayerful reflections on the meaning of the name of Mary.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to WCAT Radio. You're home for authentic Catholic programming.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hello, and welcome to the heart of Fiat Crucify Love.
This week, I want to talk about our lady and
the meaning of the name Mary. We've touched on this
before in podcasts in the past, but this week I
(00:33):
was meditating on the writings of Saint Bonaventure, specifically Mirror
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and I came across again
his reflection on the name of Mary. And as we're
preparing here in September to touch upon several of her
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feast days, including September eighth, which is her birthday, the
day that she would have been given that name Mary,
I thought that we could meditate.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
On that this week as a podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
So let's start.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
With a prayer, and I just pulled out Hail Holy Queen.
Actually didn't play it through, So hopefully I can do this.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
In the name of the Father and the Son and
the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 5 (01:24):
Amn.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Come, Holy Spirit, fell the hearts of your faithful and
enkindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth
your Spirit, and we will be recreated.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
And thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Speaker 5 (02:07):
In the.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Tempted to sing it my own way, your Holy.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
Queen, and thrown above.
Speaker 6 (03:13):
Oh myy.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Hey, Mother of mercy and.
Speaker 5 (03:21):
Of love, Oh mydy triumph for you.
Speaker 7 (03:31):
Chairbam, sing with Farsi Seraphem Heaven.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
Darthree sung sound sal.
Speaker 8 (03:48):
Salria our life, far sweetness he.
Speaker 6 (03:59):
Be, Oh myy.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Our whopen sorrow and in woe, Oh.
Speaker 9 (04:12):
Myoy trump follow ye Chairraim sing with us yea Seraphem
Heaven under three.
Speaker 10 (04:29):
Salm sav Save.
Speaker 7 (04:36):
Salve Regina, Blessed Mother.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
We asked you to be with us today. We're just
here's your children, and we place ourselves inside of your
most immaculate heart. We ask you to cover us with
your name, with the power of the protection of your
holy name. We ask you to fill us with the
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virtues that that name signifies. We ask you to form
us so that we are truly children of Mary. Hail Mary,
full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed, Art
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thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Jesus,
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our dead.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Amen.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
Oops. I didn't even pull my extra light out today
because I thought it was.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Pretty brighten here, But we'll see how this all goes. Obviously,
the name of Mary is powerful just in the essence
that it's the name of the mother of the Son
of God. Right, So, without even meditating on what that
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name means or you know the history behind it, anyone
can imagine that the name.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Of the woman who.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Was consumed by the Holy Spirit and the Word was
made flesh within her womb, within her heart, would be
a name that would be a powerful protection and a
powerful intercessor in heaven. But as with God, there are
always layers of meaning behind what he does. And as
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we dig into the meaning of the name of Mary,
it's very easy to see how, how and why the
Father chose that for her from the beginning to signify
who she is in the place of all eternity and
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in salvation history, her name really signifies her her giftedness
from the Father to the world.
Speaker 5 (07:15):
Right.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
And so I'm just gonna start here with the writing
of Saint Bonaventure, and then we will we'll stop, and
we'll we'll meditate on it. Before we get to the
chapter on her name. He writes about the hail Mary
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in general.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Right, we just set a Hail Mary together.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
And that hale that ave right?
Speaker 2 (07:46):
When you say it in Latin, it's ave Maria right,
and we sing, we sing that in Uh.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Between their decades.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
Of the Rosary ave ah, they write, Hail Mary, Ave.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
What does that ave mean?
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Right?
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Why are we.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Greeting our lady in that way?
Speaker 2 (08:10):
And I had never actually realized this, but Saint Bonaventure
taught me this week that ave comes from the Latin
obscuae vei, which means without woe, without woe.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Right.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
So let's think of even like the Gospel this past week,
how many times Christ has said, woe to you, scribes
and Pharisees, right, woe do you? And we think about
the Beatitudes when he said, you know, blessed are you know?
The poor and spirit? Woe to you who are prideful,
woe to you who are full?
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Right?
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Well, our lady she is without woe, which is why
we greet her with an ave.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Right.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
She's entirely immune from all woe.
Speaker 5 (08:59):
She is no.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
There's three forms of woe that fall in humanity is
subject to the woe of guilt, the woe of misery,
and the woe of hell. And she has all three
of those are absent. There is no guilt, there's no misery,
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and there is nothing, not even a shadow or a
tiny drop of something that would reflect anything but Heaven
within the heart of our mother. And so she's very,
very blessed. So set Bonaventure begins, Ave Maria. As we
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have said above, this name was inserted here not by
the angel, but by the devotion of the faithful, the blessed.
Evangelist Luke says significantly, And the name of the virgin
was Mary. This most holy, sweet and worthy name was
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eminently fitting to so holy, sweet.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
And worthy a virgin.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
For Mary means a bitter sea, a star of the sea,
the illuminated, or the illuminatrix.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Mary is interpreted Lady.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Mary is a bitter sea to the demons, to men,
she is the star of the sea, to the angels,
she is the illuminatrix.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
And to the creatures she is a lady.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
So let's think of that here, right.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
The name Mary can mean bitterness. I always my name's Mary, obviously,
and you know, growing up people would ask me about it.
Why you know, that's an awful meaning for a name,
you know, why would anyone choose that? As you know
the Mother of God, or name their daughter Mary meaning bitterness.
I always took a meaning from my name, being Mary Elizabeth,
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which means consecrated bitterness.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
Right.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
And I would always turn to our lady as our
Lady of sorrows to give meaning to that, right, because
our lady took all bitterness, just like she would gather
the roses to her heart, and she would keep the
thorns for herself and give forth that pure perfume and
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the pure beauty of the roses to her children. Right. Well,
our lady Mary, I always also think of that see Mare,
which was the bitter the bitter waters, so that Moses
had to take the wooden stick and to put it
in to make the bitter water sweet.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
For the Israelites in the desert.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Mary, who had to suffer with her son and had
that bitterness, took the cross right and placed at you know,
in her own heart with her son in humanity, the
bitterness of humanity and the bitterness of pain, and all
of that bitterness became sweet.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
It became that fountain of living water for each one
of us.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Right, And so that bitterness doesn't have to have a
negative connotation. But we also see here that Mary is
bitter and remains bitter to demons. Her very sweetness is
repulsive to the demons, so that bitterness, that name that
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means bitterness, can be a gift.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
But she is also a star for us who are
lost on our way.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
She is our lady, and she is the allusion monatrix
to the angels. Saint Bonaventure continues. Mary is interpreted a
bitter sea. This is excellently suited to her power against
the demons. No, in what way Mary is a sea,
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and in what way she is bitter? And at how
she is at once both a sea and bitter.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
Mary is a sea by the.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Abundant overflow of her graces. Mary is a bitter sea
by submerging the devil. Mary is indeed a sea by
super abounding passion of her son. Mary is a bitter
sea by her power over the devil, in which he is,
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as it were, submerged and drowned. Mary isn't just you know,
a little trickeral of water, like a little stream of
grace that we receive from heaven. She's considered a sea
because of the abundant overflow of grace that comes from
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her right the torrent, the ocean of grace makes her
the one that we call the sea. And yet that grace,
that superabundance, is something that's connected to the passion of
her son. That infinite love that they shared will cause
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them to share an infinite passion, an infinite suffering together,
and that infinite suffering is what drowns demons, which washes
away the troubles that we have in the world. She
is a sea that never ends, that refreshes us who
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are craving purity and the drink of heaven.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
We can come to her as a mother and nurse
from her heart.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
And yet at the same time, that very sweetness that
nourishes us, that's like a heavenly water that causes us
to grow in virtue and in holiness, to be purified.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
That same water is.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
Poisoned for the demons and drowns them.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Saint Bonaventure continues, Consider first that Mary is called the
sea because of the abundance of her grace. It is
written in Ecclesiastics, all rivers flow into the sea. The
rivers are the graces of the Holy Spirit. Wherefore Jesus says,
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he who believes in me, out of his belly shall
flow rivers of living water. This he said of the
Holy Spirit that they were about to receive. All the
divers flow into the sea, because the graces of all
the saints flow into Mary. And I would say, through Mary. Right,
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you can go and ask Saint Trez to intercede and
do something for you. Or you can ask our lady
to ask Saint Therez to bring our lady the graces
that you need and to pass them on to you.
Everything that passes through our lady is more beautiful and
more perfect. All of the rivers flow into the sea,
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because the graces of all the saints flow into Mary.
The river of the grace of the Angels enters into Mary.
The river of the grace of the Patriarchs enters into Mary.
The river of the grace of the Apostles enters into Mary.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
The river of the grace of the Martyrs enters into Mary.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
The river of the grace of the Confessors enters into Mary.
The river of the grace of the Virgins enters into Mary.
All rivers enter into the sea. That is, all graces
enter into Mary. Therefore, she above all can say in
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me is all grace of the Way and of the Truth,
And in.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Me is all hope of life and of virtue.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
What wonder if all grace flowed into Mary, through whom
such grace flowed forth upon all. Saint Augustine says, Mary,
you are full of grace which you have found with
the Lord and is merited to pour forth upon the
whole world. So I invite you to stop a moment
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and to really contemplate those that abundance of grace that.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
The Father wishes to pour out upon us, and he
chooses to pour it out through Mary.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Mary, we ask you to bring us this grace. We
ask you to open our hearts to it.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
We ask that all of our prayers ascend into Heaven
through the chamber of your heart and your motherly intercession.
We ask that Heaven answer us with gifts that smell
of your fingertips, Mary, our mother.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Pray for us.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Saint Bonaventure continues, considers secondly that Mary, in the passion
of her son, was filled with bitterness.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
When the sword of sorrow passed through her soul.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
She could well say, with ruth, call me not Naomi,
that is fair, but call me Mara that is bitter.
For the Most High has filled me exceedingly with bitterness.
No Naomi or Noaemi, who was at once beautiful and bitter,
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signified Mary, beautiful indeed by the sanctification of the Holy Spirit,
but bitter by the passion of her son. The very
purity of her heart, the efficacy of her prayer, the
abundance of her virtue, comes from the union of her
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heart with her son, crucified.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
All of the.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
Grace, all of the purity, all of the beauty that
we conceive. And Mary.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Is something that comes from that spring of her heart,
united to the redemption of her son, the.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Suffering of her son.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
The two sons of Mary are the God, man in
his divinity, and man in his humanity. Mary is the
mother of one in the body and of the other
in the spirit. Saint Bernard said, you are the mother
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of the King. You are the mother of the exile.
You are the mother of God the judge. And you
are the mother of God and of Man. As you
are the mother of both, you cannot bear discord between
your two sons.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
And so our lady is the tireless seamstress, always.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Trying to stitch and sew fall in humanity back into
union with the heart of her son. Saint Anselm says, Oh,
blessed confidence, O safe refuge.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
Mother of God and our Mother.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
The two sons of Mary were both slain in the passion,
one in the body and the other in the mind,
the one by the bitter death of the cross, and
the other by infidelity of the mind. Therefore, Mary's soul
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was filled with exceeding bitterness, as Saint Augustine testifies, saying
that Loving Mother, crying out with intensity of pain, beating
her enfeebled breast, had so fatigued her body and all
its members, that tottering in her walk, she could scarcely
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drag herself to the obsequities of Christ. You see now
how Mary was the sea of the Holy Spirit, and
you see in what manner she was the bitter sea
in the death of her son. Thirdly, consider that Mary
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is a bitter seed to the devil and to his
angels oppressed by him, as the Red Sea was bitter
to the Egyptians submerged in it, of whom we read
in Exodus, the Lord drew back upon them the waters.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Of the sea.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Oh how bitter and full of fear is the sea
to the Egyptians, Oh, how bitter and full of fear
is this.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
Mary to demons.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
If you talk to exorcists or people who have encountered
people who are possessed, they'll say, just the very name
of Mary is horrific to the demons possessing the people.
Saint Bernard said, visible enemies fear not so greatly an
immense multitude of hosts in battle array as the powers
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of the air fear the name, the.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Patronage and the example of Mary.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
They flow and melt like wax before the fire wherever
they find frequent recollection of this holy name, devout invocation
of Mary, and diligent imitation of her. You see now
in what manner Mary is a sea by the abundance
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of her overflowing grace. How she is bitter by the
veheminence of the Lord's passion, And how to the devil,
Mary is a bitter sea by the power she has
of quelling them. This reminds me of that beautiful prayer.
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I've read it many times. I have it in my
book House of Gold. We're Saint Bernard of Clairveaux wrote,
you know, do you find yourself lost in the seas
of life, call upon Mary. You know, if you find
yourself you know in need of help, you know, call
on the name of Mary. If you find that the
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world is coming against you, or that you're falling in sin,
you know, call on Mary. Is there a division before you?
Is there you know doubt within your mind? Call on
that blessed name Mary, that light for us right. And
I want to encourage you, like when you find yourself
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just in your daily life, in a difficulty, you're frustrated
with someone, you don't know what to do, maybe you
can't sleep at night, or you're afraid for your own life,
the life of your children, you can't make a certain decision.
I encourage you just to repeat that name of Mary.
Just by saying, marry my mother, Marry my mother, Marry
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my mother. Any demons that are coming against you to
tempt you away from that peaceful trust of the Lord
will flee, And just by virtue of saying the name
of Mary, she will bring you light.
Speaker 4 (25:28):
Right, Marry my mother.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
How many saints have died with those as their last words?
How many saints have died with the name of Mary
on their lips. Just simply by repeating the name of Mary,
you are praying in a very deep way. You're calling
to the heart of your mother, giving her free reign
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over your life. Saint Bonaventure continues, Now we must consider
how Mary is interpreted as the star of the sea. Right,
this name is most suitable to Mary, for she fulfills
the office.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
That a star does to mariners at sea.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
We read, and it's true that sailors, when they propose
to sail to a distant land, choose a star, by
whose guiding light they may, without going astray, make their
way to the.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
Land of their desire.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Such is certainly the office of Mary, our star, who
directs those who sail through the sea of the world
in the ship of innocence or penance, to the shore
of the heavenly country. Well, therefore does Innocent say, by
what aids can ships pass amongst so many dangers, to
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the shore of the fatherland. Certainly he replies, chiefly by two,
by the wood and by the star, that is, by
the faith in the Cross, and by the virtue of
the light, which Mary, the Star of the Sea, has
brought forth for us.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Very properly is.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Mary compare it to a star of the sea, because
of her purity, her radiance, and her utility. For Mary
is a most pure star, a most radiant star, and
a most useful star. She is a most pure star
by living most purely, a most radiant star by bringing
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forth eternal light, and a most useful star by directing.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Us to the shores of our true home.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
Country.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
When you don't know what to do in life, call
upon the name of Mary. I can't tell you how
many times when I am trying to discern God's will
and I can't make sense of left or right, that
I just go and I start to say the Rosary
over and over again, those.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Hail Mary's, Hail Mary, Hail Mary.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Sometimes it takes me seventy eight nine of them rosaries
until my heart is calmed down, and I might not
even have.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
The answer at the end.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
But it's like navigating. It's making sure that I put
our Lady in the center of my discernment, in the
center of my vision, the center of my heart, the
center of my life. And I know that if she's
there as my guiding star, that even if I don't
know where I'm going, if I'm going towards Mary, I'm going.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Towards Heaven, and she won't let me go astray.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
And the same is for you, Saint Bonaventure says, Consider
that Mary is a most pure star by living purely
and without sin. Therefore, wisdom says of her, she is
more beautiful than light, than the sun, and above all
the arrangement of the stars. And being compared to light,
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she is found more pure. Some read here before instead
of more pure, but either phrase is fitted to our star.
Mary is indeed prior or before. That means she is
most worthy and most graved. Mary is purer than the
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Sun and the stars and the light for both indignity
and purity. Should she surpasses the Sun, the stars, and
the light. Yet even every spiritual and angelic creature of
whom it is said God divides light from darkness, that is,
the angels who stood firm from those who fell, Mary
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herself is prior to and purer than this angelic light. Hence,
Saint Anselm says, Oh, blessed among women who surpass the
angel's impurity and the saint's in piety. Behold, how Mary
is a most pure star by the very purity of
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her life. Secondly, consider that Mary is a most radiant star,
emanating eternal light, bringing forth the.
Speaker 4 (30:28):
Son of God.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
She is that star of whom it said, a star
shall rise out of Jacob, and a rod shall arise
in Israel. The rod is the Son of God, who
is the ray of Mary, our star, that is a
ray of whom it is sung.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
As the ray of a star.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Saint Bernard says, a ray from a star does not
diminish its brightness, and neither does the son of the
verse and lessen the virginity of his mother. Oh, most
truly blessed, most truly radiant star Mary, whose ray is
penetrated not only the world, but also Heaven and Hell,
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As Saint Bernard says, she is that glorious and beautiful
star arisen out of Jacob, whose ray illumines the whole world,
whose splendor shines forth in the highest penetrates even into Hell.
As Mary was a most pure star by living most purely,
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so is she a most radiant one by bringing forth
the very son of God. Thirdly, let us consider that
Mary is a most useful star by guiding us to
our heavenly country, leading us through the sea of the
world to the grave of her son, as to the
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gates of Paradise. She is as that radiant star which
led the magi most surely to Christ, Mary is a star, which,
in the waves of the present life, is most necessary
to us. Saint Bernard says, Turn not away your eyes
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from the splendor of this star. If you will not
be overwhelmed by the storms, if the winds of temptation arise,
if you strike on the rock of temptation.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
Tribulation, look upon the star and call upon Mary.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Therefore, unless you will be submerged by the sea of
this world, follow the star and imitate Mary. It is
the safest path to fire. Follow her, as Saint Bernard says,
following her, you don't stray praying to her. You will
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never despair thinking of her. You will never err. If
she absholds you, you will not fall under her protection.
Speaker 4 (33:21):
You shall not fear.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
If she is your guide, you shall not grow weary
with her favor. You shall attend your end. And so
in yourself you will experience how truly it is said,
and the name of the Virgin was Mary. Mary is
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also interpreted the illuminatrix or the light giver.
Speaker 4 (33:50):
Right.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
She is so humble that she's empty of herself. She's
so pure that nothing blocks the absolute fullness of the
light of God from shining through her right. Think of
her as that burning bush. She's on fire with the
love of God and the Holy Spirit, with Christ, who
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is the light. And so that light comes through every portal,
every pore, every part of her being to give us light.
This virgin Mary was wonderfully illuminated by the presence of
the Lord. According to that word of the Apocalypse, I
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saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great power,
and the earth was enlightened by the glory of him.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
The Son of God is the Angel of great counsel.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
The earth is illuminated by the glory of him, and Mary, who,
as she was illuminated by His grace in the world,
is now illuminated by His glory. And that, being thus illuminated,
she may become a light giver in the world and
in heaven. Therefore, we must consider that Mary the illuminated
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is a light giver by her example, her benefits, and
her rewards. She gives light by the example of her life,
and by the benefits.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Of her mercy, and by the rewards of her glory.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Mary is a light giver by her example, by the
example of her most luminous life.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
It is she who, by her glorious life gives light
to the world.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
She it is whose glorious life enlightens all the churches.
Mary is the lamp of the Church, enkindled by God
for this very purpose, that by her the church might
be enlightened against the darkness of the world. Let the
Church therefore pray. Let this faithful soul pray you light
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my lamp, Olord, my God, and enlighten my darkness. The
Lord has lit this lamp most radiantly, and by this
light he puts to flight the darkness of our souls.
Saint Bernard felt this when he said, Oh, Mary, by
the magnificent example of your virtue, you stir us up
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to the imitation of you, and you enlighten our night.
For he who walks in your ways walks not in darkness,
but has the.
Speaker 3 (36:40):
Light of life.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Secondly, consider how Mary is the light giver, by the
benefits of her gracious mercy, by which so many in
the night of this world are spiritually illuminated. As the
Israelite say, in olden days were by a pillar. According
to the Psalm, you led them forth in a pillar
(37:05):
of a cloud. Mary is to us a pillar in
a cloud, for she protects us like a cloud from
the fiery heat of the divine indicate indignation, and she
also protects us from the heat of diabolical temptation. As
it said in the Psalm, the Lord spread upon us
(37:28):
a cloud.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
He did this when he spread upon.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
Us his mother, Mary is a pillar of fire.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Excuse me, what would become of us, wretched, being so
full of darkness in this light of this world? If
we had not so lucid a lamp, so luminous a pillar.
What would become of the world without the sun? Saint
Bernard says, take away this lightsomebody, the sun, and what.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
Will give light to the world where is day?
Speaker 2 (38:05):
In the same way, take away Mary, the star of
our seed, and what remains is an enveloping cloud, a
shadow of death, the densest darkness. You have seen how
Mary is a light giver by your most transcendently luminous life.
You will now see how Mary is an illuminatrix by
(38:28):
her resplendent mercy. Thirdly, consider that Mary is also an
illuminatrix by your most resplendent glory, which illuminates the whole.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
Of heaven as the Sun does the world.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
According to Ecclesiastics, the Sun gives light and is looked
upon all things, and is full of glory of the Lord.
In all his work, the work of the Lord is
full of his glory. The most excellent work of the
Lord is Mary. This work, as it was, full of
(39:03):
grace of the Lord in this world, is full of
glory of the.
Speaker 3 (39:08):
Lord of Heaven as well.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
She therefore, being Mary, gives light by her glory and
is looked upon all things, because through all the angels
and the saints she spreads the illumination.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
Of her glory to us.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
What wonder, if the presence of Mary illuminates the whole
of Heaven, who also does illuminate the whole earth? Saint
Bernard says, the presence of Mary lights up the whole world.
The very heavenly count country itself glows more brightly from
(39:48):
being irraditate, irritated by the splendor of that virginal lamp.
So you can see how Mary is an illuminatrix by
your light giving life, but also by her resplendent your glory. Now, lastly,
we have to consider how our lady Mary is a
(40:11):
lady such a title well becomes so great an empress
who is very much indeed the sovereign, lady of the
inhabitants of Heaven, of the dwellers on Earth and in Hell.
She is, I say, the lady of angels, the lady
of men, the lady sovereign in Heaven, on Earth, and
(40:33):
in Hell. First consider that Mary is the Lady of angels.
For it was she who was foreshadowed by the lady Esther,
of whom we read that she leaned delicately on one
of her handmaids, and another maid followed her by, followed
her mistress, bearing up the train of her garment. By
(40:55):
Esther the queen. We understand Mary being our queen. The
two servants the lady of whom Mary is our queen,
are all creatures, men and angels. What a joy twus
miserable men, that the angels have their lord and their
lady from amongst us.
Speaker 4 (41:15):
Truly is Mary a queen of the angels.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
Saint Augustine, addressing her, says, if I call you Heaven,
you are higher. If I call you the Mother of Nations,
you are above this place. If I style you that
Lady of Angels, you are truly proved to be so.
(41:40):
If I call you the type or the form of God,
you are also worthy of this name. Now the soul
of man is the handmaid who in this world follows
its lady Mary. It follows her, bearing up the train
of the garment of its lady, gathering up the virtues
(42:00):
and the example of Mary. But the angelic intelligences are
the handmaids on who marry their lady, as it were,
leans in heaven. She leans upon them by familiarly associating
with them. She leans upon them most delicately, by taking
or delight in them. She leans upon them most faithfully
(42:22):
and entirely by communicating herself in her plenitude to the angels.
She leans upon them as one most powerful, by commanding them.
Mary leans upon all the angels by her power. Saint
Augustine says Michael, the Prince and the leader of the
heavenly Militia, with all his ministering spirits, obey, o Virgin,
(42:46):
your commands, by defending in the body and receiving the
souls of the faithful, especially presenting to you, our lady,
those whose day and night commended themselves to you. Now
consider how marry is the lady of men in this world.
Speaker 3 (43:05):
Of this lady, it's.
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Said in the song as the eyes of a handmaider
on the eyes of her the hands of her mistress.
So are our eyes upon our lady, the handmaid of
the Lady Mary is every.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
Human soul the universal Church.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
The eyes of this handmaid should be ever on the
hands of her mistress, for the eyes of the Church,
the eyes of every one of us, should always look
upon the hands of Mary, so that by her hands
we may receive some good that we may offer to
the Lord by those same hands, whatever good we do,
For it is by the hands of this lady that
(43:48):
we have whatever good we possess. As Saint Bernard testifies,
saying God would have us obtain nothing that did not
pass through the hands of Mary. By the hands of
the lady, we should also offer to God whatever good
we do, as Saint Bernard exhorts, saying, what you little offer,
(44:09):
take care to commend it to the hands most pleasing
and worthy of all acceptance, the hands of Mary.
Speaker 4 (44:16):
If you would not be repulsed.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Well for us, beloved, it is indeed well for us
that we have such a lady who is towards us,
such liberal hands, is so powerful for us with her son,
that every one of us may have secure acts us
to her, the devout Anselm said, O, great lady, to
whom the joyful multitude of the just gifts, thanks to
(44:44):
whom fleeth the terrified crowd of evildoers. To you, Oh,
all powerful and merciful lady, I am an anxious sinner,
and I have recourse to you.
Speaker 4 (45:00):
Consider how Mary is.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
The lady of the demons in hell, so powerfully submerging them,
that of her we may understand Psalm one hundred to say,
the rod of his power of the Lord, that he
shall send forth the rod of power is the virgin Mary.
She is the rod of iron, flowering by her virginity,
(45:25):
her purity. She is fruitful by her fecundity. Mary is
the rod of which it said in Isaiah, there shall
spring forth a rod from the root of Jesse. This
rod is the virgin Mary, a rod of power against
the infernal enemies, whom she dominates by her great power.
(45:48):
So great a lady of such great power deserves to
be loved by us, and praised by us, and prayed
to by us, that she may protect us against our enemies.
Saint Anselm gives us the example. When speaking to this lady,
he says you, O lady, so very great. My heart
(46:12):
desires to love, my mouth to pleae praise, My mind
longs to venerate, My soul desires to beseech, because the
whole of my being commends itself.
Speaker 3 (46:27):
To your protection.
Speaker 2 (46:30):
Now you see how Mary is the lady of angels
in heaven, of men in this world, of the demons
in hell. Also how Mary is a bitter sea, the
star of the sea, the light giver.
Speaker 4 (46:42):
The Lady Mary is the star of the sea to.
Speaker 2 (46:46):
Convert men, and is the light giver to the faithful angels.
She dominates all creatures. Let us pray. Let us pray
most devoutly to marry and say, Oh Mary, bitter Sea,
help us that we may be plunged into the abyss
(47:06):
of the bitter sea of penance. O Mary, Star of
the Sea, help us that we may be guided rightly
through the sea of the world. Oh Mary, Lightgiver, help
us that we may be eternally illumined in glory. O
Lady Mary, help us that by thy government an empire,
(47:28):
we may be filily governed through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Speaker 3 (47:32):
Amen, Remember a.
Speaker 2 (47:35):
Most gracious virgin Mary, that never was it known that
anyone who fled to Thy protection, implored Thy help, or
sought Thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence,
we fly into THEE, O, Virgin of Virgins, our Mother
to THEE. Do we come before THEE. We stand sinfull
(47:56):
and sorrowful. O, Mother of the word incarnate, does spice
not our petitions, but in the mercy here and answer us.
Speaker 5 (48:04):
Amen, that wasn't good, Hal Holy.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
Queen, and thrown above.
Speaker 5 (48:26):
Oh may.
Speaker 7 (48:30):
Hell, Mother of mercy and of fol om.
Speaker 10 (48:41):
Triumph for ye chair up him, sing with ussie Seraphim
heaven and do three song heal.
Speaker 5 (48:56):
Song so sal richieina.
Speaker 7 (49:08):
Our life a sweetness heild, Oh mydya.
Speaker 6 (49:19):
Our whopen sorrow and in woe, oh mydy triump fall
ye chairpim sing with us Saphim heaven, and three.
Speaker 8 (49:42):
Song solva.
Speaker 7 (49:47):
Salvae sal ritchieina triump fall ye you cheerbim sing with
us Saphilm heaven er reason, Salve, salvebe sud.
Speaker 4 (50:19):
Ge, glory be to the Father and the Son into
the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2 (50:30):
As it was in the beginning is now.
Speaker 3 (50:32):
Never shall be world without end.
Speaker 2 (50:34):
Amen, Alilujah, God bless you follow that name of Mary.
Speaker 1 (50:43):
Hello, God's beloved I'm Annabel Moseley, author, professor of theology,
and host of them Sings My Soul and Destination Sainthood
on w c AT Radio. I invite you to listen
in and find inspiration along this sacred journey where traveling
together to make our lives a masterpiece and with God's grace,
(51:05):
become saints. Join me Annabel Moseley for then Sings My
Soul and Destination Sainthood on WCAT Radio. God bless you.
Remember you are never alone. God is always with you.
Speaker 3 (51:25):
Thank you for listening to a production of WCAT Radio.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
Please join us in our mission of evangelization, and don't
forget Love lifts up when knowledge takes flight.
You're listening to WCAT Radio. You're home for authentic Catholic programming.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Hello, and welcome to the heart of Fiat Crucify Love.
This week, I want to talk about our lady and
the meaning of the name Mary. We've touched on this
before in podcasts in the past, but this week I
(00:33):
was meditating on the writings of Saint Bonaventure, specifically Mirror
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and I came across again
his reflection on the name of Mary. And as we're
preparing here in September to touch upon several of her
(00:54):
feast days, including September eighth, which is her birthday, the
day that she would have been given that name Mary,
I thought that we could meditate.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
On that this week as a podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
So let's start.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
With a prayer, and I just pulled out Hail Holy Queen.
Actually didn't play it through, So hopefully I can do this.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
In the name of the Father and the Son and
the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 5 (01:24):
Amn.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Come, Holy Spirit, fell the hearts of your faithful and
enkindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth
your Spirit, and we will be recreated.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
And thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Speaker 5 (02:07):
In the.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
Tempted to sing it my own way, your Holy.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
Queen, and thrown above.
Speaker 6 (03:13):
Oh myy.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Hey, Mother of mercy and.
Speaker 5 (03:21):
Of love, Oh mydy triumph for you.
Speaker 7 (03:31):
Chairbam, sing with Farsi Seraphem Heaven.
Speaker 5 (03:39):
Darthree sung sound sal.
Speaker 8 (03:48):
Salria our life, far sweetness he.
Speaker 6 (03:59):
Be, Oh myy.
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Our whopen sorrow and in woe, Oh.
Speaker 9 (04:12):
Myoy trump follow ye Chairraim sing with us yea Seraphem
Heaven under three.
Speaker 10 (04:29):
Salm sav Save.
Speaker 7 (04:36):
Salve Regina, Blessed Mother.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
We asked you to be with us today. We're just
here's your children, and we place ourselves inside of your
most immaculate heart. We ask you to cover us with
your name, with the power of the protection of your
holy name. We ask you to fill us with the
(05:11):
virtues that that name signifies. We ask you to form
us so that we are truly children of Mary. Hail Mary,
full of grace. The Lord is with the blessed, Art
(05:31):
thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Jesus,
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our dead.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Amen.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
Oops. I didn't even pull my extra light out today
because I thought it was.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Pretty brighten here, But we'll see how this all goes. Obviously,
the name of Mary is powerful just in the essence
that it's the name of the mother of the Son
of God. Right, So, without even meditating on what that
(06:11):
name means or you know the history behind it, anyone
can imagine that the name.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
Of the woman who.
Speaker 2 (06:24):
Was consumed by the Holy Spirit and the Word was
made flesh within her womb, within her heart, would be
a name that would be a powerful protection and a
powerful intercessor in heaven. But as with God, there are
always layers of meaning behind what he does. And as
(06:45):
we dig into the meaning of the name of Mary,
it's very easy to see how, how and why the
Father chose that for her from the beginning to signify
who she is in the place of all eternity and
(07:06):
in salvation history, her name really signifies her her giftedness
from the Father to the world.
Speaker 5 (07:15):
Right.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
And so I'm just gonna start here with the writing
of Saint Bonaventure, and then we will we'll stop, and
we'll we'll meditate on it. Before we get to the
chapter on her name. He writes about the hail Mary
(07:39):
in general.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Right, we just set a Hail Mary together.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
And that hale that ave right?
Speaker 2 (07:46):
When you say it in Latin, it's ave Maria right,
and we sing, we sing that in Uh.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Between their decades.
Speaker 4 (07:55):
Of the Rosary ave ah, they write, Hail Mary, Ave.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
What does that ave mean?
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Right?
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Why are we.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Greeting our lady in that way?
Speaker 2 (08:10):
And I had never actually realized this, but Saint Bonaventure
taught me this week that ave comes from the Latin
obscuae vei, which means without woe, without woe.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
Right.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
So let's think of even like the Gospel this past week,
how many times Christ has said, woe to you, scribes
and Pharisees, right, woe do you? And we think about
the Beatitudes when he said, you know, blessed are you know?
The poor and spirit? Woe to you who are prideful,
woe to you who are full?
Speaker 4 (08:42):
Right?
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Well, our lady she is without woe, which is why
we greet her with an ave.
Speaker 4 (08:52):
Right.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
She's entirely immune from all woe.
Speaker 5 (08:59):
She is no.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
There's three forms of woe that fall in humanity is
subject to the woe of guilt, the woe of misery,
and the woe of hell. And she has all three
of those are absent. There is no guilt, there's no misery,
(09:22):
and there is nothing, not even a shadow or a
tiny drop of something that would reflect anything but Heaven
within the heart of our mother. And so she's very,
very blessed. So set Bonaventure begins, Ave Maria. As we
(09:43):
have said above, this name was inserted here not by
the angel, but by the devotion of the faithful, the blessed.
Evangelist Luke says significantly, And the name of the virgin
was Mary. This most holy, sweet and worthy name was
(10:04):
eminently fitting to so holy, sweet.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
And worthy a virgin.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
For Mary means a bitter sea, a star of the sea,
the illuminated, or the illuminatrix.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
Mary is interpreted Lady.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Mary is a bitter sea to the demons, to men,
she is the star of the sea, to the angels,
she is the illuminatrix.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
And to the creatures she is a lady.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
So let's think of that here, right.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
The name Mary can mean bitterness. I always my name's Mary, obviously,
and you know, growing up people would ask me about it.
Why you know, that's an awful meaning for a name,
you know, why would anyone choose that? As you know
the Mother of God, or name their daughter Mary meaning bitterness.
I always took a meaning from my name, being Mary Elizabeth,
(11:13):
which means consecrated bitterness.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
Right.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
And I would always turn to our lady as our
Lady of sorrows to give meaning to that, right, because
our lady took all bitterness, just like she would gather
the roses to her heart, and she would keep the
thorns for herself and give forth that pure perfume and
(11:39):
the pure beauty of the roses to her children. Right. Well,
our lady Mary, I always also think of that see Mare,
which was the bitter the bitter waters, so that Moses
had to take the wooden stick and to put it
in to make the bitter water sweet.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
For the Israelites in the desert.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Mary, who had to suffer with her son and had
that bitterness, took the cross right and placed at you know,
in her own heart with her son in humanity, the
bitterness of humanity and the bitterness of pain, and all
of that bitterness became sweet.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
It became that fountain of living water for each one
of us.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Right, And so that bitterness doesn't have to have a
negative connotation. But we also see here that Mary is
bitter and remains bitter to demons. Her very sweetness is
repulsive to the demons, so that bitterness, that name that
(12:50):
means bitterness, can be a gift.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
But she is also a star for us who are
lost on our way.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
She is our lady, and she is the allusion monatrix
to the angels. Saint Bonaventure continues. Mary is interpreted a
bitter sea. This is excellently suited to her power against
the demons. No, in what way Mary is a sea,
(13:17):
and in what way she is bitter? And at how
she is at once both a sea and bitter.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
Mary is a sea by the.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
Abundant overflow of her graces. Mary is a bitter sea
by submerging the devil. Mary is indeed a sea by
super abounding passion of her son. Mary is a bitter
sea by her power over the devil, in which he is,
(13:53):
as it were, submerged and drowned. Mary isn't just you know,
a little trickeral of water, like a little stream of
grace that we receive from heaven. She's considered a sea
because of the abundant overflow of grace that comes from
(14:13):
her right the torrent, the ocean of grace makes her
the one that we call the sea. And yet that grace,
that superabundance, is something that's connected to the passion of
her son. That infinite love that they shared will cause
(14:34):
them to share an infinite passion, an infinite suffering together,
and that infinite suffering is what drowns demons, which washes
away the troubles that we have in the world. She
is a sea that never ends, that refreshes us who
(14:55):
are craving purity and the drink of heaven.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
We can come to her as a mother and nurse
from her heart.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
And yet at the same time, that very sweetness that
nourishes us, that's like a heavenly water that causes us
to grow in virtue and in holiness, to be purified.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
That same water is.
Speaker 4 (15:19):
Poisoned for the demons and drowns them.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Saint Bonaventure continues, Consider first that Mary is called the
sea because of the abundance of her grace. It is
written in Ecclesiastics, all rivers flow into the sea. The
rivers are the graces of the Holy Spirit. Wherefore Jesus says,
(15:46):
he who believes in me, out of his belly shall
flow rivers of living water. This he said of the
Holy Spirit that they were about to receive. All the
divers flow into the sea, because the graces of all
the saints flow into Mary. And I would say, through Mary. Right,
(16:11):
you can go and ask Saint Trez to intercede and
do something for you. Or you can ask our lady
to ask Saint Therez to bring our lady the graces
that you need and to pass them on to you.
Everything that passes through our lady is more beautiful and
more perfect. All of the rivers flow into the sea,
(16:34):
because the graces of all the saints flow into Mary.
The river of the grace of the Angels enters into Mary.
The river of the grace of the Patriarchs enters into Mary.
The river of the grace of the Apostles enters into Mary.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
The river of the grace of the Martyrs enters into Mary.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
The river of the grace of the Confessors enters into Mary.
The river of the grace of the Virgins enters into Mary.
All rivers enter into the sea. That is, all graces
enter into Mary. Therefore, she above all can say in
(17:25):
me is all grace of the Way and of the Truth,
And in.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Me is all hope of life and of virtue.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
What wonder if all grace flowed into Mary, through whom
such grace flowed forth upon all. Saint Augustine says, Mary,
you are full of grace which you have found with
the Lord and is merited to pour forth upon the
whole world. So I invite you to stop a moment
(17:59):
and to really contemplate those that abundance of grace that.
Speaker 4 (18:05):
The Father wishes to pour out upon us, and he
chooses to pour it out through Mary.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
Mary, we ask you to bring us this grace. We
ask you to open our hearts to it.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
We ask that all of our prayers ascend into Heaven
through the chamber of your heart and your motherly intercession.
We ask that Heaven answer us with gifts that smell
of your fingertips, Mary, our mother.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Pray for us.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Saint Bonaventure continues, considers secondly that Mary, in the passion
of her son, was filled with bitterness.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
When the sword of sorrow passed through her soul.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
She could well say, with ruth, call me not Naomi,
that is fair, but call me Mara that is bitter.
For the Most High has filled me exceedingly with bitterness.
No Naomi or Noaemi, who was at once beautiful and bitter,
(19:23):
signified Mary, beautiful indeed by the sanctification of the Holy Spirit,
but bitter by the passion of her son. The very
purity of her heart, the efficacy of her prayer, the
abundance of her virtue, comes from the union of her
(19:44):
heart with her son, crucified.
Speaker 5 (19:48):
All of the.
Speaker 4 (19:48):
Grace, all of the purity, all of the beauty that
we conceive. And Mary.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
Is something that comes from that spring of her heart,
united to the redemption of her son, the.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Suffering of her son.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
The two sons of Mary are the God, man in
his divinity, and man in his humanity. Mary is the
mother of one in the body and of the other
in the spirit. Saint Bernard said, you are the mother
(20:28):
of the King. You are the mother of the exile.
You are the mother of God the judge. And you
are the mother of God and of Man. As you
are the mother of both, you cannot bear discord between
your two sons.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
And so our lady is the tireless seamstress, always.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Trying to stitch and sew fall in humanity back into
union with the heart of her son. Saint Anselm says, Oh,
blessed confidence, O safe refuge.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
Mother of God and our Mother.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
The two sons of Mary were both slain in the passion,
one in the body and the other in the mind,
the one by the bitter death of the cross, and
the other by infidelity of the mind. Therefore, Mary's soul
(21:32):
was filled with exceeding bitterness, as Saint Augustine testifies, saying
that Loving Mother, crying out with intensity of pain, beating
her enfeebled breast, had so fatigued her body and all
its members, that tottering in her walk, she could scarcely
(21:53):
drag herself to the obsequities of Christ. You see now
how Mary was the sea of the Holy Spirit, and
you see in what manner she was the bitter sea
in the death of her son. Thirdly, consider that Mary
(22:15):
is a bitter seed to the devil and to his
angels oppressed by him, as the Red Sea was bitter
to the Egyptians submerged in it, of whom we read
in Exodus, the Lord drew back upon them the waters.
Speaker 3 (22:33):
Of the sea.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Oh how bitter and full of fear is the sea
to the Egyptians, Oh, how bitter and full of fear
is this.
Speaker 4 (22:45):
Mary to demons.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
If you talk to exorcists or people who have encountered
people who are possessed, they'll say, just the very name
of Mary is horrific to the demons possessing the people.
Saint Bernard said, visible enemies fear not so greatly an
immense multitude of hosts in battle array as the powers
(23:14):
of the air fear the name, the.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Patronage and the example of Mary.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
They flow and melt like wax before the fire wherever
they find frequent recollection of this holy name, devout invocation
of Mary, and diligent imitation of her. You see now
in what manner Mary is a sea by the abundance
(23:43):
of her overflowing grace. How she is bitter by the
veheminence of the Lord's passion, And how to the devil,
Mary is a bitter sea by the power she has
of quelling them. This reminds me of that beautiful prayer.
(24:05):
I've read it many times. I have it in my
book House of Gold. We're Saint Bernard of Clairveaux wrote,
you know, do you find yourself lost in the seas
of life, call upon Mary. You know, if you find
yourself you know in need of help, you know, call
on the name of Mary. If you find that the
(24:25):
world is coming against you, or that you're falling in sin,
you know, call on Mary. Is there a division before you?
Is there you know doubt within your mind? Call on
that blessed name Mary, that light for us right. And
I want to encourage you, like when you find yourself
(24:48):
just in your daily life, in a difficulty, you're frustrated
with someone, you don't know what to do, maybe you
can't sleep at night, or you're afraid for your own life,
the life of your children, you can't make a certain decision.
I encourage you just to repeat that name of Mary.
Just by saying, marry my mother, Marry my mother, Marry
(25:12):
my mother. Any demons that are coming against you to
tempt you away from that peaceful trust of the Lord
will flee, And just by virtue of saying the name
of Mary, she will bring you light.
Speaker 4 (25:28):
Right, Marry my mother.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
How many saints have died with those as their last words?
How many saints have died with the name of Mary
on their lips. Just simply by repeating the name of Mary,
you are praying in a very deep way. You're calling
to the heart of your mother, giving her free reign
(25:51):
over your life. Saint Bonaventure continues, Now we must consider
how Mary is interpreted as the star of the sea. Right,
this name is most suitable to Mary, for she fulfills
the office.
Speaker 4 (26:09):
That a star does to mariners at sea.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
We read, and it's true that sailors, when they propose
to sail to a distant land, choose a star, by
whose guiding light they may, without going astray, make their
way to the.
Speaker 4 (26:26):
Land of their desire.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Such is certainly the office of Mary, our star, who
directs those who sail through the sea of the world
in the ship of innocence or penance, to the shore
of the heavenly country. Well, therefore does Innocent say, by
what aids can ships pass amongst so many dangers, to
(26:54):
the shore of the fatherland. Certainly he replies, chiefly by two,
by the wood and by the star, that is, by
the faith in the Cross, and by the virtue of
the light, which Mary, the Star of the Sea, has
brought forth for us.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Very properly is.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Mary compare it to a star of the sea, because
of her purity, her radiance, and her utility. For Mary
is a most pure star, a most radiant star, and
a most useful star. She is a most pure star
by living most purely, a most radiant star by bringing
(27:38):
forth eternal light, and a most useful star by directing.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Us to the shores of our true home.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
Country.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
When you don't know what to do in life, call
upon the name of Mary. I can't tell you how
many times when I am trying to discern God's will
and I can't make sense of left or right, that
I just go and I start to say the Rosary
over and over again, those.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Hail Mary's, Hail Mary, Hail Mary.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
Sometimes it takes me seventy eight nine of them rosaries
until my heart is calmed down, and I might not
even have.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
The answer at the end.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
But it's like navigating. It's making sure that I put
our Lady in the center of my discernment, in the
center of my vision, the center of my heart, the
center of my life. And I know that if she's
there as my guiding star, that even if I don't
know where I'm going, if I'm going towards Mary, I'm going.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Towards Heaven, and she won't let me go astray.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
And the same is for you, Saint Bonaventure says, Consider
that Mary is a most pure star by living purely
and without sin. Therefore, wisdom says of her, she is
more beautiful than light, than the sun, and above all
the arrangement of the stars. And being compared to light,
(29:09):
she is found more pure. Some read here before instead
of more pure, but either phrase is fitted to our star.
Mary is indeed prior or before. That means she is
most worthy and most graved. Mary is purer than the
(29:30):
Sun and the stars and the light for both indignity
and purity. Should she surpasses the Sun, the stars, and
the light. Yet even every spiritual and angelic creature of
whom it is said God divides light from darkness, that is,
the angels who stood firm from those who fell, Mary
(29:55):
herself is prior to and purer than this angelic light. Hence,
Saint Anselm says, Oh, blessed among women who surpass the
angel's impurity and the saint's in piety. Behold, how Mary
is a most pure star by the very purity of
(30:18):
her life. Secondly, consider that Mary is a most radiant star,
emanating eternal light, bringing forth the.
Speaker 4 (30:28):
Son of God.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
She is that star of whom it said, a star
shall rise out of Jacob, and a rod shall arise
in Israel. The rod is the Son of God, who
is the ray of Mary, our star, that is a
ray of whom it is sung.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
As the ray of a star.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Saint Bernard says, a ray from a star does not
diminish its brightness, and neither does the son of the
verse and lessen the virginity of his mother. Oh, most
truly blessed, most truly radiant star Mary, whose ray is
penetrated not only the world, but also Heaven and Hell,
(31:14):
As Saint Bernard says, she is that glorious and beautiful
star arisen out of Jacob, whose ray illumines the whole world,
whose splendor shines forth in the highest penetrates even into Hell.
As Mary was a most pure star by living most purely,
(31:38):
so is she a most radiant one by bringing forth
the very son of God. Thirdly, let us consider that
Mary is a most useful star by guiding us to
our heavenly country, leading us through the sea of the
world to the grave of her son, as to the
(32:01):
gates of Paradise. She is as that radiant star which
led the magi most surely to Christ, Mary is a star, which,
in the waves of the present life, is most necessary
to us. Saint Bernard says, Turn not away your eyes
(32:23):
from the splendor of this star. If you will not
be overwhelmed by the storms, if the winds of temptation arise,
if you strike on the rock of temptation.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
Tribulation, look upon the star and call upon Mary.
Speaker 2 (32:47):
Therefore, unless you will be submerged by the sea of
this world, follow the star and imitate Mary. It is
the safest path to fire. Follow her, as Saint Bernard says,
following her, you don't stray praying to her. You will
(33:09):
never despair thinking of her. You will never err. If
she absholds you, you will not fall under her protection.
Speaker 4 (33:21):
You shall not fear.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
If she is your guide, you shall not grow weary
with her favor. You shall attend your end. And so
in yourself you will experience how truly it is said,
and the name of the Virgin was Mary. Mary is
(33:45):
also interpreted the illuminatrix or the light giver.
Speaker 4 (33:50):
Right.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
She is so humble that she's empty of herself. She's
so pure that nothing blocks the absolute fullness of the
light of God from shining through her right. Think of
her as that burning bush. She's on fire with the
love of God and the Holy Spirit, with Christ, who
(34:13):
is the light. And so that light comes through every portal,
every pore, every part of her being to give us light.
This virgin Mary was wonderfully illuminated by the presence of
the Lord. According to that word of the Apocalypse, I
(34:35):
saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great power,
and the earth was enlightened by the glory of him.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
The Son of God is the Angel of great counsel.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
The earth is illuminated by the glory of him, and Mary, who,
as she was illuminated by His grace in the world,
is now illuminated by His glory. And that, being thus illuminated,
she may become a light giver in the world and
in heaven. Therefore, we must consider that Mary the illuminated
(35:13):
is a light giver by her example, her benefits, and
her rewards. She gives light by the example of her life,
and by the benefits.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Of her mercy, and by the rewards of her glory.
Speaker 2 (35:30):
Mary is a light giver by her example, by the
example of her most luminous life.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
It is she who, by her glorious life gives light
to the world.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
She it is whose glorious life enlightens all the churches.
Mary is the lamp of the Church, enkindled by God
for this very purpose, that by her the church might
be enlightened against the darkness of the world. Let the
Church therefore pray. Let this faithful soul pray you light
(36:07):
my lamp, Olord, my God, and enlighten my darkness. The
Lord has lit this lamp most radiantly, and by this
light he puts to flight the darkness of our souls.
Saint Bernard felt this when he said, Oh, Mary, by
the magnificent example of your virtue, you stir us up
(36:29):
to the imitation of you, and you enlighten our night.
For he who walks in your ways walks not in darkness,
but has the.
Speaker 3 (36:40):
Light of life.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Secondly, consider how Mary is the light giver, by the
benefits of her gracious mercy, by which so many in
the night of this world are spiritually illuminated. As the
Israelite say, in olden days were by a pillar. According
to the Psalm, you led them forth in a pillar
(37:05):
of a cloud. Mary is to us a pillar in
a cloud, for she protects us like a cloud from
the fiery heat of the divine indicate indignation, and she
also protects us from the heat of diabolical temptation. As
it said in the Psalm, the Lord spread upon us
(37:28):
a cloud.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
He did this when he spread upon.
Speaker 4 (37:31):
Us his mother, Mary is a pillar of fire.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
Excuse me, what would become of us, wretched, being so
full of darkness in this light of this world? If
we had not so lucid a lamp, so luminous a pillar.
What would become of the world without the sun? Saint
Bernard says, take away this lightsomebody, the sun, and what.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
Will give light to the world where is day?
Speaker 2 (38:05):
In the same way, take away Mary, the star of
our seed, and what remains is an enveloping cloud, a
shadow of death, the densest darkness. You have seen how
Mary is a light giver by your most transcendently luminous life.
You will now see how Mary is an illuminatrix by
(38:28):
her resplendent mercy. Thirdly, consider that Mary is also an
illuminatrix by your most resplendent glory, which illuminates the whole.
Speaker 3 (38:40):
Of heaven as the Sun does the world.
Speaker 2 (38:42):
According to Ecclesiastics, the Sun gives light and is looked
upon all things, and is full of glory of the Lord.
In all his work, the work of the Lord is
full of his glory. The most excellent work of the
Lord is Mary. This work, as it was, full of
(39:03):
grace of the Lord in this world, is full of
glory of the.
Speaker 3 (39:08):
Lord of Heaven as well.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
She therefore, being Mary, gives light by her glory and
is looked upon all things, because through all the angels
and the saints she spreads the illumination.
Speaker 3 (39:25):
Of her glory to us.
Speaker 2 (39:28):
What wonder, if the presence of Mary illuminates the whole
of Heaven, who also does illuminate the whole earth? Saint
Bernard says, the presence of Mary lights up the whole world.
The very heavenly count country itself glows more brightly from
(39:48):
being irraditate, irritated by the splendor of that virginal lamp.
So you can see how Mary is an illuminatrix by
your light giving life, but also by her resplendent your glory. Now, lastly,
we have to consider how our lady Mary is a
(40:11):
lady such a title well becomes so great an empress
who is very much indeed the sovereign, lady of the
inhabitants of Heaven, of the dwellers on Earth and in Hell.
She is, I say, the lady of angels, the lady
of men, the lady sovereign in Heaven, on Earth, and
(40:33):
in Hell. First consider that Mary is the Lady of angels.
For it was she who was foreshadowed by the lady Esther,
of whom we read that she leaned delicately on one
of her handmaids, and another maid followed her by, followed
her mistress, bearing up the train of her garment. By
(40:55):
Esther the queen. We understand Mary being our queen. The
two servants the lady of whom Mary is our queen,
are all creatures, men and angels. What a joy twus
miserable men, that the angels have their lord and their
lady from amongst us.
Speaker 4 (41:15):
Truly is Mary a queen of the angels.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
Saint Augustine, addressing her, says, if I call you Heaven,
you are higher. If I call you the Mother of Nations,
you are above this place. If I style you that
Lady of Angels, you are truly proved to be so.
(41:40):
If I call you the type or the form of God,
you are also worthy of this name. Now the soul
of man is the handmaid who in this world follows
its lady Mary. It follows her, bearing up the train
of the garment of its lady, gathering up the virtues
(42:00):
and the example of Mary. But the angelic intelligences are
the handmaids on who marry their lady, as it were,
leans in heaven. She leans upon them by familiarly associating
with them. She leans upon them most delicately, by taking
or delight in them. She leans upon them most faithfully
(42:22):
and entirely by communicating herself in her plenitude to the angels.
She leans upon them as one most powerful, by commanding them.
Mary leans upon all the angels by her power. Saint
Augustine says Michael, the Prince and the leader of the
heavenly Militia, with all his ministering spirits, obey, o Virgin,
(42:46):
your commands, by defending in the body and receiving the
souls of the faithful, especially presenting to you, our lady,
those whose day and night commended themselves to you. Now
consider how marry is the lady of men in this world.
Speaker 3 (43:05):
Of this lady, it's.
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Said in the song as the eyes of a handmaider
on the eyes of her the hands of her mistress.
So are our eyes upon our lady, the handmaid of
the Lady Mary is every.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
Human soul the universal Church.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
The eyes of this handmaid should be ever on the
hands of her mistress, for the eyes of the Church,
the eyes of every one of us, should always look
upon the hands of Mary, so that by her hands
we may receive some good that we may offer to
the Lord by those same hands, whatever good we do,
For it is by the hands of this lady that
(43:48):
we have whatever good we possess. As Saint Bernard testifies,
saying God would have us obtain nothing that did not
pass through the hands of Mary. By the hands of
the lady, we should also offer to God whatever good
we do, as Saint Bernard exhorts, saying, what you little offer,
(44:09):
take care to commend it to the hands most pleasing
and worthy of all acceptance, the hands of Mary.
Speaker 4 (44:16):
If you would not be repulsed.
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Well for us, beloved, it is indeed well for us
that we have such a lady who is towards us,
such liberal hands, is so powerful for us with her son,
that every one of us may have secure acts us
to her, the devout Anselm said, O, great lady, to
whom the joyful multitude of the just gifts, thanks to
(44:44):
whom fleeth the terrified crowd of evildoers. To you, Oh,
all powerful and merciful lady, I am an anxious sinner,
and I have recourse to you.
Speaker 4 (45:00):
Consider how Mary is.
Speaker 2 (45:01):
The lady of the demons in hell, so powerfully submerging them,
that of her we may understand Psalm one hundred to say,
the rod of his power of the Lord, that he
shall send forth the rod of power is the virgin Mary.
She is the rod of iron, flowering by her virginity,
(45:25):
her purity. She is fruitful by her fecundity. Mary is
the rod of which it said in Isaiah, there shall
spring forth a rod from the root of Jesse. This
rod is the virgin Mary, a rod of power against
the infernal enemies, whom she dominates by her great power.
(45:48):
So great a lady of such great power deserves to
be loved by us, and praised by us, and prayed
to by us, that she may protect us against our enemies.
Saint Anselm gives us the example. When speaking to this lady,
he says you, O lady, so very great. My heart
(46:12):
desires to love, my mouth to pleae praise, My mind
longs to venerate, My soul desires to beseech, because the
whole of my being commends itself.
Speaker 3 (46:27):
To your protection.
Speaker 2 (46:30):
Now you see how Mary is the lady of angels
in heaven, of men in this world, of the demons
in hell. Also how Mary is a bitter sea, the
star of the sea, the light giver.
Speaker 4 (46:42):
The Lady Mary is the star of the sea to.
Speaker 2 (46:46):
Convert men, and is the light giver to the faithful angels.
She dominates all creatures. Let us pray. Let us pray
most devoutly to marry and say, Oh Mary, bitter Sea,
help us that we may be plunged into the abyss
(47:06):
of the bitter sea of penance. O Mary, Star of
the Sea, help us that we may be guided rightly
through the sea of the world. Oh Mary, Lightgiver, help
us that we may be eternally illumined in glory. O
Lady Mary, help us that by thy government an empire,
(47:28):
we may be filily governed through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Speaker 3 (47:32):
Amen, Remember a.
Speaker 2 (47:35):
Most gracious virgin Mary, that never was it known that
anyone who fled to Thy protection, implored Thy help, or
sought Thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence,
we fly into THEE, O, Virgin of Virgins, our Mother
to THEE. Do we come before THEE. We stand sinfull
(47:56):
and sorrowful. O, Mother of the word incarnate, does spice
not our petitions, but in the mercy here and answer us.
Speaker 5 (48:04):
Amen, that wasn't good, Hal Holy.
Speaker 3 (48:21):
Queen, and thrown above.
Speaker 5 (48:26):
Oh may.
Speaker 7 (48:30):
Hell, Mother of mercy and of fol om.
Speaker 10 (48:41):
Triumph for ye chair up him, sing with ussie Seraphim
heaven and do three song heal.
Speaker 5 (48:56):
Song so sal richieina.
Speaker 7 (49:08):
Our life a sweetness heild, Oh mydya.
Speaker 6 (49:19):
Our whopen sorrow and in woe, oh mydy triump fall
ye chairpim sing with us Saphim heaven, and three.
Speaker 8 (49:42):
Song solva.
Speaker 7 (49:47):
Salvae sal ritchieina triump fall ye you cheerbim sing with
us Saphilm heaven er reason, Salve, salvebe sud.
Speaker 4 (50:19):
Ge, glory be to the Father and the Son into
the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2 (50:30):
As it was in the beginning is now.
Speaker 3 (50:32):
Never shall be world without end.
Speaker 2 (50:34):
Amen, Alilujah, God bless you follow that name of Mary.
Speaker 1 (50:43):
Hello, God's beloved I'm Annabel Moseley, author, professor of theology,
and host of them Sings My Soul and Destination Sainthood
on w c AT Radio. I invite you to listen
in and find inspiration along this sacred journey where traveling
together to make our lives a masterpiece and with God's grace,
(51:05):
become saints. Join me Annabel Moseley for then Sings My
Soul and Destination Sainthood on WCAT Radio. God bless you.
Remember you are never alone. God is always with you.
Speaker 3 (51:25):
Thank you for listening to a production of WCAT Radio.
Speaker 1 (51:30):
Please join us in our mission of evangelization, and don't
forget Love lifts up when knowledge takes flight.
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