Mary's Heroic Patience-- An Imitation
by. Fr. Maximilian M. Dean
The sublime virtue of the Immaculate was crowned by her heroic patience, through which she won merits that rightly make her the incomparable Queen of Martyrs. In this, She is for us a very important example, especially if we consider, with St. Alphonsus di Liguori, that unlike the sinless Virgin, we have deserved to suffer because of our sins.
The Immaculate is called the Queen of Martyrs. Yet how could this be, since she shed no blood on Calvary with Her Son? How is this possible since she did not endure tortures or death at the hands of infidels as did the host of martyrs? As we shall see, she is the Queen of Martyrs be cause through heroic patience her merits exceeded that of all the white-robed army of martyrs put together.
Our Lady's patience began at the first moment of her existence. From her Immaculate Conception she longed for God to be perfectly glorified in His creation via the Incarnation. No one in Israel ever desired the coming of the Messiah as did the Immaculate. In Her love for mankind she ardently prayed for and waited that day when the Mediator of grace and glory would come to offer redemption and divinization to all mankind. Do we not already see, even from the womb of St. Anne, the heroic patience and resignation of the Blessed Virgin?
When the "Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn 1:14), and St. Joseph found the Virgin Mary "to be with child of the Holy Spirit" (Mt 118), Our Lady patiently resigned Herself to Divine Providence. She did not protest Joseph's decision nor seek to manipulate him, but left all in the hands of the Good God.
She endured many discomforts without complaint in her journey with St. Joseph to Bethlehem. Hers was a supernatural joy in seeing her Divine Jesus on Christmas morn. She had no misgivings about the cold cave where He was born or the rude stable where he was laid.
After the miraculous star led the Magi to adore the Infant King in the arms of His Mother, her heroic endurance of trials shone forth again in the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt. No provisions, no work, a foreign language, culture and religion -- Our Lady embraced all as a great gift from God. "For who is worthy," She thought, "to suffer for the King of kings?"
Our Blessed Lady always longed for that day when Jesus, "the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Mt 16:16) would manifest Himself publicly. During her entire time of intimacy with Jesus at Nazareth and abroad, Our Blessed Lady never showed herself impatient, as did Christ's cousins and relatives who said, "If you do these things, show yourself to the world" (Jn 7:4). Rather, after thirty years of being with Jesus, Our Lady, seeing the need of a newlywed couple at Cana for wine, seeing the need for Christ's followers to know Him more deeply, and knowing that Christ was about His "Father's business" (Lk 2:49 - Confr. Version), submissively pointed out to Her Son, "They have no wine" (Jn 2:3). Upon hearing the key words "woman" and "My hour" from the lips of Her Divine Son, She immediately disposed the servants for the initiation of Christ's public ministry: "Do whatever he tells you" (Jn 2:5).
Above all the Immaculate became our Model of patience in Her long-suffering with Jesus during His Passion. Meeting Jesus along the way of the Cross was bitterness to Her Mother's Heart, yet She united Her Heart to His and suffered with Him in silence, compassion and love. In Her the words of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe were realized most perfectly: "Every moment, how ever sorrowful for the soul, but borne with peace and resignation to God's will, is a new jewel in the heavenly crown that God prepares for the faithful soul."
Stabat Mater, the Mother stood "by the cross of Jesus" (Jn 19:25). By this is understood that the Immaculate had come freely to Calvary to endure with Her Son the price of our Redemption. She "stood" as the strong "woman" of Genesis 3:15 Who, with and in subordination to her Son, crushed the head of the ancient serpent. Her patience on Calvary knows no equal. Thus the New Eve, in undoing the disobedience of the first Eve, now bears such titles as Coredemptrix, Mother of Sorrows, and Queen of Martyrs.
What of Her patience after the death of Her beloved Son? Does not the Church experience each year those 40 hours of eager waiting for the Resurrection which filled Mary's Heart after Christ was taken down from the Cross? From Good Friday to Easter morn time seems to stop no Mass, no Eucharist in the churches' tabernacles, no candles, no bells, covered statues and crucifixes... If we who love Jesus so imperfectly find the recalling of this stretch of time so long, what must it have been for Mary, the Perfect Lover of Jesus, during the actual event of waiting for the Resurrection "on the third day" (Mt 20:19)?
Let us conclude with a prayer from St. Alphonsus' The Glories of Mary:
"Ah, my most sweet Lady, Thou who wast innocent didst suffer with so much patience; and shall I, who deserve Hell, refuse to suffer? My Mother, I now ask Thee this favor - not, indeed, to be delivered from crosses, but to bear them with patience."
Fr. Maximilian Dean is a priest of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. He is currently the master of postulants of his Order and the superior of one of their friaries in United States. He is also the spiritual assistant of various Cenacle groups and Franciscan fraternities
Taken from Missio Immaculatae International (English Edition) Issue n. 8., October 2006.
Thank you for a very unique and indepthful article on one of our Blessed Mother's special characteristics.
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