Monday, May 14, 2012

In May

May is Mary's month. We include these words from our 12th century Cistercian Father, Saint Ælred of Rievaulx.

Let us come to his bride, his mother, his perfect handmaid, for Blessed Mary is all of this.

But what are we to do for her? What kind of gifts shall we offer her? Would that we could at least return what we are in duty bound to do, for we owe her honor and service, we owe her love and praise. We owe her honor, for she is the mother of our Lord. He who fails to honor the mother clearly dishonors the son.
She is our mother—the mother of our life, the mother of our incarnation, the mother of our light. As the Apostle says of our Lord, he became for us by God’s power our wisdom and justice, and holiness and redemption.

She then, as mother of Christ, is the mother of our wisdom and justice, of our holiness and redemption. She is more our mother than the mother of our flesh. Our birth from her is better, for from her is born our holiness, our wisdom, our justice, our sanctification, our redemption.
Woodcut by Eric Gill,
Excerpts from Sermon 20 On the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Saint Ælred.