MARY, OUR MOTHER

Ave Maris Stella

VATICAN - AVE MARIA -

“Look to the Star of the Sea …invoke Mary!” , Luciano Alimandi

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) -

God's love is poured into our heart when it finds us open to true love, which consists in loving God for the sake of God and others for the sake of others. In other words authentic love is freely given, disinterested, forgetful of self, reaching out to others: to the Other, who is God and others who are our neighbours. “ love always demands going out of oneself” (Benedict XVI, 9 September 2007). True love is the exact opposite of self-love which is closed in on itself, it cannot open nor can it give. This is the condition of the human person without grace: we cannot give something we have not received. In order to love with authentic love we need the Lord Jesus who is Truth-Love!

“Without me you can do nothing” Jesus says in the Gospel; Christians of every epoch find themselves in these words of the Master and experience them in their own flesh during their lives. They have complete trust in Jesus, they follow Him day after day, taking up each their own Cross to lose themselves and find Him: “Anyone who wishes to save his life will lose it, but he who loses it for my sake will save it”! Only in this way are we capable of a new mysterious love far greater than our expectations and it renews us from within, precisely because it is not we who love but the Love of God which is in us. How often in life the Christian experiences this wondrous exchange between his or her own poverty and the riches of God's grace, living in this way the same extraordinary adventure as all those who lose themselves for the Lord and receive in exchange His heart, thought, intentions and His love!

First and foremost Mary, who is for us Mother and model to total self-giving and total openness to God, as the Holy Father recently recalled Maria: “ Mary’s participation in this love gave her the strength to say “yes” unconditionally. In her encounter with the gentle, respectful love of God, who awaits the free cooperation of his creature in order to bring about his saving plan, the Blessed Virgin was able to overcome all hesitation and, in view of this great and unprecedented plan, to entrust herself into his hands (…).

Fully willing, totally open in her heart and free of self, she made it possible for God to fill her with his Love, with the Holy Spirit. And so Mary, a humble young woman, was able to receive within herself the Son of God and the world the Saviour who had given himself to her.” (Benedict XVI, 9 September 2007). Our Lady from the Annunciation to the Cross, is close to us to help us understand the mystery of this crucified love, this love mixed with suffering, which, if accepted in unity with Christ, is no longer a threat or defeat but rather, through redeeming grace, becomes for us and for others the way to God. On this day dedicated to the Holy Name of Mary let us repeat that wonderful prayer of Saint Bernard, responding to Pope Benedict XVI 's invitation to “ invite everyone to become a trusting child before Mary, even as the Son of God did.

Saint Bernard says, and we say with him:

“Look to the star of the sea, call upon Mary … in danger, in distress, in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary. May her name never be far from your lips, or far from your heart … If you follow her, you will not stray; if you pray to her, you will not despair; if you turn your thoughts to her, you will not err. If she holds you, you will not fall; if she protects you, you need not fear; if she is your guide, you will not tire; if she is gracious to you, you will surely reach your destination””

(Benedict XVI, address at Heiligenkreuz Abbey, 9 September 2007). (Agenzia Fides 12/9/2007; righe 38, parole 625) ”.