Why Mary???

Have you ever wondered why Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is so prominent in Dominican spirituality? Yes, there are the stories of Mary’s appearances, guiding Dominic in the foundation of the Order, and the use of the prayer beads that became the rosary, to give folks access to scripture before the printing press arrived in 1443. But why would Mary take such an interest, not only in the Dominicans, but in other Orders as well?

We might find a helpful clue from the lay woman Chiara Lubich, foundress of the Focolare Movement, who died recently in Rome. Chiara calls Mary the transparency of God. Her insight suggests that Mary’s present state as a risen human is something like a “see-through lady.” Her humanness has become the very radiance of God, who shows in her and through her. This would give us a hint of our very own future. Is that how it will be with us? Will the grateful love we have lived day by day, and the faithfulness we have struggled to maintain, be the agents of our transformation? Are we actually a partner in our own risen life? Is this our “wedding garment?”

It would be just like our merciful God, to use our very own love, faith, and hope, to make us new. In fact, this may be just what the Word does with each Eucharistic kiss. He may be about the work of transforming us into our own risen life like his own, for as Augustine says, we become what we eat, and he is a transformed human as risen.

So as we enter the time of harvest, the time when the fruits of the Paschal Mystery should be showing in the gardens of our souls, it might be a good practice to keep our eyes on our Mother. She shows us what we shall be when the pain is gone and the tears are wiped away. That’s Good News, and the essential element of being a Dominicans is about proclaiming the Good News.