Q&A: In reading an article in The Queen, I came across the expression “Mary’s Universal Mortification.” What does that mean ?
Father Roger Charest, SMM
The True Devotion in Nos. 34 and 108 also speaks of Mary’s universal mortification. We can affirm that Montfort is not the only spiritual writer who has proposed the Blessed Virgin’s spirit of mortification as a model for us to follow. In this he is merely associating himself with a long line of Mariologists who despite their complete acceptance of the effects of the Immaculate Conception in Mary, still elect to present her as a perfect example of universal mortification.
In Christ, there was no fallen nature, no interior rebellion of the flesh against spirit, and spirit against God. Still it could be said that His entire life was a “cross and martyrdom. ” From Bethlehem to Calvary, we witness an unending series of privations, and humiliations eventually crowned with barbarous tortures and an ignominious death. This was the path he had set for us in attaining perfection. Then we could fathom the meaning of His words: “If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself.”
To understand Mary’s spirit of mortification we need only think of Christ. Strictly speaking it was not mortification. Mortification is described as “the struggle against our evil inclinations, in order to subject them to the will, and the will to God” (Tanquerey : Spiritual Life).
Mary performed acts of mortification but not to over-power non-existent evil inclinations. She willingly suffered heat and cold, hunger and thirst but not to strengthen her will against concupiscence. There were no evil inclinations within her and her will was perfectly subject to God. She did this because she was predestined. Predestined from all eternity to point out the path that we must tread in order to reach Christ.
