Editorial: THE HOLY SPIRIT AND/OR MARY?

Editorial: THE HOLY SPIRIT AND/OR MARY?

It is a deplorable fact that, generally speaking, Charismatic groups here in the U.S.A. have up to now given very little, if any, place to Mary in their prayer meetings and in their spiritual lives. It is probably equally true that many Marian groups have given very little, if any, place to the Holy Spirit in their prayer and devotional life.

And this, of course, has caused and continues to cause tensions in the Church among the faithful who profess to be, and often are, our best people. It tends to divide rather than to unite us in our faith and in our prayer life. It stems from an incomplete understanding of the all-encompassing role of the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, Who with and through Mary, as Fr. de Montfort puts it, “produced the greatest thing that ever was or ever will be—a God Man” (True Devotion No. 35), and Who now “wishes to fashion His chosen ones in and through Mary” (ibid).

When the Holy Spirit, Her Spouse, Finds Mary in a Soul

This close relationship, this inseparable union between Mary and the Holy Spirit was beautifully expressed by St. Louis de Montfort when he wrote: “When the Holy Spirit, her spouse, finds Mary in a soul, he hastens there and enters fully into it. He gives himself generously to that soul according to the place it has given to his spouse.” He then goes on to say: “One of the main reasons why the Holy Spirit does not now work striking wonders in souls is that he fails to find in them a sufficiently close union with his faithful and inseparable spouse.”

I say ‘inseparable spouse,’ for from the moment the substantial love of the Father and the Son espoused Mary to form Jesus, the head of the elect, and Jesus in the elect, he has never disowned her, for she has always been faithful and fruitful” (T. D. #36).

The question, therefore, is not Mary or the Holy Spirit. The question is Mary and the Holy Spirit; or, if you prefer: The Holy Spirit is “the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father and the Son” and, Mary, is our “Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Helper, Mediatrix,” as the Church teaches us (Vatican Il, Const. on the Church #62). The Holy Spirit and Mary are therefore inseparable •in God’s plan for the work of our sanctification, since grace is Christ born again in our souls “of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit.”

God’s Plan for the Work of Our Sanctification

I had been wanting to put this into writing for a long time, until the other day, when I received a letter from a friend of mine who expressed my own thoughts and feelings about all this in a very personal and incisive manner. Permit me to quote that part of the letter that is pertinent to this problem. I know you’ll appreciate reading it, too.

“It seems (to me) that the Marian groups and the Holy Spirit groups are going to have to have a meeting of minds one of these days. As I see it the Marian people have Blessed Mother in a strong and powerful way. I believe that the Holy Spirit is there but not in the fullness of His Person.

“On the other hand (again, I think) the Holy Spirit is truly working in a powerful way in Charismatics, but there is such a lack of Our Blessed Mother at this point, in most (not all) prayer meetings.

“There just is so much that each group could learn from each other.

“If this spiritual reality could be put into human terms, which it cannot—at least by me—this is how it is. The Holy Spirit is at all of the Charismatic prayer meetings, pouring Himself out— teaching about Jesus, telling of the Father—but He is “frustrated” that His Spouse is not there. He wants to give Himself totally but is hindered.

“The Marian groups on the other hand, sing of Him, pray to Him but have not opened to Him fully. They are right when they say they received Him at Baptism and the extension of Him at Confirmation has more to give in these days. He is, once again, “frustrated” because, though His Beloved Spouse is there, He is not welcomed to join Her as He ought to be.

“Well, when the Holy Spirit and Mary are each and both invited—that’s when Jesus happens. That’s when the Reign ‘Of Jesus, that St. Louis de Montfort prophesied, will happen.”

I’ll say “AMEN” to that!