I felt it would be good to center our work on two essential elements that make up the two parts of this presentation.<\/p>\n
First, I will give some reflections on the concept of Marian Spirituality.<\/p>\n
Fr. Robert Maloney described spirituality<\/b> as such: It is, on the one hand, the specific way in which a person is rooted in God. It is, on the other hand, the specific way in which he or she relates to the created world. It is insight as the source of action. It is a vision that generates energy and channels it in a particular direction, thereby enabling a person to transcend him or herself. For the Christian, it is a way of seeing Christ and being in him that directs the individual\u2019s energies in the service of the kingdom.\u201d <\/i><\/span>1<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n Spirituality expresses a relationship with life according to the Spirit<\/i>, following Christ, in a new way of being and living in the Lord<\/i>.<\/p>\n Therefore, referring to Marian Spirituality does not mean revising devotional practices to the Virgin Mary. Referring to Marian Spirituality, is finding the inspiration to follow Christ in Mary.<\/b> Christianity does not consist of formulas, an ideology or concepts. It is above all gift, presence, experience, and life. The figure of Mary stands out as a challenge and an inspiration to embody Christian attitudes and values. Mary is presented to us as the most perfect disciple of Christ and the first Christian, by her attitudes, \u201cin her own particular life, she fully and responsibly accepted the will of God, because she heard the word of God and acted on it, and because charity and the spirit of service were the driving force of her actions. She is worthy of imitation because she was the first and most perfect of Christ\u2019s disciples. All of this has a permanent and universal exemplary value.\u201d<\/i><\/span>2<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n \u201cMary is the perfect embodiment of Christian Spirituality.\u201d<\/i><\/span>3<\/sup><\/a><\/span> She is Mistress of the spiritual life,<\/i> according to the words of Paul VI.<\/span>4<\/sup><\/a><\/span> In this sense, the Church calls her model of Christians and of the Church: \u201cAs St. Ambrose taught, the Mother of God is a type of the Church in the order of faith, charity, and perfect union with Christ.\u201d<\/i><\/span>5<\/sup><\/a><\/span> \u201cThus the daughter of Adam, Mary, consenting to the word of God, became the Mother of Jesus. Committing herself wholeheartedly and impeded by no sin to God\u2019s saving Will, she devoted herself totally, as a handmaid of the Lord, to the person and work of her Son, under and with Him, serving the mystery of Redemption, by the grace of almighty God.\u201d<\/i><\/span>6<\/sup><\/a><\/span> Mary is the perfect disciple of Jesus, she follows him from the Annunciation of the Angel to the foot of the Cross. \u201cThis union of the Mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ\u2019s virginal conception up to his death.\u201d <\/i><\/span>7<\/sup><\/a><\/span> Mary unreservedly allowed herself to be guided by the Spirit: she was filled with the Holy Spirit; her life was life in the Spirit.<\/span>8<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n Marian spirituality spontaneously flourished at the heart of the Church since the earliest centuries. Christians from various times have proposed forms, modalities and expressions according to the practices of each era. \u201cMary is a grace which continuously nourishes the spiritual life of the faithful.\u201d<\/i><\/span>9<\/sup><\/a><\/span> It is the same for the Vincentian Family. That is why it is essential for us to draw near to the inspirational sources of Marian Spirituality within the Vincentian Charism and see, once again, how we can promote a living<\/b> Marian Spirituality within the heart of Vincentian Associations today<\/b>.<\/p>\n We are not going to linger here on the contents and scope of the expression Vincentian Charism. <\/i><\/span>10<\/sup><\/a><\/span> But, allow me to bring up three useful points for our work.<\/p>\n a) By Vincentian Charism<\/b> we mean the gift of the Spirit given by God in the Church to Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac. A gift of the Spirit shared by all who follow Vincent and Louise in the various institutions and associations that have arisen under their inspiration and that endeavor to live out, maintain, deepen and constantly develop this gift in harmony with the Body of Christ which is in continuous growth.<\/span>11<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n b) Etymologically the word Vincentian<\/b> comes from the word Vincent (Vincentius). We cannot assign the characteristics of Vincentian Charism to the personality of Vincent de Paul alone. It cannot be completely understood without the original contribution of Louise de Marillac. The more one studies the relationship between Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac<\/b>, the more difficult it is to attribute the Vincentian Charism to only one of them.<\/p>\n c) The profile of Vincentian Charism does not exclusively correspond to the time of the Founders. The charism is a dynamic reality,<\/b> recreated in every epoch, constantly deepened and enriched through the vitality of the responses of each person, each Community and each Association in fidelity to the Spirit.<\/p>\n Having given these points, I will now focus on our theme: What are the inspirational sources of Marian Spirituality within the Vincentian Charism?<\/b><\/p>\n I will develop this in four sections: 1. Mary\u2019s life as we are told of it through the gospels; 2. the Church\u2019s faith that shows us Mary as her most eminent member; 3. the experience of Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac; 4. the experience of the Vincentian Family since the apparitions to Catherine Labour\u00e9. Although belonging to various areas, I believe that it is from these wellsprings that the Vincentian Family draws its spirituality.<\/p>\n At the time of St. Vincent and St. Louise and at the time of the apparitions to Catherine Labour\u00e9, as well as in our own time, authentic Marian spirituality must be nourished from a personal and genuine encounter with Mary in the g<\/b>ospel<\/b>: \u201cFinally, we wish to point out that our own time, no less than former times, is called upon to verify its knowledge of reality with the word of God, and, keeping to the matter at present under consideration, to compare its anthropological ideas and the problems springing therefrom with the figure of the Virgin Mary as presented by the Gospel.\u201d<\/i><\/span>12<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n There are few New Testament texts concerning Mary. In the epistles, we only find one passage, which is Galatians 4:4. There is also a reference in the Acts of the Apostles in chapter 1, verse 14. There are two indications in Mark\u2019s Gospel (3:31-35 and 6:3) and two in the Gospel of John (2:1-12 and 19:26-27). The most abundant details are contained in the infancy narratives: Matthew 1-2; Luke 1-2.<\/p>\n The original \u201ckerygma\u201d is centered on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, with no direct reference to Mary. As a whole, though, the New Testament recognizes the role of Mary as mother and model in the history of salvation, worthy of acceptance and honor.<\/p>\n Mary\u2019s role in salvation history can be represented using two expressions that are found in the Gospel of Luke:<\/p>\n Mary\u2019s mission in salvation history can also be deepen from the prophecy of Simeon (Lk 2:35), at the time of finding Jesus in the temple (Lk 2:48), or the two episodes in the Gospel of John, related to \u201cthe hour\u201d <\/i>(2:1-12 and 19:26-27).<\/p>\n During the public life of Jesus, the gospels present Mary to us as the Mother who became a disciple (Lk 8:19-20; 11:28).<\/p>\n The Evangelists, especially Luke and John, present us the traits of Mary\u2019s personality as the perfect Christian and model for the entire people of God, for the Church. \u201cAll the spiritual dimensions characteristic of the mystical line of the poor of Yahweh in the Old Testament that would subsequently be ratified by the Beatitudes in the Gospel, are focused on Mary and make up her spiritual portrait: poverty (Lk 1:48), service (Lk 1:38, 48; Jn 2:5), fear of God (Lk 1:29, 50), awareness of her own fragility (Lk 1:52), sense of justice (Lk 1:35), solidarity with the people of God (Lk 1:52-55), joy (Lk 1:28, 47), openness and availability to the design of God (Lk 1:35, 51), trust in the promises of a faithful and merciful God (Lk 2:19, 51). All these attitudes show the depth of Mary\u2019s faith in harmony with Old Testament biblical devotion. The Magnificat, uniting historical and biblical points, is the song of the poor, true and holy people Israel, inheritor of the messianic blessings. It presents Mary as the daughter of Sion, the \u201clittle remnant\u201d of the community of Israel, who has achieved perfection, ready to welcome messianic joy and to bring about the salvific presence of God to humanity.\u201d<\/i><\/span>14<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n The Gospel of Luke invites Christians to honor Mary: \u201cHenceforth all generations will call me blessed\u201d <\/i>(1:48); to join with Israel in calling her \u201cblessed\u201d <\/i>(1:42), recognizing God\u2019s action in her, chosen to participate in a fundamental way in God\u2019s plan of salvation.<\/p>\n The Gospel of John invites all who follow Jesus to receive Mary as Mother: \u201cFrom this time forward, the disciple received her into his home\u201d <\/i>(19:27). As for Jesus\u2019 disciple, the reception of his Mother, in faith, was among all the goods and all things that come from being in communion with Christ.<\/span>15<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n As we see, the New Testament gives us the essential elements to fashion Marian spirituality:<\/b> \u201cThe reading of Divine Scriptures, carried out under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and with the discoveries of the human sciences and the different situations in the world today being taken into account, will help us to see how Mary can be considered a mirror of the expectations of the men and women of our time.\u201d<\/i><\/span>16<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n The Church is the sacrament of Christ and of those who follow him. It is the principle and most authentic place of encountering the Father. The Church is the \u201chomeland,\u201d<\/i> the privileged place where the Holy Spirit dwells and acts.<\/span>17<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n Through all ages of history, there reappears the temptation to have a Christianity and a spirituality without the Church and the experience she offers us. Nevertheless, it is the criterion of ecclesial community that compares our personal Christian experience with the gospel and the experience of Jesus, so that our experience is neither sectarian nor subjective. It is also the ecclesial community that places the great spiritual tradition of Christianity within our reach and offers us living witnesses, raised up by the Holy Spirit, who are following Jesus. It is in the common celebration of faith, in the deepening of the Word of God, in shared responses to Christian commitments, that the ecclesial community guides its members to live in God by helping each other.<\/p>\n Vatican Council II devoted chapter VIII of Lumen Gentium<\/i> to Mary: The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, in the mystery of Christ and the Church. \u201cAs it is the fruit of two trends, the presentation of Mary in this chapter is very beautiful, positive, balanced, biblical, ecumenical and ecclesial. Truly, it would be difficult to write with any greater scriptural basis, solid theology or fervor. The incomparable role of Mary in salvation history is stressed but always in relation to Christ and the Church.\u201d<\/span>18<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n In 1974 Paul VI published the Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus<\/i>. It updated the Marian doctrine of Vatican II, clarifying the essential relationship of the Virgin with the Savior and indicating lines of Marian spirituality and devotion, offering Mary as a model: the Virgin who listens, prays and offers \u2014 the Virgin Mother.<\/p>\n John Paul II published the encyclical Redemptoris Mater<\/i> in 1987 to \u201cpromote a new and more careful reading of what the Council said about the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, in the mystery of Christ and of the Church… Here we speak not only of the doctrine of faith but also of the life of faith, and thus of authentic \u2018Marian Spirituality.\u2019\u201d<\/i><\/span>19<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n An authentic Marian spirituality must go and draw from this source, which is the faith of the Church, constantly reflected upon and reformulated within the documents of the Magesterium. It is impossible to create an authentic Marian spirituality in the margins or outside of the Church and even less so contrary to the Church.<\/p>\n For us who are part of the Vincentian Family, the experience of Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac must be a constant reference point. It is up to us to live, maintain, deepen and constantly develop the Vincentian Charism.<\/span>20<\/sup><\/a><\/span> Let us look at their experience and these will inspire our own Marian spirituality.<\/p>\n A. Dodin, in presenting the Mariology of St. Vincent wrote, \u201cSaint Vincent seems to be a poor family relative.\u201d<\/i><\/span>21<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n The time of St. Vincent is notably characterized by Catholic reactions to reforms.<\/span>22<\/sup><\/a><\/span> That is why devotion to Mary increased and often times became excessive. Louis XIII consecrated the Kingdom of France to the Virgin in 1638; Anne of Austria confided the accomplishment of numerous devotions such as pilgrimages to Marian centers, gifts, etc. to Brother Fiacre. Theologians and masters of the spiritual life also developed abundant treatises that furthered devotion to the Virgin and acknowledgement of her privileges. On the popular level there developed numerous confraternities, especially those of the rosary, pilgrimages and other devotional practices.<\/p>\n Within this context, the sparseness of Vincent de Paul\u2019s thoughts and outward signs in regard to the Virgin Mary attracts our attention. In the more than 8,000 pages of letters and conferences, we only find two hundred references to the Virgin Mary: \u201cVincent de Paul refers to the Virgin Mary only in passing, using classical terms and a moderate tone.\u201d<\/i><\/span>23<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n In 1600, Vincent de Paul celebrated his first Eucharist at Notre Dame de Remouille. He attributes his freedom from slavery to the Virgin Mary.<\/span>24<\/sup><\/a><\/span> In 1623 Vincent made a pilgrimage to Notre Dame de Buglose with his family. In 1639 he also participated in a pilgrimage to Chartres. He would usually close his letters with the phrase \u201cin the love of Our Lord and His holy Mother.\u201d<\/i><\/span>25<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n From the establishment of the first Confraternity of Charity at Ch\u00e2tillon-les-Dombes in 1617, Vincent proposed Mary as the patroness: \u201cAnd the Mother of God being invoked and taken as patroness in important matters, it can do no other than redound to the glory of the good Jesus her Son, the said Ladies take her as patroness and protector of the work and humbly beg her to take them into her special care.\u201d <\/i>We also find similar references in the rules of the Confraternities that would soon follow.<\/span>26<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n St. Vincent accepted that the Company of the Daughters of Charity would be consecrated to the Virgin Mary, and that she would be considered the Mother of the Company. He urged the sisters to say the rosary and the Angelus.<\/span>27<\/sup><\/a><\/span> He recommended that the members of the Congregation of the Mission have special devotion to the Blessed Virgin: \u201c… a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. We should try to carry this out perfectly with God\u2019s help: 1st<\/sup> by specially honoring the preeminent Mother of Christ every day, who is also our Mother; 2nd<\/sup> by putting into practice, as far as possible, the same virtues she did, particularly humility and chastity; 3rd<\/sup> by enthusiastically encouraging others, whenever the opportunity and means permit, to show her the greatest reverence and always to serve her loyally.\u201d<\/i><\/span>28<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n But Vincent de Paul advised against sentimentality and excess in devotional love for the Virgin Mary. He wrote to Fr. Lambert: \u201cYou would do well to get rid of that young woman. Advise her not to amuse herself with all those notions she has… Neither Our Lord nor the Blessed Virgin had all those ideas, and they conformed to the common life.\u201d<\/i><\/span>29<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n Vincent de Paul suggested Mary as a model<\/b>: \u201c…you should reflect on the example of the Blessed Virgin…,\u201d<\/i><\/span>30<\/sup><\/a><\/span> \u201c…let us pray to the Blessed Virgin, who, better than all others, has delved into the substance <\/i>(of the gospel maxims) and put them into practice.\u201d <\/i><\/span>31<\/sup><\/a><\/span> Many qualities of Mary to imitate appear within the conferences and letters: she was obedient to the Will of God, modest, discreet, without sin, humble, perfect, full of grace, poor, persevering, a virgin and servant of the Lord.<\/span>32<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n Vincent focused his attention on three events<\/b>, three mysteries in Mary\u2019s life: the Immaculate Conception, the Annunciation and the Visitation. \u201cThese three mysteries constitute the support, letter and spirit of the fundamental steps of her progression toward Christ and her life with God.\u201d <\/i><\/span>33<\/sup><\/a><\/span> Vincent de Paul\u2019s contemplation of Mary was situated within the center of the spiritual universe: given to God to serve God in the poor.<\/p>\n a) <\/i><\/b>The Immaculate Conception<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Within the mystery of the Immaculate Conception, St. Vincent saw the humble and chaste Virgin, emptied of herself so as to welcome God <\/b>and allow herself to be filled with God. These are fundamental dispositions for those desiring to empty themselves and clothe themselves in the spirit of Jesus Christ: \u201c(God) foresaw then that, since His Son had to take human flesh through a woman, it was proper that He take it from a woman worthy of receiving Him, a woman outstanding in grace, free from sin, filled with piety and far removed from any harmful affections. Already, God paraded before His eyes all the women who might be suitable and found none of them worthy of this important piece of work except the most pure and most immaculate Virgin Mary. That is why, from all eternity, God decided to prepare this dwelling place, to adorn her with rarer and more worthy gifts than any other creature, so that she would be a temple of the Divinity, a palace worthy of her Son. If the eternal foresight searched so far to discover this repository for His Son and, once he had found her, adorned her with all the graces that could embellish a created being, as God declared through the angel sent as an ambassador, how much more should we foresee the day and the dispositions required for receiving him.\u201d<\/i><\/span>34<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n Welcoming God, being filled with God, clothing oneself with Christ, self-emptying, as did the Immaculate one that is the first event that Vincent de Paul stressed regarding the Virgin Mary.<\/p>\n b) <\/i><\/b>The Annunciation<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Humility prepared and sustained the offering to God. Knowing God and recognizing God as the only Lord, knowing one\u2019s smallness before God, giving oneself to God<\/b> to serve one\u2019s neighbor, in order to accomplish God\u2019s work \u2014 that is the second movement that Vincent discovered in Mary within the Annunciation: \u201cWe must recognize the essence and existence of God and have some knowledge of His perfections before offering sacrifices to Him. That is natural for, I ask you, to whom do you offer gifts? To the great, to princes and Kings. It is to them you render homage. This is so true that God observed this order in the Incarnation. When the angel went to salute the Blessed Virgin, he began by acknowledging that she was replenished with the graces of Heaven: Ave, gratia plena: you are full of grace, you are filled with God\u2019s favor. <\/i>Ave gratia plena. <\/i>He recognized the fact then, and praised her as being full of grace. And then what did he do? He made her the beautiful gift of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. The Holy Spirit, within her virginal womb formed a body. God created a soul, united it to this body. And immediately the Word united Himself to this soul and body by a wonderful union. And, in this manner, the Holy Spirit wrought the ineffable mystery of the Incarnation. Praise preceded sacrifice\u201d<\/i><\/span>35<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n Like Mary, in the Annunciation, we must give ourselves to God to accomplish his work. \u201cIt is said then: we must seek the Kingdom of God. We must seek. This is but one word. Yet it seems to me to say much. It means that we should place ourselves in such a state as always to aspire after what has been recommended to us, to labor unceasingly for the Kingdom of God and not remain in a languishing and inactive state\u2026. Seek: Seek, this implies care; this implies action.\u201d<\/i><\/span>36<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n c) <\/i><\/b>The Visitation<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n Emptied of ourselves and given to G<\/b>od, our life is at the service of the poor:<\/b> \u201cYou are given to God for the service of the Poor.\u201d <\/i>St. Vincent discovered this third movement of the spiritual journey in Mary\u2019s visit to her cousin Elizabeth. He suggested Mary\u2019s promptness, as exemplified within the Visitation, as a model of service to the poor: \u201cThey shall honor the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin who went to visit her cousin cheerfully and promptly.\u201d <\/i><\/span>37<\/sup><\/a><\/span>Thus, he determined specific applications for the life of the Daughter of Charity: \u201c\u2018The Company of the Daughters of Charity is established to love God, to serve and honor Our Lord, their Patron, and the Blessed Virgin. And how will you honor him? Your rule tells you, for it goes on to inform you of God\u2019s design in establishing your Company to serve the sick poor corporally, by supplying them with all they need, and spiritually, by taking care that they live and die in a holy state.\u201d<\/i><\/span>38<\/sup><\/a><\/span>\n Whatever road we take, Monsieur Vincent, without fail, guides us towards the poor. Our life, like Mary\u2019s, is totally given to God for the service of the poor.<\/p>\n Contrary to that of St. Vincent, Mary\u2019s presence in St. Louise\u2019s correspondence and writings is rich, abundant and sometimes even written in a systematic way.<\/p>\n 3.2.1 <\/b>The great dignity of Mary<\/b><\/p>\n We have some writings of St. Louise where she discusses the fruits of her meditations and her reflections on the great dignity of the Virgin Mary. She presents Mary as:<\/p>\n a) God\u2019s collaborator in the Incarnation; \u201cThe Son of God having taken human form in the womb of Mary\u201d<\/span>39<\/sup><\/a><\/span>;<\/p>\n b) Very united to Christ Jesus who lives in her: \u201ca greater love for her Son and a stronger union to his human divinity\u201d<\/span>40<\/sup><\/a><\/span>;<\/p>\n c) Participant in the mystery of God in Jesus Christ<\/span>41<\/sup><\/a><\/span>;<\/p>\n d) Full of grace<\/span>I. Inspirational Sources of Marian Spirituality within the Vincentian Charism<\/h2>\n
1. Mary\u2019s life<\/b><\/h3>\n
a) <\/i><\/b>Mary in salvation history<\/i><\/b><\/h4>\n
\n
b) Mary, model for the people of God<\/i><\/b><\/h4>\n
c) <\/i><\/b>Mary, worthy of honor<\/i><\/b><\/h4>\n
d) <\/i><\/b>Mary, accepted as mother<\/i><\/b><\/h4>\n
2. The Faith of the Church<\/b><\/h3>\n
3. <\/b>The experience of Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac<\/b><\/h3>\n
3.1. The experience of Vincent de Paul<\/b><\/h4>\n
3.2 The experience of Louise de Marillac<\/b><\/h4>\n