Mary in the Life of Religious (1)

Mary, in the Life of Religious: An Exposition and Reflection

A paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Mariology, Maryhill School of Theology, Quezon City, Philippines

Mariology was an elective offered to theology students. The class was originally intended to be a class on icons on Mary but as the course proceeded, the subject and themes of the lessons to include other expressions of devotion to Mary and its theology.

The class was taught by Sr. Angela Nijssen, scmm.

Bibliography

Beyer, Jean (compiler). John Paul II Speaks to Religious. Principal Allocutions from November 1978 to December 1980.

De Candido, L. Vita Consacrata, in Nuovo Dizionario di Mariologia. Edited by Stefano de Fiores and Salvatore Meo. Torino: Edizioni Paoline 1985.

Flannery, Austin (editor). Vatican Council II: The Conciliar and Post Conciliar Documents. 2 volumes. New York: Costello Publishing Company 1984.

Jegen, Carol Frances (editor). Mary According to Women. Kansas City: Sheed and Ward 1985.

Kaitholil, George. Hail, Full of Grace: An Encounter With Mary. Bandra-Bombay: St. Paul Publications 1987.

Malaviaratchi, Anthony. Initiation into Religious Life: A Catechesis for Formation. Bangalore: Redemptorist Publications India, no date.

Metz, Johannes B. Followers of Christ: The Religious Life and the Church. Translated by Thomas Linton. London: Burns & Oates 1978.

Union of Superiors General. Religious Life 20 Years After Vatican II: Evaluation and Prospective. 32nd Villa Cavalletti Meeting, May 28-31, 1986.

Abbreviations Used:

LG - Lumen Gentium
PC - Perfectae Caritatis
ET - Evangelica Testificatio
RD - Redemptionis Donum
Can - Canon Law
DV - Dei Verbum
MC - Marialis Cultus

Introduction

Since the 2nd Vatican Council, the central element of the theological identity of religious life has been the Christological element. According to the magisterium of the Church, this Christological dimension continues to be, also for the future, the most valid and fruitful dimension of the theology of religious life. What does this dimension mean? This means that religious life refers directly to the biblical figure of Christ: religious life is the ecclesial continuation of the life of Christ proposed by Christ himself to his disciples. [1] The following conciliar and post conciliar document texts point out these main affirmations clearly and explicitly:

"The teaching and example of Christ provide the
foundation for the evangelical counsels of chaste
self-dedication to God, of poverty and of obedience..."
(LG 43).

"Since the final norm of the religious life is the following
of Christ as it is put before us in the Gospel, this must
be taken by institutes as the supreme rule..."
(PC 3a).

"...the supreme rule of the religious life and its ultimate
norm is that of the following of Christ according to the
teaching of the Gospel" (ET 12).

Although the Christological dimension is the central point of the theology of religious life, there is another dimension also of importance - the Mariological dimension. This is the dimension which I wish to take up and study in this paper.

In this paper, I wish to explore the meaning of Mary in relation to religious life.

If we examine the exterior aspects and the historical and sociological aspects of the life of religious and that of Mary, we can conclude without any doubt that they are indeed different. However, if we look much more clearly at these same lives in their more intimate dimensions and in their profound reality, we will see that there are many resemblances: they are lives that are charismatically parallel. [2]

It is with sobriety and courage that the Council proposed Our Lady as the model of religious life. The Council knows that the personality of Mary is so rich, her spirituality so profound, and virtues so perfect, that religious can find in her an ideal to follow. Religious who dedicate themselves to live the Christian vocation in the most radical sense can find in Mary their mother and model. [3] The following texts support this theme explicitly:

"The beloved Mother of the Lord, at whose example
you have consecrated your life to God" (ET 17).


"...In this message, I address myself to you, to invite
you to revive your religious consecration, according to
the model of the consecration of the Mother of God."
(RD 17)

This theme also finds its place in the new Code of Canon Law:

"May they honor by a special worship...the Virgin
Mother of God, model and patroness of all consecrated
life." (Can 663, 4)

The abovementioned documents explicitly state that Mary plays a specific role in the life of religious: she is the model and example of the religious. What does this mean for the purpose of my study? I have especially chosen to deal and explore the said topic because it specifically has to do a lot with my vocation and call as a religious. Mary plays a significant role in my being a religious and I wish to undertake this study to expand and deepen my horizon of understanding as regards my vocation to the religious life.

In this paper, there is one particular point I wish to add and make clear so as not to mislead the readers - that Mary is not a religious in the sense and meaning that we understand it in history. Her life and the life of religious (from its inception up to today) are different from one another. But however, if we look deeper into the interior dimensions of the life of Mary and that of religious, we will discover quite a number of similarities. It is in this light that I intend to establish the parallels and explain in a more detailed manner why the Council proposed Mary as the model of religious life.

In my study, I will show that Mary is indeed such a model by the way she had responded to the call of God in her pilgrimage of faith. However, please bear in mind that due to the limitations surrounding my research, I will not tackle all the possible points that come up as they relate to my study.

Firstly, I would proceed with the study by giving a general idea of the mariological dimension of religious life as it was lived in tradition. The purpose of this is to show that Mary has already been in the past an element present in the life of religious. Secondly, I would establish the parallels between the life of Mary and that of religious by exploring the various elements that they have in common. It is by examining the more intimate dimensions of the two that we can discover why Mary is indeed a model for us religious. Thirdly (before I conclude), I would try to situate Mary's exemplary role within the context of religious life today - her being a Mother, help and guide to religious and her being a model of justice and of the option for the poor.

Endnotes:


[1] Union of Superiors General, "Religious Life 20 Years After Vatican II", 32nd Villa Cavalletti Meeting, May 28-31, 1986, p. 2.
[2] Ibid., p. 20.
[3] Dr. George Kaitholil, SSP, Hail, Full of Grace,
(Bandra-Bombay: St. Paul Publications, 1987), p. 103.