Mary in the Life of Religious (4)

Mary, Model of Religious: Discipleship

Jesus' call for discipleship is for all Christians. Whether a man or a woman is single, married, in the priestly or religious state, all of them are called to follow him. The only difference that exists between the other states and the religious state is that for religious, the call becomes a "radical" call. All religious heed this call by living in a "state of life" that would embody their radical and total option to follow Christ and be his disciple.

The radical following of Christ is the fundamental norm of religious life. But no one followed Christ more radically and more faithfully than Mary. The various texts used for the Mass of religious profession contain precious points of religious spirituality: to follow Christ intimately, to transform life into a perfect gift, to grow in evangelical perfection, to be consecrated to the praises of God, to bear witness to the kingdom of heaven, to serve the brethren (cf. Opening Prayers of the Masses for the religious and for religious vocations). None has outdone Mary in making her life a perfect gift to God (cf. Lk 1:38) or in praising God and in bearing witness to His kingdom (cf. Lk 1:46-55) or in serving the brethren (cf. Lk 1:56; Jn 2:1-15). [12] She is truly the perfect disciple of Christ.

The gospels also present Mary first and foremost as a "Disciple of the Word". The following texts support this point: Mk 3:33-35, Mt 12:46-50, Lk 8:19-21; 11:27-28, and Jn 2:1-11; 19:25-27. Mary is the Perfect disciple because she "hears the Word of God" (Lk 8:19-21); she "keeps the word of God..." (Lk 11:27-28); and "she does the will of God". She is the perfect model of what it means to follow Jesus (Mk 3:33-35, Mt 12:46-50). Also she has shown a radical following of Christ by associating herself with the Mystery of Salvation. From the wedding at Cana (Jn 2:1-11) up to the foot of the cross (Jn 19:25-27), she remained faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ. [13] It is along this line of Mary's spirit of faithfulness and perseverance in following Christ that religious can pattern their consecrated lives after. Pope John Paul II expresses this truth explicitly when he addressed the religious men and women gathered in Bombay on Feb. 10, 1986. He said, "Mary's discipleship shines forth as the foremost example of how your religious consecration is to be lived in faith and love."

Endnotes:

[12] Kaitholil, Hail, Full of Grace, p. 105.
[13] De Candido, Vita Consacrata, p. 1482-1512.

Mary, Model of Religious: Evangelical Counsels

Before dealing separately with the counsels, it is best to know what the Church has to say about Mary in relation to her being the model of religious life in this regard. The main conciliar texts that allude to this are the following:

"The counsels are especially able to pattern the Christian man after that manner of virgin and humble life which Christ the Lord elected for Himself, and which his Virgin Mother also chose". (LG 46)

"Mary...devoted herself totally as a handmaid of the Lord to the person and the work of her Son...as cooperating in the work of human salvation through free faith and obedience." (LG 56)

The Rite of Perpetual Profession, n. 38(=123) also has something to say in relation to this:

"Do you wish, with God's help, to embrace forever the life of perfect chastity, obedience and poverty which was chosen by Christ the Lord and the Virgin, His Mother?"

The Council proclaims that Mary is a model for religious in how they can live their evangelical life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. However, it would be good to mention again at this point that Mary's example to religious, living the evangelical counsels in a radical way, is not to be seen in its exterior aspects, but rather in the more intimate dimensions. It is within this context that we are to examine and explore how Mary in the profound and interior reality of her life, acts as a model to religious. (It should be noted also that a model has its limitations; no model can fit all of the categorical truths that we find in life because of reality's ambiguity and complexity.)