Accepting the Gift
"Holiness is measured according to the 'great mystery' in which
the Bride responds with the gift of love to the gift of the Bridegroom."
John Paul II
MARY
Mary is our model for receiving, cultivating, and sharing Christ’s love with the world. From Mary we learn to receive Christ’s gift with the same disposition in which he offers it. Freely, totally, faithfully, and fruitfully.
Trusting in God’s goodness the faithful Virgin freely accepted the seed of the Word Incarnate, carried it for nine months, and gave birth to Love Himself. Her total surrender produced eternal fruit. At the Foot of the Cross, with the same perfect openness, Mary received the life-giving gift of the Bridegroom and gave birth to the Church. Our Mother’s fruitfulness remains constant as she continually brings to birth children for the mystical Body of her Son.