When we consider the holiness of the patriarchs, prophets, and the saints of both East and West, we are edified by- and even marvel at- their sanctity and all the incredible things God accomplished in them and through them. They rightly invite both our admiration and veneration, for in honoring them we honor God Himself and are led to contemplate how “great are the works of the Lord” (111:2). Yet among all creatures, there is one who is holier still, one in whom God has accomplished His greatest work. That one, of course, is the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Though we love and admire the patriarchs, the prophets, and all the saints, we must love and seek to imitate Mary even more. Why? Because she is more. She is purer and holier than all creatures. Where the saints reach their summit, Mary continues to ascend. She stands above all angels and saints in holiness. If fact, she is so holy that, among creatures, nothing greater can even be imagined.
If the goal of the Christian life is holiness- what the Eastern Church often calls divinization, that is, becoming God-like- then it is impossible for any creature to be more God-like than Mary. The conclusion that follows is remarkably clear: if I truly desire to be holy, I must become another Mary for Jesus. More precisely, the whole purpose of the spiritual life is to become another Mary for Jesus. If Mary truly is the apex of human perfection, the brightest light among all creatures, and the one must fully alive in God, then how could one not desire- and earnestly seek- to become as much like her as possible, in order to become as fully alive in God as possible?
If we truly wish to examine our spiritual lives, we need only ask ourselves, “How much am I like Mary?”To what extent do I resemble and imitate her love for God, her life of prayer, and her self-giving service of neighbor? Are my faith, hope, and charity as pure and undivided as hers? Insofar as I do not resemble her in these things, to that same extent I still have room to grow in holiness. In Mary, then, we have not only a Mother and a powerful intercessor, but also a living icon of who we are called to become. In her, the fullness of the human vocation- holiness- is perfectly realized. By contemplating her example and entrusting ourselves to her Motherly care, we are drawn toward the heights of holiness and enabled to become as fully alive in God as possible.
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