Mary as the contemplation of God

# Maria: Contemplation of GodMary fully realizes divine theoria, that is, the full understanding of God’s love for humanity, and at the same time becomes the exemplary cause of salvation, guiding our existence towards God. In her contemplation, as both theory and temple, she becomes perfect. All who are guided by the Spirit of God are children of God (Rom 8:14; 1 Cor 6:19).> “And his body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you and who is God” (Rom 8:14, 1 Cor 6:19).Mary’s contemplation, and ours as well, finds its meaning at the Cross, from which Jesus breathes the Spirit. As a temple, it takes on its significance at Pentecost, which places Jesus at the center of the Church as the source of eternal life: Jesus rose up and exclaimed in a loud voice,> “If anyone is thirsty, come to me and drink; whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38).Christian and evangelical contemplation is not philosophical speculation but a reality concerning God’s charity, linking the Cross to Pentecost.> “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).Mary is the contemplation of God, because she is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Mary is open to the Giver in the gift she receives. As charismatic, she is continually transformed into a spiritual woman: she gives herself continually to the Giver, receiving God’s gift. Thus, she is totally turned towards God. It is no surprise then to find Mary in the Cenacle, not far from the Calvary (Mariological Dictionary: Calvary), with the apostles and other disciples of Jesus, who,> assiduous and united in prayer, along with some women and Mary, mother of Jesus (Acts 1:14),wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus. In the Cenacle, Mary guides the prayer of Jesus’ disciples: it seems that, in another dimension, she continues her service at the Wedding of Cana. On Easter night, Jesus made himself present among the disciples in the Cenacle, behind closed doors, to free them from fear, with the gift of peace and the Spirit. At this moment, we are still in the Cenacle, and there is no Jesus, because he has ascended into heaven. But Mary (whose iconographic art sometimes places her in Jesus’ place) guides the prayer of the nascent Church, gathering it around herself as if she were a center.Mary can effectively act as a center in the prayer of the Church because she is completely centered in Christ, entirely dedicated to truth: Mary and Jesus are one. Mary is the temple of the living God, because in her womb, in her heart, and in her spirit, the Spirit of God made an eternal residence.After all that has been said, it is not an exaggeration to state that Mary does not pray, but she is prayer; Mary does not contemplate, but she is contemplation. Therefore, the contemplative Christian is he who centered and concentrated his whole existence on Christ, becoming a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Her dwelling place is stable, and her concentration is continuous. Thus, the contemplative lives and understands everything that happens to him in the correct sense, because God’s Word always resounds in his heart.At the same time, the contemplative Christian, well centered in Christ, decentralizes the presence of the Spirit who dwells within him, radiating God’s love in the Church and in the world. This clarifies a beautiful definition of contemplation by Saint Gregory the Great: contemplative life is to live love for God and others with all one’s heart and with only the desire to adhere to the Creator.To deepen reflection on Mary as an expression of living divine contemplation, consult Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Redemptoris Mater, which presents Mary as one who lived in full openness to God’s mystery.For further study: explore Mariology, Marian Theology, Marian Apparitions, and Postgraduate Studies in Mariology.