The Vocations of Mary
During the months of August and September, Drusilla of Heirs in Hope wrote some very interesting and informative posts (and responded to a wide variety of questions and comments) on the subject of there being two vocations in the Catholic Church: marriage and consecration to Christ. It was very timely for me, as I was in the midst of reading about the vocations of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Adrienne von Speyr’s, Handmaid of the Lord:
“Both states were lived by Mary…. The Lord led her into both states, and each time in a precise, definite form of communal life, foreseen and devised by him.”
Mary and Joseph, writes von Speyr, “are betrothed as people who want to serve God and belong to each other. These two intentions are not equivalent for them; the will to serve is the determining factor and forms the basis of their commitment to each other. They consecrate their betrothal and their whole life to this service.” Although their betrothal and marriage was infused with the supernatural from the very beginning, yet, says von Speyr, their years of marriage entailed, “mutual service in housekeeping, breadwinning and everything involved in the toilsome and harsh scraping out of a life.” Joseph attained to God and holiness through Mary, yet it was he who was instrumental in initiating Mary “into the mystery of the natural community.” This marriage, this common calling, writes von Speyr, was “nothing less than making possible the Incarnation of the Son of God and his development.”
Although the Blessed Virgin had always been the model of contemplation, von Speyr tells us that it is at the foot of the Cross that she receives, “her new supernatural fruitfulness [in the form of] a new supernatural association with the apostle John.” Here truly begins the Blessed Virgin’s second vocation, that of life as a religious. Jesus gives Mary to John as his mother, and gives His mother to, “the priest, John, whom the Son already possesses as a saint, and Mary now submits to the priestly mission of the Apostle.” She lives in John’s home as in a cloister, adjusts herself to the rules in place there, and “conforms to John’s office – the office bearing the special form of unity between authority and love.”
“If the religious state thus receives the breath of life at the foot of the Cross, it is like a first-fruit of the Passion, even before the great and universal fruit of redemption and confession is plucked on Easter. This first-fruit consists in this: that Mary and John, at the foot of the Cross, share in the Son’s suffering and are thus initiated into a new form of community.”
“If the religious state thus receives the breath of life at the foot of the Cross, it is like a first-fruit of the Passion, even before the great and universal fruit of redemption and confession is plucked on Easter” — Amen! Beautiful!
October 9th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Oh, I am out of my depth at Drusilla’s too, JustMe, but I like to get in the canoe and try to paddle a few strokes, just to see if I recognize anything. Anything at all. Usually end up skipping stones and then meandering along the bank gathering wildflowers. 
So glad she eventually returns and sits with us ’round the campfire and explains everything!
October 9th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
Well, her name goes before her, clearly, what with these two commendations, what excuse do I have for not visiting Drusilla?
October 9th, 2007 at 4:21 pmThe idea of sitting round a camp fire talking of those things that are close to our hearts is very appealing, and then when the talking would cease, I guess the singing would begin…
Oh God.. why doesn’t such a thing as that ever happen for Catholic women? Or, does it?
October 9th, 2007 at 7:38 pm
It sounds lovely indeed, Ann, and I’m imagining the laughter as well. Does this ever happen for Catholic women? I have no idea, JustMe. (My mom wouldn’t even let me be a Brownie or Girl Scout, because the meetings were held, aaaaaaaaaaaahhh, in the basement of the Anglicaaaaaaaaan church! God forbid!) 
October 10th, 2007 at 8:42 amI’ve got to leave for work now, and tonight I have a little meeting at the church. I would rather be sleeping.
And yes, the laughter.. the laughter of women who love God and yet who are necessarily down to earth, is so precious. I would honest to God stand on line for tickets unto that.
October 10th, 2007 at 2:19 pmThot u’d like this
October 12th, 2007 at 10:13 pmSry, goofd it up Try this one
October 12th, 2007 at 10:16 pm
That is a very beautiful Marian poem by Pope Benedict XVI which Father Zehnle posted. I am putting this site under my favourites, because I have not been able to read any of Pope Benedict’s writings yet, except for a little bit of Sacramentum Caritatis, which I very much want to finish before the 49th Eucharistic Congress in June 2008. We have many of his books in the library at my parish, but I just haven’t had the time. It will be good to read excerpts from a lot of different ones at Father’s site. Thanks, Anon!
October 13th, 2007 at 11:16 amYes, I stumbled upon the site from a site that is always allegedly ticked off and which put up a click icon with the caption: Someone else whom no one reads. Ha, they know how to draw me in, that’s for sure.
A unique site indeed, for it captures a side of Ben XVI we need to see and hear and love and run to.
October 13th, 2007 at 2:20 pmBut lest others misunderstand, it gets tiresome to see so many comments anywhere from “justme”.
*sigh.. I’m going to work, where I’m also too well known, lol
October 13th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Screams of delight!!! We shall meet at the Congress!!! Oh, you simply must come. Hurry, hurry and get your visa and whatever else you need. Maybe BlueCross is good enough?
October 13th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
LOL! I have my visa–and the fare. I just don’t have insurance/card, but I’ll call our organizer-priest and see what one can do.
October 14th, 2007 at 12:06 amSt. Faustina, we know you can hear us.
October 14th, 2007 at 12:34 am
lol
October 15th, 2007 at 12:11 am