“Do
not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God”.
O
Virgin, by whose blessing all nature is blessed! (Divine Office)
A Sermon by St Anselm
Blessed
Lady, sky and stars, earth and rivers, day and night – everything that is
subject to the power or use of man – rejoice that through you they are in some
sense restored to their lost beauty and are endowed with inexpressible new
grace. All creatures were dead, as it were, useless for men or for the praise
of God, who made them. The world, contrary to its true destiny, was corrupted
and tainted by the acts of men who served idols. Now all creation has been
restored to life and rejoices that it is controlled and given splendour by men
who believe in God.
The universe rejoices with new and
indefinable loveliness. Not only does it feel the unseen presence of God
himself, its Creator, it sees him openly, working and making it holy. These
great blessings spring from the blessed fruit of Mary’s womb. Through the
fullness of the grace that was given you, dead things rejoice in their freedom,
and those in heaven are glad to be made new. Through the Son who was the
glorious fruit of your virgin womb, just souls who died before his life-giving
death rejoice as they are freed from captivity, and the angels are glad at the
restoration of their shattered domain.
Lady, full and overflowing with grace, all
creation receives new life from your abundance. Virgin, blessed above all
creatures, through your blessing all creation is blessed, not only creation
from its Creator, but the Creator himself has been blessed by creation. To Mary
God gave his only-begotten Son, whom he loved as himself. Through Mary God made
himself a Son, not different but the same, by nature Son of God and Son of
Mary. The whole universe was created by God, and God was born of Mary. God
created all things, and Mary gave birth to God. The God who made all things
gave himself form through Mary, and thus he made his own creation. He who could
create all things from nothing would not remake his ruined creation without
Mary.
God, then, is the Father of the created world
and Mary the mother of the re-created world. God is the Father by whom all
things were given life, and Mary the mother through whom all things were given
new life. For God begot the Son, through whom all things were made, and Mary
gave birth to him as the Saviour of the world. Without God’s Son, nothing could
exist; without Mary’s Son, nothing could be redeemed. Truly the Lord is with
you, to whom the Lord granted that all nature should owe as much to you as to
himself.
“From this day forward
all generations will call me blessed;* his love for me is great”. (Divine
Office)
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