The Face of the Holy Spirit

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The purpose of life is to share in God’s divine life; to be like God and live like God forever as we are told in 1 john 3:2. We receive the life of God in Jesus. The mission of the Holy Spirit is to bring Jesus to us.

We are approaching Pentecost which is all about the Holy Spirit bringing Jesus into the souls of the disciples who were gathered around Mary in the Upper Room.

Pentecost is what Consecration is all about. Consecration is the process of the Holy Spirit forming Jesus within us. The Holy Spirit consecrates us, which means, the Holy Spirit brings Jesus into our soul to transform us to be like God. How does the Holy Spirit do this? Through Mary. That is why the disciples were gathered around Mary at Pentecost. Because God works according to a pattern: The Holy Spirit and Mary formed Jesus in her womb; the Holy Spirit and Mary formed Jesus in the disciples at Pentecost; and likewise, the Holy Spirit and Mary form Jesus in you.

In our preparation for Pentecost we gather around Mary, we try to become as close to her and belong to her as much as possible so that the Holy Spirit may form Jesus within us too.

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We have been reflecting for the past few meditations that Mary is the Sacrament of the Holy Spirit. What that means is that the Holy Spirit fashioned Mary to be the perfect human expression of the Holy Spirit. Mary is the sign of the Spirit. However, she is more than a sign. Mary is the sign that make the Holy Spirit present and she is the sign that makes the mission of the Holy Spirit take place in us. Therefore, when we turn to Mary, the Holy Spirit brings Jesus to us and forms him within us. Mary is the sign that actually makes that happen. And that is the definition of a sacrament – so Mary is the sacrament of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when we turn to Mary, we are turning to the Holy Spirit since they always act as one.   

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This is amazing, but it is reality, when we look at Mary, we are in a sense seeing the face of the Holy Spirit.

On Wednesday December 9, 1998 St. John Paul II said:

“From the Cross the Savior wished to pour out upon humanity rivers of living water, that is, the abundance of the Holy Spirit. But he wanted this outpouring of grace to be linked to a mother’s face, his Mother’s.”

A litter later John Paul says, Calvary reveals the close and enduring link between the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gift of Mary as mother…The link between the gift of the Holy Spirit and the motherhood of Mary emerges again at Pentecost, when she awaited with the disciples for the coming of the Holy Spirit…therefore, as the bond with Mary grows deeper, so the action of the Spirit in the life of the Church grows more fruitful.”

Pretty amazing – St. John Paul II is saying that the face of Mary expresses the face of the Holy Spirit and the more we develop a personal relationship with Mary the more fruitful will be the action of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

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St. Paul tells us we should be led by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we need to develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Well, how do we relate to the Spirit. It is hard to relate to fire, or wind, living water or a dove…all symbols of the Holy Spirit. I think therefore the Holy Spirit fashioned Mary to be the perfect expression of the Spirit because it is easy to relate to a mother. We relate directly with the Holy Spirit when we develop a personal relationship with Mary.

And how do we do this? Simply by talking with Mary. St. Maximilian Kolbe explains this to one of his brothers in a letter when he writes that Mary herself will teach you the best way to do all things: “Frequent conversation heart to heart with Mary or at her feet will be a very good school to learn how to win an increasing number of souls…Do not worry; even if you may feel like you have one foot in hell, as long as you never tire of turning to her will full confidence…” Writings 897

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Live a personal relationship with Mary

To accept Mary as your spiritual mother is just the beginning of Consecration to Mary. We must go on to live the consecration just as Jesus lived out his own consecration to his mother, moment to moment, day after day. What does it mean to live consecration to Mary? Again, it is simply to live in imitation of Jesus’ relationship with Mary as he grew up under her care. Imagine what the relationship between Jesus and Mary was like as He grew up. His first words each morning would have been “Mama!” Where would you find him throughout the day, if not in her arms or clinging to her leg, like any toddler? He wasn’t anxious about what he was to eat, wear, or do. He turned to his mother for all his needs and remained close to her. He lived in her constant presence and she took care of Him. If we want to live in imitation of Jesus, then live in imitation of that. We, on the other hand, live in pride and the radical self-reliance that results in anxiety, worry and exhaustion. Imitate Jesus, belong to Mary, surrender to her and she will take care of everything.

I love the icon of Our Lady of Vladimir. Like many other similarly styled icons, it teaches us about living in union with Mary. This icon is a specific style called The Mother of God “Tenderness” because Mary presses her cheek to that of Jesus. If you want to live consecration to Mary, then live the message of this icon. Raise your arms to Mary, ask her to pick you up and carry you in her arms and press you to her cheek as Our Lady of Tenderness. In this way we learn to live in union with Mary and depend on her as a little child depends on his or her mother from moment to moment. Look to Mary for inspiration, guidance, counsel, and protection. Carry on a constant conversation with her. Since the Holy Spirit and Mary act as one, this is how we live in dependence upon the Holy Spirit.