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Excerpt |
Mary,
Collaborator with the Holy Spirit: Reflections on the Teaching of Blessed
William Joseph Chaminade
by Paul
Landolfi,
SM
123 pp., Saragossa Publications, $8.00
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The Primary Guideline for Collaboration
The process of collaboration with the Holy Spirit is fundamental to understanding the relationship between the Holy Spirit and Mary. It is a portrait of what happens to Mary. It can be stated simply: Even though sanctification is basically God's work, human collaboration is essential in the work of holiness.
Every Christian receives the Spirit of Jesus Christ in his baptism; he is, so to say, conceived by the Spirit of Jesus Christ. It is this divine Spirit that will make him grow even to the age of the perfect man, even to entire conformity with Jesus Christ. The director needs only to direct the cooperation of his candidate of this continual operation of the Spirit of Jesus. (Marianist Director, Vol. 3, § 418)
Our part in the work of spiritual regeneration consists in fidelity to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, union with Mary, and in continuous discernment of the Holy Spirit's actions in our life. We have three objectives:
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to strive for holiness,
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to maintain a spirit of evangelization, and
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to discern the inspirations of the Holy Spirit.
Efforts to attain these objectives lead to perfect conformity with Jesus, which is always our goal.
Mary, Director of the Members of Christ
Just as Mary taught and guided Jesus, so she is the one who guides the members of Christ. She conceives them through the Holy Spirit. This is the basis of her educative mission. In conceiving the whole Christ, Mary gives life to Jesus physically and gives it spiritually to His members. She is physically the mother of Jesus, but she is also mother of the members according to the Spirit. However, she became our mother only after she herself had been engendered in the Christ-life. Now she is able to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the birth of the faithful. To have the very mother of Jesus Christ for our mother is the best way to become like Jesus.
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