We have encountered Mary as a mirror of the Divinity in our readings before, and we have also studied the idea of contemplating the Scriptures encouraged as a means of prayer and experiencing God more fully. However, Maria of Agreda is the first to connect these two images in her visionary description of Mary, the Mirror of God, and Mary’s role in the plan of salvation. Through the reflection encouraged by the angels at the time of her vision, Maria allows those who participate in her vision to also revive the encouragement and motivation of choosing to follow the will of God, thereby becoming more complete reflections of God.
In the Book of Genesis, the faithful are taught that all of humanity is created in the image and likeness of God. We are not gods in ourselves, or members of the Trinity, but rather reflections of God in the tangible world. This reflective image was clouded by the stain of original sin; in some ways, humanity must have forgotten what it meant to be an image of God, or in believing they were gods themselves, neglected to recognize God in each other. This memory was revived and brought to a full fervor in the revelation of the person of Christ as both God and man. Man recognized, as he had known in the garden of Eden, that his flesh, soul, and will were so pleasing to the Lord that He would partake in them Himself. This revelation then allowed him to see God in all of his fellow humans, thereby participating in the Divine Love which is the message of the Gospels.
If it is the case that Jesus became the perfect reflection of God’s Love and gave us an example of how to live, why does it matter that we should reflect Mary in order to reflect Christ? Was His life not sufficient to make us aware of the Image we are to conform ourselves to? And why is this being revealed now? And why through a vision to Maria of Agreda?
Regarding the timing of the revelation, the angels explain that this vision was something that could have been revealed earlier, but would have been overwhelming for the early Church, perhaps resulting in the early Christians’ confusion or lack of full appreciation for the primary purpose of the Church – praising God. While praising Mary and following her example are important and powerful tools for praising God, it must always be kept in mind that, as we discussed in class earlier, she is not as worthy of our attention as much as God is for giving her such graces. While she was the perfect human being, there is nothing that says she is infallible. Even Mary was not deemed capable of understanding everything about creation at once; she only learned about things that had been determined since the beginning at the proper time. The best example of this is when Mary is taken to heaven during the novena before the Incarnation, in which God names her as “
Chosen for the Mother of the
Only-begotten” (158), but “to her [the latter part] was as yet hidden until the
proper time. She therefore heard only
the word ‘ Chosen.’” It would not do for Mary to know that she had
been predestined for this role, because then her Fiat would mean nothing and
would be no genuine act of her own will.
Then she would be forced into the role of “instrument”-which while
honorary in itself, would not bring as much glory to God.
These things were revealed to Maria of Agreda “in order that Thou [God] mayest be the more admired as the omnipotent Author of this history in proportion as its instrument is despicable and weak” (5). Here, she disclaims her ability to reflect God as perfectly as even Mary could. (This may also be referencing an idea that we talked about earlier in class regarding the poor quality of mirrors in this time period. Mirrors at the time did not give an accurate or clear reflection, so being a perfect reflection of God would be impossible considering the materials we have to deal with. But this is not as important as the intent and desire of becoming a perfect reflection of God, even if that is not to happen until the next life. Indeed, one could argue that an intrinsic part of being human is responding to the call to reflect God to the world more perfectly by buffering, polishing, and adjusting the mirror of one’s soul and will, directing it always towards the Divine Light.) The visionary experience is an opportunity for Maria to provide her readers with an image of the most perfect expression of the Imago Dei seen in Mary; by opening the vision itself with “I saw,” she disavows the perfection of being an active participant and merely becomes the means through which God’s glory is made known in the world. Maria, in her attempt to reflect God to the world, teaches us how to make our mirrors of the highest quality.
It is implied that by contemplating the truth revealed though scripture and other divine experiences that we can become more perfect human beings, more perfect versions of the image of God that is inherent in our humanness. But the more we reflect on these things, and then reflect on the state of our own souls, we see that we are inherently unworthy to be reflections of God. This was the primary reason for Mary’s troubled spirit at the Annunciation; “the disturbance arose from two causes: first, from her humility, for she thought herself the lowest of the creatures and thus in her humility, was taken unawares at hearing herself saluted and called the ‘Blessed among women;’ secondly, when she heard this salute and began to consider within herself how she should receive it, she was interiorly made to understand by the Lord, that He chose her for His Mother, and this caused a still greater perturbance” (169). The manner in which she ameliorated this discomfort was ever-conforming herself more closely to the person of her Son. By imitating Him in all things, from desiring to suffer the same blows with which He was inflicted to participating in death, Mary used her God-given will to do everything in her power to be closer to God, thereby pleasing Him so much that he glorified her above all the rest of creation. Mary became the most perfect Imago Dei. She repeatedly encourages us, also, to strive for the same graces, pleasing God in such a way by our lives that he glorifies us the same because of our faithfulness and love. Indeed, this should be the central drive of all humanity; we are already made in the image and likeness of God. But through our will, we can sharpen, intensify, and magnify this image to bring great glory to God.
Praying the Rosary is one means of accomplishing this imitation that will bring glory to God. The mental and physical dimensions of praying the Rosary reflect Mary’s life well: Just as she chose to follow her Son in everything, she also reflected on the mysteries revealed during her lifetime in her heart. Thus in the same way, praying the Our Father, the prayer given to us by Jesus Himself, allows us to imitate Him in this way. By praying the Hail Mary, we replicate the Angelic Salutation and Elizabeth’s declaration of the virtues of Mary. While remembering the mysteries of the lives of Christ and His Mother, we reflect on their exceedingly excellent virtues and how the latter can be employed in our own lives; a sincere reflection on the blessed mysteries and on the truest Reflection of Christ will conform us ever more to the will of His Mother. This is the claim that God makes on humanity; He made us in His image and likeness. We, then, have a certain responsibility to bring this image to the attention of others, that they also may see as Maria of Agreda did the beatific vision reflected in the depths of our own souls.