December 26, 2005

"The Gift of Awareness"

We need to "experience" God.  This is what Mary did.  She had an experience at the Annunciation primarily through listening.    We know that she was full of grace.  She was full of life.  Jesus said, "I am life and I have come to give this in abundance."  She was full of Jesus.   She was full of God.  The Old Testament says, "Listen! That you may have life."  It is so interesting that listening is connected with receiving life.  It's all throughout the Bible.  I think the most difficult part for God might be for Him to get our attention.  We're kind of busy about many things except the one thing that's necessary.  Our Lady wants us to experience, as she did, being overshadowed by the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit, (who we pray about every Sunday in the Creed, or whenever there is a feast day,) is the Lord and giver of life.  So if we are allowing ourselves to be overshadowed by the Spirit, we will be receiving life. 

Mary's heart is a contemplative heart.  A contemplative heart is a listening heart.  It's a receiving heart.  It's a loving heart and it's a believing heart.  Believing is very important in receiving.  I think it's interesting that when Our Lady visited Elizabeth, Elizabeth didn't praise her for being the Mother of God.  The first thing Elizabeth said is, "Blessed are you because you believed."  This belief brings forth Jesus.  It brings forth God's Word.  Paul said, "May Christ find a dwelling place of faith in your hearts" (Eph 3).  That's a great Scripture to ponder.  May He find a dwelling place, may He find a home within our hearts.  He's there if we but believe, if we can check-in with Him, if we can become aware.  When the Holy Spirit overshadows a soul, He makes that soul aware of Jesus. 

When we were first baptized in the Holy Spirit, I think the gift that we received first of all was this gift of awareness.  That was the gift the Holy Spirit was overshadowing us with.  We were aware!  We were aware of life.  We were away of color.  The sky was bluer!  The grass was greener!  The birds were singing more sweetly.  We were just aware of everything that was God.  I can see where people have said, "The whole world becomes a cathedral" for those who have ears to hear and eyes to see.  But that's gift, isn't it?  It's the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. 

So Mary teaches us to believe.  She teaches us by her example.  She teaches us to surrender.  She teaches us to love by her own example, especially when she is there at the foot of the cross in that tremendous agape love.  She is the contemplative par excellence.

Excerpt from Mother Nadine's "Behold the Handmaid of the Lord," Pecos, NM, 2004.