OF THE FAITH OF MARY.
As the blessed Virgin is the mother of love and of hope, thus, also, is
she the mother of faith. “I am the mother of fair love, and of fear,
and knowledge, and of holy hope.”[1626] And justly, says St. Iræneus,
since Mary repaired by her faith that loss which Eve caused by her
incredulity.[1627] Eve, Tertullian also says, because she chose to
believe the serpent rather than the Word of God, brought death into
the world; but our queen, believing the words of the angel, that she,
remaining a virgin, was to become the mother of the Lord, brought
salvation to the world.[1628] For St. Augustine says that Mary, giving
her consent to the incarnation of the Word, by means of her faith opened
paradise to men.[1629] Also Richard, commenting on the words of St. Paul,
“For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife,”[1630]
says: This is the believing woman by whose faith the unbelieving Adam
and all his posterity are saved.[1631] Hence, on account of her faith,
Elizabeth pronounced the Virgin blessed: Blessed art thou that hast
believed, because those things shall be accomplished in thee that
were spoken by the Lord.[1632] And St. Augustine added: Mary is more
blessed by receiving the faith of Christ than by conceiving the flesh of
Christ.[1633]
Father Suarez says that the holy Virgin had more faith than all men
and all the angels. She saw her Son in the stable of Bethlehem, and
believed him the Creator of the world. She saw him flying from Herod,
and yet believed that he was the King of kings. She saw him born, and
believed him to be eternal. She saw him poor and in need of food, and
believed him to be Lord of the universe; laid on straw, and she believed
him omnipotent. She observed that he did not speak, and she believed
him to be the infinite Wisdom. She heard him weeping, and she believed
him to be the joy of paradise. Finally, she saw him in death, despised
and crucified, but although the faith of others might have wavered,
Mary remained firm in the belief that he was God. St. Antoninus says,
remarking on the words: There stood by the cross of Jesus his mother:
“Stabat juxta crucem Jesu mater ejus,” Mary stood supported by her faith,
which she retained firm in the divinity of Christ.[1634] And it is for
this reason, says the saint, that in the office of Tenebræ, only one
candle is left lighted. St. Leo, when treating of this subject, applies
to the Virgin this passage of Proverbs: “Her lamp shall not be put out in
the night.”[1635] On the words of Isaias, “I have trodden the wine-press
alone, and of the Gentiles, there is not a man with me,”[1636] St.
Thomas remarks: He says a man, on account of the Virgin, in whom faith
never failed.[1637] Whence the blessed Albertus Magnus says, that Mary
practised then a most perfect faith. She had faith in a most excellent
degree; who, even when the disciples were doubting, did not doubt. Mary,
therefore, by her great faith merited to become the light of all the
faithful, as St. Methodius calls her: “Fidelium fax.” And by St. Cyril
of Alexandria: The queen of the true faith: “Sceptrum orthodoxæ fidei.”
And the holy Church herself attributes to the Virgin, by the merit of her
faith, the destruction of all heresies: “Rejoice, oh Virgin Mary, for
thou alone hast destroyed all heresies throughout the world.”[1638] St.
Thomas of Villanova also says, explaining the words of the Holy Spirit,
“Thou hast wounded my heart, my sister, my spouse ... with one of thy
eyes,”[1639] that the eyes signify faith, by which the Virgin gave the
greatest pleasure to the Son of God.[1640]
St. Ildephonsus exhorts us to imitate the faith of Mary: “Imitamini
signaculum fidei Mariæ.” But how are we to imitate this faith of Mary?
Faith is at the same time a gift and a virtue. It is a gift of God, in
so far as it is a light which God infuses into the soul, and it is also
a virtue in so far as it is exercised by the soul. Hence faith is given
us not only to serve as a rule of belief, but also of action. Therefore
St. Gregory says: He truly believes who, by his works, practises what
he believes.[1641] And St. Augustine: Thou sayest, “I believe,” do
what you say, and it is faith.[1642] And this is to have a lively
faith, namely, to live according to our belief. “My just man liveth by
faith.”[1643] It was thus the blessed Virgin lived, very differently
from those who do not live according to what they believe, whose faith
is dead, as St. James says: Faith without good works is dead: “Fide
sine operibus mortua est.”[1644] Diogenes went about seeking a man upon
earth: “Hominem quæro;” but God seems seeking a Christian among the many
faithful: “Christianum quæro.” For very few are they who have the works,
the greater part have only the name; but to these should be said what
Alexander said to that cowardly soldier who was also named Alexander:
Change either your name or your conduct: “Aut nomen, aut mores muta.”
But, as Father Avila used to say: It would be better if these miserable
creatures were put in confinement as madmen, believing as they do, that
a happy eternity is prepared for him who lives well, and an unhappy
eternity for him who lives ill, and yet living as if they did not believe
this. St. Augustine therefore exhorts us to see things with Christian
eyes, that is, to see according to faith: “Oculos Christianorum habete.”
For St. Theresa was accustomed to say, that all sins arise from a want of
faith. Let us therefore implore the holy Virgin, that by the merit of her
faith she may obtain for us a lively faith. Oh Lady, increase our faith:
Domina adauge nobis fidem.