Mary & Our Four Values

May is a time when many of us offer special devotion to the Blessed Virgin. And in considering the unique place she holds before God and to the Church, we find ourselves reflecting on the ways in which she quietly lived out our Benedictine values long before St. Benedict wrote his Rule.

Hospitality

Jesus’ first miracle might not have happened had his mother not had a heart for hospitality. They were both attending a wedding in Cana, and the wine was running out. Mary brought the matter to Jesus’ attention, then directed the servants to do whatever he told them to. As everyone knows, the wedding carried on after Jesus turned water into very good wine. Thanks to Mary’s intervention, embarrassment was avoided and the feast was saved.

Prayer

One of the greatest prayers in all of scripture comes from young Mary. She was visiting her cousin Elizabeth, who became filled with the Holy Spirit and, recognizing the child that Mary carried as the savior, gave us the core of our “Hail Mary.” The Magnificat, Mary’s prayer in response, is both deeply personal and vast in scope, sweeping across the arc of history to capture the moment’s impact on Mary and on all generations to come.

Service

“Let it be done to me according to your word.” With those words, Mary accepted astonishing news from the angel Gabriel, and from that moment forward, hers was a life lived in service to God and to others, to a cause greater than herself. From the Immaculate Conception to the Crucifixion and beyond, she devoted herself to serving God and those around her.

Community

Visiting with Elizabeth. Attending a wedding with Jesus and the disciples. Remaining at the foot of the cross with the other women. In constant prayer with the disciples after the Resurrection. When we encounter Mary, it always seems to be in the midst of others. She understood the importance of community and relationships, and hers must certainly have helped her through the most dark and difficult times she had to endure.