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Magisterial Documents: Mary and the Holy Spirit

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Magisterial Documents: Mary and the Holy Spirit

Below are direct quotes from Post-Vatican II Magisterial Documents concerning the following themes. These teachings of the Catholic Church may prove useful to include in talks, in homilies or for research.

General
Overshadowed by the Spirit (Incarnation)
Fashioned by the Spirit (Her Whole Existence)
Fullness of Grace
Other


General

Marialis Cultus, 1974

In the Virgin Mary everything is relative to Christ and dependent upon Him. It was with a view to Christ that God the Father from all eternity chose her to be the all-holy Mother and adorned her with gifts of the Spirit granted to no one else. 25

Catechesi Tradendae, 1979

May the presence of the Holy Spirit, through the prayers of Mary, grant the Church unprecedented enthusiasm in the catechetical work that is essential for her. 73

Ephesus, 1550th Anniversary, 1981

Christ, the Redeemer of man and the world, is the center of history: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever" (Heb 13:8). Our thoughts and our hearts are turned to him in view of the approaching end of the second millennium separating us from his first coming into the world: but for that very reason they turn to the Holy Spirit, through whose power his human conception took place, and to the Virgin Mary, by whom he was conceived and from whom he was born. 8

The Virgin Mary in Intellectual and Spiritual Formation, 1988

The relationship between Mary and the Holy Spirit is also to be seen in the light of Christ: 8

[post-conciliar: new themes, new treatments] the relationship between the Holy Spirit and Mary 16

To All Consecrated Persons, Marian Year, 1988

[Mary's motherhood] is to be transferred from her as a "model" to the whole Church, which will be revealed to the world on the day of the descent of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete. 21 Mary, the Mystical Spouse of the Holy Spirit 39

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994 Fidei Depositum, 1992

Holy Spirit and Mary: 485, 486, 504, 695, 697, 722, 723, 724, 725, 726, 744, 2673, 2676, 2682 [BB]

Incarnation and Mary: 461, 466, 467, 469, 470, 475, 476, 483, 485, 602, 973 [BB]

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OVERSHADOWED BY THE SPIRIT (INCARNATION)

Lumen Gentium, 1964

[gave birth] by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit 63

who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation 59

Christ...conceived of the Holy Spirit 65

[Christ] incarnated by the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary 52 [creed]

Creed, Paul VI, 1968

of the Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit 11

Behold Your Mother (USA), 1973

The merciful Father intervenes in human history to send the new Adam, born of the Virgin Mary through the power of the Spirit. 24

The vivifying power of the unseen Spirit overshadows the Virgin, and God is made visibly present as the Son of Mary. The Mother of Jesus is the new and perfect ark of the covenant. 27

In the strength of her faith, ... and in the power of the Spirit becomes the Mother of Jesus, Son of God in human flesh. 33 [See also115 ]

It was prophesied in the Old Testament that the Spirit would revivify all things, would create a new people, renew the face of the earth. The overshadowing Spirit who brings about the virginal conception of the Son of Mary is the same powerful Spirit. 48

Open to the overshadowing Spirit, as was the Virgin Mary, the Church receives the Word of God and brings forth life. 79

From the overshadowing of the Spirit, Christ is conceived; from the Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit, Christ is born in His members who are the Church. 79 [See also 115]

Any correct understanding of Mary's role must be seen in connection with the predominant role of the Holy Spirit. ... St. Luke presents Mary as the humble woman overshadowed by the Holy Spirit in order that Christ be formed. "God sent his Son born of a woman..... that we might receive the adoption of sons." (Gal 4:4) (LG 52) 112

She brought forth Jesus by the power of the Spirit. So too, Jesus is brought forth and lives in us through the Spirit. [Discussed under Mother of the Church] 118

"Temple of the Holy Spirit," (LG 53) she continues to exercise a special influence.... 127

[More on conceived by the Holy Spirit: 133, 135]

Marialis Cultus, 1974

A... not knowing man but overshadowed by the Holy Spirit." (LG 63) 19

through the action of the Holy Spirit, has become Mother of the Incarnate Word 22

[The Fathers contemplated:] "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will cover you with his shadow" (Lk. 1:35) and "[Mary] was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.... She has conceived what is in her by the Holy Spirit." (Mt. 1: 18, 20) 26

[the Fathers] saw in the Spirit's intervention an action that consecrated and made fruitful Mary's virginity (Ambrose, etc) and transformed her into the "Abode of the King" or "Bridal Chamber of the Word," (ibid) the "Temple" or "Tabernacle of the Lord," (Jerome, etc) the "Ark of the Covenant" or "the Ark of Holiness," (Severus of Antioch, etc) titles rich in biblical echoes. 26

Above all [the Fathers] had recourse to the Virgin's intercession in order to obtain from the Spirit the capacity for engendering Christ in their own soul, as is attested to by Saint Il dephonsus in a prayer of supplication, amazing in its doctrine and prayerful power: "I beg you, holy Virgin, that I may have Jesus from the Holy Spirit, by whom you brought Jesus forth. May my soul receive Jesus through the Holy Spirit by whom your flesh conceived Jesus.... May I love Jesus in the Holy Spirit in whom you adore Jesus as Lord and gaze upon Him as your Son." 26

Catechesi Tradendae, 1979

The Virgin of Pentecost 73

Ephesus, 1550th Anniversary, 1981

The most Blessed Virgin is she who, by the overshadowing of the power of the Trinity, was the creature most closely associated with the work of salvation. 3

The incarnation of the Word took place beneath her heart, by the power of the Holy Spirit. 3

The two phrases in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto and Credo in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et Vivificantem, remind us that the greatest work of the Holy Spirit, one to which all the others unceasingly refer as a source from which they draw, is that of the incarnation of the Eternal Word by the power of the Spirit from the Virgin Mary. 8

Dominum et Vivificantem, 1986

The Virgin Mary, who "had conceived by the Holy Spirit," (cf. 1:35) 16

And this Incarnation of the Son-Word came about "by the power of the Holy Spirit." The two Evangelists to whom we owe the narrative of the birth and infancy of Jesus of Nazareth express themselves on this matter in an identical way. According to Luke, at the Annunciation of the birth of Jesus, Mary asks: "How shall this be, since I have no husband?" and she receives this answer: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you: therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." (Lk 1:34f)

Matthew narrates directly: "Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way ... she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit." (Mt 1:18) Joseph receives the following explanation in a dream: "Do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." (Mt 1:20f) 49

Redemptoris Mater, 1987

Incarnation
formed in her virgin womb the human nature of Christ. 1

"through the power of the Holy Spirit was born of the Virgin Mary" (Creed) 5

[election] "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." (Lk. 1:35) 9 [See also 12, 31]

Aspects beyond Incarnation itself:

(Acts 1: 14). "We see Mary prayerfully imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation." (LG 59) 24 [Also 26, 38]

in the redemptive economy of grace, brought about through the action of the Holy Spirit, there is a unique correspondence between the moment of the Incarnation of the Word and the moment of the birth of the Church. The person who links these two moments is Mary: Mary at Nazareth and Mary in the Upper Room at Jerusalem. In both cases her discreet yet essential presence indicates the path of "birth from the Holy Spirit." Thus she who is present in the mystery of Christ as Mother becomes-by the will of the Son and the power of the Holy Spirit-present in the mystery of the Church. 24, 44

"all the saving influences of the Blessed Virgin...." (LG 60) This saving influence is sustained by the Holy Spirit, who, just as he overshadowed the Virgin Mary when he began in her the divine motherhood, in a similar way constantly sustains her solicitude for the brothers and sisters of her Son. 38

Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday, 1988

The Incarnation was brought about by the Holy Spirit when he came down upon the Virgin of Nazareth and she spoke her fiat in response to the angel's message. (cf. Lk 1:38) 1

The Virgin Mary in Intellectual and Spiritual Formation, 1988

conceived the Son of God in his human nature in her virginal womb through the action of the Holy Spirit. (cf. LG 57,61) 7

Through the power of the same Spirit (cf. LK 1:35) she conceived in her virginal womb and gave Jesus Christ to the world. (cf. LG, 52,63,65) 8

Persevering with them in one accord, we see Mary prayerfully imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation. (LG 59) 8

Mulieris Dignitatem, 1988

[see Annunciation in more detail] Only by the power of the Holy Spirit, who "overshadowed" her, was Mary able to accept what is "impossible with men, but not with God." (cf. Mk 10:27) 3

The particular union of the "Theotokos" with God .... is a pure grace and, as such, a gift of the Spirit. [see also free will] 4

explanation: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you" - your motherhood will not be the consequence of matrimonial "knowledge," but will be the work of the Holy Spirit: the "power of the Most High" will "overshadow" the mystery of the Son's conception and birth.... 17 [See Also 20]

This "prophetic" character of women in their femininity finds its highest expression in the Virgin Mother of God. She emphasizes, in the fullest and most direct way, the intimate linking of the order of love - which enters the world of human persons through a Woman - with the Holy Spirit. At the Annunciation Mary hears the words: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you." (Lk 1:35) 29

Redemptoris Custos, St. Joseph, 1989

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit." (Mt 1:18) 2

However, the origin of Mary's pregnancy "of the Holy Spirit" is described more fully and explicitly in what Luke tells us about the annunciation of Jesus' birth: "The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary." (Lk 1:26-7) 2

The angel responds: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the son of God." (Lk 1:35) 2

"...for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit...." (Mt 1:20)2

The divine messenger introduces Joseph to the mystery of Mary's motherhood. While remaining a virgin, she who by law is his "spouse: has become a mother through the power of the Holy Spirit. 3

Tertio Millennio Adveniente, 1994

Two thousand years ago the Son of God was made man by the power of the Holy Spirit and was born of the Immaculate virgin Mary. 26

Mary, who conceived the Incarnate Word by the power of the Holy Spirit.... 48

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994 Fidei Depositum, 1992

The Apostles' Creed: He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
The Nicene Creed: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

437 ... God called Joseph to "take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit," so that Jesus, "who is called Christ," should be born of Joseph's spouse into the messianic lineage of David. (Mt 1:20 et al)

456 With the Nicene Creed, we answer by confessing: "For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and was made man."

504 Jesus is conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary's womb because he is the New Adam, who inaugurates the new creation: "The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven." (1 Cor 15:45, 47) From his conception, Christ's humanity is filled with the Holy Spirit, for God "gives him the Spirit without measure." (Jn 3:34) From "his fullness" as the head of redeemed humanity "we have all received, grace upon grace." (Jn 1:16; cf. Col 1:18)

695 Anointing. ... But Jesus is God's Anointed in a unique way: the humanity the Son assumed was entirely anointed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit established him as "Christ." (cf.. Lk 4:18-19) The Virgin Mary conceived Christ by the Holy Spirit who, through the angel, proclaimed him the Christ at his birth, and prompted Simeon to come to the temple to see the Christ of the Lord. (cf. Lk 2:11, 26-27)

697 Cloud and light. These two images occur together in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit.... In the Holy Spirit, Christ fulfills these figures. The Spirit comes upon the Virgin Mary and "overshadows" her, so that she might conceive and give birth to Jesus. (Lk 1:35)

723 In Mary, the Holy Spirit fulfills the plan of the Father's loving goodness. With and through the Holy Spirit, the Virgin conceives and gives birth to the Son of God. By the Holy Spirit's power and her faith, her virginity became uniquely fruitful. (cf. Lk 1:26-38)

[See also 494]

Ecclesia in Africa, 1995

  1. 60 "But when the time had fully come" (Gal 4:4), the Word, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Only Son of God, "by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man."

Vita Consecrata, 1996

[see also theme femininity 34]

Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 2002

No one has ever devoted himself to the contemplation of the face of Christ as faithfully as Mary. The eyes of her heart already turned to him at the Annunciation, when she conceived him by the power of the Holy Spirit. 10

Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 2003

Mary was asked to believe that the One whom she conceived "through the Holy Spirit" was "the Son of God." (Lk 1:30-35) In continuity with the Virgin's faith, in the Eucharistic mystery we are asked to believe that the same Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Mary, becomes present in his full humanity and divinity under the signs of bread and wine. 55

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FASHIONED BY THE SPIRIT (HER WHOLE EXISTENCE)

Lumen Gentium, 1964

[Mary] fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature [cf. Germanus of Constantinople, "Hom. in Annunt. Deiparae": PG 98, 328A, etc.] 56

Signum Magnum, 1967

prophetic canticle she had uttered under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit [Magnificat] 3

She freely and earnestly heeded the interior promptings of the Holy Spirit at all times. 16

her generous efforts under God's inspiration [see "fullness of grace" ahead] 21

General Catechetical Directory, 1971

The gift of Christ's Spirit is manifested in her in an altogether singular manner, because Mary is "full of grace" (Lk 1, 28) and is "a model of the Church." (LG, 63) 68

In her,
who was preserved from all stain of original sin,
who was freely and fully faithful to the Lord,
and who was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory,
the Holy Spirit has fully manifested his gift. 68

Behold Your Mother (USA), 1973

"fashioned by the Holy Spirit into a kind of new substance and a new creature." (LG 56) 52

led by the Holy Spirit in everything (PO 18) 69

servant of the Spirit 106

The role of the Holy Spirit in the life of Mary is especially pertinent to our time. Mary of the Magnificat is, after Jesus himself, the supreme New Testament example of one who is led by the Holy Spirit. Not only the Magnificat, but Mary's whole life was a song of love inspired by the Holy Spirit. "Led by the Holy Spirit, she devoted herself entirely to the mystery of man's redemption." (PO 18) [Discussed under Mother of the Church] 118

Marialis Cultus, 1974

adorned her with gifts of the Spirit granted to no one else 25

Theological reflection and the liturgy have in fact noted how the sanctifying intervention of the Spirit in the Virgin of Nazareth was a culminating moment of the Spirit's action in the history of salvation. Thus, for example, some Fathers and writers of the Church attributed to the work of the Spirit the original holiness of Mary, who was as it were "fashioned by the Holy Spirit into a kind of new substance and new creature." (LG 56) 26

Gaudete in Domino, 1975

The attainment of such an outlook is not just a matter of psychology. It is also a fruit of the Holy Spirit. This Spirit, who dwells fully in the person of Jesus, made him during his earthy life so alert to the joys of daily life, so tactful and persuasive for putting sinners back on the road to a new youth of heart and mind! It is this same Spirit who animated the Blessed Virgin and each of the saints.

Redemptor Hominis, 1979

under the special influence of the Holy Spirit, this heart Final paragraph

Ephesus, 1550th Anniversary, 1981

In her there dawned the new humanity which with Christ was presented in the world in order to bring to completion the original plan of the covenant with God, broken by the disobedience of the first man. 4

Redemptoris Mater, 1987

[Calvary] And how powerful too is the action of grace in her soul, how all pervading is the influence of the Holy Spirit and of his light and power! 18

The Virgin Mary in Intellectual and Spiritual Formation, 1988

"She is, at it were, fashioned and formed into a new creature" (LG 56) by the Holy Spirit. 8

Veritatis Splendor, 1993

Mary experiences, in perfect docility to the Spirit, the richness and the universality of God's love, which opens her heart and enables it to embrace the entire human race. 120

Tertio Millennio Adveniente, 1994

...and then in the whole of her life allowed herself to be guided by his interior activity, will be contemplated and imitated during this year above all as the woman who was docile to the voice of the Spirit, a woman of silence and attentiveness, a woman of hope who, like Abraham, accepted God's will "hoping against hope." (cf. Rom 4:18) 48

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994 Fidei Depositum, 1992

493 The Fathers of the Eastern tradition call the Mother of God "the All-Holy" (Panagia) and celebrate her as "free from any stain of sin, as though fashioned by the Holy Spirit and formed as a new creature." (LG 56) By the grace of God Mary remained free of every personal sin her whole life long.

722 The Holy Spirit prepared Mary by his grace. It was fitting that the mother of him in whom "the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily" (Col 2:9) should herself be "full of grace." She was, by sheer grace, conceived without sin as the most humble of creatures, the most capable of welcoming the inexpressible gift of the Almighty. It was quite correct for the angel Gabriel to greet her as the "Daughter of Zion": "Rejoice." (Cf. Zeph 3:14; Zech 2:14) It is the thanksgiving of the whole People of God, and thus of the Church, which Mary in her canticle (cf. Lk 1:46-55) lifts up to the Father in the Holy Spirit while carrying within her the eternal Son.

744 In the fullness of time the Holy Spirit completes in Mary all the preparations for Christ's coming among the People of God. By the action of the Holy Spirit in her, the Father gives the world Emmanuel, "God-with-us." (Mt 1:23)

Vita Consecrata, 1996

It is in the contemplation of the crucified Christ that all vocations find their inspiration. From this contemplation, together with the primordial gift of the Spirit, all gifts, and in particular the gift of the consecrated life, take their origin. After Mary, the mother of Jesus, it is John who receives this gift.. John is the disciple whom Jesus loved, the witness who together with Mary stood at the foot of the cross (cf. Jn 19:26-27) ... John, together with Mary, is among the first in a long line of men and women who, from the beginning of the church until the end, are touched by God's love and feel called to follow the Lamb (cf. Rv 14:1-5) (cf. Proposition 3). 23

Consecrated life looks to her as the sublime model of ... openness to the Spirit 28

Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 2002

When in the Rosary we plead with Mary, the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 1:35), she intercedes for us before the Father who filled her with grace and before the Son born of her womb, praying with us and for us. 16

...contemplating Christ and his Blessed Mother in glory, they see the goal towards which each of us is called, if we allow ourselves to be healed and transformed by the Holy Spirit. It could be said that each mystery of the Rosary, carefully meditated, sheds light on the mystery of man. 25

Ecclesia in Europa, 2003

Today too Mary helps us to interpret all that happens to us in the light of Jesus her Son. As a new creation molded by the Holy Spirit, Mary causes the virtue of hope to grow within us. 125

Evangelii Gaudium, 2013

Contemplating Mary, we realize that she who praised God for “bringing down the mighty from their thrones” and “sending the rich away empty” (Lk 1:52-53) is also the one who brings a homely warmth to our pursuit of justice. She is also the one who carefully keeps “all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Lk 2:19). 288

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FULLNESS OF GRACE

Lumen Gentium, 1964

temple of the Holy Spirit 53
Because of this gift of sublime grace she far surpasses all creatures, both in heaven and on earth. 53

unique holiness...hailed...by divine command, as "full of grace." (cf. Lk 1:28) 56

[Note: items under "holiness" and "exalted" refer to grace.]

Signum Magnum, 1967

It was this perfect harmony between divine grace and her own human activity that gave honor to the Blessed Trinity and made her the crowning glory of the Church. 16

In God's kind dispensation, her freely proffered assent and her generous efforts under God's inspiration have greatly contributed - and still do - to man's attainment of salvation. 21

...bequeathed his own Mother to him [St. Paul] as a spiritual inheritance, along with the rich store of grace and virtue that she had accumulated. [See also "development"] 32

[St. Bernard] "Coming to her, the Holy Spirit filled her with grace for herself; when the same Spirit pervaded her again, she became superabundant and overflowing with grace for us also." 32

Creed, Paul VI, 1968

filled with the gift of grace more than all other creatures [17: cf. LG 53] 14

General Catechetical Directory, 1971

Mary is "full of grace." (Lk 1, 28) 68

Behold Your Mother (USA), 1973

"Temple of the Holy Spirit," (LG 53) she continues to exercise a special influence... 127

Marialis Cultus, 1974

[liturgy, doctrinal theme] Temple of the Holy Spirit 11

[The Fathers] saw in the mysterious relationship between the Spirit and Mary an aspect redolent of marriage, poetically portrayed by Prudentius: "The unwed Virgin espoused the Spirit," and they called her the "Temple of the Holy Spirit," (Isidore) an expression that emphasizes the sacred character of the Virgin, now the permanent dwelling of the Spirit of God. 26

Mother of the Son of God, and therefore beloved daughter of the Father and Temple of the Holy Spirit - "Mary, who, because of this extraordinary grace, is far greater than any other creature on earth or in heaven." (LG 53) 56

Delving deeply into the doctrine of the Paraclete, they saw that from Him as from a spring there flowed forth the fullness of grace (cf. Lk. 1:28) and the abundance of gifts that adorned her. 26

exhort everyone ... to meditate more deeply on the working of the Holy Spirit in the history of salvation, and to ensure that Christian spiritual writings give due prominence to His life-giving action. Such a study will bring out in particular the hidden relationship between the Spirit of God and the Virgin of Nazareth, and show the influence they exert on the Church. 27

Gaudete in Domino, 1975

[context: ability to accept the gifts of the Spirit of God this spiritual experience "according to the diversity of charisms and particular vocations, it illustrates the mystery of Christian joy."]
In the first rank is the Virgin Mary, full of grace, the Mother of the Savior.

Redemptoris Mater, 1987

["fullness of time"] marks the moment when the Holy Spirit, who had already infused the fullness of grace into Mary of Nazareth, formed in her virgin womb the human nature of Christ. 1

[Mary is "full of grace," ... Incarnation ... as a result] the temple of the Holy Spirit 9

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, in the order of grace, which is a participation in the divine nature, Mary receives life from him to whom she herself, in the order of earthly generation, gave life as a mother. 10

The Virgin Mary in Intellectual and Spiritual Formation, 1988

in a special way, is his temple (cf. LG 53) 8

Mulieris Dignitatem, 1988

[The Annunciation] is clearly interpersonal in character: it is a dialogue. We can understand it fully only if we place the whole conversation between the angel and Mary in the context of the words: "full of grace." (cf. RM 7-11) ... [supernatural event] Grace never casts nature aside or cancels it out, but rather perfects and ennobles it. Therefore the "fullness of grace" that was granted to the Virgin of Nazareth, with a view to the fact that she would become "Theotokos," also signifies the fullness of the perfection of "what is characteristic of woman," of "what is feminine." ... culminating point, the archetype, of the personal dignity of women. 5

Veritatis Splendor, 1993

"full of grace" 106

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994 Fidei Depositum, 1992

721 Mary, the all-holy ever-virgin Mother of God, is the masterwork of the mission of the Son and the Spirit in the fullness of time. For the first time in the plan of salvation and because his Spirit had prepared her, the Father found the dwelling place where his Son and his Spirit could dwell among men. In this sense the Church's Tradition has often read the most beautiful texts on wisdom in relation to Mary. (cf.. Prov 8:1-9; Sir 24) Mary is acclaimed and represented in the liturgy as the "Seat of Wisdom."

In her, the "wonders of God" that the Spirit was to fulfill in Christ and the Church began to be manifested....
[see continuation above in "fashioned by HS," 722]

Orientale Lumen, 1995 Ut Unum Sint, 1995

In this mystery [faith in Jesus Christ] the faithful, united with their bishops, have access to God the Father through the Son, the Word made flesh who suffered and was glorified in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And so, made "shares of the divine nature," (2 Pt 1:4) they enter into communion with the most holy Trinity. (UR 15) These features describe the Eastern outlook of the Christian. His or her goal is participation in the divine nature through communion with the mystery of the Holy Trinity .... OL 6

On this path of divinization, those who have been made "most Christ like: by grace and by commitment to the way of goodness go before us: the martyrs and the saints." And the Virgin Mary occupies an altogether special place among them. From her the shoot of Jesse sprang. (cf. Is 11:1) OL 6

Vita Consecrata, 1996

Mary is the model of the acceptance of grace by human creatures. 28

In Mary, "the temple of the Holy Spirit," (LG 59) all the splendor of the new creation shines forth. 28

Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 2002

When in the Rosary we plead with Mary, the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk 1:35), she intercedes for us before the Father who filled her with grace and before the Son born of her womb, praying with us and for us. 16

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OTHER

Lumen Gentium, 1964

we also see Mary by her prayers imploring gifts of the Spirit (Acts 1:14) 59

Gaudete in Domino, 1975

Spouse of the Spirit #

The Virgin Mary in Intellectual and Spiritual Formation, 1988

During the Visitation the gifts of the Messiah flowed through her: the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Elizabeth, the joy of the future Precursor (cf. LK 1:41). 8

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© This material has been compiled by M. Jean Frisk and Danielle M. Peters, S.T.D.
Copyright is reserved for The Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute.
Most recently updated in 2019.

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