The
Presence of Mary
in the Life of St. Paul of the Cross
by
the Very Reverend Columkille Regan, C.P.
 There
is a powerful and discreet presence of Mary in Scripture and Luturgy.
We find it also in the history of the saints. Mary touched the life
of St. Paul of the Cross from his early youth. Signs of her presence
were many and clear, and all of them pointed toward her Son Jesus.
Paul was raised
in a family of deep faith, where he learned to converse with Mary daily
through the Rosary. As a young boy, he fell into the Olba River and
was miraculously saved by Mary. During the intellectual visions of the
summer of 1720, Mary showed Paul the habit of mourning and penance and
the sign he and his companions were to wear, and explained the meaning
of the habit in terms of their mourning for the Passion and Death of
Jesus.
Paul had a very
special devotion to the Mystery of Mary's Presentation in the Temple.
On that particular feastday "he said farewell to the world and desired
to be clothed in the habit of the Passion, and thus offered himself
in the flower of his years to the Divine Majesty, in imitation of that
great queen, who, in offering herself in the temple, made of herself
a sacrifice so agreeable to the heart of God." (Strambi: Life of Paul
of the Cross, p. 204)
On his first trip
to Rome, the ship stopped at Monte Argentario, and Paul recalled the
words he had heard in prayer before a statue of our Lady: "Paul come
to Monte Argentario, for I am there alone." On the feast of our Lady's
Presentation in 1721 or 1722, Paul received the gift of mystical marriage
when Mary, holding the Divine Child, placed the ring (embossed with
the signs of the Passion) on his finger.
In September,
1721 when he was refused audience with the Pope, Paul went immediately
to the Church of St. Mary Major, and in the Borghese Chapel made a vow
to promote devotion to the Passion of Christ in the hearts of the faithful.
Throughout his
whole life, Paul was deeply united to Mary because of her intimate association
in the Mystery of Redemption. On his deathbed, Paul pointed to his crucifix
and said, "There are all my hopes, in the Passion of Jesus Christ and
the Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary." St. Vincent Mary Stambi related
that "Mary came at the moment of death to assist Paul and lead his soul
to paradise."
Presence
of Mary in the Congregation
 On
his deathbed, Paul left the Congregation in the hands of Jesus Crucified
and our Sorrowful Mother. Mary -- always associated with the person
and work of her Son, continued to give her maternal presence and intercession
to the Congregation. This Marian presence was a 'constant' in the Congregation,
and took on special intensity in the Passionist saints such as St. Vincent
Mary Strambi, Blessed Dominic of the Mother of God, St. Gabriel of the
Sorrowful Virgin, Venerable Mother Mary Crucified and St. Gemma Galgani.
When the Congregation
was founded in the United States, that same, strong Marian presence
was experienced. Many foundations bore her name. Devotion to our Mother
of Sorrows was intimately linked to the memory of the Passion. Passionist
missions, novenas and retreats all integrated the mystery of Mary with
the mystery of Christ's Passion and Death. The famous Monday Devotions
always honored our Mother of Sorrows. The Confraternity of the Passion
has done exceptional work in spreading devotion to our Sorrowful Mother.
All our communication media have done the same. But the most powerful
Marian experience goes on in the hearts of our men -- known only to
the Heart of God and His Mother. (At right: Mary, Queen of the Passionist
Congregation)
The Passionist
Constitutions single out the Marian presence in prayer: "The Blessed
Virgin Mary, Mother of the Lord, is present in a special way in our
life of prayer. Like her, we too ponder God's Word in our hearts. We
revere Mary as our Mother and seek to imitate her trustful, persevering
prayer. In our love for her, we endeavor compassionately to share her
sorrow in the mystery of the Cross, chiefly by contemplating the mysteries
of the holy Rosary. Invoking her help, we are confident that her motherly
intervention will win us the graces we need as sons making our way to
the Father." (#53)
Prayer
of Pope John Paul II
The Marian presence
in our apostolate is perhaps best expressed by our Holy Father on the
occasion of Brother Isidore's beatification:
"I cannot
but conclude with a sincere wish, which I have taken from a letter addressed
by your founder to his confreres in 1751:
'May
this small congregation, a work of divine mercy,
develop throughout the world
so that . . . everywhere there may be holy workers
who, like loud trumpets animated by the Holy Spirit,
may awaken souls sleeping in sin
through the holy preaching
of the most holy sufferings of the Son of God, Christ Jesus;
so that, contrite,
they may shed salutary tears of repentance
and with constant devout meditation
on the same most holy sufferings,
they may become ever more inflamed with the holy love of God,
living devoutly
according to their proper state.' (Letter IV, 229)
"I entrust these
wishes to the motherly heart of our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of your
Congregation, and I commend to her each and every dear Passionist."
(Pope John Paul II, October 1, 1984)
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