The real dynamic duo
Sitting with the Blessed Mother in a tiny corner of Assisi, Italy in Nov 2019
The month of May offers us two transformative powers that are always within reach: the maternal comfort of the Blessed Mother combined with the driving force of the Holy Spirit. This dynamic duo is responsible for the single greatest event in all of human history: the Incarnation of God’s word, spoken to us in the person of Jesus Christ.
I like this quote from Bishop Barron, as it sums it up nicely: “Just as the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mother were required to bring about the Incarnation in history, so too are those same agents required to bring about the birth of Christ in our souls.” That is SO rich!
Let’s start with the Blessed Mother, whom we honor as the Queen of Heaven and Earth throughout the month of May. Prior to 2012 I didn’t have a particular devotion to the Blessed Mother, but after my mom died, I instinctively gravitated toward her as my “new” mother. What does she mean to me? A lot!
I run to her when I’m down and she comforts me with a mother’s tender care. I tell her my concerns and she prays with me and for me and through me. When I’ve done something wrong she reminds me of God’s unending mercy, and when I’m anxious, she hides me in the mantle of her cloak. I can’t really explain it, but I can sense her presence the same way I always knew I could call my mom just to talk.
Her spouse the Holy Spirit, whom we celebrate this Sunday on the great feast of Pentecost, has been the driving force in my life of faith. He and I go way back! From a young age he gave me a special love for Jesus, which grew stronger in high school and ultimately guided me to my husband in college, and the rest is history.
The Holy Spirit is the “ying” to the Blessed Mother’s “yang”: he’s bold, she’s tender; he’s the perfect gentleman and she’s the quintessential lady. And while they have distinct attributes that bless us in countless ways, they share a single purpose: to draw us into deeper faith in, friendship with and dependence upon, Christ Jesus, our Risen Lord.
There’s so much more I could say about this dynamic duo and what they’ve meant to my faith journey. But suffice it to say that they’re a huge part of my daily walk with Christ and they serve as the inspiration for this blog.
In closing, I’ll leave you with two Latin phrases: Totus Tuus ego sum (I am all yours) and Veni Sancte Spiritus (Come Holy Spirit). May you be blessed by the power of this dynamic duo, whose mission is to guide us to the truth of God’s love and the saving power of His grace.