Marian Docility
One
Docility of spirit means to be peaceful and flexible so as to be molded by the hands of God. We need this trait if we wish to grow in excellence. If we are attentive and obey the motions of the Holy Spirit, no matter how gentle, we grow in our ability to attract more graces. As Jesus told St. Catherine of Sienna, “Make of yourself a capacity, and I will make of myself a torrent!” This is why we need docility. There are three practical steps in our daily living helpful in attaining this virtue. The first step is to be faithful to the teachings and wisdom of God already known, like the 10 Commandments and/or the teachings of His Catholic Church. If we fail in obedience to the obvious expressions of God’s will, how can we respond to the more gentle? Next, we must recognize our state in life which also presents to us many opportunities of fidelity. As a family man, I am not called to run off to China and evangelize, because of my state in life. My responsibilities are to my family and job here. I must guard against the dangers of spiritual pride that can lead to flights of fancy. St. JoseMaría Escrivá speaks of giving in to delusions to go fight imaginary dragons in the hallway when there’s a need to catch the mouse in the corner; meaning, don’t chase after the big ideas when there are more practical and immediate needs to attend to. It is mere pride that makes us want to chase after wild adventures or pipe dreams while ignoring more immediate responsibilities. Finally, we need to strive for and ask God for the virtues of humility and fidelity in our prayer and daily living. These are two foundational elements in docility. The Blessed Virgin Mary flawlessly demonstrated these virtues, and hence was utterly docile in the hands of God. That is how she was able to become His Mother. Mother of the Humble, intercede for us that we seek the fulfillment of God in all things, especially the small things, that we may be more faithful to the large.
Two
There are also steps we need to take in our interior life if we wish to become docile and therefore excellent. In his book, In the School of the Holy Spirit, Fr. Jacques Philippe says, “What most prevents us from becoming saints is undoubtedly the difficulty we have in consenting fully to everything that happens to us…even painful occurrences” (p. 34). We tend to rebel or endure unwillingly when we meet with suffering, trials, or tribulations. A more fruitful attitude is displayed by St. Thérèse, “I choose it all!” (ibid). This means that we choose to accept that which we wouldn’t otherwise choose. Or as Mike is fond of saying, ‘what we did not choose, do not like, and cannot change.’ This is the interior practice of docility. We are actively detaching ourselves from our own will by accepting distasteful or even painful events that come our way. God, for His part, never wills evil to come our way, but may allow it for our own purification. Our consent to these difficulties inspires love and trust in our souls and makes us free and active rather than passive recipients of suffering. This is how God draws good out of evil by granting us extraordinary graces of strength, fortitude, and charity.
Three
The Blessed Mother embodies charitable docility in her relationship to the Holy Spirit. When told of her role in the magnitude of God’s plan, she responds with, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to thy word” (Lk 1:38-39). Mary completely offers her heart, body, and soul to this plan of God without concern for her own well-being. She was so detached from self-concern that she even put her life at risk. This is why Joseph planned on putting her away quietly so as not to subject her to stoning (cf. Mt 1:19). Because of her docility, the Incarnate Word is born, and the entire universe is saved. We cannot achieve this kind of docility easily. The unique and preeminent grace of pure docility was Mary’s alone. Yet, because of the union she enjoyed with her divine son and the uniqueness of her participation, she can assist us in a unique and powerful way to achieve this docility ourselves. Dear Mother of All Graces, bring us to union with Jesus in the quickest and easiest way possible.
Four
We also need to practice silence. If our inner world is noisy and distracted by attachments, we will not hear the gentle and still voice of the Holy Spirit. Thus, we need to avoid so much news, screen time, loud music, and so on if we wish to cultivate the kind of space wherein the seeds of contemplation can take root & grow. God calls us to deep prayer so that within this relationship of meditation, we will clearly ascertain His will and inspirations. The saints were masters at this, which is why they were able to discern and accomplish so much. The Virgin Mary knew the inner workings of Jesus’ heart so well (because of her contemplative awareness) that she could intercede at a Wedding Feast by having her divine Son perform a miracle, anticipating Jesus’ public ministry before he was ready to begin it. And, He responded! Jesus, hear our prayers through our Mother. Grant us miracles, if need be, in our personal lives so that we can assist you in building your Kingdom.
Five
Our good God sent His angel to Mary in Nazareth because He recognized her as being open and ready to birth His plan of Incarnate, over-flowing, salvific grace. “In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you” (Lk 1:26-29). Docility to God means to excel at living because we overcome sin and death. This is excellence! Our Lady possessed the Lord fully because she offered no resistance internally. Neither sin nor attachment hindered her cooperation. Therefore, God sent to her His angel, as heart draws and speaks to heart. Mother, show us what one thought or action we need to eliminate and what virtue we need to practice in order to grow in docility to the Holy Spirit.