Sacrament of the Spirit
One
Mary as “Sacrament” of the Spirit
The relationship between the Holy Spirit and Mary is like a sacrament, in other words, Mary is a visible and effective sign of the Holy Spirit's presence and work.
What is a sacrament? The Catechism (#1131) defines a sacrament as having three essential parts: sacraments are efficacious signs, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us.
To what extent do these three sacramental characteristics shed light on the relationship between the Holy Spirit and Mary? First, sacraments are efficacious signs. That means they make present and they make happen what they signify. Mary is the human sign through which the maternal mission of the Holy Spirit is made present, forming Jesus within us. Therefore, when we turn to Mary, we experience the Holy Spirit who enables us to receive Jesus and be conformed to Him.
John Paul said, “As the bond with Mary grows deeper, so the action of the Spirit in our life grows more fruitful.”
Two
Second, sacraments are instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church.
Mary as our spiritual mother was instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church when Jesus looked down from the Cross at the beloved disciple and proclaimed, “Behold, your mother.” When Jesus said those words, Mary received the mission to make the maternal mission of the Holy Spirit present in our lives. So, now, when we turn to Mary we experience the maternal mission of the Holy Spirit to form Jesus in us.
Three
Third, a sacrament is a sign that dispenses divine life to us.
The Son gives his life through the Liturgy and sacraments. The Holy Spirit disposes us to receive the divine life of Jesus. The Spirit does this through Mary. On her own, Mary cannot do this. Only the Spirit can give us the capacity to receive the Son. And the Spirit disposes us to receive Jesus through Mary. This is how Mary distributes all grace. Therefore, if a sacrament is a sign that signifies and makes present the grace proper to it, Mary signifies and makes present the Spirit to form Jesus within us. Mary is the sacrament of the Holy Spirit.
We may find a certain confirmation in this idea when Cardinal Ratzinger defines the role of Mary as, “moral mediation by intercession … [and] … physical: Mary is ontologically the place of passage of all graces, that is therefore supra-sacrament [Übersakrament]…”
To return again to a private conversation with Kolbe-scholar Fr. Bartosik: when I suggested this idea of Mary as the sacrament of the Holy Spirit, he responded, “That is exactly how Kolbe understood it.”
Four
Does the Holy Spirit do Everything through Mary?
Saints and popes have often spoken as though the Holy Spirit’s work of salvation is universally carried out through Mary. Thus, for instance, Mary is repeatedly referenced in the tradition as the “mediatrix of all graces.”
Representing this tradition, St. Maximilian Kolbe writes, “The union between the Holy Spirit and the Immaculate Virgin is so close that the Holy Spirit, who permeated the soul of the Immaculata profoundly, exerts no influence on souls, except through her.”
Does this mean the Holy Spirit always works through Mary?
Yes, it does. As we just stated, the Holy Spirit carries out a maternal mission in the world through Mary to form Christ in the souls of believers. In this sense Mary is the universal sacrament of the Holy Spirit, that is, the visible sign and instrument of the Spirit.
Five
Our Hope
This means the Holy Spirit universally works through Mary to save people, whether they know it or not. So, we hope, and with good reason, that even those who do not know Mary can be saved by Her intercession.
We hope that those who do not know Christ will be saved by Christ, we hope those who do not know the Holy Spirit will be saved by the Holy Spirit, and we hope those who do not know Mary and the Catholic Church will be saved by the intercession of Mary and the action of the Church. But either way, if a person is saved, if they receive Christ and He is formed within them, it will be accomplished by the maternal mission of the Spirit which is conducted through Mary and the Church.
Of course, it is safer and clearer and more greatly facilitates the process of sanctification, when one is aware that salvation comes from Christ and the Spirit, through the mediation of Mary and the Church, and when one deliberately acts on that knowledge to ensure one’s maximal receptivity and docility to these agents of salvation.
Suggested Resolutions:
Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you.
Acknowledge that the Holy Spirit carries out His maternal mission through Mary and seek her intercession in your spirituallife.
Just as the Holy Spirit formed Jesus in Mary, allow her to help form Jesus within your soul.