"Her thoughts were God's thoughts"

Last week was the Feast of the Assumption. In observance of this great Feast, our parish bulletin reprinted Pope Bendict's homily on the Feast of the Assumption from last year.

A couple of lines from Pole Benedict's homily caught my attention:

A second observation: Mary's poem -- the Magnificat -- is quite original; yet at the same time, it is a "fabric" woven throughout of "threads" from the Old Testament, of words of God.

Thus, we see that Mary was, so to speak, "at home" with God's word, she lived on God's word, she was penetrated by God's word. To the extent that she spoke with God's words, she thought with God's words, her thoughts were God's thoughts, her words, God's words. She was penetrated by divine light and this is why she was so resplendent, so good, so radiant with love and goodness.

Mary lived on the Word of God, she was imbued with the Word of God. And the fact that she was immersed in the Word of God and was totally familiar with the Word also endowed her later with the inner enlightenment of wisdom.

While I don't think it was intentional, I see the Pope making a compelling case as to why Catholic's venerate the Blessed Virgin -- because she is such a great model and example for us to be better Christians. In addition to being the Mother of God, she is also an example of the Christian life par excellance.

The Blessed Virgin was so familiar with God's word that it was the "fabric" of her life. To me this means that she incorporated God into each and every part of her life; into all aspects of her daily life. When she was cooking, cleaning, washing, etc. she was manifesting God. I believe that she did not just cook a meal, I think she made the best meal she could possibly make so that her cooking could honor God. I think she did not just clean her home, I think she put her heart and soul into cleaning so that the cleanliness of her home glorified God.

This is what I think the Pope means when he says she was "at home" with the Word. The Word was so constant and familiar to her that she lived on it; it "penetrated" her entire life.

What a great example for us to contemplate and emulate.