b'Family) to give us strength to form faith communities This final article returns us to Marys faith and addsof men and women who also go forth on mission.two other consequences of her life: poverty of spiritAs powerful as Mary is in this process of becomingand attentiveness to the Lord. The prophets spoke ofa missionary of the faith, she is not God. Marianists anawim, those people who remained faithful Jews.dedicate, not consecrate, themselves to her. We con- They often were characterized as simple people, oftensecrate ourselves to GodFather, Son, and Holy poor, but nonetheless those who remained attentiveSpiritbut fully accept Marys lead, cooperating to the movements of the Holy Spirit. The beautifulwith the Holy Spirit in forming others in the faith.phrase, Marys warmth of welcome, could, ofcourse, characterize Jesus as well. But it applies veryArticle 7 appropriately to Mary who, after some discussionIn Mary is summed up the longing and searching of with the angel Gabriel, courageously welcomed thethe whole human race for God: She is the first among transformative power of the Holy Spirit in her lifethose who believe in Jesus Christ and the first to be and her future. She immediately visited and caredsaved from evil and death.for her elder pregnant cousin Elizabeth, just as she Father James Heft, SMBecause Mary was free from all sin, her intense was attentive to the needs of a newly married couplelonging for God outstrips that of the best of us. Sin who had run out of wine for their guests. She alsoconfuses us, diverts our attention, darkens our forgave and continued to accompany Jesus Apostles,thinking, and weakens our longing for what really who had abandoned Him in the worst moment ofmatters in life. She was the first to believe in Jesus His life. Christ. However, even though she knew about His Her profound faith and openness help us live ourmission from the angel Gabriel and conceived Him vocation, which remains a mystery we never fullyvirginallythose advantages did not necessarily understand in this life. Nevertheless, God willing, wemean that she fully understood what she was in for. will fully understand in the next life. She, too, grew in her knowledge of who Jesus was.Thats why she had to ponder. I believe she didnt Conclusionknow fully until her Assumption.At the beginning of this reflection on Mary, as she isFinally, the article says that Mary was saved from evil understood by the Marianists, I described our Marianistand death. She was saved from evil by being immac- Charism as unique. There is no other dedication toulately conceived; she was sinless and remained so, Mary that is exactly the same. That is why the Society ofeven when she questioned. I have no idea what being Mary exists. And of what does that uniqueness consist?sinless might mean, except that her attentiveness to I think it may be found in two fundamental insights.God and the ways of the Holy Spirit are also beyond First, Mary, as our Mother, following the lead of theanything I can imagine.Holy Spirit, shapes us in the life of faith. Second, ourThe article also states that she was preserved from dedication to Mary is apostolic. That means, like Mary,death. We believe that Mary was assumed into heaven. we are called to conceive Jesus in our hearts andThe official formulation of that teaching, the dogma of present Him to everyone else through the formationthe Assumption, is careful to avoid saying whether of communities of faith and lay leaders for the Church Part 1: Articles 4 and 5,she was assumed before or after she died. It simply who work for the transformation of the world. Spring edition of ALIVEstates that at the end of the earthly course of her life, I believe that this charism is biblically rooted, forma- magazineshe was assumed into heaven. Lets be moved that at tionally dynamic, and is lived for the sake of others.the end of her life, Jesus wanted His Mother with Him I didnt understand this when I joined the Marianists.and called her home.I dont understand it fully, even now. But I know thatthis charism is what makes me a Marianist. And forArticle 8 that, I am deeply grateful.She shows us the way of true Christian life. Followingher example of faith, poverty of Spirit, and attentive- Marianist Father James Heft is scholar in residence atness to the Lord, we hope to reflect to those around us University of Dayton in Ohio and founder/presidentMarys warmth of welcome to God and to others. emeritus of Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies atLike her, we wholly commit ourselves to the mystery University of Southern California in Los Angeles.of our vocation.marianist.com/donate 5'