Is the Virgin Mary a model we can really imitate?

In an interview for the French magazine Famille Chrétienne, Father de Menthière (1) was asked this question: "Is the Virgin Mary a model we can really imitate? Since she was preserved from original sin, it must have been easy for her to do God’s will!"

This was Father de Menthière's response: "Let us recall how Saint Therese of Lisieux felt about it. In her time, the sermons on the Virgin Mary described the privileges of the Queen of Heaven. They only showed how out of reach the Virgin Mary was, the Little Flower often complained. We should tell people that she can be imitated in how she practiced hidden virtues, and that she had to live by faith, like us.

On this point, as on many others, Vatican II learned from Saint Therese. It described the Virgin Mary’s pilgrimage of faith. Didn’t Jesus say: "He who does the will of my Father who is in heaven, is my brother, my sister, and my mother." We can therefore become the mother of the Lord by doing the Father's will, just like Mary.

In this, Mary is perfectly imitable. While Adam and Eve, who were immaculate creatures, sinned, the Holy Virgin did not fail, and she kept intact the original purity with which God had clothed her. "On the other hand, as little Therese boldly adds, we are happier than she ever could be because… she doesn’t have a Holy Virgin to love! ... This means such a lot of extra sweetness for us and so much sweetness lacking for her!" [lol]

(1) French Catholic priest, pastor and lecturer at the Cathedral School of Paris, Father de Menthière is also the author of several books on the Catholic faith.

Famille Chrétienne magazine, August 2019