Mary Immaculate and the cosmos

Saint Anselm understood, through faith, that all creation, both on earth and among the angels, was restored in Mary Immaculate. This perspective is very relevant in our current world that gives such great importance to the environment!

He writes: "Blessed Lady, sky and stars, earth and rivers, day and night – everything that is subject to the power or use of man – rejoice that through you they are in some sense restored to their lost beauty and are endowed with inexpressible new grace.

All creatures were dead, as it were, useless for men or for the praise of God, who made them. The world, contrary to its true destiny, was corrupted and tainted by the acts of men who served idols. Now all creation has been restored to life and rejoices that it is controlled and given splendor by men who believe in God. They were crushed by oppression and had lost their vitality by the abuse of those who had made themselves servants of idols. But they were not meant for idols.

Now, however, almost resurrected, they rejoice in being sustained by the mastery of men and made beautiful by the use of men who praise God.

The universe rejoices with new and indefinable loveliness. Not only does it feel the unseen presence of God himself, its Creator, it sees him openly, working and making it holy. These great blessings spring from the blessed fruit of Mary’s womb.

Through the fullness of the grace that was given you, dead things rejoice in their freedom, and those in heaven are glad to be made new. Through the Son who was the glorious fruit of your virgin womb, just souls who died before his life-giving death rejoice as they are freed from captivity, and the angels are glad at the restoration of their shattered domain."

Excerpt from a sermon of St. Anselm (Oratio 52; PL 158, 955-956).