Living Monstrance

Did you ever notice that Mary has a long list of different titles in the Church?  There’s Queen of Apostles, Star of the Sea, Our Lady of Victories, Mother of Mercy, and the list seems to go on forever.  And did you notice that she seems to change in appearance, too?  Her shrines depict her differently depending on the culture.  Sometimes she’s a European woman, sometimes Indian - I’ve seen her shown as an Eskimo.

Why?  Why not just the same, standard “Mary” all the time?

A little story … I’ve always loved mathematics and physics.  Math and physics are complicated, and there’s something inside of me that likes complicated.  So, when I went to college, I decided to become an engineer, something complicated.

Now along the way, I’ve had the privilege to accomplish some works.  Those expensive degrees paid off.

I was able to look the other day and find my US patent on the internet.  Yes, I am officially an inventor.  I emailed the title to my brother: “Passive Phase-Change Stator Winding End-Turn Cooled Electric Machine”.  He wrote back, “I can barely pronounce the words, never mind understand them.”

So then, getting a laugh, I thought, I also have a published professional paper with another complicated name. I found this on the internet, too, and emailed that to him: “Extended-Range Linear Magnetostrictive Motor with Double-Sided Three-Phase Stators”.  He wrote back, “Make it stop!”  I spared him the master’s thesis …

Unless you are an engineer, can you relate to any of those titles?  I hope not.  Those titles are very complicated.  I have never heard them discussed at weddings or sung about on the radio.  I hope I never will.

Mary is very simple.  In the Gospel, she’s chosen a simple title: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word.” (Lk 1:38 )  What is a handmaid of the Lord?  It is someone who belongs entirely to God and keeps His Word.  That’s it.  Simple.

But because of this, she is free to relate to everyone.  She adapts herself and reaches out to each person where he is at, in love.  “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” (1 Cor 9:22)  She can introduce her Son to everyone, no matter what their condition, and contribute to God’s plan of bringing everyone home to Him.

Mary has received all these titles and faces because, underneath it all, she knows who she is.  She is always simply the handmaid of the Lord, keeping His Word.

When we keep it simple, it’s then that we are free.  It’s then that we can do the greatest things with God.