THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BLESSED

VIRGIN MARY AND THE HOLY EUCHARIST Frederick Gruber

Mary's example especially shines forth in the events of the Annunciation and Birth of our Lord and in her union with Christ at the Cross.

Dedicated to my Uncle, Fr. Mark Gruber, O.S.B.

On the occasion of the inauguration of his 50th year.

≥Who more than Mary can help us taste the greatness of the Eucharistic mystery? . . .

This Easter, in the Year of the Eucharist, I gladly repeat to each of you the gentle

and consoling words of Jesus: "Behold your Mother" (Jn 19:27).

-Pope John Paul II

≥Ad Jesum per Mariam≤ is a phrase which expresses the method of St. Louis de Montfort's spirituality of Marian consecration. Pope John Paul II embraces this spirituality, and his writings show that the truth of this method also applies to the relationship between Mary and the Eucharist. Indeed, our Holy Father says that Mary's spirituality is the best help to draw near to the ≥mystery of the Eucharist.≤ Studying and adopting Mary's spirituality is a means of growing closer to the Eucharist. Mary's spirituality emerges throughout her life as Pope John Paul II notes in speaking of Mary as a ≥woman of the Eucharist in her whole life.≤ Considering the manifold blessings, virtues and graces of Mary's life, it becomes clear that this is an inexhaustible topic. Mary's example especially shines forth in the events of the Annunciation and Birth of our Lord and in her union with Christ at the Cross. Mary's relationship to the Eucharist transcends being an example, however. All of these mysteries converge in the ≥mystery of the Eucharist≤ and fittingly so as Pope John Paul II asserts in his final encyclical, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, ≥Mary can guide us towards this most holy sacrament, because she herself has a profound relationship with it.≤ Altogether, Mary's spirituality leads us to the Eucharist as is evident from Mary's role in the Incarnation and the Redemption as the Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church, and Mother of the Eucharist.

At the Annunciation, the Blessed Virgin Mary exemplifies the proper reception of Christ. A commentator on the spirituality of St. Louis de Montfort, Fr. Corrado Maggioni, states that ≥the Blessed Virgin is the perfect model of all who receive Holy Communion.≤ Although it is certain that Mary did receive Holy Communion from the Apostles, Mary's example shines forth in her original reception of Christ in the Incarnation. Fr. James O'Connor points out the belief of St. Augustine that Mary conceived Christ spiritually before she conceived Him physically. St. Peter Julian Eymard explains that ≥the Immaculate Conception was a preparation for Holy Communion.≤ Accordingly, Mary was perfectly prepared for receiving Christ, being preserved from original sin and avoiding any actual sin. Mary sets the standard of absolute detachment from sin for the sake of complete preparation for the coming of Christ into the soul. The Blessed Virgin Mary's loving acceptance of Christ at the Annunciation is a model for Christians receiving Christ in Holy Communion.  Indeed, Pope John Paul II relates Mary's faith at the Incarnation with the faith of the Christian in receiving the Eucharist. He writes, ≥There is a profound analogy between the Fiat which Mary said in reply to the angel, and the Amen which every believer says when receiving the body of the Lord.≤ Mary expresses a complete submission and union with God's will as she accepts Christ into her womb. Likewise, Christians are called to fully accept the will of God for them as they accept Him in Holy Communion. Furthermore, Fr. Maggioni goes as far as to say that ≥union between Christ and Mary, which took place at a definite time and place, is repeated in a sacramental way when the faithful united with Mary receive Holy Communion.≤ Thus, through the example of her relationship to Christ at the Annunciation, Mary teaches Christians the importance of the proper dispositions to prepare to receive Christ in the Eucharist.

The mystery of the Nativity reveals further examples of Mary's profound relationship to Jesus. The Holy Father draws our attention toward the example of Mary at the Nativity at Bethlehem:

And is not the enraptured gaze of Mary as she contemplated the face of the newborn Christ and cradled him in her arms that unparalleled model of love which should inspire us every time we receive Eucharistic communion?

Here, the Pope indicates that Mary always has a role in our reception of Holy Communion. Also, the Pope highlights the significance of Mary's loving contemplation as the example par excellence of how to receive Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.   Fr. Charles DeKeyser in his book, Our Lady and the Eucharist, notes a connection between the Eucharist and the manger in that ≥the permanent presence of Christ in the tabernacle recalls the crib of Bethlehem, where Mary knelt in adoration.≤ St. Peter Julian Eymard further comments on the significance of adoration:  "To adore [the Eucharist] is to share the life of Mary on earth when she adored the Word Incarnate in her virginal womb, when she adored Him in the Crib, on Calvary, in the divine Eucharist." St. Peter Eymard shows that this adoration of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament transcends mere imitation of her example as he instead speaks of sharing in the life of Mary.  We adore the same Word Incarnate as Mary, as Pope Pius XII states, ≥"The faith of the Church [is] that the Word of God is identical with the Son of the Virgin Mary, who suffered on the cross, who is present in a hidden manner in the Eucharist and who reigns upon His heavenly throne.≤ Accordingly, as we adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament we participate in Mary's act of adoration of the same Word Incarnate. As we come to worship Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, we are like the magi who find ≥the child with Mary his mother≤ (Mt. 2:11). Hence, the mystery of the Nativity exhibits Mary's receptivity toward Christ in her attentive contemplation of her Son. We participate in Mary's adoration through our adoption of Mary's spirituality of Eucharistic devotion.

Another aspect of Mary's relationship to the Eucharist emerges in considering Mary's role in the Incarnation. Mary, as the mother of Jesus and His sole human parent, provides Him with his human body. Of course, this is the same body which Christ in turn will give to us in the Eucharist. The Early Church Father St. Irenaeus asserts that Mary's womb ≥brings forth a Savior, and provides mortal men with the Bread of angels and the food of eternal life." Likewise, Fr. Manelli points to the deep physical connection between Jesus and Mary which comes from her motherhood:

If Adam could call Eve when she had been taken from his rib, ≥bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh,' (Gen. 2:23), cannot the holy Virgin Mary even more rightly call Jesus 'Flesh of my flesh and Blood of my blood≤? Taken from the ≥intact Virgin≤ as says St. Thomas Aquinas, the Flesh of Jesus is of the maternal flesh of Mary, the Blood of Jesus is of the maternal blood of Mary. Therefore, it will never be possible to separate Jesus from Mary.

The Body of Christ comes from Mary in the most complete way. Accordingly, Mary and Jesus are united by closer ties of blood than any other mother and son. Mary's spirituality leads us to the Eucharist because she herself is so intimately united to Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament.

At Bethlehem, Mary appears as the Mother of God; at Calvary she receives the role of Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ. Whereas Mary, at the Nativity, gives us Jesus as she brings him forth into the world, at the Crucifixion, Jesus gives us Mary, revealing her as our Mother. Pope Pius XII comments on Mary's role at the Crucifixion:

She became our Mother also when the divine Redeemer offered the sacrifice of Himself; and hence by this title also, we are her children. She teaches us all the virtues; she gives us her Son and with Him all the help we need, for God ≥wished us to have everything through Mary.≤

Mary's gift of her Son comes to us in the Holy Eucharist. Mary stands with John at the foot of the Cross (Jn. 20:25). St. Peter Damian compares Mary at the foot of the Cross with Eve at the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Whereas Eve tempts Adam with the forbidden fruit, Mary entices us to receive Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, the fruit of her womb, unto our eternal salvation. Frank Duff observes another significant aspect of Mary's presence at Calvary: ≥She stood by the cross of Jesus on Calvary . . . Mary stands at the altar no less than she stood at the cross. She is there, as ever, co-operating with Jesus.≤ Mary's spirituality keeps her in union with Christ, participating in His sufferings and the Eucharistic significance of this emerges in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

The relationship between Mary and the Eucharist is especially present in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Within the context of the Mass, the Blessed Virgin Mary's relates to the Eucharist in her capacity as Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ. Indeed, Fr. Manelli comments that ≥St. Augustine correctly teaches that in the Eucharist `Mary extends and perpetuates her divine Motherhood'≤ As a mother, Mary nourishes her children as Frank Duff, founder of the Legion of Mary, explains, ≥Mary is the mother of that Mystical Body. As she once anxiously attended to the wants of her Christ-child, so now she yearns to feed that Mystical Body, of which she is, no less, the Mother.≤ Mary feeds souls through the Bread of Life, the Eucharist. As St. Louis de Montfort points out: ≥For she gives them to eat of the bread of life, the bread which she herself has formed.≤ Mary, the Mother of Jesus becomes the Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ and the truths of these titles are gloriously combined, integrated, and united in the tile of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist. In this way, Mary's spirituality has an eminent maternal focus on Christ.

Moreover, our Holy Father makes a profound observation regarding Mary's presence at Mass: ≥Mary is present, with the Church and as the Mother of the Church, at each of our celebrations of the Eucharist. If the Church and the Eucharist are inseparably united, the same ought to be said of Mary and the Eucharist.≤ Aware of this truth, Padre Pio advises his spiritual children to attend Mass in union with Mary at Calvary. The presence of Mary at Mass, though not visible to us, is not some sort of pious fiction. The Pope gives an explanation for how it is that Mary is present at Mass:

In the `memorial' of Calvary all that Christ accomplished by his passion and his death is present. Consequently all that Christ did with regard to his Mother for our sake is also present. To her he gave the beloved disciple and, in him, each of us: `Behold, your Son!'. To each of us he also says: `Behold your mother!' (cf. Jn 19: 26-27). Experiencing the memorial of Christ's death in the Eucharist also means continually receiving this gift. It means accepting - like John - the one who is given to us anew as our Mother.

Our Holy Father speaks of Mary's presence as a spiritual reality and implies that cognizance of this reality contributes to a fuller participation in the Mass, a more complete memorial of the Paschal mystery. In fact, Mary's presence at the Holy Sacrifice at the Mass is very significant for the spirituality of approaching Jesus through Mary.

Furthermore, Fr. James T. O'Connor considers the implications of Mary's bodily presence in Heaven with Christ. It is said that there is no distance between two tabernacles in that it is the same Jesus in each tabernacle. Accordingly, Mary is close to the Blessed Sacrament because she is close to Jesus who is bodily in Heaven. O'Connor concludes, ≥Mary's presence in the Eucharistic action is real, physical (because she has been bodily assumed into heaven), and unique (as Mother and associate) in this memorial of our redemption.≤ Hence, Mary's relationship to the Eucharist comes out through her presence at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Altogether, Marian spirituality must envelop the Eucharistic devotion.  Indeed, it seems that adopting this spirituality amounts to becoming aware of Mary's already active role.  As St. Peter Julian Eymard says, ≥No true devotion to the Eucharist can exist which is not fostered by Mary.≤ Accordingly, the man devoted to the Eucharist is gaining already from Mary's assistance.  A greater awareness of Mary's exemplary relationship to the Blessed Sacrament leads us deeper into the supernatural mystery of the Incarnation. Mary's spirituality is like the Garden of Eden which has trees which are ≥pleasant to the sight≤ (Gen. 2:9). The events of her life have Christ as their center as the tree of life is at the center of the Garden. Just as Christ is at the center of Mary, i.e. in her womb, so also is Mary's spirituality centered in Christ. Jesus says in Luke's gospel, ≥For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit≤ (Luke 6:43).  In that the fruit of Mary's womb is Jesus Christ, the fruit of authentic Marian spirituality is necessarily a more profound Christocentric spirituality.

Far from interfering with the absolutely necessary and indeed central relationship to Jesus Christ, Mary's spirituality rather unites and vivifies the essential practices of the approaching the Blessed Sacrament. Any missal or manual of devotion might give directions on the proper dispositions to receive Holy Communion, but in Mary we find a living model of these dispositions. Mary's spirituality does not divert our attention from the wondrous reality of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, God Incarnate descending upon our altars. It rivets our attention ever closer to the deepest meanings of this ineffable mystery by reminding us of the simple and humble manner by which God, in His inscrutable wisdom, chose to accomplish it. In short, Mary's spirituality is the most potent medicine for the spiritual and moral lethargy of our day. By entering into Mary's spirituality, we awaken to the Eucharistic amazement which our Holy Father so earnestly desires to see rekindled in the hearts of the faithful. We, in our own time, thereby perceive afresh the Incarnation and the Eucharist in the true splendor of these mysteries through the eyes of Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

Thus, the Blessed Virgin Mary has a unique relationship with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament as is seen in her example of loving reception of Christ, in her participation in the Passion, and in her Motherly role in the Mass. 

The appreciation of this relationship blossoms in a spirituality that is both authentically Marian and intrinsically Christocentric. Any true Marian spirituality must respect the spirituality of the Blessed Virgin Mary herself by finding its center in Christ as Mary did.

Every step of the way, Mary orients herself to Christ and necessarily also to the Eucharist.

Every aspect of her multifaceted holiness is a reflection of Christ. In summary, our Holy Father comments, ≥Gazing upon Mary, we come to know the transforming power present in the Eucharist.≤ Starting with the mystery of the Immaculate Conception for the sake of her role as Mother of God in the Incarnation and, in a certain sense, reaching a climax at Calvary, Mary's life indeed bears eloquent witness to the wondrous Eucharistic power.

Therefore, this Marian witness ought to inspire us, especially during this year of the Eucharist to have greater confidence in the power of the Eucharist to change our lives as we imitate Mary's example. It is poignant to realize that our Holy Father Pope John Paul II, so closely united with Christ in His passion, in a letter to all the priests of the world issued within the month of his death makes his own the words of Christ on the Cross, ≥Behold your Mother.≤

≥Letter Of The Holy Father John Paul II To Priests for Holy Thursday 2005,≤ March 13, 2005, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/letters/2005/documents/hf_jp-ii_let_20050313_priests-holy-thursday_en.html, Accessed on April 10, 2005, 8.

St. Louis de Montfort. True Devotion to Mary, trans. Frederick William Faber (Rockford, IL: TAN Books), 1941, 77-78.

Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, April 17, 2003, http://www.vatican.va/edocs/ENG0821/__P8.HTM, Accessed on April 10, 2005, 58. Henceforth this encyclical will be cited by title and paragraph number (e.g. Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 58).

Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 53.

Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 53.

Corrado Maggioni, Jesus Living in Mary ã Handbook of the Spirituality of St. Louis Marie de Montfort Bayshore, NY: Montfort Publications, 1994), http://www.marys-touch.com/Saints/montfort3.htm, Accessed on April 10, 2005.

Cf. Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 53.

James T. O' Connor, The Hidden Manna: A Theology of the Eucharist, (San Francisco, Ignatius Press), 1988, 344.

Charles DeKeyser, Our Lady and the Eucharist, trans. Raymond A. Tartre (Sentinel Press: New York), 1954, 32.

Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 55.

Maggioni, Jesus Living in Mar, n.p.

Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 55.

DeKeyser, 39.

Real Presence Association, ≥Quotes on the Most Blessed Sacrament 3,≤ 2005, http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/tes/quotes3.html, Accessed on April 10, 2005.

Pope Pius XII, Mediator Dei (November 20, 1947), http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_20111947_mediator-dei_en.html, Accessed on April 10, 2005, 52.

.

Stefano Manelli, O.F.M. Conv., Jesus: Our Eucharistic Love (Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate: New Bedford, MA), 1996, 111.

Real Presence Association.

Manelli, Jesus: Our Eucharistic Love, 106.

Pope Pius XII, Mediator Dei, 169.

Virgin Wholly Marvelous, Ed. by David Supple, O.S.B. (Cambridge: Ravengate Press), 1999, 149.

Frank Duff, The Official Handbook of the Legion of Mary (Dublin, Ireland: Concilium Legionis Mariae), 1993, 47-48.

Manelli, Jesus, Our Eucharistic Love, 106.

Duff, 50.

Cited in Jesus Living in Mary, by Maggioni.

Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 57.

Stefano Manelli, FI, Devotion to Our Lady (New Bedford, MA: Academy of the Immaculate), 2001, 101.

Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 57.

O' Connor, 350-353.

Ibid., 353.

DeKeyser, 42.

Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 6.

Ibid., 62.

≥Letter Of The Holy Father John Paul II To Priests for Holy Thursday 2005,≤ 8.

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In Christ,

Frederick Gruber@OurLadysWarriors.org