Mary, THE MIRROR of the Church

The intimate secret of this Theresian Carmelite was his passionate love for the Church and for Mary, “the mirror” of this Church. He liked calling her like this, contemplating her like this. The Church and Mary in one and only love. In the short time he spent in convent, he assimilated perfectly the motto of Carmel: “All of Mary”, but he trespassed it with originality further than the forms of his times. His doctrinal thought was availed by the Vatical Council II and post-council doctrine.

When Palau “looks” at Mary, he “sees” the Church.

«’Don’t look – she told me – at this mirror that I am; look in me at the image of the Church, your beloved, engraved by the finger of God himself’. And I looked at this image and then I saw in Mary my Beloved, I saw the Holy Church” (MR 4,2).

“It cannot be any other way. I am a shadow that figures in you a Virgen whose name is Mary. In me and through me you will see this beautiful Virgen. In Mary you will see another Virgin by the name of the Church, the Spouse of immaculate Lamb» (MR 4,4,)

Therefore, the first step is to “look at Mary”, focus our gaze in Her, discover Her beauty, her virtues and perfections. After that, we will come to this conclusion: to gaze upon Mary is to upon the Church.

«God in his wise providence created a perfect type that would represent her purity, her virginity, her maternity and fecundity and beauty. And in the effect, it was convenient that this woman would be a virgin, immaculate, always pure and mother, and that both in moral and physical order she would reunite in herself all the gifts, all the graces and all the perfections which would be possible in a pure creation. This was and is the Virgin Mary, Mother of God; she is the clearest mirror where a man can contemplate the Holy Church. And as through Christ we go to Father, through Mary our heart is elevated in the flames of love to its beloved, that is the Church» (MR 11,21)

Prayer

Mary, alive member, mother, figure and mirror of the Church: pray for us, so we might be faithful to the promptings of the Spirit, live our faith in community and be active members of the Church.

 «I greet you, oh Mary, Mother of God, because God has formed you so beautiful, so pure, so perfect, as it was convenient for you being destined to become a Mother of God» (cf MR 4,1).