In this excerpt from Mirror of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the profound meaning of the angelic greeting “The Lord is with thee” is explored in depth. Drawing from Scripture and the Church Fathers, the text reflects on how Mary’s spiritual power, wisdom, and heavenly riches are magnified by God’s unique presence within her.
The Lord Is With Thee
“Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.”
It has been shown above how Mary, because of the purity of her life, is rightly saluted by the Ave. It has also been shown how, because of the abundance of her graces, she is rightly called “full of grace.” We have now to show how, because of a most special presence of God within her, it is rightly said to her: “The Lord is with thee.”
But tell us, in what measure, O great Gabriel, thou bringest tidings of a great thing to the great Mary from the great God! But tell us, in what measure, or how He is with her? Behold St. Augustine answering this question, as it were in the person of Gabriel: “The Lord is with thee, but more than with me. The Lord is with thee, but not as He is with me. For although the Lord is in me, the Lord hath created me; but by thee the Lord is to be born.”
The Lord, therefore, O Mary—but who, how great? The Lord of the earth and of all things in general, the Lord who is especially the Lord of mankind, the Lord who is thine in a singular manner, O Mary. The Lord, I say, of all creatures in general, the Lord in a special manner of rational creatures, the Lord especially of thy virginal court, O Mary.
Mary and the Lord of All
We must consider, therefore, that this Lord, who is with thee, is in general the Lord of all creatures. Judith says: “The Lord of the heavens, the Creator of the waters, and the Lord of all creatures” (Judith 9:17). And the Wise Man: “The Lord of all things loved her” (Wisdom 8:3). Therefore, the Lord of all things universally, of all things visible and invisible.
This universal Lord of all things was in Mary in such a manner that He made her the universal Lady of all things—the Lady, I say, of Heaven, and the Lady of the world. St. Anselm saith: “The Queen of heaven, and the Lady of the World, to the Mother of Him, who cleanseth the world, I confess that my body is exceedingly impure.”
But lo! this universal Lord of all things is a most powerful Lord, a most wise Lord, a most rich Lord, a most unfailing Lord. A lord without power, without wisdom, without wealth, without permanence, would be a most imperfect lord. A feeble lord, one needy and insipid, or unable to keep his position, would be little esteemed. But Our Lord is universal, most powerful, most wise, most wealthy; His eternity is unfailing.
A Most Powerful Lord
First note that the universal Lord, who is with Mary, is a Lord most powerful in will, and it is well said of Him: “All whatsoever the Lord hath willed, the Lord has done, . . . even in all abysses” (Psalm 134:6). Therefore, neither in Heaven, nor on earth, nor in all the infernal abysses, can anyone resist the will of so powerful a Lord, as Mardochai testifies, saying: “Lord King Almighty, in thy dominion are all things, and there is none who can resist thy will” (Esther 13:9).
Behold, Mary, how great, how powerful is the Lord who is with thee! And because He is a most powerful Lord, He is most powerfully with thee: therefore, art thou most powerful with Him, by Him, through Him, so that thou canst truly say, “My power is in Jerusalem” (Ecclesiasticus 24:15).
Jerusalem signifies the Church triumphant in Heaven; it signifies also the Church militant upon earth. For truly both in Heaven and on earth the Mother of the Creator has power. How very powerful she is, Anselm recognizes when he says: “Hear us, loving one; be with us, be favorable to us; help us, most powerful one, that our minds may be cleansed from stains and our darkness illuminated.”
The Lord, therefore, is with thee, O most powerful Mary.
A Most Wise Lord
Secondly, note that the universal Lord, who is with Mary, is a Lord most wise in truth. For He is the Lord, of whom it is said in the Psalm, “Great is our Lord, and great is His strength, and of His wisdom there is no number” (Psalm 146:5).
Oh, how wise is the Lord, whose wisdom nothing can deceive, nothing can be concealed from, because He knows all things. All our works, both good and bad, all our words, good and bad, all our thoughts and all our desires, good and bad, the Lord knows. Whence St. Peter says: “Lord, Thou knowest all things.”
Behold, Mary, what kind of a Lord, what a most wise Lord, is He who is with thee. And because the most wise Lord is most wisely with thee, therefore, thou too art most wise with Him and through Him.
Thou art typified by that Abigail, of whom it was said: “She was a woman most prudent and most beautiful.” Mary was so prudent and so beautiful that St. Anselm does not hesitate to say of her: “All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Mary.”
The Lord, therefore, is with thee, O most wise Mary.
A Most Wealthy Lord
Thirdly, consider that the universal Lord, who is with Mary, is most wealthy in His possessions, as the Prophet testifies, saying: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all that dwell in it.” Not only is the earth and its fullness the Lord’s, but also the Heavens and their fullness. For Thine, O Lord, are the Heavens, and Thine is the earth, because “the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s.”
Everything is the property of this Lord—Heaven and earth, bodies and spirits, all nature, all grace, all heavenly glory, all is the Lord’s own. Therefore, the Lord is most rich, as the Apostle says: “He is the Lord of all, rich unto all that call upon Him” (Romans 10:12).
Behold, Mary, how rich, how great is He who is with thee! And because the most rich Lord is with thee so richly, therefore art thou most rich together with Him and because of Him, so that it can be truly said of thee: “Many daughters have gathered together riches, thou hast surpassed them all” (Proverbs 31:29).
The daughter Agnes, the daughter Lucy, the daughters Catherine, Cecilia, Agatha, and many other holy virgins and just souls, have gathered together riches of virtue and grace, of merits and rewards, but thou, O Mary, by thy universal riches hast surpassed them all.
Oh, how rich is Mary in glory, who was so rich in misery! Oh, how rich is she in Heaven, who was so rich in this world! Oh, how rich is she in her soul, who was so rich in her body, that even St. Bernard exclaims: “O Mary, rich in all and above all, of whose substance a small part being taken, was enough to pay the debt of the whole world!”
The Lord is with thee, therefore, O Mary most rich.
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This article is taken from a chapter in Mirror of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Saint Bonaventure which is available from TAN Books.
