MARY, THE APOSTLE AND FORMATOR OF THE APOSTLES
Sr. Marialuisa Peviani, Sr. Lorenza Favetta, ap

 

Focusing our eyes on Mary, as Fr. Alberione sees her, we see her all leaning forward to give us Jesus and to guide us to become disciples and apostles of her Son as she herself was.

Mary is the Mother who, as she takes care of all the brothers of her Son, accompanies each man to an encounter with Him and to the realization of the love that the Father has for all.

“Mary was created for the apostolate of giving Jesus Christ to the world: He, the Way, the Truth and the Life; He, the Master, the Priest, the Victim, God! Who wanted that we received everything by means of Mary”.[1]

“Mary always gives Jesus, like a branch that always holds him and offers him to men: possible victim,, glorious, Eucharistic, Way, Truth, and Life of men. She is the Apostle of Jesus; not just in  words, but in her mind, will and heart. [...] Mary is therefore: the Apostle, the Queen of Apostles, the exemplar in every apostolate, the inspirer of all the apostolic virtues. Let heaven sing to Her! and earth! for Her, with Her, and in Her let every praise rise to the Most Holy Trinity”.[2]

Mary Queen of the Apostles is for Fr. Alberione the Mother of vocations, hence it is necessary that “All the work for vocations  be done by Mary, for Mary, with Mary and in Mary”.[3] 

We can now contemplate some icons of the life of Mary in vocational terms. Looking at the icon of the Annunciation, everyone that is called finds the essential lines of God’s action who calls and the fundamental attitudes of the man who responds and feels the opening before him of the horizons of the mission.

“When Mary pronounced her “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me according to thy Word”, she became the Mother of the great Priest, the mother of every beautiful calling.

She received, nourished, accompanied in infancy, in private and in public life, the most beautiful vocation. In like manner she acts with every soul called to the priesthood, to the religious life, to the apostolate. From Mary Queen of the Apostles we ask workers for the harvest of the Gospel. To Mary we entrust those called during their youth and in the period of their formation. With Mary and in Mary we carry on our apostolate.”[4]

Also the icon of the Magnificat is full of vocational suggestions. Like Mary everyone called must know how to read his/her own history in the history of salvation, come out of himself or herself to serve the plans of God regarding  all mankind.

“We must enlarge our hearts and therefore pray for all mankind. [...] Think about everybody, pray for everybody and see to it that all become part of the people of God, of the new people of God. A big heart! And therefore a heart like the heart of Jesus who calls everybody; and our heart conformed to the heart of Jesus: the one that He, Jesus, desires and wants and asks, that is: that all of us think about the whole human race, about all men”.[5]

It is joy that characterizes the truth of a vocational journey: then the experience of the  Magnificat becomes testimony. There is a magnetic force in souls that are holy, full of faith, confidence, love of God. They have something that attracts! The magnet is not seen on the outside,  but when in the heart there is so much love for God, these souls have a power of attraction. [...] We are apostles in the measure that we are holy; we are effective in the apostolate in the measure that we are holy. [...] The woman who is truly holy has a great efficacy on vocations, to the degree of her sanctity. [...] Corresponding well to our vocation means attracting other vocations “.[6]

Another Marian icon that is particularly significant is that of Cana. In this regard, Fr. Alberione expreses an original vocational nuance, arriving at saying that as in the case of Jesus, Mary lets the hour of the one who is called come:

“Who knows the designs of God? We have the commitment to ready our ears to hear  the sound of the divine bell; the hour of God! Because the Queen of Apostles can anticipate. As she did during the wedding at Cana when Jesus answered “my hour has not yet come”; through her faith and mission, Mary anticipated that hour”.[7]

Talking about the Queen of the Apostles, Fr. Alberione constantly referred to Calvary, to “Behold your son... Behold your mother” (Jn 19,26-27), emphasizing in very many meditations the teaching about the spiritual motherhood of Mary.

“Able to live and die for vocations. That is what Jesus did. [...] The spouse of Christ joins Mary on the way to Calvary. [...] Offer even your life, your work, and all that you will meet in life to Jesus, for vocations.”.[8]

Mary in the Cenacle has a very special place: because of her life experience with Jesus, She she is the one who can help others to prepare for the transforming experience of the Spirit.

Although discreetly, hers is an active presence, one of support and of guidance for the apostles and disciples, helping them to grow and to open themselves to the Spirit. She is the Apostle par excellence. In the Cenacle Mary prays with the apostles, prays for them, and prepares them for their mission.

“Oh! Look at the Queen of Apostles. Yes. Apostles. And apostles are all of them who Jesus has called: the twelve, those that Jesus has called throughout the centuries, and they are many! Those that Jesus continues to call: religious priests, religious laity, diocesan priests, sisters, sisters of so many institutes, laypeople who do apostolate and give themselves as members of secular institutes, or also freely dedicate themselves to an apostolate in the Church of God. [...]

A vocational wisdom is required, in addition to a vocational awareness! Ask it for all those who engage in vocation work. Vocational wisdom! And may the Lord communicate it as a gift of the Holy Spirit: vocational wisdom! Indeed. And at the same time: awareness, that is, feeling responsible for these vocations. [...] Mary is with you”.[9]

In light of the prayerful as well as formative presence of Mary, we are called to live like her  our life and mission, in humility and faith... Fr. Alberione is particularly clear in this regard:

“Everything that Mary received as gift or privilege, she received in order to form the first Called. The first Called, the first vocation is Jesus Christ. Imitate Mary in her mission. She accepted it when she said: “Let it be done” (Lc 1,38) and ordered and dedicated all her  life for this work of forming Jesus and accompanying him to Calvary. She made her entire life a vocational activity”.[10]

We know that Mary is the image of the Church. Fr. Alberione has given to the whole Pauline Family a clear Marian imprint: in the school of Mary, let us learn to be apostles and to collaborate in the formation of new apostles for our times.