January 1st, 2010

There is something fitting about the coincidence of the Solemnity of Mary-the titular feast of the Society of Jesus-and the new calendar year.

In the first place, the coincidence is fitting because Mary recalls to an "entrepreneurial" order like the Jesuits the priority of God's initiative in all its undertakings. Mary, more than any other person, points back to God rather than to her own achievements. Long before Mary could prove herself or accrue any merits, God chose her to be conceived without sin and to be the Mother of His Son. Long before Mary could "make a difference" in the world, God made a difference in her. In short, though Mary certainly cooperated in God's plan, all of her moral "success," including her status as Mother of God, flowed from God's power and free initiative.

We see Ignatius' profound understanding of life's Marian dimension in his formulation of the relationship between divine grace and human cooperation:

"Let this be the first rule of your undertakings: confide in God as if the success of those undertakings depended completely upon you and not at all upon God; nonetheless give your whole self to the undertakings as if you yourself would be doing nothing in them but God alone would be doing everything."

In other words, we trust in God as if the success depended on us (that is, mindful of our weakness), and we work as if everything depended on God (that is, assured of his power to grant complete success). God's initiative always enjoys priority, but the divine origin ought to move us to redouble-not to slacken-our own efforts.

In keeping with this specifically Ignatian formulation, we can also see how Mary models for us the true Christian attitude toward the New Year's resolution. In all our projects of "self-improvement," we would do well to ask ourselves whether we really believe that God can make a difference in us as He did in Mary. Do we believe that he can grant us success over our habitual sins? Do we see our own efforts as cooperation in God's surpassing power? Or do we secretly feel that we alone bear that whole burden of our sanctification? In short, do we believe that he can accomplish more in us than we even dare hope for?

By Mr. Aaron Pidel, S.J.