The
life of Mary is set before virgins as an example, and
her many virtues are dwelt upon, her chastity,
humility, hard life, love of retirement, and the
like; then her kindness to others, her zeal in
learning, and love of frequenting the temple. St.
Ambrose then sets forth how she, adorned with all
these virtues, will come to meet the numberless bands
of virgins and lead them with great triumph to the
bridal chamber of the Spouse.
Let, then, the life of Mary be as it were virginity
itself, set forth in a likeness, from which, as from a
mirror, the appearance of chastity and the form of virtue
is reflected. From this you may take your pattern of life,
showing, as an example, the clear rules of virtue: what
you have to correct, to effect, and to hold fast.
The first thing which kindles ardour in learning is the
greatness of the teacher. What is greater than the Mother
of God? What more glorious than she whom Glory Itself
chose? What more chaste than she who bore a body without
contact with another body? For why should I speak of her
other virtues? She was a virgin not only in body but also
in mind, who stained the sincerity of its disposition by
no guile, who was humble in heart, grave in speech,
prudent in mind, sparing of words, studious in reading,
resting her hope not on uncertain riches, but on the
prayer of the poor, intent on work, modest in discourse;
wont to seek not man but God as the judge of her thoughts,
to injure no one, to have goodwill towards all, to rise up
before her elders, not to envy her equals, to avoid
boastfulness, to follow reason, to love virtue. When did
she pain her parents even by a look? When did she disagree
with her neighbours? When did she despise the lowly? When
did she avoid the needy? Being wont only to go to such
gatherings of men as mercy would not blush at, nor modesty
pass by. There was nothing gloomy in her eyes, nothing
forward in her words, nothing unseemly in her acts, there
was not a silly movement, nor unrestrained step, nor was
her voice petulant, that the very appearance of her
outward being might be the image of her soul, the
representation of what is approved. For a well-ordered
house ought to be recognized on the very threshold, and
should show at the very first entrance that no darkness is
hidden within, as our soul hindered by no restraints of
the body may shine abroad like a lamp placed within.
Why should I detail her spareness of food, her abundance
of services—the one abounding beyond nature, the
other almost insufficient for nature? And there were no
seasons of slackness, but days of fasting, one upon the
other. And if ever the desire for refreshment came, her
food was generally what came to hand, taken to keep off
death, not to minister to comfort. Necessity before
inclination caused her to sleep, and yet when her body was
sleeping her soul was awake, and often in sleep either
went again through what had been read, or went on with
what had been interrupted by sleep, or carried out what
had been designed, or foresaw what was to be carried out.
She was unaccustomed to go from home, except for divine
service, and this with parents or kinsfolk. Busy in
private at home, accompanied by others abroad, yet with no
better guardian than herself, as she, inspiring respect by
her gait and address, progressed not so much by the motion
of her feet as by step upon step of virtue. But though the
Virgin had other persons who were protectors of her body,
she alone guarded her character; she can learn many points
if she be her own teacher, who possesses the perfection of
all virtues, for whatever she did is a lesson. Mary
attended to everything as though she were warned by many,
and fulfilled every obligation of virtue as though she
were teaching rather than learning.
Such has the Evangelist shown her, such did the angel find
her, such did the Holy Spirit choose her. Why delay about
details? How her parents loved her, strangers praised her,
how worthy she was that the Son of God should be born of
her. She, when the angel entered, was found at home in
privacy, without a companion, that no one might interrupt
her attention or disturb her; and she did not desire any
women as companions, who had the companionship of good
thoughts. Moreover, she seemed to herself to be less alone
when she was alone. For how should she be alone, who had
with her so many books, so many archangels, so many
prophets?
And so, too, when Gabriel visited her (Lk.
1:28). did he find her, and Mary trembled, being
disturbed, as though at the form of a man, but on hearing
his name recognized him as one not unknown to her. And so
she was a stranger as to men, but not as to the angel;
that we might know that her ears were modest and her eyes
bashful. Then when saluted she kept silence, and when
addressed she answered, and she whose feelings were first
troubled afterwards promised obedience.
And holy Scripture points out how modest she was towards
her neighbours. For she became more humble when she knew
herself to be chosen of God, and went forthwith to her
kinswoman in the hill country, not in order to gain belief
by anything external, for she had believed the word of
God. “Blessed,” she said, “art thou who
didst believe” (Lk. 1:56). And
she abode with her three months. Now in such an interval
of time it is not that faith is being sought for, but
kindness which is being shown. And this was after that the
child, leaping in his mother’s womb, had saluted the
mother of the Lord, attaining to reason before
birth.
And then, in the many subsequent wonders, when the barren
bore a son, the virgin conceived, the dumb spake, the wise
men worshipped, Simeon waited, the stars gave notice.
Mary, who was moved by the angel’s entrance, was
unmoved by the miracles. “Mary,” it is said,
“kept all these things in her heart”
(Lk. 2:19). Though she was the mother of the
Lord, yet she desired to learn the precepts of the Lord,
and she who brought forth God, yet desired to know God.
And then, how she also went every year to Jerusalem at the
solemn day of the passover, and went with Joseph.
Everywhere is modesty the companion of her singular
virtues in the Virgin. This, without which virginity
cannot exist, must be the inseparable companion of
virginity. And so Mary did not go even to the temple
without the guardianship of her modesty.
This is the likeness of virginity. For Mary was such that
her example alone is a lesson for all. If, then, the
author displeases us not, let us make trial of the
production, that whoever desires its reward for herself
may imitate the pattern. How many kinds of virtues shine
forth in one Virgin! The secret of modesty, the banner of
faith, the service of devotion, the Virgin within the
house, the companion for the ministry, the mother at the
temple.
Oh! how many virgins shall she meet, how many shall she
embrace and bring to the Lord, and say: “She has
been faithful to her espousal, to my Son; she has kept her
bridal couch with spotless modesty.” How shall the
Lord Himself commend them to His Father, repeating again
those words of His: “Holy Father, these are they
whom I have kept for Thee, on whom the Son of Man leant
His head and rested; I ask that where I am there they may
be with Me” (Jn. 17:24). And if
they ought to benefit not themselves only, who lived not
for themselves alone, one virgin may redeem her parents,
another her brothers. “Holy Father, the world hath
not known Me, but these have known Me, and have willed not
to know the world” (Jn 17:25).
What a procession shall that be, what joy of applauding
angels when she is found worthy of dwelling in heaven who
lived on earth a heavenly life! Then too Mary, (in Hebrew
Miriam) taking her timbrel, shall stir up the choirs of
virgins, singing to the Lord because they have passed
through the sea of this world without suffering from the
waves of this world (Ex. 15:20). Then
each shall rejoice, saying: “I will go to the altar
of God; to God Who maketh my youth glad” (Ps.
43[42]:4); and, “I will offer unto God thanksgiving,
and pay my vows unto the Most High” (Ps. 50
[49]:14).
Nor would I hesitate to admit you to the altars of God,
whose souls I would without hesitation call altars, on
which Christ is daily offered for the redemption of the
body. For if the virgin’s body be a temple of God,
what is her soul, which, the ashes, as it were, of the
body being shaken off, once more uncovered by the hand of
the Eternal Priest, exhales the vapour of the divine fire.
Blessed virgins, who emit a fragrance through divine grace
as gardens do through flowers, temples through religion,
altars through the priest.
From: Nicene and
Post-Nicene Fathers 2:10, Ambrose: Selected Works and
Letters, "Concerning Virgins", Book II,
Chapter II.
14 / 08 / 2011
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