(3) May 26
Mary is the "Rosa Mystica," the Mystical Rose
MARY is the most beautiful flower that ever was seen in the
spiritual world. It is by the power of God's grace that from this barren and
desolate earth there have ever sprung up at all flowers of holiness and glory.
And Mary is the Queen of them. She is the Queen of spiritual flowers; and
therefore she is called the Rose, for the rose is fitly called of all flowers
the most beautiful.
But moreover, she is the Mystical, or hidden Rose; for
mystical means hidden. How is she now "hidden" from us more than are
other saints? What means this singular appellation, which we apply to her
specially? The answer to this question introduces us to a third reason for
believing in the reunion of her sacred body to her soul, and its assumption
into heaven soon after her death, instead of its lingering in the grave until
the General Resurrection at the last day.
It is this:—if her body was not taken into heaven, where is
it? how comes it that it is hidden from us? why do we not hear of her tomb as
being here or there? why are not pilgrimages made to it? why are not relics
producible of her, as of the saints in general? Is it not even a natural
instinct which makes us reverent towards the places where our dead are buried?
We bury our great men honourably. St. Peter speaks of the sepulchre of David as
known in his day, though he had died many hundred years before. When our Lord's
body was taken down from the Cross, He was placed in an honourable tomb. Such
too had been the honour already paid to St. John Baptist, his tomb being spoken
of by St. Mark as generally known. Christians from the earliest times went from
other countries to Jerusalem to see the holy places. And, when the time of
persecution was over, they paid still more attention to the bodies of the
Saints, as of St. Stephen, St. Mark, St. Barnabas, St. Peter, St. Paul, and
other Apostles and Martyrs. These were transported to great cities, and
portions of them sent to this place or that. Thus, from the first to this day
it has been a great feature and characteristic of the Church to be most tender
and reverent towards the bodies of the Saints. Now, if there was anyone who
more than all would be preciously taken care of, it would be our Lady. Why then
do we hear nothing of the Blessed Virgin's body and its separate relics? Why is
she thus the hidden Rose? Is it conceivable that they who had been so reverent
and careful of the bodies of the Saints and Martyrs should neglect her—her who
was the Queen of Martyrs and the Queen of Saints, who was the very Mother of
our Lord? It is impossible. Why then is she thus the hidden Rose? Plainly
because that sacred body is in heaven, not on earth.
