HAIL MARY, PUREST AMONGST THE PURE.

 Hail Mary, purest amongst the pure, fairest amongst the fair

Why would the messenger of the Most high not proclaim the “Ave” to you, O Mary Most poor in Spirit?

When Jesus wanted to begin his ministry, he started by first proclaiming the words

 “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Is it not evident that in you is found the epitome of “Poverty of Spirit”?

Poverty denotes a certain lack of security, a certain dependence on a higher or more secure source for sustenance. Who could compete with you, O Mary most poor, on the virtue of total dependence and trust in Divine providence? The readiness of the fiat testifies to this fact. You readily submitted when the future possible outcome, humanly speaking, is nothing but disaster and shame.

THE HUMAN FACE OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD

 Quite ambitiously, we are moved to propagate the philosophy which holds that the human flesh is by nature evil. Probably because a good ratio of the temptations that threaten our flight to God besiege that constituent of our make up. Both ecclesial preachers and philosophical minds have held this view, in which they condemned the capacity of the flesh to achieve any good in itself due to its proneness to fall. Nevertheless, both from the point of healthy theological speculations, and sound philosophical ethics, this position has become moribund. In Jean Paul Sartre’s atheistic humanism, the flesh dethrones the mind, so that subsequently, he would replace the mind with a human existence that is actively engaged in the world, what he calls the existential subject. Sartre opens up for us certain true remarks of our humanism, but he also makes some conclusions that does not resolve our human dilemmas.

THE NECESSITY OF A DECISIVE MOMENT: MARY, A GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED

Ladislaus Boros begins his shocking yet captivating The Mystery of Death, by citing the bitter remark from the poem; Man’s Estate: “you know what they say: it takes nine months to create a man and only a single day to destroy him. When man is utterly a man, when that manhood has been achieved, the only thing he is good for is to die.” The existentialists’ mantra advances that there is no pre-given essence for man, rather, man actively creates for himself an essence through commitments to a certain course of life. Although an over ambitious humanism is found within this thesis, it nonetheless posits to us the very core of Mary’s dilemma. It presents to us the very picture of man. It is that picture of us when we are devoid of friends, those instances when no relative is close, no acquaintance is ready to hand, to whom we may run to for urgent advice. But the paradox of such moments is that when those decisions are eventually made by us, we have the whole world streaming towards us, either to congratulate us or to offer to us, their own portion of the numerous criticisms we receive. The question which therefore borders us here is: what does it really take the human to decide. Can the presumptions that inform our decisions be duly passed through the crucible of sincerity?

SUPER OMNES SPECIOSA

 The title of Mary as Super omnes speciosa was used by the composer of the Latin Marian hymn "Ave Regina Caelorum" to describe the position of Mary in the company of the blessed. The Latin phrase can be translated to mean the fairest amongst the fair or the most beautiful amongst the beautiful. Thus, Mary is presented as the most glorious amongst the blessed in Heaven. This is a usual attribute given to Mary in her special role as the Theotokos (Mother of God) and in her singular privilege of been immaculately conceived whilst maintaining that immaculateness all her life. Thus, both by reason of her position as the Mother of God and her life of sinlessness, Mary has a special place among the Elect.

CONTRACEPTION vs NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING: An Applied Ethical point of view.

 

Man, by nature is utilitarian- always drawn to the pleasurable, and withdrawn from the distasteful. This explains why he is always in search of both apriori and aposteriori arguments which may suit his views. The research which faces us, namely; the difference, if any exists, between natural family planning and contraception, is one which admits of no middle ground. Nevertheless, before we can stand in a position to state what the matter is, we need to investigate what each means in its very nature.