As you can see these are two images of Mater both painted by Sr. Pauline Perdrau, RSCJ. The first is the one with which we are most familiar. The second is the final of six Mater paintings which Sr. Perdrau painted during her lifetime. I love looking at both and seeing what has remained the same in both and what is unique to each. It seems to me that both offer an insight to us about the importance of contemplation in our lives. In the first, Mary’s eyes are closed and we sense that she is deep in thought. Quiet and still, Mary, in this first painting of Mater, seems to be developing the habit of prayer. We know from the Gospels that during her life, Mary came to trust fully the Spirit of God dwelling deeply within her. She allowed herself to be led by the Spirit dwelling within and came to see God in all things. This habitual instinct to choose God takes time and energy to develop.

In the final painting of Mater, we see a Mary whose eyes are wide open, awaiting her God in all things at all times. Our gift from Mater is the knowledge that a life lived without the interior life lacks both fullness and integrity.

However we continue to celebrate Mary in our lives, let us remember her important insight that in each of us dwells the Spark of the Divine, God’s Spirit. God, who is beyond our imaginings, has placed this Spark there intentionally to remind all of us of what our true birthright is – union with God. Our God wants us never to forget that we are made in God’s image, that we are God’s Beloved. God’s promise to us is to remind each of us what such love tastes like, what a union with God feels like. As a result of this Indwelling Spirit, our hearts are restless until they rest in God. Mater opened her mind and heart to this powerful spark of God’s love, to this undeniable intuition of the powerful memory of God. Living in accordance to the Spirit was both Mary’s greatest desire and her greatest act. Let us pray for one another that we too may develop the habit of prayer so fully that each of us is constantly seeking God.

Suzanne Cooke