Ten Virtues of Mary: Divine Purity

Months ago, when Olivia brought up this series and asked me to be a part of it, I was honored. In the last several weeks, it’s been a joy and true soul-learning experience to read what the other women have written about the virtues of Mary. You should definitely take some time to read through their reflections, and find out for yourself a little bit more about our Blessed Mother, and how we might, in small ways, begin to imitate her.

I think it is easy for us to associate Mary’s purity with her virginity, and not much else. For so many of us women, if that is all we consider, then the virtue of “divine purity” feels unattainable.  There is hope, ladies. There is more to purity than just sexual chastity and celibacy. There is oh so much more to purity, and when we begin to see what a beautiful virtue this is, it’s a pearl worth seeking.

{divine}: of, from, or like God

{purity}: freedom from adulteration or contamination; freedom from immorality, especially of a sexual nature; he quality or state of being pure

Mary was pure in heart in such a way as to physically know and see God. She KNEW and LOVED Him, in the flesh (so can we! We are fortunate in our Catholic faith to have the sacraments and the Eucharist as tangible, physical connections to Christ). She always loved Him, and because she always loved him, she possessed a beautiful purity which was inextricably woven into her being; every emotional, physical, and spiritual fiber of her was pure.Have you ever wondered what actions or thoughts Mary might have had? She wouldn’t have been envious of her neighbor. She wouldn’t have whined about Joseph being covered in wood shavings from his work. She would have wanted nothing less than the best, and sought nothing other than goodwill, for all those around her (pure intentions, purity of heart). No wonder she cared so much for the bride and groom at the wedding in Cana whose wine had run out! She tells us how to imitate this in her last words recorded in Scripture. “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5) is her advice for seeking and following God’s will.

That beatitude should inspire us, especially the understanding that purity is woven through our hearts, our bodies, and our faith. We can follow Mary’s advice to us, to do whatever her Son tells us. Through prayer, and participating in the Sacraments and life of the Church (as Mary was surely an active participant in her faith!), we will find that Jesus draws us closer to Him, and in so doing, our love and our faith grow. Naturally, then, we change. We become better versions of ourselves. We grow in purity of heart and body and faith as our Maker and Savior draws us deeper into His love. We become more like Him, and that divine spark in us, that image and likeness of God–that divine purity–grows.

Practically speaking? There are ways to seek and practice purity in our daily lives. Every moment of every day. All of us are called to be chaste (physical purity), whether married or not. It means we treat ourselves and others–friends and spouses and every single person–with dignity and respect, recognizing that they are a unique whole person, made in God’s image. It means we aren’t merely creatures of sexual appetite. In married life? That means prayerfully being open to life, not using contraceptives, and treating our spouse with love and care and respect. In single life? That means treating friends with love and respect in relation to our vocation.

With a pure heart, we’ll bee seeking God’s will in everything, and seeking to fulfill His will. Simply put, it means wanting and striving to do what is best, because it is God’s will and because we love Him. We will be seeking that which is good, and true, and holy, meanwhile putting our best efforts to avoiding those things (music, TV shows, magazines, conversations, etc) which draw our attentions away from God. Pretty sure Mary never indulged in gossip at the well, or gave in to the temptation to whine and vent nasty frustrations about having to move *again* in the middle of the night. Oh, yes, it’s a hard thing to curb the tongue and the snarky, sarcastic comments…but offer a quick prayer asking for Mary’s help in avoiding those things, and she’ll be quick to help.

Divine purity is a beautiful gift, a virtue rich in application. Mary perfectly possessed this virtue and as our mother can help us as we strive for greater purity in our lives. Blessed Mother, bring our desire to imitate you to your Son, that he may help us grow in virtue with your example to encourage and guide us. Amen.

This post is part of a series on the Ten Virtues of Mary, hosted by To the Heights and running every Tuesday until the middle of December. So if you need some help in the virtue department, here’s a great place to start 😉

October 7 – An Introduction to the Ten Virtues of Mary – Olivia of To the Heights

October 14 – Lively Faith – Molly of Molly Makes Do

October 21 – Blind Obedience – Kendra of Catholic All Year

October 28 – Constant Mental Prayer – Jenna of Call Her Happy

November 4 – Heroic Patience – Kelly of This Ain’t the Lyceum

November 11 – Profound Humility – Carolyn of Svellerella

November 18 – Angelic Sweetness – Regina of Good One God

November 25 – Divine Wisdom – Britt of The Fisk Files

December 2 – Universal Mortification – Abbey of Surviving Our Blessings

December 9 – Divine Purity – Gina of Someday Saints

December 16 – Ardent Charity – Christy of Fountains of Home

December 17 – Massive GIVEAWAY at To the Heights – Just in time for Christmas