Chiara Lubich speaks of Mary

Of all the words pronounced by the Father in His Creation, one particularly stands out, which reflects not so much intelligence than intuition—not so much the splendor of the divine sun than a sweet and soft shadow. This word is a light white cloud that, in its course, comes to soften the overly bright sunlight.

It was in the plans of Providence that the Word became flesh. A word, the Word, was to be written down here in flesh and blood, and this Word needed a backdrop.

The celestial harmonies longed, for love of us, to carry their unique concert under our dwelling tents.

They needed a silence in which their music could be heard. He who would lead mankind, give meaning to past ages, enlighten and bring forth the new ages, was to appear on the world stage. But He needed an immaculate screen where He could shine.

The greatest plan that the God-Love could conceive was to be drawn in majestic and divine lines. The whole pallet of virtues was to be gathered in a human heart disposed to serve Him.

This admirable shadow, which bears the sun in itself, yields to the sun, and finds itself in the sun.

This is the immaculate canvas, this immeasurable depth which contains the Word, the Christ, and loses itself in Him, a light in the Light.

That sublime silence is no longer silent, since the divine harmonies of the Word sing in it, and in Him becomes the dominant note that sets the tone for the eternal song rising from Paradise.

It is a majestic and splendid scenery, resembling the natural world, where the beauty poured profusely into the universe by the Creator is concentrated.

This universe reserved for the Son of God, completely selfless, having no other interest than the One who was to come and who came, who was to perform His work and accomplished it; that rainbow of virtues announcing "peace" to the whole world, having given peace to the world; this creature, whom the Trinity, in her unfathomable mystery, created and gave to us, is Mary!

We cannot speak of her. Instead, we celebrate her in songs.

It is hard to write treaties about her. Instead we love and invoke her.

She is not an object of intellectual speculation, but of poetry.

The greatest minds in the universe have put their brushes and pens at her service.

While Jesus is the incarnation of the Word, the Logos, Light and Reason, Mary personifies Art, Beauty, and Love.

Mary, masterpiece of the Creator, is the one in whom the Holy Spirit gave free rein to his genius; in whom He poured forth the flow of His inspirations.

How beautiful is Mary! We can never say enough about her!

Chiara Lubich, Igino Giordani, «Erano i tempi di guerra...» Agli albori dell'ideale dell'umanità, Città Nuova Editrice, 2007, p. 210-212.