by Orestes J. Gonzalez

Created on: February 18, 2009   Last Updated: April 18, 2010

If you could have a one-hour interview with any human being past or present, who would it be?

It would be the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Virgin Mary is the holiest of all saints, the closest creature to God, the most exquisite exemplification of the 'spiritual beauty' and 'divine success' a human person can aspire to be blessed with in this life.

If I were granted such an interview I would go with the intention of asking the Virgin Mary to teach me how to be successful in life.

The accounts of the Virgin Mary's earthly life narrate how she attracted success and the contemplation of the spiritual beauty of her successes is attractive.

Here are some examples of the Virgin Mary's successes.

In the accounts of the Virgin Mary's life, we first learn about her successful handling of the news that she is going to conceive a Son. (1) There seem to always be two contrasting thoughts in the mind of the Virgin. In this case the Virgin Mary expresses clearly that she intends to preserve the permanence and continuity of her state of virginity, but she is plainly open to the idea of being a mother. And she succeeds on both counts. She conceived a Son and she remained the immaculate virgin.

In Bethlehem, we see the handling of the birth of her Son. (2) Again, there are two contrasting thoughts in the mind of the Virgin: the fact that there is nothing, not even a home, to offer to the about to be born Child-God and the hope that somehow there will be something to offer to Him at His birth. And she soon finds herself contemplating the adoration of the Shepherds, the good news from the Angels, and the gifts from the Magi.

During the yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem, we have the episode of the search for the lost Child. (3) The two contrasting thoughts in the mind of the Virgin are these: "My Son is absent now" and "My Son will soon be present with us."  For she knows that her Son has always been where He is supposed to be. So, she begins the search for the twelve-year-old boy, having to go all the way back to Jerusalem. And she successfully finds Him in the Temple.

In the wedding feast at Cana, we have the handling of the urgent need that wine was running out. (4) The Virgin Mary knows that there is an embarrassing situation developing. She is aware of it all and, because of the circumstances, she knows that she must do something to solve the need. There is no wine but somehow there will be wine. And she succeeds in obtaining the transformation of water into wine.

And finally

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