12 June 2021
Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Values motivate our decisions, and it is no surprise that what is first in our heart quickly motivates our minds and bodies. It is for this reason that Ignatius of Loyola laid out the First Principle and Foundation, which he understood as the love of God, which is the primary, operational, and grounding of our lives. Good historians know that in order to find the real values of an institution, the last place they look is a brochure, even if it is color. Instead, historians identify values with what ends up on the budget or gets built on the campus. As the gospel of Mathew states, ‘Where your heart is, there is your treasure” (6:21). Today’s recognition of the Immaculate Heart of Mary identifies one person that got it right, or as William Woodsworth (who considered himself a staunch member of the Church of England) referred to Mary as “our tainted Nature’s solitary boast.” We hold Mary’s “heart” as something to be imitated because it was directed towards God. It is for this reason that Ignatius saw in Mary both an advocate and a good counselor since her heart was what Ignatius wanted his heart to be, a heart united with God.