The most varied circumstances put us in contact with the wonders engendered by God in the universe. Whether they are mineral, plant or animal in nature, creatures have been conceived and ordered in the manner of a great book, in which souls full of faith and innocence can “read” the grandeur of their Craftsman (cf. Rom 1:20).
Who, for example, can remain indifferent before a beautiful field of multi-coloured tulips? And, upon approaching these delicate and enchanting plants, touching their velvety petals, observing their vivid hues and contemplating their elegant structures, is it possible not to be filled with admiration? Who does not feel delighted in seeing the splendour of a rosebush in bloom, a grove of flowering Brazilian Ipê trees, or a bouquet of orchids?
Similar wonder is awakened by precious stones. Large or small, translucent or almost opaque, cut in different ways, they are like stars hidden in the earth, which the jeweller’s work – similar to that of the gardener – has brought into to the light of day. A diamond, a ruby, a sapphire… or perhaps simpler but also very attractive stones, which, in the variety of their shapes and colours, inspire a thousand works of art whose perennity enshrines the talent of man and the infinity of God.
Nevertheless, we see that these creatures are profoundly and paradoxically incomplete. The flower grows and develops, passing through various stages of beauty until reaching its apogee. But, from that moment on, it proceeds quickly to its decay and subsequent demise. Conversely, the praiseworthy perennity of the jewel renders it static, lacking the vitality, exuberance and splendour that life imparts to the most common of plants.
Thus, each creature seems to point to a peak of perfection that it does not possess, as if lacking precisely the summit of its own excellence. Could God have made a mistake? Did He forget to form the apex of each being in the world? Has He created the good, but overlooked the perfect? Is His work, then, incomplete?
In order to mirror God, creation can only be well understood if analysed in a hierarchical manner: all the perfections of the beings that compose it converge on one point, which is Our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe. However, as He is the God-Man, there should be a pure creature who sums up this excellence.
This creature is Our Lady. In Her can be found that summit of perfection to which every creature points but never attains. Above each created being hovers an ineffable apex, existing only in Mary Most Holy.
She is the perennial Rose, the imperishable Orchid, the living Diamond, the malleable Ruby… She is the Princess of the Universe, the creature of perfect beauty, the joy of the whole world, whose marvels will be made explicit for all eternity. The Blessed Virgin will never be sufficiently known, praised and loved! ◊
