Commentary on The Reed of God - Introduction

This is a commentary series on The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander. With the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception happening tomorrow, it seemed like a good time to begin reflecting on a book I have read to help me each season of Advent, namely, The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander. While the book is still under copyright, and hence, I cannot share it in text or audio, it is readily available and even without reading it, it is hoped these reflections about Mary will be helpful to others. “When I was a small child someone for whom I had great respect told me never to do anything that Our Lady would not do; for, she said, if I did, the angels in heaven would blush. For a short time this advice “took” in me like an inoculation, causing a positive paralysis of piety. It was clear to me that all those things which spelt joy to me were from henceforward taboo – blackening my face with burnt cork, turning somersaults between props in the garden wall, putting two bull’s-eyes into my mouth at the same time – all that was over! But even if I faced a blank future shackled with respectability, it was still impossible to imagine our Lady doing anything that I would do, for the very simple reason that I simply could not imagine her doing anything at all.” What do you imagine Mary’s life on earth was like? I have to admit, just like Caryll Houselander, who wrote the words above, that for a long time I could not imagine Mary as a real woman, an historical figure who really lived. Rather, the images that were too often presented to me were those that were plastic, sterile, unhuman. Fortunately, at some point in my life I came across the book by Caryll Houselander, who helped me to imagine a more human Mary. This did not take away my sense of Mary as a saint, in fact as the saint, but rather gave me faith in the grace of God that helps believers know that with God’s grace all things are possible. The Reed of God is Houselander’s attempt to show the real life of Mary, the Mother of God. To be sure, she is the Mother of Jesus, the divine Son of God who comes into our world as one who is fully human. I have read this book during Advent many times. It helps me to focus on the complete yes of Mary in a way that helps me to see that my feeble attempts at saying yes to God can become more than I can imagine because of God’s tremendous grace. This advent I thought it helpful to share this little book, or more accurately, my reflections that arise from this little book, with a wider audience. The book is still under copyright, so I cannot read it aloud. But I can encourage you to think about the book even if you cannot find the time to read it. Yet it is a value to read it. Houselander brings the powerful story of God’s grace alive in the person of Mary, who now intercedes for us so that we can be changed more and more from people who sin (though Mary did not) into people who say yes to God (which Mary always did). “When we are attracted to a particular saint it is usually the little human details which attract us.” Isn’t this the truth? My patron saint, Martin de Porres became first appealing to me when I learned that he did not always do what his mother wanted (he gave away money his mother gave him to buy food). The story of mice in the convent and Martin talking with them (even if it is not true), helped me, one who loves animals, to see that I could too love God just like Martin loved God’s creation. . .