Mary, the Burning Thornbush and the Mystery of the Consumed Flame

Oh Mary, you are not only the thornbush that burns without being consumed, but also the one that, in humility, allows itself to be consumed to give way to the Light. Your greatness lies not in preserving yourself, but in giving yourself entirely; not in resisting the fire, but in becoming the very flame that vanishes in the radiance of Christ.

You are that thornbush which, touched by the divine fire, consumes itself in silence—not to disappear, but to let the Word shine. Is this not your highest miracle, Mother? That, being full of grace, you make yourself small; that, being the throne of the Most High, you become His handmaid. You allow yourself to be consumed, Mary, not because God annuls you, but because you give yourself completely. Your will burns in the blaze of love, so that He alone remains visible, He alone is known and loved.

As we contemplate you, burning thornbush, we see how you are consumed to become the first altar where Christ, the Lamb, is offered to the world. Your flesh gives way to His flesh; your blood, to His blood. All of you, oh Mother, are the fertile field where the heavenly wheat sprouts and bears fruit. And though you burn in this offering, you are not destroyed but glorified, for in your surrender, the world finds the doorway to heaven.

Thus, in the burning of your being, you reveal the most sublime mystery: whoever gives everything gains everything; whoever is consumed by love is exalted to eternity. Like the burning thornbush of Sinai, which ceased to be a mere bush to become a sign of the eternal, so too do you, Mary, vanish before the eyes of man so that Christ may be the only one visible. Not because you are lost, but because in Him, you find your fullness.

Oh Mary, what more can we say of you? That you are consumed by love is not loss but gain; not extinction, but perfect communion with the eternal fire. You teach us that true greatness lies not in preserving ourselves, but in giving ourselves away. Let the thornbush burn so that the light may be seen; let the mother step aside so that the Son may reign. Thus, in your humility, Mary, you guide us to the ultimate mystery: only when we disappear into the fire of divine love do we reach eternity.

Blessed are you, thornbush consumed in the fullness of Christ. For in your burning, we find the highest lesson: that total self-giving is the purest form of glory. You, who were consumed in the most perfect yes, make us living flames, little burning thornbushes, ready to vanish in the splendor of God’s love. Amen.