We are made to be living temples, but God can only dwell within us if we have not closed the door in fear, if we have not enthroned idols (out of selfishness and pride) there, and if our foundations are firmly grounded in the humility of knowing our place in the universe. Because it is only pride that can make us, as it were, impervious to God's mercy and love - He can reach past anything but our own self-will, our self- assertion. Because we are free, and He will not trample our freedom.

So we can keep God out by closing ourselves off from Him. If we are eager for our own glory, we cannot glorify Him. If we are grasping for more for ourselves, we are not grateful for all He has given us. If we are determined to maintain control of our own destinies, we are not open to His will for us. If we are relying on our own resources, we are not surrendering to His action in our lives.

Sin (especially pride) closes us off from God, from love.
But sanctity is openness to Him, to others, to the suffering that requires, out of love.

We exist not for ourselves, but for Him; our desire should be to glorify Him by abandoning ourselves to His will (because He will glorify Himself through us, if we will allow Him to do so). And we willingly, eagerly, surrender to His will once we recognize our utter contingency, our nothingness without Him, and His great love for us in spite of us.

We have Mary as our model of surrender. Of course, she was able to do this because she was uniquely sensitive to the guidance and movement of the Holy Spirit, Who established within her clear soul a house of perfect prayer, where no obstacle could be found, no hesitation ever slowed the flow of grace or the increase in holiness, where every energy was stirred only for God's glory, backlit by the consciousness of her own nothingness and unworthiness. She never forgot her "creatureliness, " never asserted her rights or her perogative as Mother of the Son, never kept anything for herself.

She was always content with her poverty, always recognized her unworthiness, even as she praised God's favors to her (which are many, and great) and extolled His greatness alone. She never forgets that she is one of the redeemed, that the Redemption (in which she plays such an important role) is the price of these great favors. She lives and breathes gratitude and trust and love. Her whole life said, "I am the handmaid of the Lord. The Lord has done great things for me, and holy is HIS Name."

It is not God's great favors to her that makes her our perfect model - it is her constant fidelity to grace (which increased in her every virtue). Perfect cooperation with the action of the Holy Spirit within her, leading her to total self-extinction with her Son, completely immolated for our salvation.