As our official Marian devotion in October gradually comes to an end, it does not mean that that is the end of our devotion to Mary. The Marian devotion of this month reminds us of what should be a regular part of our Christian faith, namely, cultivating a solid relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary and growing in devotion to her. Evidently, Jesus Christ is the focal point of the Christian life. However, our devotion to the Blessed Mother helps us to be become better disciples of Jesus Christ. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary does not obstruct our faith in Christ; instead, it enables us to foster a closer union with Christ.
Just as a solid relationship with Jesus Christ is at the heart of the Christian life, relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary is an integral aspect of the Christian of life because of Mary’s pre-eminent role in our salvation history. A strong relationship with the Blessed Mother should lead to a solid relationship with the Lord Jesus because Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and humanity. St. Paul captures this quite excellently in his first epistle to Timothy: “For there is only one God, and there is only one mediator between God and humanity, himself a human being, Christ Jesus, who offered himself as a ransom for all” (1 Tim 2:5). The Church always has a tradition of honour and reverence for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thus, a relationship with Mary is a very important aspect of the Christian faith. The tradition of the Church has always upheld devotion to Mary. As Lumen Gentium points out, “From the earliest times the Blessed Virgin is honoured under the title of the Mother of God, whose protection the faithful take refuge together in prayer in all their perils and needs” (Lumen Gentium, no. 66).
Part of our Marian devotion is to strive to deepen our relationship with the Blessed Mother. Mary is very close to us as Christians. In our prayers, we should cultivate the habit of constantly invoking the intercession of Mary. In our prayer, we should meditate on the life of Mary and endeavour to emulate her fidelity to God and her vocation. Essentially, in addition to all the Marian prayers we pray, most notably, the Holy Rosary, we should strive to develop a close relationship with Mary. Let us relate to Mary in such a way that we can talk to her as our mother. As I noted in my adoration paper of three weeks ago, entitled, “Celebrating the two Theresas in October,” St. Teresa of Avila lost her mother at the tender age of 13. As a result of her mother’s death, “Teresa became lonely and deeply afflicted because of her mother’s death that she prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary to be her mother.” St. Teresa of Avila became close to the Blessed Mother because of the tragedy of losing her mother. For our part, we should strive to be close to the Blessed Mother and always call upon her in our prayers both in good times and bad times.
I wish to echo what I pointed out in my book Understanding and Praying the Holy Rosary. With Other Reflections on the Blessed Virgin Mary (p. 74-75) with regard to devotion to Mary in the Church:
It is pertinent to ask: How has my October devotion been? Did I accomplish my goals for this October devotion? Do I feel closer to the Blessed Mother? Brothers and sisters, we might have set some tangible goals for ourselves during this October devotion. Even if we did not totally attain those goals, that should not make us to lose heart. However, we should endeavour to practice our Marian devotion on a daily basis so that the months of May and October can routinely fit into our regular pattern of fervent devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The months specifically set for Marian devotion are meant to enable us to practice our Marian devotion in a more consistent and insistent manner. Thus, it is incumbent on parents and guardians to introduce their children as early as possible to Marian devotion and to teach them to cultivate a personal relationship with Mary.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is a model of faith for all Christians. Mary continues to inspire us in our Christian commitment and fidelity to God. During this month that is traditionally dedicated to Marian devotion, it is my fervent hope that all Catholics will strive to grow in their devotion to Mary and enhance their faith and relationship with the Mother of God.
May the Blessed Virgin Mary intercede for us all both now and forever! Amen.
One Response
Hi, this is a comment.
To get started with moderating, editing, and deleting comments, please visit the Comments screen in the dashboard.
Commenter avatars come from Gravatar.