One cannot be a faithful Catholic and be unaware of the importance of Mary to the life of the Church. There are feasts in nearly every month and the only two times the papacy has ever spoken ex-cathedra has been regarding Mary. Even when we are not talking about her, she is literally seeking us out in apparitions around the world to encourage us to live in a manner worthy of heaven. As a result, there are so many people who have lived their lives by Mary’s side every step of the way. Unfortunately, I have not always been one of them.
I wish I could pinpoint the reason. It’s not a “macho” thing, as it often can be for men in different cultures. Maybe some of it has to do with an unconscious echo of protestant rhetoric that dismisses the idea of relying on Mary when I can just go straight to Jesus. After all, how respectful of me is it to share my devotion to Mary before our Lord? At least, that is what seems to inhabit my unconscious. But ultimately, I know better. I am aware of what the Church teaches, what the saints say, and I accept the reasons why the Church teaches what it does. In the end, I think the reason Mary has not been a greater part of my life is simply because I have taken her for granted. As a result, I have often deprived myself of an immeasurable source of grace, comfort, and strength. Therefore, how ought I approach the Mother of our Lord?
The passing of Pope Francis is a fresh reminder of what surrender to Mary looks like. Before every papal trip, he would visit the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, which is dedicated to Mary, so he could surrender his safety and intentions to her. For these same reasons, he has also chosen to be buried there in a final gesture of love and trust. While there are certainly philosophical reasons and even a moral obligation of giving due honor, I first need to entrust my life to Mary because she is actually a gift given to us by God to know Christ, her son, in a deeper manner than we could ever hope to reach on our own.
From the moment of Christ’s conception she not only dedicated her life to loving and protecting her Son, but her profound Magnificat prayer in the Gospel of Luke shows how her mission has always been to share every ounce of honor given to her over to Jesus on our behalf. Even as she had the privilege of being taken into Heaven in both body and soul, there is a tradition stating that as she ascended, she handed St. Thomas the Apostle her sash as a sign that she is still with us in spirit. Finally, in reverence for the perfection of how she lived out her mission, she was honored by God with the crown as Queen of Heaven to which now even the Angels and Saints prostrate themselves. Yet, she has not forgotten about each of us poor sinners as she is also endowed as the Queen of Earth.
Just as God created mothers as biologically necessary, our mothers are also gifts to us children to comfort, guide, and very often intercede for us – probably even to our own fathers. No one embodies this to a fuller extent than Mary, the literal Mother of God Himself. If God the Father saw fit to entrust His only begotten son to Mary, why should we ever hesitate in bringing our own intentions, trust, and our very souls into the hands of Mary? Like Jesus, her judgement in unclouded by sin or worldliness and therefore, she desires the salvation of our souls even more than we do for ourselves.
As we ponder the many mysteries of Mary, we can both open our hearts to her in a greater way, and we can also take concrete steps to follow her example to Christ. We can dedicate each day with a morning offering to her Immaculate Heart, offer frequent rosaries (daily if possible), consecrate ourselves to her in the manner of St. Louis DeMonfort, and call upon her in any hour no matter what the need. In addition to being our model of love, peace, and purity, she is also literally the Terror of Demons, who will one day crush the head of Satan. If you have not done so already, please join me in a renewed openness and effort to know, love, and follow Mary, our most beloved mother.
