“Mary, give me your Heart: so beautiful, so pure, so immaculate; your Heart so full of love and humility that I may be able to receive Jesus in the Bread of Life and love Him as you love Him and serve Him in the distressing guise of the poor.” ~ St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
We begin the month of May today, a month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary is probably one of the biggest stumbling blocks for people who are not Catholic. They look at the Church and they think that we worship Mary. That couldn’t be further from the truth. We honor Mary, yes. However, we do not worship her. Worship is reserved for God alone.
Mary knew that she had a special relationship with God. After all, she was asked to become the mother of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. That is, indeed, a special relationship. However, Mary never held that relationship over anybody. She did not claim special favors or perks as the mother of Jesus. No. She did what she has done whenever she has appeared to people throughout the ages: pointed to her Son.
Mary never demanded that anyone worship her. Instead, she encouraged people to listen to her Son, to follow her Son, and to accept her Son. She knows the special gift that Jesus was and is to the world and she desires all people to know Him as she knows Him.
When I was in grade school, the Sisters encouraged devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. We learned to pray our rosaries. We built May altars. We prayed Marian litanies and devotions. We did all of these things so that we might be more disposed to accept God’s will for us as Mary accepted God’s will for her.
Many saints have done all that they could do to embrace the humility of Mary. They struggled to accept God’s will even as it led them through all sorts of circumstances. They also accepted Mary’s challenge to look at her Son and do whatever Jesus told them to do.
When Jesus was hanging on the cross, he gave us to Mary and gave Mary to us through His interchange with John and Mary. How proud we would make our Blessed Mother if we would do all that we could to accept God’s will for us and to direct others to Jesus.
Mary, the source of inspiration for all who believe, pray for us. Mary, the devoted mother of Jesus, guide us to your Son.
FAITH ACTION: Pray the rosary today, reflecting carefully upon the glorious mysteries and asking God for courage to accept His will.