Loving Mary

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WhitSunday

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Dear Friends,
I was praying last night and thinking, when it hit me that, though I’m POSITIVE that I love God, I really can’t say that I love Our Lady. Certainly, I respect her and want to honor her–after all, Jesus chose her to be His mother, and she never sinned, and continues to advise only, “Do whatever He tells you.” I can’t really get into praying the Rosary, even though it’s basically all meditations on the life of Jesus. My mom is legitimately obsessed with all things Marian: apparitions, prayers, holy cards, you name it, she knows it. I just can’t quite get there myself. I try to say that it’s really not my thing, but I know that’s cheating, because if you really love God, you ought to love the Mother of God, too, right?
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 So my questions: How do I learn to love Mary? It must be a different sort of love than love for God, so what is it? Can you love other saints, too? Or is this just a Holy Trinity + Mother of God thingie? 

  Thanks in advance for your help!
 
I’ve had trouble with this too. What helped me was making a commitment to pray at least some of the Rosary every day during Lent last year. At first, I just couldn’t get into it, but as Lent went on, and I did it more and more, I felt like I started to grow closer to Mary. It’s like any love relationship, I think–it takes working at it for it to grow. 🙂

You’re right, it is a different sort of thing than love for God. Mary is more like a mother and a friend, for me. My patron, St. Joseph Moscati, is more like a mentor, and my extra conscience, so to speak.

We can love other saints too! Just like we can love and grow close to those around us in the body of Christ.
 
WhitSunday said:
Dear Friends,
I was praying last night and thinking, when it hit me that, though I’m POSITIVE that I love God, I really can’t say that I love Our Lady. Certainly, I respect her and want to honor her–after all, Jesus chose her to be His mother, and she never sinned, and continues to advise only, “Do whatever He tells you.” I can’t really get into praying the Rosary, even though it’s basically all meditations on the life of Jesus. My mom is legitimately obsessed with all things Marian: apparitions, prayers, holy cards, you name it, she knows it. I just can’t quite get there myself. I try to say that it’s really not my thing, but I know that’s cheating, because if you really love God, you ought to love the Mother of God, too, right?
Code: 
 So my questions: How do I learn to love Mary? It must be a different sort of love than love for God, so what is it? Can you love other saints, too? Or is this just a Holy Trinity + Mother of God thingie? 

  Thanks in advance for your help!
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I’m just a newbie, but I love Mary, but I would say you don’t have to be into the apparitions and everything. Some people’s personalities don’t tend that way (mine doesn’t) so their affection for Mary doesn’t manifest in that way. I do like the rosary, although some days I have to force myself to pray it. But leaving aside the rosary … have you considered wearing a scapular or a miraculous medal? I think these things help foster a sense of intimacy with Mary and a reminder that she is watching over us.

You can also try praying a short prayer to her right before you go to bed, such as the “Hail, Holy Queen.” (This is done in the Liturgy of the Hours, after Night Prayer.) Or I’ve heard of praying three Hail Mary’s, also right before bed.

I saw an episode of the Journey Home on which a convert from Protestantism was talking about how, for years after he converted, he understood the theology of Mary but he didn’t understand it on a deeper or personal level. And then one day, it struck him very deeply and his relationship with her changed. Something like that might happen to you. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.
 
Pray to Jesus for deeper devotion to His Mother :). I’m sure He would love to hear such a prayer. What you’re desiring and seeking is something very, very lovely and intimate. God bless you for having such a desire in your heart!
 
WhitSunday said:
How do I learn to love Mary?
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Each creature of God is unique. Each is lovable in his or her own way, and each of us approaches and learns to love others differently. Your relationship with a person will never be quite the same as another person’s relationship with the same person, and that’s a good thing. 🙂

In this light, I would recommend looking to qualities of Mary you find appealing and approaching her that way.

Personally I was drawn to her courageous faith. The biblical comparison of Mary to Jael & Judith, women who saved God’s people from their enemies, really appealed to me.
WhitSunday said:
Can you love other saints, too?
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You can and should! 🙂
 
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