"This school of Mary is..." St. JPII

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In his Apostolic Letter, “On the Most Holy Rosary”, St. John Paul II gives us help in answering critics of Marian Devotion who claim we give “too much attention” to Mary. Let us pray for all (including ourselves) to know Jesus and Mary better, by the power of the Holy Spirit, as we continue to listen to Saint JPII:

Learning Christ from Mary

1. Christ is the supreme Teacher, the revealer and the one revealed. It is not just a question of learning what he taught but of “learning him”. In this regard could we have any better teacher than Mary? From the divine standpoint, the Spirit is the interior teacher who leads us to the full truth of Christ (cf. Jn 14:26; 15:26; 16:13). But among creatures no one knows Christ better than Mary; no one can introduce us to a profound knowledge of his mystery better than his Mother.

The first of the “signs” worked by Jesus – the changing of water into wine at the marriage in Cana – clearly presents Mary in the guise of a teacher, as she urges the servants to do what Jesus commands (cf. Jn 2:5). We can imagine that she would have done likewise for the disciples after Jesus’ Ascension, when she joined them in awaiting the Holy Spirit and supported them in their first mission. Contemplating the scenes of the Rosary in union with Mary is a means of learning from her to “read” Christ, to discover his secrets and to understand his message.

This school of Mary is all the more effective if we consider that she teaches by obtaining for us in abundance the gifts of the Holy Spirit, even as she offers us the incomparable example of her own “pilgrimage of faith”. As we contemplate each mystery of her Son’s life, she invites us to do as she did at the Annunciation: to ask humbly the questions which open us to the light, in order to end with the obedience of faith: “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).

Today we celebrate the feast-day of the Martyr Stephen. In praying the Liturgy of the Hours this morning, I was praying that we may all learn to “die to self” for a disordered self-love is the greatest obstacle to growing in holiness. Mary our Mother was immaculately conceived and did not have the consequences of original sin that we battle. She remained faithful to her fullness of grace and never sinned. May we keep close to her and continue opening our hearts to the Holy Spirit that we may learn as she did, pondering Jesus’ words and actions in our hearts. May she continually intercede for us and with us, asking for the graces we need.