C
CWBetts
Guest
Since my conversion to Catholicism, one of my biggest struggles has been with the veneration of saints, in general, and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary in particular. This trepidation has been largely due to a long history of anti-Catholicism. Over the past month, my devotion to that greatest of all saints, the Mother of God. All those years I claimed Christianity, but all but ignored the first of all Christians, I failed to see the sheer beauty of her. In my head I accepted that veneration of Mary (hyper-dulia) is not the same as the adoration given to God alone (latria), but it does supersede the veneration due the other saints (dulia). Following is a list which is by no means comprehensive of the things about the Blessed Virgin that I have come to love:
- She is our spiritual Mother. While Jesus was on the cross, he said something that I did not quite understand before I became Catholic. This passage is recorded in the Gospel of St. John : “…But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.” (Jn. 19: 25-27, RSV-CE). That is beautiful. Jesus gives us His Mother. How are we to love Mary? Like a Mother. Does love given to your Mother detract from the love to your Father, or your siblings? Not at all. And this fits in with the family imagery God uses to describe our relationship with Him. Think about it. One of Mary’s titles is “Spouse of the Holy Spirit.” God’s relationship to humanity is described as a series of covenants. What is a covenant? An extension of kinship given by oath. And a family is described as having mother, father and children. Without Mary, where is the family image? Where is the mother?
- Mary is our perfect example. Jesus spent His life as a man on earth without sin. He has an advantage: He is God. Mary was a human, without the benefit of being god, still lived a sinless life. She was created without original sin, but she was not the only one with this benefit. Adam and Eve also were created without original sin. The lack of original sin is no guarantee that you won’t sin. But Mary, unlike Eve, was obedient. How do we know? Luke 1:38. “And Mary said, ‘Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’” Mary had every opportunity to say “Me? Bear the Savior? Count me OUT!” But she didn’t. She said “Yes, Lord. I will do your will.” What a wonderful example she is for all of us. This young girl, was given a heavy burden. Think about it. She was responsible for raising the Son of God. But she said yes, an attitude repeated at the end of Jesus’s life by the Son she bore. “Father if you are willing , remove this chalice from me; nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done” (Lk 22:42)
- Mary Points to Jesus. First and foremost, Mary is a creation. She lived a sinless life not of her own power, but because of the graces she was given by God. Honoring the creation is actually honoring the Creator. If you like a painting or a sculpture, are you not, in actuality honoring the artist who created the work of art? Likewise with Mary, when we honor her, we truly are honoring He who made her. The most explicit picture of this in the Scriptures can be found in John’s Gospel. At Cana, what does she tell the wine stewards? “Do whatever he [Jesus] tells you.” What does Mary tell us? The very same thing.
This little note only scratches the surface of the beauty of our Blessed Mother. It seems fitting to close with a prayer:
“Hail, Mary, Full of Grace. The Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.”