3. Veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the
Church:
The veneration given to Mary differs
essentially from that given to God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Church regulates the
Marian forms of piety to ensure that the Triune God is known,
loved and glorified (L.G. .66). Official Marian devotion forms a
very noble part of the whole sphere of sacred worship which mixes
wisdom and religion and which is, therefore, the primary task of
believers (Paul VI, Marialis Cultis, Introduction).
In the liturgical calender of the Church,
one can share and be nourished by Our Lady's journey of faith. The feast of the
Immaculate Conception (December 8th), and the period of Advent,
bring the faithful to think about the love with which the Virgin
Mother awaited her Son. They are invited to take her as a model
and prepare themselves to meet the Saviour who is to come. The
Solemnity of Mary, the holy Mother of God, on January 1st,
commemorates the part played by Mary in the history of salvation.
It occurs within the octave of Christmas and is a fitting
occasion for adoring the new born Prince of Peace. Pope Paul VI,
highlighting this gift of peace, instituted January 1st as World
Day of Peace.
March 25th is the Solemnity of the
Incarnation of the Word (Annunciation of the Lord). It is a joint feast of Christ and the
Blessed Virgin which marks the beginning of redemption and the
union of the divine nature and human nature in the one person of
Jesus. It celebrates the generous "fiat" of Our Lady to God -
"let what you have said be done to me" (Lk. 1:38). It is a unique
consent in the history of salvation. The Solemnity of the
Assumption of Mary into Heaven is celebrated on August 15th. It
sets before Christians, indeed before all of humanity, their
final hope which is their glorification through the saving act of
Jesus Christ.
In addition to the four Solemnities, there
are a number of other celebrations in the calender which commemorate other events in
which Mary was closely associated with her Son - the Nativity of
Our Lady (September 8th), the Visitation (May 31st), Our Lady of
Sorrows (September 15th), Presentation of the Lord (February
2nd). There are other Marian feasts which were associated with
local churches and which have taken on universal importance, such
as Our Lady of Lourdes (February 11th). Some of the most
carefully researched miracles in the history of Christianity have
occurred at the Grotto of Lourdes in France.
There have been special interventions of
Mary in local churches. She appeared at Fatima in Portugal in 1917 with a message of
prayer and reparation for the salvation of souls. In addition to
this Gospel message, the Virgin prophesied certain events in
history which, some suggest, included the recent collapse of
Communism. In Mexico in 1531, Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to
an Aztec peasant, Juan Diego, at which time she declared herself
as "your merciful mother; to you and all inhabitants of the
earth". As proof of her visit and concern, she left her image on
the cloak, the tilma, of Juan Diego which is still displayed more
than four hundred years later in the Basilica near Mexico City.
More importantly, her appearance was the impetus to the
evangelization of Mexico. Within a few years, eight million
Indians were baptized.
Mary brings us to her Son. It is the acid
test of proper devotion to Our Lady. Intimacy with Jesus can only be assured through
sincere and persevering prayer. Two Marian prayers which have
received continuous Papal support are the Angelus and the Rosary
(M.C. ..40-55). The Angelus commends itself on several points:
its simple structure, biblical character, historical link to the
prayer for peace and safety, its rhythm which sanctifies
different moments of the day, and its remembrance of the life,
death and resurrection of Jesus. The Rosary has been called "the
compendium of the entire Gospel". It draws from the Gospel the
mysteries and its prayers. The Rosary considers in succession the
principal salvific events accomplished in Christ. In addition to
elements of praise and petition, the quiet rhythm and lingering
pace of the Rosary is conducive to contemplation. It is highly
adaptable to individual or group recital, and is ideally suited
for family prayer.
Christ is the only way to the Father (Jn.
14:4-11), and the ultimate example for the Christian. The Catholic Church has
always taught this and nothing in its pastoral activity should
obscure this teaching. The Church has taught, however, by the
Holy Spirit and by the benefit of centuries of experience, that
authentic devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary has a great
pastoral effectiveness and constitutes a force for renewing
Christian life. Ultimately, Mary challenges us with the person
and message of Jesus: "Do whatever he tells you." (Jn. 2:5)
Fr. Kevin Beach.