Catholic teaching about Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is one of the most distinctive truths of the Catholic faith. A most important "slice of the pie."
DISTINCTION BETWEEN ADORATION AND VENERATION
Prejudice against the Catholic Church, like crabgrass, is hard to get rid of. It keeps coming back.
In recent years, some fundamentalist Christians have made accusations that Catholics adore Mary, her statues and paintings. Is it true? Certainly not. We do not worship Mary. We worship only God, and Mary is not God.
Catholics, since the early days of the church, have made a distinction between the honor we call adoration or worship, which is given only to God, and the honor we call veneration, which is given to Mary and the saints. Christians have venerated Mary since the third century because he is the Mother of Jesus; she is found in the Bible numerous times; and, she is the best example we could have of a person of faith and grace.
ADOLESCENTS AND THEIR MOTHER
It is true that there have been people who, through love of the Blessed Mother or through lack of religious formation, seem to adore her in their devotional practices. Such practices are not approved by the Catholic Church. In fact, the church seeks to correct such abuses by the teachings of the councils, the clergy and religious education.
We must not, however, let the excesses of some move us to neglect a rich devotion to Mary. She is not only the Mother of Jesus, but also our spiritual mother.
Recently, at a local conference on devotion to Mary, one of the speakers gave a fresh insight into those who do not have a love for Mary. She noted that adolescents often fail to appreciate their mothers. Then, with time, they begin to realize what blessings their mothers are and love them all the more.
The speaker noted that she was a convert to the church and did not really appreciate the Blessed Mother until recent years. She likened herself to an adolescent, realizing only with time and prayer the importance of Mary in her life and in the life of the church.
There are many spiritual adolescents today who do not appreciate the role of Mary. I take this occasion to call them to maturity and a deeper appreciation for Mary.
MARY AND THE BIBLE
Mary is highlighted numerous times in the Bible. As Father Juan Diaz, S.J., writes in his wonderful book, Miriam the Galilean Woman, the first one to begin praising Mary is God. He greets her through the words of the angel in Luke 1:28, the first words of the Hail Mary: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women." Mary accepted the message of the angel and agreed to be the Mother of the Lord.
Later, in chapter two, Luke features Mary in the infancy narratives and at the presentation of Jesus in the temple.
Matthew, quoting Isaiah, speaks of the virgin birth and of the Nativity.
When Jesus starts His public life, it is at the request of Mary during the wedding feast of Cana (John 2:1-12). During Jesus' public life, Mary is mentioned; and, at the foot of the cross, Jesus gives Mary to his beloved disciple, John.
The accounts of the Resurrection, the Ascension and Pentecost all indicate the presence of Mary. It is almost surprising that Mary, given her presence at almost all the significant moments in Christ's life described in the Holy Scriptures, is not honored by other churches. To me, it seems a glaring omission.
We Catholics believe that the Christian faith is incomplete without Mary.
WOMAN OF GRACE; WOMAN OF FAITH
Our devotion to Mary should move us to see her as a wonderful model of faith whom we should imitate. She was truly human in every respect except sin; she knew fear and embarrassment when she was pregnant out of wedlock; she knew sorrow as she realized King Herod sought to kill her son; she felt confusion when she and Joseph found Jesus in the temple after they had feared he was lost; she felt devastated by the suffering and death of Jesus; and, finally she must have felt terrible loneliness after the deaths of both Joseph and Jesus.
Yet the Scriptures describe her as a woman of grace and faith; someone whose example we need today.
CATHOLICS ARE NOT ORPHANS
Fundamentalists often ridicule our devotion to Mary. Catholics counter by saying these people are orphans since we have Mary who is our mother, the mother of the church.
MARY IN CHRISTIAN TRADITION
It is not difficult to see why Mary has had a most important place in Catholic tradition through the centuries. A wall of the Catacomb of Saint Priscilla in Rome has a simple painting of Mary dating from the second century. Father Diaz' book, mentioned above, quotes this early Christian prayer from the fourth century:
"Your mantle of mercy protect us, O Mother of God. Do not forsake us in our need, but free us from every evil, you who are the only pure and worthy one of praise."The Rosary, the Hail Mary, the Angelus and other Marian prayers have been to us, and Christians of every age, a great comfort. Mary takes our prayers to the Father and her Son, Jesus. What better intercessor could we have?
We honor Mary under different titles. "The Mother of God," the "Immaculate Conception," the "Mother of the Church," and "Our Lady of Guadalupe" are examples. These and other titles bring out the richness of who she is. Some of the finest art and music through the centuries have been created in honor of the Virgin Mary.
Together with the Holy Father I invite each of us to deepen our devotion to Mary -- or to rediscover it -- so that we might follow the Mother of the Redeemer in our pilgrimage of faith.