On New Year’s Day, when we celebrated the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, it was important to ask a pertinent question: What makes us love and honor Mary so much?
We know that Mary is not a god. She himself acknowledges her status of being a servant of the Lord. The last thing she said to the Angel when he broke to her the news that she was chosen to become the Mother of Jesus the Messiah was the following: Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word (Luke 1:38). Here are some of the reasons why we love and honour Mary from our hearts.
First, when we love Mary we are pleasing to God himself. The person who loved Mary most is God himself. The Triune God’s relationship with Mary is so special. To begin with, the Father chose her from eternity to be the Mother of His Son Jesus Christ. On the other hand Jesus Christ wanted her to be his Mother in full accord with the Father’s will. Finally, the Holy Spirit is Mary’s spouse and thanks to his activity Mary is the Mother of God, God Incarnate. The Nicene Creed we profess every Sunday says much about these powerful truths. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
Second, Mary’s outstanding humility. Thomas Merton spoke about her humility when he said: As the most humble handmaid of the Lord who is “full of grace,” Mary was the perfect instrument of God because she was nothing else but his instrument. In her song of praise to God, the Magnificat, Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden (Luke 1:46-48).
Third, Mary is the fastest and surest way to fully imitate Jesus. She was the one who lived Jesus’ words to the full when he said: “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matt 12:48-50). That is why to the servants, at the wedding feast of Cana, Mary was able to tell them: Do whatever he tells you (John 2:5).
Fourth, many saints took Mary on board of their journey to holiness. From her they learned how to follow Jesus. Also, they gave their testimony accompanied by Mary’s prayer, especially the holy Rosary. Even liturgically we cannot escape the close connection between Mary and the saints. In fact, Pope Benedict XVI, in his general audience of Wednesday, 22 August 2012 at Castel Gandolfo, entitled on Liturgical Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary said: Through the Virgin Mary let us turn with trust to the One who rules the world and holds in his hand the future of the universe. For centuries she has been invoked as the celestial Queen of Heaven; in the Litany of Loreto after the prayer of the holy Rosary, she is implored eight times: as Queen of Angels, of Patriarchs, of Prophets, of Apostles, of Martyrs, of Confessors, of Virgins, of all the Saints and of Families. The rhythm of these ancient invocations and daily prayers, such as the Salve Regina, help us to understand that the Blessed Virgin, as our Mother beside her Son Jesus in the glory of heaven, is always with us in the daily events of our life.
Fifth, Mary always influences her Son Jesus. Suffice to look at the Cana wedding feast to see how truthful this is. When she asked her Son to intervene in that uncomfortable situation the Gospel tells us: Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast.” So they took it. When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now” (John 2:7-10).
Sixth, Mary’s Rosary is a powerful weapon to combat and defeat evil. Numerous saints talked about the undisputable power of the Rosary. St Padre Pio said: The Rosary is the ‘weapon’ for these times. The same saint said: Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother. Finally, St Josemaria Escriva said: For those who use their intelligence and their study as a weapon, the Rosary is most effective. Because that apparently monotonous way of beseeching Our Lady as children do their Mother, can destroy every seed of vainglory and pride.
Are these six reasons not enough in convincing us to love and honor Mary, our Mother, with all our hearts and souls as we should as her sons and daughters?