May - A whole month for the Blessed Mother ( Part 1 of two parts)

As we begin the month of Mary, this Tuesday, we should be ready to calmly face the forces opposed to the honor given to Our Lady. In today’s world, where all kinds of “informed people” give us information via a little gadget we hold in the palm of our hand, we may be confused and make the wrong turn. The best line to take is to stick to what Mother Church teaches us and trust in the Holy Spirit who guides her to show us the right way. The same spirit will help us follow the way.

Consider this teaching of the Church: (1) God alone, the Supreme, Infinite Being, must be adored. To adore any creature, however exalted, would be to commit idolatry.  (2) Jesus Christ alone is our Mediator of Redemption. He alone, by his supreme sacrifice, of infinite value, redeemed and ransomed mankind. 

With that teaching in mind, let us look at the way we put the Virgin Mary on a very high pedestal, on so many occasions. A whole month (May), is dedicated to her. Are we not going a little bit too far? What about the way we behave before her images wherever they may be: are we not kind of adoring her? Yet the teaching spells it out; God alone is to be adored, and Christ alone is to be worshiped as our Mediator of Redemption. Why give all this honor to Mary?

Rev. Fr. M.D. Forrest M.S.C., in his article ‘Devotion to the Blessed Virgin’ C.A. January 02, 2007; explains Catholic doctrine and practice regarding the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here are some of the points from his article.

He says that among humans, there is an innate law dictating that “creatures who are clothed with a special dignity”, should be shown special honor…. ‘Children must honor their parents; servants must revere their masters; soldiers must respect their officers; subjects must show loyalty to their rulers.’ Fr. Forrest continues: “God himself has, in fact, positively commanded, in his revelation to man, this honor that the natural law prescribes. Thus besides the supreme honor that we give God, and which we term adoration, there is an inferior honor that we not only may but must show to all creatures who are clothed with special dignity.”

Forrest gives two reasons why Mary’s dignity, transcends that of any other creature. She is: (i) the only creature privileged to adore her son, and (ii) the only one God the Son can address as Mother.

This puts her in a position that: as Forrest puts it, “far transcends that of any other creature as heaven excels earth”.

Scripture plays a part:

The priest goes on to show that the words of the “Hail Mary”, which Catholics use so lovingly and so often to honor Mary are mainly from Luke 1:26-55. In this passage, the angel’s words and those of Elizabeth put together (inserting the names Mary and Jesus), form the first part of the prayer. Thus Catholics follow the Bible in giving honor to Mary. Still referring to that same passage, where Mary in her Magnificat says, “all generations will call me blessed”, the priest asks: who “fulfills this prophecy: those who refuse to apply the adjective blessed to the Virgin Mary, or Catholics, who love to call Mary the Blessed Virgin?” 

Mary is invoked

We ask Mary to intercede for us with her divine Son. Now, Fr. Forrest points out that Christians, non-Catholic ones included, often ask one another to pray for them. So he asks: “if I may say to a sinner on this earth, and he may say to me, another sinner, "Pray for me," for what reason may we not say to the sinless Mother of God enthroned in heaven, "Pray for us"?

“If St. Paul asked the Romans to "help him in their prayers for him to God" (Rom. 15:16); if he wrote to the Thessalonians, "Pray for us," why may we not ask Mary, who is far holier and nearer to God than the Roman and Thessalonian converts, to "pray for us"? ——————

Really we are not going too far when we dedicate a full month to Mary.

PART II —- next week.

Mon 30, Apr 2018 13:04 pm