Cultivating Marian Devotion

In order to venerate Mary (it would be sacrilegious to worship her or any creature!), we must relate to her as a living, loving person—a pre-eminently special person who is also our spiritual mother and who loves us personally with an indescribable love. This personal relationship with Mary requires a special grace from God. If he hasn't bestowed that grace on you, plead for him to do so. If he has, then thank him for it passionately.

Many non-Catholics and even many marginal Catholics are not disposed to seek a personal relationship with Mary because they were not acculturated to Marian devotion from early childhood like countless other good or bad human attitudes and habits—family affection, love of classical music, habits of gambling, attitudes about divorce, use of drugs and alcohol, and so on—Marian devotion is "more caught than taught."

Culture really does play a major role in religion and spirituality. Just try identifying with a devout Muslim at prayer, or a Jew at the Wailing Wall, or a Hindu at a crematory funeral. Likewise, if you try to explain what goes on at Marian shrines to someone who is not devoted to Mary—to describe the awesome interior love-surges or the exterior phenomena—you would usually get a disappointing response.

A deep and abiding awareness of Mary as our spiritual mother is one of the most comforting, and spiritually uplifting insights that can be given by the Holy Spirit. It is an insight that involves the kind of "spiritual wisdom and understanding" that Paul prayed would be given to the Colossians and Ephesians (Col 1:9; Eph 5:17). And since all authentic Marian devotion points to Christ, as Vatican Il proclaimed', all true Marian devotees have a much richer devotion to Jesus because of it.

One of the greatest rewards of filial devotion and love to Mary, this side of heaven, is the incalculable joy it engenders. There is a joy in honoring our heavenly Father, the divine Artisan, for fashioning Mary, his creative masterwork; joy in being, in some way, another Jesus for Mary; joy in feeling constantly secure and at peace because we trust in her protective love and enjoy her maternal solicitude; joy in experiencing success by her blessing on all of our works done for God's glory, as she teaches us to rely on her divine Son. There is the joy of making Mary known, loved, and served; the joy of seeing her honored both by God who "has done great things" for her and by humans – “all generations will call me blessed" (Lk 1:49, 48); the joy of growing in love for Jesus under her tutelage; the joy of bringing happiness to Jesus by honoring Mary, and happiness to Mary by honoring Jesus.

The saintly Marianist Brother Leonard once wrote: "To give Jesus the delightful joy of loving Mary on earth through me, and to give Mary the joy of seeing her Son live again in me— what a glorious thought!" Is it rash to say that those lacking such joy are missing something great in their spiritual life?

Let us never weary of praising God, as Mary praised him, for all she has received from him for us to enjoy and admire. Truly, "the Mighty One has done great things" for us by doing such great things for Mary, "our tainted nature's solitary boast."                

While we are here on earth, we can be a part of the generations who call her blessed and admire God's magnificent masterpiece. And when we actually see Mary in heaven, our honor and admiration will be like an endlessly sustained peak experience. To a major extent Mary will be the reason for our joy as we revel in the goodness of God who fashioned this greatest wonder of his splendorous creation.

This excerpt is from the book The Art of Loving God by John H. Hampsch, C.M.F., originally published by Servant Publications, 1995. This and other of Fr. Hampsch's books and audio/visual materials can be purchased from Claretian Teaching Ministry, 20610 Manhattan Pl, #120, Torrance, CA 90501-1863. Phone 1-310-782-6408.