» Blessed Virgin Mary

What is Consecration to Mary?

Written by on December 6, 2011 - Leave an Awesome Comment

The act of consecrating oneself to the Blessed Virgin Mary is a venerable tradition in the Catholic Church.  It has been promoted by many saints, St. Louis de Montfort being one of the more popular proponents.  But consecration to Mary is also greatly misunderstood, especially by non-Catholic Christians.

Simply put, when a person consecrates oneself to Mary, that person decides to entrust his or her very life to Mary’s care, protection, and guidance.  Consecration is the act of placing oneself in Mary’s hands and heart and trusting that she will teach and form us, that she will lead us closer to Jesus, and that she will help us to live God’s plan; in short, that she will help us to become saints.

Objections are often raised to this act of piety: Is it not idolatry to entrust oneself to Mary who is only a human being?  Why should we consecrate ourselves to Mary when the only person to whom we should “belong” is God Himself?

My answer to this objection is one that is very simple, so simple that a child can understand it; and therein lies the beauty of the act of consecration to Mary: it is simple yet powerful.

As Christians, we are called to imitate Jesus Christ.  Entrusting oneself to Mary, then, is a way to imitate Jesus; for Christ literally entrusted Himself to Mary’s care: He was formed in her womb, under her heart.  When a person spiritually consecrates oneself to Mary, he or she is simply imitating what Jesus literally did: as Christ gave Himself to Mary, so too can we give ourselves to her.

In His humanity, Jesus allowed Himself to be taught and formed.  Mary (and Joseph) taught Him how to pray, how to do acts of kindness for others; they taught Him the Torah.  So, too, will Mary teach and form us.  By entrusting ourselves to her care, she will lead us closer to her Son; she will teach us how to pray and how to love Him more.

Consecration to Mary is not idolatry; it is perfect imitation of Jesus.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it:

Add to FacebookAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Yahoo BuzzAdd to Newsvine

The Rosary and Transcendence

Written by on November 20, 2011 - 4 Comments

Last Wednesday I returned from Rome where I’d been visiting with seminarians at the North American College.  It was my fifth trip to Rome, but each time I visit I’m always reminded of the importance of the transcendent in our lives.

When one walks into St. Peter’s basilica–or other major basilicas or churches in Rome or around the world–one’s heart and mind is drawn to contemplate divine mysteries and eternal truths.  The very art and architecture of these sacred spaces propel one’s vision heavenward.  Indeed, these places of worship were designed to lift the mind and heart to God.

The Rosary, too, is meant to elevate the mind and heart to God.  I believe that this aspect of transcendence is what sets Christian meditation apart from other generic forms of meditation.  By “generic” I do not intend to demean other forms of meditation; I simply want to distinguish between Christian meditation and meditation that focuses solely on calming the mind and relaxing the body.

The Rosary, like a great basilica, is meant to draw us out of ourselves.  The Rosary leads us deeper into the mysteries of Christ’s life, and therefore deeper  into friendship with Christ himself.  Whereas some forms of meditation focus on emptying the mind through deep breathing, the meditation of the Rosary fills the mind and heart with thoughts of the divine.  The Rosary takes us up into something greater than ourselves.

What’s so healing about this form of meditation is that our own lives are illuminated by the very mysteries we contemplate in the Rosary: the Joyful Mysteries show us how we can bring Christ’s presence into the world; the Sorrowful Mysteries teach us to see the good that can come from our suffering; the Luminous Mysteries enable us to discover our mission in Christ; and the Glorious Mysteries enflame our hearts with the hope of eternal life.

Breathing meditation can be a tool to prepare us to pray the Rosary; but the Rosary itself is meant to lead to communion with God.  The paradox is that the more we “lose” ourselves in meditating on Christ’s life, the more we “find” our true selves in Christ.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it:

Add to FacebookAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Yahoo BuzzAdd to Newsvine

The Rosary: The School of Mary

Written by on November 13, 2011 - 1 Comment

What was it like for Mary to receive the Archangel Gabriel’s greeting?  What did she feel in her heart?  What of that moment when, renouncing fear, she chose faith, and a surge of confidence arose in her heart, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be it done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

What thoughts did she ponder in her heart as she traveled to visit her cousin Elizabeth?  What sentiments stirred in her soul when Elizabeth proclaimed, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb”? (Luke 1:42)

What depth of tenderness was in her eyes–and her heart–as she gazed upon the newborn Christ in her arms with her beloved Joseph by her side?

What did she feel when in the Temple she heard Simeon say to her: “And you yourself a sword will pierce”? (Luke 2:35).

And what of the anxiety in her heart as she and Joseph searched for Jesus?  And then the joy upon finding him?

These are just some of questions we can meditate upon as we pray the Rosary.  These are the mysteries–at least the Joyful ones–which we are led to ponder ever more deeply as the beads slip through our fingers.  And as we contemplate these mysteries we grow in knowledge and love of the Lord.

The rosary is not chatter.  It is not rote repetition of words with our lips disconnected from our hearts.  When prayed from the heart, the rosary becomes, as some popes have stated, a “compendium of the Gospel.”  It brings the Gospel to life, because when we pray the Rosary we see Christ’s life through Mary’s eyes.  As Pope John Paul II was fond of saying, when we pray the Rosary we enter the “School of Mary.”

To see with Mary’s eyes.  To feel with her heart.  This is the interior reality of the Rosary.  Rather than being a devotion that leads us away from Christ, it leads us closer to Him–much closer.  For who was closer to Jesus than His mother?  Who knew Him better?  Who better to teach us about His life?

To pray the Rosary, to pray with Mary, is to learn and to love the Lord more.  And isn’t this the deepest desire of every human heart?

If you enjoyed this post, please share it:

Add to FacebookAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Yahoo BuzzAdd to Newsvine

The Rosary: Hail Mary!

Written by on November 2, 2011 - 2 Comments

Catholics don’t worship the Blessed Virgin Mary, and anyone who says that we do is simply false.  You will not find a single line in any official Church document that uses the word “worship” in association with devotion to Mary.  True, there may be some misinformed, well-intentioned Catholics who think they are supposed to worship her, but Catholic teaching is abundantly clear: adoration and worship is given to God alone, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

That being said, there’s no doubt that Mary ought to play a very significant role in the life of every Christian.  There’s a difference between “honor” and “worship.”  We honor Mary for the special grace and privilege that was given to her.  In fact, by honoring Mary we imitate the Lord who honored her by becoming flesh in her womb.  Yes, as Jesus literally entrusted himself to Mary, we too can entrust ourselves to her care and protection.

So what’s the deal with Catholics praying the “Hail Mary?”

No Christian can argue with the first part of the Hail Mary, for it is biblical.  “Hail, full of grace!  The Lord is with you,” were the words that the Archangel Gabriel spoke to Mary.  “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb,” were Elizabeth’s words to Mary upon hearing her greeting.  By praying these words we are simply echoing the inspired words of Scripture.

But why the second part: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death”?

We believe Mary is holy because she is the vessel that carried Christ. (I’ll explain the Catholic teaching on the Immaculate Conception in a future post).  We call her “Mother of God” very simply because it follows logically upon the fact that Jesus is God.

Many non-Catholic Christians struggle with the idea of asking Mary to pray for us.  In a recent talk I heard, the speaker shared his experience of talking to non-Catholic Christians about this very subject.  He poses the question: “Do you ask your pastor to pray for you?”  They answer: “Yes.”  Then he simply asks: “If you had to choose between having your pastor or Jesus’ Mother pray for you, who would you choose?”  The point is clear: if we ask the living to pray for us, shouldn’t we also ask those who are with Christ in Heaven to pray for us, especially his mom!?

We can’t doubt that God chose Mary to play a very important part in salvation history.  Her only desire is to lead us closer to Jesus, her Son.  She knows him best!  By honoring her and asking her to pray for us, she will help us to know and love him more.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it:

Add to FacebookAdd to DiggAdd to Del.icio.usAdd to StumbleuponAdd to RedditAdd to BlinklistAdd to TwitterAdd to TechnoratiAdd to Yahoo BuzzAdd to Newsvine

The Rosary and Meditation: The Beads

Written by on October 27, 2011 - 2 Comments

There’s a renewed interest in spirituality these days, especially the practice of meditation.  For the next several posts I’d like to reflect upon a great Catholic tradition that I believe is one of the best ways to practice meditation and to progress in contemplative prayer: the Rosary. Let’s start with the most obvious fact about [...]

Read more »

Desire

Written by on September 21, 2011 - 3 Comments

Shhhhh. Can you hear it? Be still. Are you conscious of it? It’s silence. It beckons you. You long for it. But there’s too much noise. Get away from the noise. In order to connect you must disconnect. There’s a longing in your heart. It can only be interpreted in silence. There’s a light inside [...]

Read more »

Unanswered Prayer?

Written by on October 31, 2010 - 4 Comments

“Why doesn’t God answer my prayer?”  Let’s be honest: most of us have probably had this thought; many of us have probably even expressed it vocally.  Why are there times when it seems that God is distant, that He just doesn’t seem to hear my request, that He doesn’t answer?  Well, the truth is that [...]

Read more »

WHY MARY MATTERS

Written by on November 11, 2009 - 4 Comments

Early in our lives we learn the importance of having good role models. The same is true when it comes to living in holiness: we must look to people who have lived the Christian life to a heroic degree so that we can learn from them. This is one of the reasons in the Catholic tradition that we honor the saints. The saints comprise the Holiness Hall of Fame. They inspire us. Among the saints, however, there is one woman whom every saint looked to for inspiration: the Blessed Virgin Mary. Yet Mary is more than just another good Christian role model. She is the embodiment of Christian holiness. Therefore, it is important that we give her the proper honor due to her, for God chose her to be the Mother of our Savior. That’s a really big deal!

Read more »