When I was doing missionary work in the States, we stayed with one of the members of my team. His mother had left the Church through a variety of terrible circumstances. She asked me why Catholics rely on Mary so much, why they don’t go to Jesus. I responded to her, “Why do you have a pastor in your church? Why don’t you go right to Jesus?” She replied, “Well the pastor guides us to Jesus.” I said, “Well your pastor does not know Jesus as well as Mary did and when we pray the rosary we are simply sitting in Mary’s lap and letting her tell us stories of Jesus.”
Mary is our Mother and today’s Liturgy of the Word lends well to some Marian teaching. Many times we don’t want to talk about Mary to others for fear we may offend them. But that is extremely disrespectful to our Mother, that we forget about her in order not to offend someone. It would be better if we properly introduced her to others so they, too, can experience the grace she offers.
The first key point about Mary is that she was immaculately conceived, meaning, unlike us, she had no sin – original or actual – and the First Reading today is one of the proof texts we use to show that. “I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her’s.” Enmity means distance or, better defined as, “I will cut you off from the woman.” What is the devil’s seed? Sin. What is the woman’s see? Jesus. Jesus calls His mother, “Woman,” twice, first at the wedding feast and then on the cross. Eve is called, “Woman,” until she sins and then she is given a name, but until then she is called, “Woman.”
Another key point of Mary is that she is the Queen Mother, which was an ancient tradition for the Jews. The king would often have many wives but he would only have one mother. The Queen Mother would often have a throne beside the king, as Solomon’s mother Bathsheba did. What was her job? To intercede for people. People would bring their problems to her, and she would bring them to her son. Mary, at the wedding feast, did this. She brought the problem to her Son and then trusted that He would take care of it. Another thing which I think is amazing, a bit of a side note, is that Jesus started his ministry at thirty. Traditionally, it is thought that Joseph died that year. Joseph was from the line of King David. The king on the throne was not from the line of the David, he was a usurper. Theologians surmise that Joseph could have been the rightful king. Why is this important? Well, when the king dies his son becomes the king and the son’s mother becomes the Queen Mother. Both start their ministry. And so, Mary still does that.
We might still ask though, why not go straight to Jesus? Going to Mary is honoured by Jesus who, more than anyone, honours His Father and Mother. God loves to share His work with His creation, just as a father loves to work with his children in the family business. Mary always says and encourages us to, “Do as He tells you.” She never steals honour and glory from Her Son, she simply polishes our weak prayers and makes them more shiny and beautiful and purified and gives them to Her Son.
In today’s Gospel we hear what seems like a slight against Mary. When Jesus is told that His Mother is there and Jesus says, “Who is my mother and brothers?” seemingly to insult her but He goes on to say, “The one who does my will is my mother, brother, sister.” Mary is the one who does the Father’s will perfectly, as she said to the Angel, “Let it be done to me according to your word.” Thy will be done, Lord.
Mary is the, “Scourge of demons,” because she is the one who is untouchable by the demons. Satan hates her Son for sure but Jesus is God and so it is not so offensive to be beaten by Him. However, Satan hates His Mother more because she is a mere creature and he is an angel, yet she in no way submitted to him. His pride is so wounded by our Mother. To pray the rosary in earnest in time of temptation is cruel punishment to the devil. So we should pray it often when tempted. The exorcists say exactly this. Pray the Hail Mary slowly in time of temptation and watch the devil flee.
So how do you pray the rosary? I have noticed something about mothers, they are always giving instructions, always trying to improve their children. My own mother still corrects my manners and I am a middle aged man. It is interesting about our mothers. What I find amazing is we don’t expect to hear from Mary when we are in her presence. Many times we rip through the rosary ignoring her. Originally, the rosary was designed for the laity who couldn’t read so that they could have a way of meditating on the mystery of Christ. The priests and Religious would say the 150 Psalms and the lay people would pray the 150 Hail Mary’s so they, too, could have an opportunity to enter deeply into the Mystery of Faith. When we pray the Rosary, we need to ask Mary, “Hey, Mary, what do you want to show me in this mystery? What is significant to me for my salvation and a deeper relationship with your Son?” Mary, like all mothers, wants to instruct and save her children. She wants to build a house for us not made, as it says in the Second Reading. Mary is here to build fruit for eternal life. Mary also makes special promises to save those who honour her through the Sacraments.
Catholics have a special devotion called the, “First Saturday,” and Mary promises that she will assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who on the first Saturdays of five consecutive months confess, receive Holy Communion, pray a rosary, and keep her company for a quarter of an hour meditating on the fifteen mysteries with the intention of offering her reparation.
A story illustrates this:
One day Donna’s husband was traveling through snow-covered roads. Suddenly, he suffered a heart attack, lost control, and crashed.
The ambulance promptly arrived but, unfortunately, her husband passed away on the way to the hospital.
When Donna arrived at the hospital, she was told that he had died, and, unfortunately, without the benefits of the Church’s Sacraments…Besides the obvious grief at such news, she was anxious as to the state of his soul at that last moment.
Apparently, Our Lady hadn’t kept her promise
Three months after Donna’s husband had been buried, a priest knocked on her door and asked, “Are you Mrs. Donna E.?”
The priest then related how, three months earlier, he had been driving behind her husband and saw him lose control of his car.
He said, “I knew right away that he had experienced a heart attack and was in danger of dying.” The priest stopped, ran over and asked, “Are you a Catholic?” Mr. E. responded in the affirmative.
He was in a lot of pain but was able to make a full confession to the priest. The priest heard his confession and gave him Last Rites before the ambulance arrived.
Because the priest had been on his way to say Mass, when the ambulance arrived, he left for the Church.
After hearing that Mr. E. had passed on the way to the hospital, the priest felt that it was important to let the family know that he had had the Last Rites. The medical facility, however, would not give him the family’s information.
Only after three months did someone at the hospital give him an address.
This is a good devotion to do as Mary is the Mother of Salvation, since salvation came through her through her yes to God. Mary is the Mother of all and she shows that by wherever she appears, she always appears in the dress and skin color of that local people. Mary is for all a model intercessor and her favourite title is, “Mother.”