Honor

By Beth Zanotelli, Family Life Coordinator for the Diocese of Palm Beach

Who is Mary?  Why do we honor her?  How can we imitate her to become better disciples of Jesus?  What are her messages?  How can Mary bring us deeper in our faith, and closer to Jesus? 

So many questions surrounding the Blessed Virgin Mary!  As we often do, we complicate what is quite simple.  In answer to the question “Who is Mary?”:  She is a girl from Nazareth; she is the daughter of Anna and Joachim; she is the cousin of Elizabeth; she is the bride of Joseph; she is ALSO, the mother of Jesus, the newborn babe; she is a guest and caring friend at the wedding feast in Cana; she is the woman at the foot of the Cross; she is a disciple in the upper room at Pentecost.

Mary’s identity is God-given, special and unique to her. 

What does it mean to honor Mary?  Our Judeo-Christian faith instructs us, actually commands us, to honor our mother and father.  Just as we are called to honor our earthly parents, Mary is our heavenly Mother.  The Canticle of Mary, that is Mary’s Song, is found in the Gospel of Luke 1:46-55.  Mary responds to Elizabeth by saying, “All Generations will call me blessed.” How very true is this proclamation!  Do we believe the scriptures that tell us Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit, conceived and gave birth to the Christ Child?  By honoring the Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord, we honor God himself.  We ask her for her help and her prayers.  The CCC (971) says: “The Church rightly honors the Blessed Virgin with special devotion.  From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of – ‘Mother of God,’ to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs…This very special devotion differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the Incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration.”

How can we imitate Mary and be a better disciple of Jesus?  Imitate her virtue.  While this takes a lifetime of formation in faith, there are 10 principal virtues listed in a small but powerful book by St. Louis de Monfort, called True Devotion to Mary.  Entry #104 of this book, lists the Principal Virtues of Mary: “Her ten principal virtues are: deep humility, lively faith, blind obedience, unceasing prayer, constant self-denial, surpassing purity, ardent love, heroic patience, angelic kindness, and heavenly wisdom.”  God chose Mary just as He chooses each of us for a high calling.  If we want to be obedient to God’s plan for our life, we need to imitate Mary with a commitment and willingness to sacrifice out of love and devotion to our Savior.

What are Our Lady’s messages?  From as early as A.D. 40, Mary has appeared to give messages of hope and love.  Her messages are always meant to draw us closer to her Divine Son, Jesus, to give us inspiration, and to remind us of the virtues. Each time she brings a special but similar message emphasizing the importance of prayer.  At Fatima she asked that we pray for the conversion of Russia; to pray the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world; to pray to Her Immaculate Heart, and she asked us not to lie, envy, or speak badly of others. 

How can Mary bring us deeper in our faith, and closer to Jesus? At Cana, Mary’s message is “Do whatever he tells you.”  When you pray, listen; when you read Scripture, listen; when you gaze on the beauty of God’s creation, listen; Listen for ways God is calling you closer; Listen for ways you can “be Jesus” to others; Listen to hear God’s plan for you.

Mary is called the first disciple.  She followed Jesus throughout His life, she was at the foot of the cross when Jesus died, she celebrated His resurrection and was with the disciples at Pentecost. If we desire to be like Mary, willing to accept God’s plan no matter the cost, we can and should rejoice in the plan that God has for us…

Who are YOU? What is YOUR “song”?  What is God calling YOU to say “yes” to?

YOUR identity is God-given, special, and unique to YOU.  Give God YOUR Fiat!

Here’s what the Scriptures have to say:

Luke 1:46-55 – My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.  For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.  The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.  He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.  He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.   The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.  He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.

 John 2:1-12– On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.  Jesus and his disciples ere also invited to the wedding.  When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”  Jesus said to her, “Woman how does your concern affect me?  My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”  Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons.  Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.”  So, they filled them to the brim.  Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”  So, they took it.  And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from, the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when the people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.”  Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.  After this, he and his mother, brothers, and his disciples, went down to Capernaum and stayed there only a few days.

 Luke 2:22-32 – When the days were completed for their purification according to the law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord,” and to offer the sacrifice of “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons,” in accordance with the dictate in the law of the Lord.  Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.  This man was righteous and devout, awaiting the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit was upon him.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord.  He came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform the custom of the law in regard to him, he took him into his arms and blessed God, saying:  “Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”