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December 18, 2004
Why Should Men Develop a Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary?
1 Kings 2:20. [King Solomon speaking] “Make your request, my mother; for I will not refuse you.”
Men are notoriously less devotional than their female counterparts, particularly when it comes to female Saints (not to say all men, mind you). But in particular, men need to develop a devotion to Mary for many reasons – I wanted to point out a few of them and suggest ways to begin developing this devotion.
Why be Devoted to Mary?
The primary and main reason to develop a devotional life focused on Mary is because of her place: she is our spiritual mother. In the Gospel of John, Jesus gives Mary to “the beloved disciple” to be his mother and he her son. We are each beloved disciples of Jesus and the entire passage conveys this truth to us as well. Mary is our spiritual mother and helps to constantly lead us to Christ in all things. As the Catechism states, “She is ‘clearly the mother of the members of Christ’ . . . since she has by her charity joined in bringing about the birth of believers in the Church, who are members of its head.” (CCC 963) We when seek God through Mary, He gives the same response to Solomon in the book of Kings: “I will not refuse you.”
Secondarily, true worship includes devotion to the Virgin Mary. Mary brought Jesus into the world and gave Him the physical body He gives that physical body to us in the Eucharist. As the Pope has repeatedly stated, through Mary we develop a closer relationship to Christ. The Catechism again states “The Church’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship” (CCC 971). Because “all generations will call [her] blessed,” we must also do so in our Christian lives, else we neglect a key part of our Christian faith. Mary’s unique role in Salvific history makes her an important channel through which we can receive God’s grace.
In the third place, in our world purity has become a problem for everyone, but particularly for men. We have a constant barrage of sexual images and suggestive words pushed upon us in almost every aspect of our lives. The Blessed Virgin Mary was absolutely pure in every way, so she is the perfect model of purity for us to follow. By devoting ourselves to God through Mary, we have the pure mother leading us on our spiritual journey to her son. And the ever-pure Mary is not only a role model for us, but can actively help us seek out purity in our lives and chastity in our relationships.
How Can You Develop a Devotion to Mary?
There are many ways to start developing a personal devotion to Mary. Start easy and see where it leads.
Perhaps the easiest way to begin is with the traditional “purity” prayer. I’ve always heard that to prevent impurities in your life, begin each morning with three Hail Mary prayers. This starts your day with a focus on God and Mary and strengthens your will against impure thoughts and acts. It also begins your devotional life by dedicating your actions, thoughts, and deeds through the day to Christ through Mary. This is an excellent way to improve your spiritual life as well: Mary won’t allow you to remain stagnant, but will help you deepen you faith, hope and love.
In addition, true devotion includes better understanding Mary and her role in God’s perfect plans. There are several excellent books on the subject that I would recommend. Mark Miravelle’s Introduction to Mary is perhaps the most readable and encouraging guide to Mary and personal devotion to her. The Catechism also has an excellent section on Mary that all would benefit from meditating on (just spend 15 minutes a day reading on the topic and thinking about it, especially how it applies to you personally). In addition, St. de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary is an excellent and time-tested guide to Marian devotion (you actually receive an indulgence for just reading this book).
Perhaps the best way to develop a Marian devotion is to simply start praying the Rosary. The daily Rosary is a strong deterrent against sin or division (it’s excellent for a family). Often, however, practical realities prevent us from immediately starting a daily Rosary. So start with a Rosary here and there, whenever you can. Work towards a weekly Rosary – this is a great Sunday devotion that also encourages your family to keep the Lord’s Day holy. Really meditate on the mysteries and examine how you can better imitate them in your daily life.
From there, you can deepen your devotion by consecrating your life, actions, and thoughts to Jesus through Mary. The consecration prayer developed by St. Louis Marie de Montfort remains a traditional favorite and has been recommended by Saints and Popes as an excellent way to reaffirm both our baptismal promises and our devotion to God.
Conclusion
Today’s man is often leading a family in a post-Christian world. Devotion to the Holy Family and to Joseph are important, but the Blessed Virgin Mary is necessity for deeping your personal faith as well as for leading your family closer to God. In Mary we have a clear path to Jesus – a path that will never be denied.
Still not sure? Here’s a test. Pray the Rosary once and ask God to use it to help you understand Marian devotion and why it’s important in your life. I’m confident that this test will not fail.
May the Blessed Virgin Mary lead us all to Christ.
God bless,
Jay
Posted by HolyFamily at December 18, 2004 1:27 PM
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Comments
Jay:
A superb posting on devotion to the BVM.
I say a rosary when I have the opportunity to while driving to or from work, or on long road trips. We have been less successful when trying to pray the rosary as a family, but we still keep trying.
Posted by: John . at December 20, 2004 11:06 AM
I dont hreally have any devotion to St. Mary at all. Oh, I venerate and adore her as a peasant would venerate, adore, and respect his Queen. But neither tht peasant nor me would dream of inviting such an august person over for a beer and a burger
Posted by: Dunmoose at December 25, 2004 4:56 PM
I just wanted to say... That as a testimony i can say its true...
I have been praying the rosary for 5 years now, i see a change in my family, in my own actions, i have grown to love Mary.. She has shown me many things and taken me to Jesus.
Posted by: Maria at October 26, 2006 2:37 PM
