Tag Archives: Mother of God

“Mondays with Mary” – Christ’s Friendship with the Priest and Mary’s Role In It

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Since yesterday was the 50th Day of Prayer for Vocations and Good Shepherd Sunday, today’s “Mondays with Mary” comes from the Holy Thursday Letter of Blessed John Paul II – Behold Your Mother: Mary in the Life of the Priest. As many of you know, I have a great devotion to Blessed John Paul II and have written about him many times on this blog. He is the one “Blessed” that I go too most often when asking for the intercession of prayers.

When my girlfriend and I pray each night, we also ask for his intercession when praying for our relationship. The JP II as young priest reason we do this is because as a priest, Fr. Karol Wojtyla counseled many couples preparing for marriage. He also gave us the Theology of the Body. This great body of work is already making large waves in the Catholic Church and will continue to be a major foundation of support for those looking to love their spouses (as man and woman) with the dignity we all deserve. If you are interested in learning more about the Theology of Body, contact the Catholic Publisher – Ascension Press. They offer fantastic trainings for individuals who want to know more about TOB and other Catholic topics.

The below excerpt is from the paragraph 6 in the aforementioned letter by Blessed John Paul II -

Meeting today, on Holy Thursday, at the birthplace of our priesthood, we desire to read its fullest meaning through the prism of the Council teaching about the Church and her mission. The figure of the Mother of God belongs to this teaching in its entirety, as do the reflections of the present meditation.

Jesus, Mary, and John at Cross Speaking from the cross on Golgotha, Christ said to the disciple: “Behold, your mother.” And the disciple “took her to his own home” as Mother. Let us also take Mary as Mother into the interior “home” of our priesthood. For we belong to the “faithful in whose rebirth and development” the Mother of God “cooperates with a maternal love.” Yes we have, in a certain sense, a special “right” to this love in consideration of the mystery of the Upper Room. Christ said: “No longer do I call you servants…, but I have called you friends” (Jn 15:15). Without this “friendship” it would be difficult to think that, after the apostles, he would entrust to us the sacrament of his Body and Blood, the sacrament of his redeeming death and resurrection, in order that we might celebrate this ineffable sacrament in his name, indeed, in persona Christi. Without this special “friendship” it would also be difficult to think about Easter evening, when the Risen Lord appeared in the midst of the apostles, saying to them: “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jn 20:22-23).

Such a friendship involves a commitment. Such a friendship should instill a holy fear, a much greater sense of responsibility, a much greater readiness to give of oneself all that one can, with the help of God. In the Upper Room such a friendship has been profoundly sealed with the promise of the Paraclete: “He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you…He will bear witness to me, and you also are witnesses” (Jn 14:26; 15:26-27).

We always feel unworthy of Christ’s friendship. But it is a good thing that we should have a holy fear of not remaining faithful to it.

The Mother of Christ knows all this. She herself has understood most completely the meaning of the words spoken to her during his agony on the cross: “Woman, behold, your son…Behold, your mother.” They referred to her and to the disciple-one of those to whom Christ said in the Upper Room: “You are my friends” (Jn 15:14); they referred to John and to all those who, through the mystery of the Last Supper, share in the same “friendship.” The Mother of God, who (as the Council teaches) cooperates, with a mother’s love, in the rebirth and the training of all those who become brothers of her Son-who become his friends-will do everything in her power so that they may not betray this holy friendship. So that they may be worthy of it.

Let us pray that our priests will be men of holiness and friendship so they can mirror Jesus Christ. We ask the Blessed Mother to guide them in their priestly ministry so that they can bring save souls for the Kingdom of God. We pray for the intercession of all the saints that are priests, especially Blessed John Paul II, to direct them in the correct practices and disciplines as holy priests. 

“Mondays with Mary” – Saint Francis de Sales on the Annunciation

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As we enter the Season of Easter and celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the historical and transcendent event, we will also commemorate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord on April 8. This solemnity is usually commemorated on March 25 (9 months before Christmas), but since it fell on the Monday of Holy Week, the Church transferred the solemnity to next Monday. The Church’s decision was based on the fact that Holy Week takes precedence over any of the solemnities and feasts in the liturgical calendar.

As I have done over the past year with other Marian solemnities, I will focus on the Annunciation of Our Lord for two weeks. This week will be the words from one of the great Saints and Doctors of the Church – Saint Francis de Sales. I have written about him and quoted St. Francis de Sales quite a few times over the past months. You can read his words on many of the Marian solemnities here. Next week, April 8, I will write on the Annunciation itself and provide you with some important theology regarding the great announcement of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the role that Mary plays in this epic event.

The following excerpts are from a sermon given by Saint Francis de Sales on March 25, 1621 at a religious Profession –

“This sacred Virgin was, then, a very perfect religious, as we have said, and she is the special Protectress of souls who dedicate themselves which she practiced and manifested more excellently than all others on the day of her glorious Annunciation, virtues which I will only mention in passing and then I will conclude. First, a virginity and purity which has nothing like in in all creation. Secondly, a sovereign and profound humility, joined and united inseparably to charity.”

“Virginity and absolute chastity is an angelic virtue; but though it belongs more especially to angels than to men, yet the purity of Our Lady infinitely surpassed that of the angels, having three great perfections above theirs, even that of the cherubim and seraphim…that of the angels is sterile and can produce no fruit. On the contrary, that of our glorious Mistress was not only fruitful because she produced for us this sweet Fruit of Life, Our Lord and Masters, but in the second place she has begotten many virgins. It is it in imitation of her, as we have said, that virgins have vowed their chastity.”

“But she was not only virgin par excellence above all others, angels as well as men – she was also more humble than all others. This was manifest excellently on the day of the Annunciation. She then the made the greatest act of humility that was ever made or ever will be made by a pure creature; for seeing herself exalted by the angel who saluted her, saying she was full of grace and that she would conceive a Son who would be both God and Man…Our Lady, being reassured by the angel and having learned what God willed to do with her and in her, made this supreme act of humility, saying: I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you say. She saw herself raised to the highest dignity that ever was or will be, for though it should please God to create anew many worlds, He could never make a pure creature be greater than the Mother of God.”

“Our Lady humbled herself and acknowledged herself unworthy of being raised to the high dignity of Mother of God; therefore she was made to be His Mother, for she had no sooner uttered the protestation of her littleness than, having abandoned herself to Him by an act of incomparable charity, she became the Mother of the Most High, who is the Saviour of our souls.”

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Mondays with Mary” – Benedict XVI, the Year of Faith, and the Mother of God

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Even though I had said at the beginning of the month that I was going to write on the Holy Rosary during the month of October, I am switching gears this week to present to you Pope Benedict XVI’s Homily on October 4 from Our Lady of Loreto Square in Loreto, Italy. The Year of Faith that started on October 11 and will go to November 24, 2013 is important topic. Last week alone, two of my blog posts were on the Year of Faith – one is here and the other is here – there is no doubt that over the year many of us will be writing on and reading about this important year in the Catholic Church.

The reason I am sharing Our Holiness’ Homily from October 4 is because not only did the Holy Father declare this the Year of Faith, but he dedicated it to the Mother of God. That’s right! Pope Benedict XVI is asking for the maternal and queenly intercession of the great Mother of God, our Theotokos, to care for us and to take our prayers to our Heavenly Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Highlighted in red are the words that speak to Our Blessed. I hope you enjoy this homily…it’s a good one!

“Your Eminences,
 Dear Brother Bishops,
 Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On 4 October 1962, Blessed John XXIII came as a pilgrim to this Shrine to entrust to the Virgin Mary the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, due to begin a week later. On that occasion, with deep filial devotion to the Mother of God, he addressed her in these words: “Again today, and in the name of the entire episcopate, I ask you, sweetest Mother, as Help of Bishops, to intercede for me as Bishop of Rome and for all the bishops of the world, to obtain for us the grace to enter the Council Hall of Saint Peter’s Basilica, as the Apostles and the first disciples of Jesus entered the Upper Room: with one heart, one heartbeat of love for Christ and for souls, with one purpose only, to live and to sacrifice ourselves for the salvation of individuals and peoples. Thus, by your maternal intercession, in the years and the centuries to come, may it be said that the grace of God prepared, accompanied and crowned the twenty-first Ecumenical Council, filling all the children of the holy Church with a new fervour, a new impulse to generosity, and a renewed firmness of purpose” (AAS 54 [1962], 727).

Fifty years on, having been called by divine Providence to succeed that unforgettable Pope to the See of Peter, I too have come on pilgrimage to entrust to the Mother of God two important ecclesial initiatives: the Year of Faith, which will begin in a week, on 11 October, on the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which I have convened this October with the theme “The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith”. Dear friends, to all of you I offer my most cordial greetings. I thank the Most Reverend Giovanni Tonucci, Archbishop of Loreto, for his warm words of welcome. I greet the other bishops present, the priests, the Capuchin Fathers, to whom the pastoral care of this shrine is entrusted, and the religious sisters. I also salute Dr. Paolo Niccoletti, Mayor of Loreto, thanking him for his courteous words, and I greet the representatives of the government and the civil and military authorities here present. My thanks also go to those who have generously offered their assistance to make my pilgrimage possible.

As I said in my Apostolic Letter announcing the Year of Faith, “I wish to invite my brother bishops from all over the world to join the Successor of Peter, during this time of spiritual grace that the Lord offers us, in recalling the precious gift of faith” (Porta Fidei, 8). It is precisely here at Loreto that we have the opportunity to attend the school of Mary who was called “blessed” because she “believed” (Lk 1:45). This Shrine, built around her earthly home, preserves the memory of the moment when the angel of Lord came to Mary with the great announcement of the Incarnation, and she gave her reply. This humble home is a physical, tangible witness to the greatest event in our history, the Incarnation; the Word became flesh and Mary, the handmaid of the Lord, is the privileged channel through which God came to dwell among us (cf. Jn 1:14). Mary offered her very body; she placed her entire being at the disposal of God’s will, becoming the “place” of his presence, a “place” of dwelling for the Son of God. We are reminded here of the words of the Psalm with which, according to the Letter to the Hebrews, Christ began his earthly life, saying to the Father, “Sacrifices and offering you have not desired, but you have prepared a body for me… Behold, I have come to do your will, O God” (10:5,7). To the Angel who reveals God’s plan for her, Mary replies in similar words: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). The will of Mary coincides with the will of the Son in the Father’s unique project of love and, in her, heaven and earth are united, God the Creator is united to his creature. God becomes man, and Mary becomes a “living house” for the Lord, a temple where the Most High dwells. Here at Loreto fifty years ago, Blessed John XXIII issued an invitation to contemplate this mystery, to “reflect on that union of heaven and earth, which is the purpose of the Incarnation and Redemption”, and he went on to affirm that the aim of the Council itself was to spread ever wider the beneficent impact of the Incarnation and Redemption on all spheres of life (cf. AAS 54 [1962], 724). This invitation resounds today with particular urgency. In the present crisis affecting not only the economy but also many sectors of society, the Incarnation of the Son of God speaks to us of how important man is to God, and God to man. Without God, man ultimately chooses selfishness over solidarity and love, material things over values, having over being. We must return to God, so that man may return to being man. With God, even in difficult times or moments of crisis, there is always a horizon of hope: the Incarnation tells us that we are never alone, that God has come to humanity and that he accompanies us.

The idea of the Son of God dwelling in the “living house”, the temple which is Mary, leads us to another thought: we must recognize that where God dwells, all are “at home”; wherever Christ dwells, his brothers and sisters are no longer strangers. Mary, who is the Mother of Christ, is also our mother, and she opens to us the door to her home, she helps us enter into the will of her Son. So it is faith which gives us a home in this world, which brings us together in one family and which makes all of us brothers and sisters. As we contemplate Mary, we must ask if we too wish to be open to the Lord, if we wish to offer our life as his dwelling place; or if we are afraid that the presence of God may somehow place limits on our freedom, if we wish to set aside a part of our life in such a way that it belongs only to us. Yet it is precisely God who liberates our liberty, he frees it from being closed in on itself, from the thirst for power, possessions, and domination; he opens it up to the dimension which completely fulfills it: the gift of self, of love, which in turn becomes service and sharing.

Faith lets us reside, or dwell, but it also lets us walk on the path of life. The Holy House of Loreto contains an important teaching in this respect as well. Its location on a street is well known. At first this might seem strange: after all, a house and a street appear mutually exclusive. In reality, it is precisely here that an unusual message about this House has been preserved. It is not a private house, nor does it belong to a single person or a single family, rather it is an abode open to everyone placed, as it were, on our street. So here in Loreto we find a house which lets us stay, or dwell, and which at the same time lets us continue, or journey, and reminds us that we are pilgrims, that we must always be on the way to another dwelling, towards our final home, the Eternal City, the dwelling place of God and the people he has redeemed (cf. Rev 21:3).

There is one more important point in the Gospel account of the Annunciation which I would like to underline, one which never fails to strike us: God asks for mankind’s “yes”; he has created a free partner in dialogue, from whom he requests a reply in complete liberty. In one of his most celebrated sermons, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux “recreates”, as it were, the scene where God and humanity wait for Mary to say “yes”. Turning to her he begs: “The angel awaits your response, as he must now return to the One who sent him… O Lady, give that reply which the earth, the underworld and the very heavens await. Just as the King and Lord of all wished to behold your beauty, in the same way he earnestly desires your word of consent… Arise, run, open up! Arise with faith, run with your devotion, open up with your consent!” (In laudibus Virginis Matris, Hom. IV,8: Opera omnia, Edit. Cisterc. 4, 1966, p.53f). God asks for Mary’s free consent that he may become man. To be sure, the “yes” of the Virgin is the fruit of divine grace. But grace does not eliminate freedom; on the contrary it creates and sustains it. Faith removes nothing from the human creature, rather it permits his full and final realization.

Dear brothers and sisters, on this pilgrimage in the footsteps of Blessed John XXIII – and which comes, providentially, on the day in which the Church remembers Saint Francis of Assisi, a veritable “living Gospel” – I wish to entrust to the Most Holy Mother of God all the difficulties affecting our world as it seeks serenity and peace, the problems of the many families who look anxiously to the future, the aspirations of young people at the start of their lives, the suffering of those awaiting signs or decisions of solidarity and love. I also wish to place in the hands of the Mother of God this special time of grace for the Church, now opening up before us. Mother of the “yes”, you who heard Jesus, speak to us of him; tell us of your journey, that we may follow him on the path of faith; help us to proclaim him, that each person may welcome him and become the dwelling place of God. Amen!”

“Mondays with Mary” – The Importance of Studying Marian Doctrines

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The letter, The Virgin Mary in Intellectual and Spiritual Formation, written by the Congregation for Catholic Education (March 25, 1988) in the section – “The Contribution of Mariology to Theological Research” states,

“The history of theology shows that an understanding of the mystery of the Virgin contributes to a more profound understanding of the mystery of Christ, of the Church and of the vocation of man. Similarly, the close link of the Virgin of Christ, with the Church and man throws light on the truth about Mary of Nazareth. In Mary, in fact, “everything is relative to Christ.” In consequence, “only in the mystery of Christ is her mystery fully made clear.” The more the Church deepens her appreciation of the mystery of Christ, the more it understands the singular dignity of the Mother of the Lord and her role in the history of salvation.”

Why is the study of Mariology important today?

We study Mariology to understand Mary of Nazareth. It is through her that Jesus Christ was brought into the world. She is the Mother of God (declared at the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D.) and it is by her fiat, her “Yes” to God at the Annunciation that we have Our Lord. From her conception in her mother’s womb (St. Anne), she was prepared by God to be an immaculate ark that would bear and deliver the Savior of the World. Her role in Salvation History is fundamental to our salvation. She works with Our Lord and in bringing salvation to all mankind. However, we must not study the Blessed Mother solely for herself. We must study her to understand her role in Salvation History that comes from the twofold sources of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

In my adolescent years, I remember individuals at my parish that were so much about the Blessed Mother that they forgot about Jesus. The Blessed Mother would never seek her own interests before her Son. In every private revelation approved by the Church, she is always pointing to Jesus. As the Virgin of Guadalupe, she is pregnant with child – that child is Jesus Christ! We must always look towards the magisterium, the official teaching office of the Catholic Church, when studying the Blessed Mother.  Mark Miravalle states in chapter one of his book, Introduction to Mary, “Devotion to Mary will be authentic doctrine that comes from the Word of God entrusted to the Church. Marian devotion will then be authentic and, as such, an instrument of grace and ultimate union with Jesus Christ.” The teachings on Mary and devotion to her do not stand on their own. They are held fast with the teachings of the Church and the cultures that have embraced them from Pentecost forward. They are constant, orthodox, and alive.

When studying Mary, what needs to be remembered?

We must always remember that Mariology texts must be in conjunction with Jesus Christ and the Church. From the Early Church Fathers to Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, Marian doctrines always correspond with that of Jesus and the Church. Lumen Gentium – The Dogmatic Constitution on the Church states in paragraph 67, “…following the study of Sacred Scripture, the Fathers, the doctors and liturgy of the Church, and under the guidance of the Church’s magisterium, let them [theologians] rightly illustrate the duties and privileges of the Blessed Virgin which always refer to Christ, the source of all truth, sanctity, and devotion.”

What do Marian doctrines have to do with Jesus Christ?

Everything! Mary’s role is fundamental in Salvation History and she has everything to do with Jesus the Christ. It’s her “Yes” that we read about in St. Luke’s Gospel account. Mary of Nazareth would not be as important as she has been for the Church if it wasn’t for her role in the life of Christ. We know Mary because Jesus Christ loved, respected and was obedient to his mother. The Gospel of John depicts for us a special relationship between mother and child, between Mary and Jesus. Her role at the Wedding Feast of Cana (John 2) is a key event in the life of Christ and in Salvation History. If Jesus is the New Adam, then it is clear that Mary is the New Eve.

Why are Marian doctrines important in the life of the Christian?

In Mary, we see the fulfillment of the baptismal promise. We see the perfection and completion of body and soul united as one. Mary is our example and our goal. Although we should strive to be like Christ, we should also strive to be like Mary. She is already in the heavenly kingdom united body and soul. As Christians, we must also want to reach heaven.

It was Mary who first came to believe in Jesus Christ and to know the great events that would soon surround him. Mary was the first to teach Jesus and the first to be taught by him. Mary stood at the foot of the Cross and watched Jesus be tortured and killed – did she lose hope? NEVER! She remained constant through it all. It was this example that led so many early Christians to give up their lives for Jesus Christ. It was her example that assisted in the growth of Christianity in the early centuries.

From the earliest of days in the Church, the Christian communities congregated around Mary in prayer. Just as the early Church grew from her example and prayer, so must we look towards Mary as Christians in the 21st century. It is our duty to learn about the Marian doctrines that have been set before us by the Church. It is our duty to respect and honor Our Lord’s Blessed and Immaculate Mother. The best way to love our Lord is to love his mother. Mary is not God, but is through her motherly duties that we find God in the flesh.

St. Cyril of Alexandria – Defender of the Incarnation and the Theotokos

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In 431, the Council of Ephesus was called just 50 years after the Council of Constantinople. The great Church Fathers who were alive and explaining truth to the Church had passed on to the heavenly kingdom. By this time, St. Jerome had completed his translation of the Sacred Scriptures from Hebrew and Greek into Latin. St. Augustine was invited, but word had not reached the east that he had died the previous August. The Cappodocian Gregory’s were both deceased and St. John Chrysostom died a saint in exile.

St. Cyril of Alexandria was the ‘man of the hour’ at Ephesus. Little is known about St. Cyril’s early life before the council. He was educated in Alexandria (modern day Egypt) and lived as a monk for some time in the desert. St. Cyril was a Bishop for 32 years in Alexandria and was considered a holy terror while his holiness remained hidden. He was very forceful, dominating, and impatient. He had some enemies because of his personality, mostly among the Novatians and the Jews, whom he drove out of Alexandria. As he gained in age, St. Cyril became less violent and could control his temper. He also showed that he could make concessions for the good of the Church when required. He became a saint by exercising strong virtues. He had a great intellect and strong ability for academic work. He is the great defender of the Incarnation and the Mary as Theotokos – Mother of God.

Nestorius, the reason behind the calling of the council did not choose to attend the council. By 431, he was 50 years old. He was educated in Antioch and was a monk well known for his great preaching ability. Because of his great skills as an orator, he was chosen to be bishop of Constantinople by Emperor Theodosius II in 428.

The Nestorian heresy essentially claimed that Jesus Christ is two-separate-persons and therefore, we can’t call Mary the Theotokos (God-Bearer), but calls her Christotokos (Christ Bearer – bearer of the human person). There are two points we need to point out here. First, when you say something wrong about Mary, you usually say something wrong about Christ. Second, Nestorius denies the Incarnation and claims that Christ’s human flesh was an indwelling. He denied the true humanity of Jesus Christ.

As the news of Nestorius’ teachings began to travel throughout the Christian world, St. Cyril of Alexandria began to hear about them and chose to engage Nestorius by suggesting that they begin corresponding by letters. Nestorius chose to do so, but for his own case should have refused. Luigi Gambero in Mary and the Fathers of the Church states clearly how nasty this doctrinal debate was when he says, “the patriarch of Constantinople gave no sign of retreat, and the patriarch of Alexandria did not intend to mitigate his accusations. Indeed, Cyril’s attacks grew more and more violent, fueled not only by his desire to safeguard right doctrine but also by motives of rivalry between the two authoritative patriarchal sees.”

In his letter to Nestorius he spoke how shocking his thoughts were going to be on the faithful and why bring up such controversial issues. St. Cyril “began with a contemptuous reference to three of the malcontents (fraudster, matricide, thief – the fourth he was turning to favour him) but devoted the rest to a long dogmatic statement and a demand for assent.” St. Cyril of Alexandria, and several others at the Council, take on Nestorius and he gives us a syllogism -

  1. Jesus Christ is God
  2. Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ
  3. Mary is the Mother of God

At the Council of Ephesus in 431 A.D., the Council Fathers declared that Mary is Theotokos – God Bearer. Mary bore in her immaculate womb the Son of God making her the Mother of God. Nestorius was excommunicated and he was unseated from his position as Patriarch of Constantinople. Nestorius was branded as “the new Judas.” As the bishops returned to their lodging after the formal declaration, the lay faithful of Ephesus gathered and passionately supported the bishop’s decision to excommunicate Nestorius and to show their love for the Blessed Mother by shouting, “Hagia Maria Theotokos” and “Praised be the Theotokos.”

As we look back at the outcomes of the council, some might think that it failed, however, the council succeeded to define the Dogma of the Theotokos. The two natures of Christ cannot be separated but united in one Divine Person. The council not only clearly defined Christology, but also defined an important step in Mariology.

Note: This post is a collection of excerpts from a paper I wrote on the Council of Ephesus in the Historical Foundations Course and notes from the Mariology Course I took in graduate school at Franciscan University of Steubenville. I have a talk prepared on the Five Marian Doctrines if you are interested in having me come talk to your parish or organization. 

“Mondays with Mary” – The Immaculate Mother and Pope Benedict XVI

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In the book, Maria – Pope Benedict XVI on the Mother of God, the Holy Father collects many of his homilies, speeches, and prayers together along with many great photos of his early travels in his Pontificate. It’s a great book for any home library, but it’s really set up as a coffee table book. The photos are quite amazing and inspiring to view. Since Saturday was The Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Blessed Virgin Mary, I would like to share Pope Benedict XVI prayer before the Marian column in St. Stephan’s Cathedral in Vienna on September 7, 2007.

“How many persons, over the years, have stood before this column and lifted their gaze to Mary in prayer! How many have experienced in times of trouble the power of intercession! Our Christian hope includes much more than the mere fulfillment of our wishes and desires, great or small. We turn out gaze to Mary, because she points out to us the great hope to which we have been called (cf. Eph 1:18), because she personifies our true humanity!

This is what we have just heard in the biblical reading: even before the creation of the word, God chose us in Christ. From eternity he has known and loved each one of us! And why did he choose us? To be holy and immaculate before him in love! This is no impossible task: in Christ he has already brought it to fulfillment. We have been redeemed! By virtue of our communion with the Risen Christ, God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Let us open our hearts; let us accept this precious legacy! Then we will be able to sing together with Mary, the praises of his glorious grace. And if we continue to bring our everyday concerns to the immaculate Mother of Christ, she will help us to open our little hopes ever more fully towards that great and true hope which gives meaning to our lives and is able to fill us with a deep and imperishable joy.

With these sentiments I would now like to join you in looking to Mary Immaculate, entrusting to her intercession the prayers which you have just now presented and imploring her maternal protection upon this country and its people:

Holy Mary, Immaculate Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, in you God has given us the model of the Church and of genuine humanity. To you I entrust the country of Austria and its people. Help all of us to follow your example and to direct our lives completely God! Grant that, by looking to Christ, we may become ever more like him: true children of God! Then we too, filled with every spiritual blessing, will be able to conform ourselves more fully to his will and to become instruments of his peace for Austria, Europe, and the world. Amen.

I think many people are under the assumption that our current Pope does not have a devotion to the Blessed Mother as Blessed John Paul II had, but they would be sadly mistaken since our Holy Father has great hope in Mary that she will lead us all closer to our Lord Jesus Christ. A major role of our Blessed Mother in Salvation History and in the Kingdom of God, which we are currently in and a part of, is to bring us closer to Jesus. She is the loving mother who brings her children to the King. Let us always be open to having a relationship with the Immaculate Mother of God.