In the lives of all the saints throughout the ages, there are four things at the top of every saint’s list that they love most: Jesus, His Church, the Holy Scriptures, and His mother Mary. She serves, not only as a perfect example of what it looks like to follow Jesus Christ, but is also our advocate and close companion on our pilgrim way.
By Fr. Timothy Childers, MIC
It's the month of May, Mary's month, and it's time to explain why Mary, the Virgin Mother of Jesus, is the patroness of our order, the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or Marian Fathers for short.
I suppose the cheeky answer would be to simply point out the obvious: It’s in our name. However, as much as I like giving cheeky answers, it still doesn’t answer the question, “Why is she not only important to our congregation, but also to our Founder, St. Stanislaus Papczyński (1631-1701)?”
I suppose this could be answered a few different ways, yet it seemed proper to me in this instance to answer the question in a way that would be most helpful for all Christians, Catholic and non-Catholic alike.
Ecumenical answer
To start, let me tell you of a brief instance where I spoke of Mary on an airplane many years ago. During this trip, I was wearing my clerics. A lovely couple a few seats back began to speak with me as we were boarding the plane.
“Hey, man,” I recall hearing, “I just wanted to let you know that Jesus loves you.” To which I smiled and replied, “Amen, brother, don’t I know it.” He seemed puzzled by my unflinching response. He asked, “Aren’t you a Catholic priest?” At that moment, I was still a seminarian, and told him so.
He asked a follow-up question: “Don’t you guys worship Mary?” A common question about a common misconception. I explained that we most certainly did not worship her, but did indeed venerate her. When asked why, the first response that came to mind was not a response that I had ever given before. I smiled and said, “Because outside of Jesus, she gives the best advice of anyone else in all of Scripture.”
The couple was certainly puzzled, if not a little bit peeved, at this response. I asked if they recalled the Wedding at Cana in the Gospel of John. They nodded.
“It is there,” I said as warmly as possible, “that Mary tells the servants who are helping with the wine, or lack thereof, to ‘Do whatever He tells you.’ I can think of no better or simpler advice than that.” At that point, we had to get buckled up before the flight took off, yet there were no follow-up questions when we landed.
Love Mary like Jesus
In the lives of all the saints throughout the ages, there are four things at the top of every saint’s list that they love most: Jesus, His Church, the Holy Scriptures, and His mother Mary. She serves, not only as a perfect example of what it looks like to follow Jesus Christ, but is also our advocate and close companion on our pilgrim way.
During the public ministry of Jesus, there was a situation where Mary and the brethren of Jesus wished to see Him, but could not get to Him because of the crowds. When told that His mother was outside, He asked the crowds, “Who are my mother and my brethren?” (Mk 3:33). Looking at those gathered around Him, Jesus responds, “Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
No one excelled at doing the will of God more than Mary. Her fiat at the Annunciation was so perfect and self-emptying that it allowed for the Christ Child to be conceived in her womb.
We don’t just see Mary being present and open from the very conception of her Son, Jesus, until His death on the Cross, as Scripture tells us; she is also present at the very beginning of the Acts of the Apostles as they wait for the Holy Spirit. Scripture also tells us that John, the “Beloved Disciple,” took Mary into his own home at the request of Jesus when He was dying on the Cross.
Why is Mary so important? Because she was important to Jesus, to the very beginnings of His Church, and to the authors of Holy Scripture, who knew her personally as they knew her Son.
In this month of May, Mary's month, let's renew our devotion to the Mother of God, and pray the Rosary daily for peace.
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