Did you know that the month of May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary? During this month, Catholics are encouraged to take on special devotions to Mary (like the rosary).
WHO IS MARY?
When we recite the Nicene Creed at Mass, we pray “For us men and for our salvation he [Jesus] came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.” The Blessed Virgin Mary is the mother of Jesus and the wife of St. Joseph. Because of this, she is honored and respected by Catholics
Mary is the model of what it means to love God and what it means to be a disciple. Through her “yes” at the Annunciation (when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary), the Incarnation (God taking on flesh) was possible.
A key thing to remember when it comes to Mariology, the study of Mary, is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says in Paragraph 487: “What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ.”
Basically: Our beliefs about Mary are based on what we believe about Jesus. In fact, whatever we believe about Mary shouldn’t conflict with what we believe about Jesus. After all, a strong devotion to Mary will only point us to Jesus.
So…
- Mary is the mother of Jesus (who is God).
- She’s someone we should try to imitate (like all saints!).
- And she always points us to Christ.