Fr. Broom's Blog: MARIAN DEVOTIONS—WAYS TO PLEASE THE MOTHER OF GOD!

Doctrine without devotion leads to aridity; whereas devotion without any doctrinal foundation can easily lead to mere sentimentalism. We need both in our growing love for Mary: doctrine and devotion.

In this short essay we would like to focus upon Marian devotion and offer ten specific Marian devotions that can be undertaken to set our hearts on fire in love of Mary who will always lead us to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Authentic Marian devotion will never block our way to Jesus; rather Mary is a high speed Freeway to the Heart of Jesus. The last recorded words of Mary in the Gospel of St John in the Wedding Feast of Cana are: “Do whatever he tells you.” The best advice! If the world would only heed this advice, peace and love would reign and heaven would be ours!

1. CONSECRATION TO MARY. The first gesture we should do upon awakening in the morning should be to pray our prayer of consecration of our whole self to Jesus through Mary. The Cure of Ars stated: “He who begins well the day will end it well.” We want to start off on the right foot by giving ourselves to God through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

2. SCAPULAR. Wear the brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The Scapular is one of the most highly approved and recommended Marian sacramentals and devotions. The Scapular should be brown of color, worn over one’s shoulders and cherished. The Scapular is “Mary’s garment”. It is an exterior sign that we belong to Mary, are in the family of Mary and want to live constantly in her Immaculate Heart. Furthermore, many miracles have been attributed to the wearing of the Scapular as a true sign of Mary’s love and protection. Read the small booklet on the many miracles attributed to Mary’s intercession and the Scapular titled, Garment of Grace. The church approves so highly the Scapular that simply kissing the Scapular with love one can receive a partial Indulgence and apply it to oneself or the souls in Purgatory.

3. THE ANGELUS. Get into the habit of praying the Angelus. This prayer, so pleasing to the Heart of Mary, is a short summary of two of the key mysteries of the Catholic faith: the Incarnation of the Son of God, and His Paschal mystery, Jesus’ Passion, death and Resurrection. For years the Holy Father prays the Angelus on Sunday publically at noon. Why not go beyond that and pray the angelus three times a day: 9:00. a.m. to sanctify the morning hours, noon, to sanctify the afternoon, and 6:00 p.m. to sanctify the evening. All to Jesus through Mary!

4. GOLDEN HAIL MARY. Once St. Gertrude had a vision of Jesus placing a golden coin on top of a pile of other golden coins. The Saint inquired into the meaning of this vision. Jesus explained that every time she prayed a Hail Mary with great love that He was storing a golden coin for her in heaven for all eternity. Why not strive to be spiritual millionaires and pray the Golden Hail Mary. St. Ignatius, teaching us ways to pray, encourages us to take a formal prayer that we know well and to say it slowly and relish each and every one of the words!

5. MARIAN CONSECRATION: TRUE DEVOTION TO MARY, THIRTY-THREE DAYS TO MORING GLORY, KOLBE. There are several different ways that we can consecrate ourselves to Mary: St. Louis de Montfort offers us True Devotion to Mary. The process takes a little more than the month and goes through stages: knowledge of self, knowledge of the world and its traps, knowledge of Mary, and knowledge of Jesus and culminates in the consecration of one’s total self to Jesus through Mary. Blessed Pope John Paul II loved and lived out this consecration. His papal emblem was “Totus tuus ego sum”—I am all yours Jesus through Mary. If you have already done the consecration, then renew it. Our devotion to Mary is like the vastness of the ocean; there are no limits to the greatness of our love for Jesus and Mary.

6. MEMORARE. Another beautiful prayer so pleasing to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the Memorare. St. Frances de Sales was assaulted by horrendous and persistent temptations, almost to the point of giving in to despair. Finally he knelt before an image of Our lady of Victory and prayed the Memorare with faith and devotion and the temptation disappeared. On the emblem of the Logos of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary are words in Latin: “Maria cogita, Maria invoca.” Think of Mary and invoke Mary. “Never was it known that anyone who fled to Mary was left unaided.”

7. MIRACULOUS MEDAL. Also called the Medal of the Immaculate Conception. It has been called the Miraculous Medal due to the many miracles that have been attributed to those who wear this Marian Sacramental with love, confidence and devotion. St. Maximilian Kolbe loved this devotion, so much so that he would carry them in his pocket and give them out freely. He called them “Mary’s bullets!”

8. HOLY COMMUNION AND MARY. Blessed Pope John Paul II recommends that to receive Holy Communion with abundant graces we should receive Holy Communion through the Heart of Mary. The same Pope made this parallel. The “Yes” of Mary at the Annunciation resulted in the Incarnation of the Son of God. Mary receives Jesus into her Heart. In a parallel sense this happens every time we say AMEN when we receive Holy Communion! This results in a Eucharistic Incarnation in our souls.

9. HOLY ROSARY. Our lady of Fatima appeared in 1917 six consecutive months. Every time she appeared she said to pray the Rosary. If the Mother of God insisted six times to pray the Rosary then it must be important! Pope John Paul II in his Marian document, The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Rosary also encouraged the world at large to pray the Rosary and for two special intentions: for world peace and for the salvation of the family. Remember the two immortal sayings of Father Patrick Peyton, known as the Rosary priest: “The family that prays together stays together”… and “A world at prayer is a world at peace.” Now more than ever does the family need prayers, not to mention a war-stricken world!

10. IMITATE MARY. If we really love Jesus and Mary then true love generates a following and a willingness to imitate. In his classic True Devotion to Mary St. Louis de Montfort lists Mary’s ten principal virtues: her deep humility, lively faith, blind obedience, unceasing prayer, constant self-denial, surpassing purity, ardent love, heroic patience, angelic kindness, and heavenly wisdom. (True Devotion to Mary, St. Louis de Montfort # 108)

Conclusion. Mary is the quickest, easiest and most efficacious pathway to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesus came to the world through Mary and left Mary to be our Mother. Why not choose Mary to be your loving and tender Mother. If done you will experience life, sweetness and perpetual hope!