WEEKLY REFLECTION

In the month of May in many churches we Catholics crowns Mary. This is an expression of our love and praise to Mary, Mother of the Lord Jesus.

Even during her life on earth, Mary appears in the gospels as distributing graces. Jesus sanctifies the precursor through her when she comes to visit her cousin Elisabeth. Through her he confirms the faith of his disciples at Cana by performing the miracle for which she asked. Through her he confirms John’s faith on Calvary, saying: “Son, behold thy mother.” Through her finally the Holy Spirit gave himself to the Apostles, for we read in the Acts (Acts 1:14) that she prayed with them in the Cenacle while they prepared themselves for the apostolate and for the light and strength and graces of Pentecost.

With still greater reason is Mary powerful in her intercession now that she up above the choirs of the angels. The Christian sense of the faithful assures us that a mother in heaven knows the spiritual needs of the children she has left behind here on earth, and that she prays for their salvation. It is universal for the faithful to recommend themselves to the prayers of the saints in heaven. As St. Thomas says, when the saints were on earth, their charity led them to pray for their neighbor. With still greater reason do we say that in heaven they pray for their neighbor since when their charity is inflamed by the beatific vision it is greater than it was on earth: Their charity in heaven is uninterrupted in its acts and proceeds from a fuller realization of human needs and the value of life eternal.

The Council of Trent defined that the saints in heaven pray for us and that it is useful to invoke them. Their merits and their expiation have ceased, but not their prayer – no longer a prayer of tearful supplication but one now of intercession.

St. Paul tells us that our Blessed Lord does not cease to make intercession for us. He is the principal and necessary intercessor. But Jesus himself wishes that we should have recourse to Mary so that our prayers may have greater value through being presented by her.

As Mother of all men Mary knows the spiritual needs of all men, knows all that concerns their salvation. Because of her immense charity she prays for them. And since she is all-powerful with her Son because of the love by which they are united, she obtains from him all the graces for which she asks – that is to say, all the graces we receive.

This power of Mary’s intercession is proclaimed by the faithful each time they recite the Hail Mary.

Reflections courtesy of Evengeli.net.