Turn to Mary as a special source of hope

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

We’re in the Jubilee Year of Hope, and I’d like to address how our relationship with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, can be a special source of hope.

First, it needs to be said — lest we get off track — that the most important thing about Mary is her relationship to Jesus! The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, “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” (CCC 487).

Mary is the Mother of God because Jesus is God in the flesh. Mary is immaculately conceived in order to prepare her to be the Mother of God. Mary is assumed into heaven, that she might be the first and closest follower of her son. If Mary is a special source of hope for us — and she is! — it’s because Jesus is the fundamental source of hope for us.

Mary is also a source of hope for us because she provides a pattern for our growth in holiness. If the spiritual life is all about the growth of Christ within us, then Mary can be the exemplar for each of us. The Holy Spirit came upon her; we must let the Holy Spirit come upon us daily. She received Christ into her body; we must receive Christ into our soul. She nurtured the life of Christ in her womb; we must nurture the life of Christ in our daily schedule. She gave birth to Christ for the salvation of the world; we must bring forth Christ in our words and deeds. Here’s what St. Augustine said about this pattern: “When you look with wonder on what happened to Mary, you must imitate her in the depths of your own souls.” Knowing the Marian pattern for growth in holiness — that’s a special source of hope!

Now, we have to admit: we don’t always follow that Marian pattern of growth in holiness! So Mary is also a source of hope for us as Queen of Heaven and therefore a special intercessor for us.

The intercessory role for Mary is rooted in the thinking of ancient Israel, where the queen was always the king’s mother. This makes sense because, in ancient Israel, the king might have several wives, but he only had one mother. She wore a crown, had a throne, and had a special intercessory role in the kingdom. Jesus is the King of Heaven; that makes his mother the queen.

And so, precisely in those places where we fail — where we “have no wine” (see John 2) — Mary is an intercessor for us. Note carefully: As intercessor, she doesn’t get Jesus to do something He doesn’t want to do! No, as intercessor, she’s a gentle bridge for us in the places where we’re afraid because we’ve failed.

It may seem, to some, that there are so many complicated things going on in the world it’s not worth devoting time and energy to reflections on Mary. I say just the opposite: Precisely because there are so many complicated things going on in the world it’s a good time for us to turn to Mary as a special source of hope.