The expected effect of consecration to Mary is the marianization of one’s life.
But this expected effect doesn’t just happen, it needs to be effectuated, that is, made a reality by our efforts to cooperate with God’s grace and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is purpose of our blog. This is the goal we are seeking: to help you make this expected effect an effective reality.
Today we are gifted with another opportunity to celebrate Mary’s Visitation. Standing alongside St. Elizabeth, at the threshold of her home in Ain Karem, I want to take the opportunity today to sing the praises of she who is blessed, and in doing so show you the many ways in which the blessing of marianization can become an effective reality in your life by following Mary’s example. What follows is only a sampling of what could be called a Litany of Marianized Living.
Our Lady of the Annunciation, by her docility to the Holy Spirit, inspires us to be equally quick in yielding our direction in life to the guidance and action of the same Spirit.
Our Lady of the Visitation, in her eagerness to help her elderly cousin Elizabeth teaches us the promptness of Christian charity and solidarity.
Our Lady of Nazareth, “Teacher of Hidden and Silent Sacrifices”[1], imparts to us the invaluable lesson of true peace, teaching us how to convert everything uncomfortable and upsetting into small sacrifices of praise offered to God.
Our Lady of Cana, in “being the reason for Jesus’ presence at the celebration”[2], teaches us that a deep Marian devotion should be wedded to a deep Eucharistic devotion.
Our Lady of Sorrows standing at the foot of the Cross, helps us bear our own sorrows virtuously.
Our Lady, the Immaculate Conception, whose foot crushes the head of the infernal serpent, encourages us to wage an endless war against sin and all moral evil.
Blessed is she among women! And blessed are you if take these words to heart and do them (cf. Mt 7:24).
Seize the day and make it all Hers!
[1] From the Prayer of John Paul II to Our Lady of Guadalupe, January 1979, https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/es/speeches/1979/january/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19790125_preghiera-guadalupe.html
[2] St. John Paul II, General Audience, 5 March 1997, https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/audiences/1997/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_05031997.html
