The month of August is traditionally devoted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. So it is fitting to begin a new monthly series, “Mary’s Immaculate Heart.” We will learn about the history behind devotion to Mary, the special appeal to her Immaculate Heart, and how we can practice this prayer in our own lives.
By Dr. Veronica Szczygiel
Within the Cathedral of Évora (Sé de Évora) in Portugal stands a beautiful statue of pregnant Mary (at right). Known as “Our Lady of Mothers,” the colourful statue, crafted in the 15th century, depicts Mary in flowing robes of green, blue, and red, wearing an ornate crown, and posed in front of a gilded golden alcove. Gazing upon us lovingly, she holds her hand on her belly, feeling the living presence of Christ within her.
This statue shows us how Mary is inextricably linked with Jesus, even at the very start of His human existence: the moment of conception. Jesus shared her body, protected by her womb and prayers in His most vulnerable state. Mary was God’s chosen immaculate temple who bore His one and only Son, helping make the divine incarnate. Because of Mary, God dwelled in our midst. With her “yes” to our Lord’s will, God “became flesh and lived among us” (Jn 1:14).
Knowing Mary’s instrumental role in the Word becoming flesh, it’s no wonder that she was revered as a foundational pillar of the Catholic Church’s faith since the first century A.D.
Honour your mother
Early Church figures and theologians understood and preached her unique motherhood, virginity, sinlessness, and virtue. It was at this early time that veneration of Mary began. A prayerful devotion to her, and specifically to her Immaculate Heart, grew throughout the history of the Church and is still being developed to this very day.
Mary’s Immaculate Heart is of special importance because through her life of patience, pain, and contemplation, she showed us that God dwells within our own hearts, too. In the way she lived, Mary gave us an example for Christian prayer and action. An emphasis on her Immaculate Heart came to full fruition during the Marian apparitions in Fatima, Portugal, in the early 20th century.
Marian apparitions
Our Blessed Mother appeared to 10-year-old Lucia on a rural hillside on June 13, 1917. She told her, “Jesus wishes you to make me known and loved on earth. He wishes also for you to establish devotion in the world to my Immaculate Heart … . If you do what I tell you, many souls will be saved, and there will be peace.”
Mary made this request to Lucia because her Immaculate Heart is a pathway for us sinners to grow closer to God’s redemptive mercy. Christians have turned to Mary for petition and prayer since the foundation of the Church, so it only makes sense that she ask us to draw near to her holy Heart.
In our devotion to Mary, we need to understand that Mary does not replace God; rather, she is an ear for God, a voice for us, and a Heart that is intertwined with Jesus’s Sacred Heart. Her motherly Heart overflowed with love and suffering for her Son. It does the same for all of us, especially those of us who wish to grow closer to Him.
How to love her
Mary gave us the tools and prayers to petition her pure and compassionate Heart. In this series, we will learn about the history behind devotion to Mary, the special appeal to her Immaculate Heart, and how we can practice this prayer in our own lives.
First, we will explore the seed of reverence for Mary planted in the early Church and through the Middle Ages. Next, we will discover the power of the Rosary and how its widespread use in the Church came about.
Then, we will focus on Marian apparitions such as to St. Catherine Labouré for the Miraculous Medal and the visitations at Fatima, Portugal. This leads us to reflect on modern Marian devotions such as were practiced by St. John Paul II, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. Faustina Kowalska.
Finally, we will end with how we can grow closer to Mary and Jesus through our own devotion to her Immaculate Heart.
Call your mother!
Mary wants us to come to her. She wants us to seek her Son through her. She gave Christ her whole body, heart, and soul, and she offers herself to us, too. May we take up her invitation and grow closer to our Mother, and thereby to our Saviour, Jesus Christ!
As we embark on this journey of devotion to Mary, we can pray the beautiful text that is frequently attributed to 12th-century Cistercian monk St. Bernard of Clairvaux. “The Memorare” is a prayer that begs Mary for her intercession:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.
Mary, keep us in your immaculate and patient Heart as we seek to grow closer to you!
