Devotion to Our Lady differs from worship of God: the Lord is to be
loved above all else, while Mary is honoured as Mother and Advocate
"When the faithful call upon Mary as 'Mother of God' and
contemplate in her the highest dignity conferred upon a creature, they
are still not offering her a veneration equal to that of the divine
Persons. There is an infinite distance between Marian veneration and
worship of the Trinity and the Incarnate Word", the Holy Father
said at the General Audience of Wednesday, 22 October, as he spoke about
the nature of the Church's devotion to Mary. Here is a translation of
his catechesis, which was the 67th in the series on the Blessed Mother
and was given in Italian.
1. The Second Vatican Council states that devotion to the Blessed
Virgin, "as it has always existed in the Church, for all its
uniqueness, differs essentially from the cult of adoration, which is
offered equally to the Incarnate Word and to the Father and the Holy
Spirit, and it is most favourable to it" (Lumen gentium, n.
66).
With these words the Constitution Lumen gentium stresses the
characteristics of Marian devotion. Although the veneration of the
faithful for Mary is superior to their devotion to the other saints, it
is nevertheless inferior to the cult of adoration reserved to God, from
which it essentially differs. The term "adoration" indicates
the form of worship that man offers to God, acknowledging him as Creator
and Lord of the universe. Enlightened by divine Revelation, the
Christian adores the Father "in spirit and truth" (Jn 4:23).
With the Father, he adores Christ, the Incarnate Word, exclaiming with
the Apostle Thomas: "My Lord and my God!" (Jn 20:28). Lastly,
in this same act of adoration he includes the Holy Spirit, who
"with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified" (DS
150), as the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed recalls.
Veneration of Mary leads to adoration of the Trinity
When the faithful call upon Mary as "Mother of God" and
contemplate in her the highest dignity conferred upon a creature, they
are still not offering her a veneration equal to that of the divine
Persons. There is an infinite distance between Marian veneration and
worship of the Trinity and the Incarnate Word.
As a consequence, although the Christian community addresses the
Blessed Virgin in language that sometimes recalls the terms used in the
worship of God, it has a completely different meaning and value. Thus
the love of the faithful for Mary differs from what they owe God: while
the Lord must be loved above everything with all one's heart, with all
one's soul and with all one's mind (cf. Mt 22:37), the sentiment joining
Christians to the Blessed Virgin suggests, at a spiritual level, the
affection of children for their mother.
2. Nevertheless there is a continuity between Marian devotion and the
worship given to God: indeed, the honour paid to Mary is ordered and
leads to adoration of the Blessed Trinity.
The Council recalls that Christian veneration of the Blessed Virgin
"is most favourable to" the worship of the Incarnate Word, the
Father and the Holy Spirit. It then adds from a Christological viewpoint
that "the various forms of piety towards the Mother of God, which
the Church has approved within the limits of sound and orthodox
doctrine, according to the dispositions and understanding of the
faithful, ensure that while the Mother is honoured, the Son through whom
all things have their being (cf. Col 1:15-16) and in whom it has pleased
the Father that all fullness should dwell (cf. Col 1:19) is rightly
known, loved and glorified and his commandments are observed" (Lumen
gentium, n. 66).
Since the Church's earliest days, Marian devotion has been meant to
foster faithful adherence to Christ. To venerate the Mother of God is to
affirm the divinity of Christ. In fact, the Fathers of the Council of
Ephesus, in proclaiming Mary Theotókos, "Mother of
God", intended to confirm the belief in Christ, true God.
The conclusion of the account of Jesus' first miracle, obtained at
Cana by Mary's intercession, shows how her action was directed to the
glorification of her Son. In fact the Evangelist says: "This, the
first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his
glory; and his disciples believed in him" (Jn 2:11).
3. Marian devotion also encourages adoration of the Father and the
Holy Spirit in those who practise it according to the Church's spirit.
In fact, by recognizing the value of Mary's motherhood, believers
discover in it a special manifestation of God the Father's tenderness.
The mystery of the Virgin Mother highlights the action of the Holy
Spirit, who brought about the conception of the child in her womb and
continually guided her life.
The titles of Comforter, Advocate, Helper attributed to Mary by
popular Christian piety do not overshadow but exalt the action of the
Spirit, the Comforter, and dispose believers to benefit from his gifts.
Gifts conferred on Mary are exceptional
4. Lastly, the Council recalls the "uniqueness" of Marian
devotion and stresses the difference between adoration of God and
veneration of the saints.
This devotion is unrepeatable because it is directed to a person
whose personal perfection and mission are unique.
Indeed, the gifts conferred upon Mary by divine love, such as her
immaculate holiness, her divine motherhood, her association with the
work of Redemption and above all the sacrifice of the Cross, are
absolutely exceptional.
Devotion to Mary expresses the Church's praise and recognition of
these extraordinary gifts. To her, who is Mother of the Church and
Mother of humanity, the Christian people turn, encouraged by filial
trust, to request her motherly intercession and to obtain the necessary
goods for earthly life in view of eternal happiness.
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