A Mother’s Love: Bringing Others to Mary
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home. (John 19:26-27)
Resistant Culture
Sharing our faith in a hedonistic culture can be intimidating, even dangerous, and yet we are commanded to do just that by Jesus Himself. “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Even if we are bold enough to share the Gospel with others, sharing our Catholic faith becomes even more daunting in a country that has been historically hostile toward Catholics, and today’s demographics report that of the 68% of the population that identifies as Christian, only 22% of those are Catholic. But we must persist in our apologetics for love of our neighbor and for our love of God.
My Journey to Mary
Which brings us to the question of how? What is the best approach to sharing our Catholic faith? There have been hundreds of books and articles written on this subject by people much wiser than I, and so I give my simple thoughts merely to share what has worked for me.
When I attended RCIA with my husband as he converted to the faith back in 1997, I found there were typically five main issues people had with Catholic theology. I am sure there are others, but these came up frequently.
For those of us who love Mama Mary, it can be difficult to understand why someone wouldn’t! However, even as a cradle Catholic, I did not grow up with that love. My parents did not have a special devotion to Our Lady. We did not say the Rosary or learn the traditional Catholic Marian prayers and celebrations (Salve Regina, First Saturdays, Queenship of Mary, Mary’s nativity, Regina Caeli, etc.) I learned the Hail Mary, and I had a reverent understanding of her role as the Mother of Jesus, but that was about all.
I was reintroduced to Mary through my first granddaughter in 2019. She was born with a devotion to Mary that we could not explain. She always wanted to bring her flowers, sit in her garden, and give her kisses. It was this pure love that drew me and eventually all of my family into the loving arms of our Holy Mother. I think we can learn about how to successfully reach others through this simple approach.
Marian Apologetics
Obviously, my granddaughter did not intend to evangelize her family. She was not even aware of the impact she was making. Perhaps we make too much out of the process and concern ourselves with the wrong things. Perhaps we allow our insecurities and feelings of intellectual shortcomings to deter us. Perhaps these are tactics of the enemy to keep us from bringing more souls to Jesus through Mary.
Yes, there are many theological reasons for us to honor Mary. She is the Mother of God, the Co-redemptrix, the Queen of Heaven. She is full of grace and blessed among all women. She is powerful enough to cause the devil to flee and tender enough to nurture the heart of a child. Contrary to the protests of other Christians, we do not worship Mary, nor do we believe that Mary usurps Jesus’ sole role of mediator with the Father. Mary brings us to Jesus.
We consecrate ourselves to Jesus through the heart of Mary, for Jesus has a tenderness for His Mother and for her requests. The more we can learn about Mary’s role in our lives and come to understand the depth of Church teaching regarding that role, the better we will be able to refute false claims, educate others, and defend her honor. However, none of these things will necessarily draw others to love Mary and see her as their Mother. Love begets love. We only love God because He first loved us. If we want to share the truth about Mary with others, we must begin with love.
Sharing Love
When a person falls in love, everyone in their life knows about it. We can usually tell if someone is serious about another person by the way they talk about him or her. We become curious about that other person because of this behavior. Here are a few ways to be that person in love and draw others toward the heart of Mary:
Talk openly and tenderly about Mary’s role in your life.
Share stories of Mary’s intervention in your life.
Refer to Mary intimately to indicate your personal relationship.
Be sure to emphasize how this brings you closer to Jesus.
Emulate Mary in your daily life, striving for virtue.
When people can see the genuine love we have and also come to recognize the transformation in our lives through Mary’s intercession, they become curious. Our lives are the best apologetics.
My daughter said that when she was growing up, I explained Mary this way. There are times when talking with Daddy about something is a little intimidating, so we talk to Mama first, and she offers to bring our concerns to him. I suppose I still feel this way. Regardless of how much I love God and trust in His love and mercy, sometimes it is just good to have Mama there with me, interceding on my behalf.
As I grow in my relationship with Mary, come to understand her tender heart toward me, and her overwhelming desire to bring every soul to her Son, I find that worshipping alongside her devotion brings me peace. People desire peace, and Mary is the Queen.
Laryn Weaver is a Catholic writer and speaker whose current focus is a ministry of availability and prayer. Her greatest joys are her marriage, her adult children, and her four grandbabies! Find out more about Laryn at larynweaver.com