One of the questions I hear the most from non-Catholics has
been: “Why do you worship Mary?”
Of course, we do not worship Mary as to God alone does worship and
adoration belong. But we do honor
Mary in a special way.
We
have been reminded of how the Hail Mary prayer was developed starting in the
Bible itself. The other day we
read, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is
with you.” This morning
Elizabeth proclaims, “Most
blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your
womb.” The Hail
Mary is a wonderful reminder about why Mary is honored—Jesus.
As
you know, the Hail Mary’s help make up the Rosary. Here we meditate on the mysteries of Christ’s life. If you know the 20 Mysteries of the
Rosary you know the basics of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. We are in the heart of the Joyful
Mysteries right now. A few days
ago the angel announced to Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah—the first
Joyful Mystery (the Annunciation).
This morning is the second Joyful Mystery—the Visitation of Mary to
Elizabeth. In a few days we
celebrate the third—Christmas/Nativity.
And as the Christmas season continues we will be reminded of the fourth
Joyful Mystery—the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple—and the fifth—the Finding
of Jesus in the Temple.
As
Christmas rapidly approaches, continue to use the Hail Mary and Rosary to
reflect on the life of Jesus Christ, and allow His life to impact yours.
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