26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The month of October is recognized as a month of special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, with particular emphasis on the praying of the Rosary. The Catholic Church looks upon the Blessed Virgin Mary as not only the Mother of God, but also as the Mother of the Church. She is a model of faith, a sign of hope, and holds a special place in the Communion of Saints. God honored Mary above all human persons by inviting her to be the mother of His Son. In honoring Mary, the Catholic Church is following the example of God Himself. We do not worship Mary as a goddess, but rather honor her for her privileged role in salvation history. It was the Archangel Gabriel at the Annunciation who declared to Mary that she was “full of grace” (Luke 1:28) and that she had “found favor with God” (Luke 1:30). During the Visitation, Mary’s kinswoman Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, called her “blessed among women” (Luke 1:42); and Mary herself declared that “all generations shall call me blessed” (Luke 1:48). We honor Mary because Jesus honored her, and we are called to imitate Jesus.

Catholics ask for Mary’s intercession for the same reason that we ask for prayers from one another: “the fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful” (James 5:16). Because Jesus is the one mediator between God and human beings (2 Timothy 2:5), we intercede for one another as members of Christ’s Body, the Church. And if we can ask the prayers of one another, surely we should not fail to ask the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints to pray for us as well.

All true devotion to Mary is ultimately devotion to Jesus as she seeks to always bring us closer to her Son. As we meditate upon the mysteries of the Rosary, we reflect upon the life and ministry of Jesus. Mary invites us to follow the ways of her Son today, just as she once said to the waiters at the wedding feast at Cana: “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5).