Stay with your mother
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Help me to love you as Your mother’s little child, help me to trust in my mother as You trusted in her, and help me to remain with her always.
My Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingly power. I love you. Thank you for loving me first.
+ Amen +
Reading
After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions; and all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.”
And he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man.
– Luke 2:46-52
Reflection
Remaining with Mary
As Christ’s beloved disciple and Mary’s child, we must remain under Mary’s motherly supervision.
Christ came into the world to save us and He was eager to fulfill His Father’s mission (Luke 12:49-50). At 12 years old, when He attempted to stay at the Temple to begin His mission, His mother asked Him, “Son, why have you treated us so?” He explained the reason, but then obeyed His parents and returned home.
In the same way, when we attempt to begin our God given mission in life, if we do so without Mary, Mary asks us, “My child, why have you treated me so?” Her heart breaks when we disappear. And if the Mother of God is unhappy because of us, how must God feel?
If Christ were meant to start without Mary, He would have. But, God ordained that Christ begin His mission with His parents; so much so that Christ, who is the Word of God, even learned His first words from His earthly parents.
Ask yourself, who taught Love Incarnate how to say “I love you”? Who taught Wisdom Incarnate the teachings of the wise (Luke 2:52)? Who bandaged the first wound of the Divine Physician? Who kissed the forehead of the Creator of the whole world?
Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary.
If God so entrusted Himself and consecrated Himself to her, we must do the same.
Glorifying God more greatly
Read these words from St. Louis de Montfort.
This good Master did not disdain to shut Himself up in the womb of the Blessed Virgin, as a captive and as a loving slave, and to be subject and obedient to her for thirty years.
It is here, I repeat, that the human mind loses itself, when it seriously reflects on the conduct of the Incarnate Wisdom who willed to give Himself to men – not directly, though He might have done so, but through the Blessed Virgin.
He did not will to come into the world at the age of a perfect man, independent of others, but like a poor little babe, dependent on the care and support of this holy Mother.
He is that Infinite Wisdom, who had a boundless desire to glorify God His Father and to save men; and yet He found no more perfect means, no shorter way to do it, than to submit Himself in all things to the Blessed Virgin, not only during the first eight, ten, or fifteen years of His life, like other children, but for thirty years!
He gave more glory to God His Father during all that time of submission to and dependence on our Blessed Lady than He would have given Him if He had employed those thirty years in working miracles, in preaching to the whole world, and in converting all men – all of which He would have done, could He have thereby contributed more to God’s glory.
Oh, how highly we glorify God, when, after the example of Jesus, we submit ourselves to Mary.
– St. Louis de Montfortb1
In the same way, it brings more glory to God to complete our mission with Mary at our side, than if we converted the whole world to the faith without her. Let me put it this way:
It brings more glory to God to live in the house of Mary and to serve just one neighbor with her as your mother than it does to leave the house of Mary and to serve the whole world conducting thousands of miracles and millions of conversions (which is not possible without her anyway).
The effects of accepting Mary as our mother
St. Louis de Montfort also said that the true test of any devotion is to see if it leads to God – if the devotion ends with perfect love for Christ. And there is no better way to more perfectly love Christ than to accept Mary as your mother. Why?
When we accept Mary as our mother, Christ becomes our brother! When we live in Mary’s home, we live with Christ who lived with her. By being with Mary, we commit ourselves entirely to Christ.
Further, when we accept Mary into our hearts, the Holy Spirit dwells there as well and works great wonders because Mary is the spouse of the Holy Spirit.1 To those who accept Mary as their mother, the Holy Spirit gives greater assistance in loving and serving Christ compared to the one who does not accept Mary.b1
The primary effect of accepting Mary as our mother is that we will love and serve Christ more perfectly.
But there are secondary effects as well. Here are the effects:
Holiness
Mary will help us become more virtuous and, therefore, more holy. As Christ “grew in wisdom” in the house of Mary, so will we. Remember, the Holy Spirit works wonders where His spouse is.
Mary is the teacher of holiness. God said He would exalt the humble and humble the exalted (Luke 18:14). No one is as exalted as Mary, meaning no one was as humble as Mary, meaning no creature was as holy as Mary. Mary knows holiness.
Just as she taught her child Jesus, who is Christ, she will personally teach us.
Daily Needs
Mary will provide for our necessities. As Christ grew in “stature” in the house of Mary, so will we.
Christ said we shouldn’t worry about what we eat, drink or wear, because by being righteous, God would give us everything else we needed (Matthew 6:25-34). By being with Mary, we’re with Christ. By being with Christ, we’re growing in righteousness. By growing in righteousness, we are taken care of.
Mary confirms this when she appeared to St. Juan Diego.
“Hear me and understand well, my son the least, that nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who is your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything.”
– Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego1
By being with Mary, we can trust our mother to supply us for our needs.
Company
With Mary as our mother, we will never be alone or abandoned. Mary is simply the most perfect and loving creature God ever created. How can the perfect mother abandon you, her child?b2
Protector
If a mother bear is considered dangerous when her cubs are in danger, then contemplate Mary when her children are threatened by the devil. The international association, Legio Mariae (Legion of Mary) applies this Bible verse to her.1
“Who is she that comes forth as the morning rising, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as an army set in battle array?” – Song of Solomon 6:10
St. Louis de Montfort states that, with Mary as our mother, the devil cannot subdue you.b1
Advocate
Mary will advocate for us to her Son.
When we sin against God, we sin against our Judge.
Now, would anyone ever go to trial without a lawyer or representative? No. Neither should we, especially since the person offended is also our judge.
But, who will go beside you? If your child were going through a trial, would you not be there to support him or her. Then Mary, the most perfect of mothers, will most assuredly stand beside you.
But, will Mary be able to help? Consider, if Moses could stay the hand of God from destroying the Israelites in the desert by appealing to the honor of His name (Exodus 32), then won’t Mary do the same for us, her own children, by appealing to the glory of His mercy? b1
Finally, Mary is not a lawyer to the judge, she is the Mother of the Judge. She speaks for us to her own Son. And because we share the same mother as the Mother of God, our Judge becomes our brother.b2
How to become a little child of Mary
How do we accept Mary as our mother? By consecrating ourselves to Christ through her; by going to God while holding our mother’s hand; by giving ourselves entirely to her as little children give themselves entirely to their parents.
The Little Marian Way is Marian because of Mary; and The Little Marian Way is little, because we become like little children as Christ commanded (Matthew 19:14).
What does it mean to be a little child of Mary?
- It means being completely dependent on Mary just as children are dependent on their parents.
- It means trusting that Mary will protect us and provide for us just as children trust their parents.
- It means exploring the world under Mary’s supervision just as children do so under their parents supervision.
- It means giving up ownership of what we own to Mary just as children accept that their parents own whatever they play with or depend on.
Being that Mary is our spiritual mother, to accept her as our mother is to say to Mary:
“Mom, I give you everything I am and have, my soul and its faculties, my body and its senses, my heart and its affections, and anything God has given me including any merits, graces, goods, gifts or indulgences. I trust that you will be able to apply it better for God’s glory than I would be able to.”
This also means that if we ask for anything from God, whatever God grants to us, we are giving it to Mary, and Mary will direct them as she wishes.
At this point, some people might worry.
- “If I give everything to Mary, won’t I appear alone and empty handed before God?” But how can you be alone or empty handed before God when you are holding Mary’s hand? When you appear before God, your mother is with you!
- “If I give everything to Mary, then I can’t offer anything for my loved ones.” But how can this be true if Mary wants to help you and your loved ones more than you want to help them?
Finally, and most importantly, to be a little of child of Mary means understanding that Mary will pour herself out for us. Generosity is a virtue and Mary is the queen of virtues. It is impossible for any person to match the generosity of dear Mary.
If a child gives her mother a flower, doesn’t her mother bathe her with far greater acts of love? Likewise, by being Mary’s little child and giving everything we could possibly give to her, we permit her to treat us as her little children, full of the love and joy she wants to give us and full of the graces and gifts of God she wishes to pour into our souls.
In reality, to give ourselves up to Mary for love of God and under His command is really not to give up anything at all, but to gain everything. This is the spirit of The Little Marian Way.
Today, formally consecrate yourself entirely to Christ through Mary as her little child. Do not live another day as a Christian without Mary as your mother. Then you will have the confidence of saying, “Why should I fear? The Mother of God is my true mother also and my Judge is my true brother.”
Today’s Task
Rosary
Say the Rosary again today. Remember to start by first asking your heavenly mother to give you the graces by the Holy Spirit to pray with devotion and with love.
Dear Mom
I would never call my earthly mom by her first name, but by her title, “Mom.” In the same spirit, please understand that when I say “Dear Mom”, I am referring to our Holy Mother, Mary.
Victory I: Consecration to Christ through Mary
Consecrate yourself entirely to Christ through Dear Mom using the following prayer* or any Marian Consecration prayer that touches your heart.
Record this date and treasure it like you do your birthday.
* The Consecration Prayer above is inspired by the Consecration Prayer of St. Louis de Montfort, St. Maximilian Kolbe and the messages of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Our Lady of Fatima.
[b1] “True Devotion to Mary” by St. Louis de Montfort
[b2] “The Glories of Mary” by St. Alphonsus de Liguori