Mary is the Trinity’s most cherished friend

The Presentation of Mary in the Temple gives us several insights about what Marian devotion is all about. The first has to do with the nature of the Virgin's relationship with God. Mary has always given this relationship priority in her life. This is the reason for her virginity. Mary is a virgin because she preferred God to anything else. Her life in the Temple increased her intimacy with the Most High to the point that she became the perfect incarnation of Zion, that is to say, the helper that God chose for himself to accomplish his plan of redemption. Because before becoming the Mother of the Messiah, Mary was the Trinity’s most cherished friend… Indeed, she later became the Mother of the Incarnate Son, but also the Mother of the members of the Church! This is a consoling mystery for those who do not have children, but are called by God to a spiritual fruitfulness, just as important, if not more so, than biological reproduction. The Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple shows us that we lose nothing by placing God first!

The second teaching concerns the nature of Marian devotion. Our love for Mary should not be dictated primarily by superficial feelings or natural affections, but rather it should be rooted in the clear vision of how God considers His beloved daughter. The existence of Our Lady was God’s desire. God created the world in preparation for Christ, but also in preparation for Mary, without whom the second Person of the Trinity would not have become incarnate. It is therefore by contemplating her with the eyes of the Trinity that we will understand her best. Our filial attachment towards Mary needs to be enlightened by dogma. It is good to love the Virgin Mary. It is even better to love her by studying the reasons why God gave her such a high place in His plan of salvation.

Jean Michel Castaing

Aleteia