Authentic devotion to the Mother of God doesn’t take us away from her Son

My relationship with Mary has somewhat evolved throughout my Christian life. It began with a great childlike trust. I learnt St Bernard's prayer the "Memorare" in school, which translated into words my spontaneous trust in Our Lady.

Then, as I entered young adulthood, after a period when I somewhat deserted the life of faith and prayer, I was totally seized by Jesus Christ, His radiance which seemed to me the answer to all my questions and more broadly, the key to world history. This led me where I had not planned to go—to the seminary!

Then I found myself exactly in this episode of the life of Pope Saint John Paul II where he tells of his experience as a young seminarian. "It seemed to me preferable to distance myself somewhat from the Marian devotion of my childhood, in order to better center my spiritual life on Christ (1)." One is surprised by such a statement, so great was John Paul II's attachment to Mary. Later in his book, he admits that "it was a youthful indiscretion!"

At the school of St John Paul II, that is, at the school of St Louis de Montfort, I in turn understood more and more that authentic devotion to the Mother of God cannot keep us away from her Son. It can only make us know Him better and love Him more. If Marian devotion is given its proper place and situated in the mystery of the Church, it helps us to grow in trust of Jesus the Savior and do "whatever He tells us."

Today, my trust in the Virgin Mary is less based on feelings than when I was a child. But it is essentially the same. It is perhaps a bit more pure. I trust the Church, who is a Mother, like Mary, and teaches me to pray to Mary. I love the Angelus and the Rosary, that prayer of the humble, which simplifies and helps to contemplate the mysteries of Jesus. I give thanks for the mystery of the Virgin Mary, who reveals the greatness of humanity when it is completely abandoned to grace.

(1) John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope (1994)

+ Pierre-Antoine Bozo, Bishop of Limoges, February 11, 2021 – Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine