Mary, our Star, the lighthouse in the night of our lives (I)

Christ gave us the Virgin Mary as our guide. Her name means “Star of the Sea” (Matins lessons of September 12, feast of the Holy Name of Mary). In a sermon on the feast of the Epiphany, St. Augustine tells us why Mary is indeed a star revealed and given to us:

“This virginal star was enclosed in the narrow confines of a stable, along with the Sun of Justice to whom she had given birth; so, in order to make her known, a star of new brilliance appeared in the East; by the unheard-of brilliance of its light, it warned the Gentiles of the appearance of the star that had come out of Jacob, and, marching ahead of the Magi to show them their way, it brought them as far as Bethlehem. This is how the heavens makes Heaven known, how a star indicates a star, how light bears witness to light, and how a star discovers a star.”

The Church has always cherished and taken up this expression to praise and glorify Mary in the liturgy. Towards the 20th century, a prayer taken dating from the 6th century was made into a magnificent hymn: the “Ave Maris Stella”. Saint Louis de Montfort would say: “to go to Jesus, let us go through Mary”. For Mary is our guiding star.

So let us take up our pilgrim's staff and imitate the Magi to the best of our ability. Let us go in search of God. The road is long, and faith, trust and total abandonment in God are difficult, especially in today's society. Let us look to and pray to Mary, who is our guiding star, and who loosens even the tightest knots.

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