Mary and our faith

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is one of the things that differentiates Catholics from most other Christian denominations. To some, it is seen as a distraction to our devotion to God, but to many Catholics, devoting time and prayer to Mary is a way of drawing nearer to God the Father and enhancing one’s spiritual life.

Because of her place in the story of salvation, devotion to Mary began in the early centuries of the Church as a way to honour her, says Sr Sue Rakoczy IHM of St Josephs Theological Institute in Cedara, KwaZulu-Natal.

Down the centuries, forms of devotion grew as did her titles: the Rosary, novenas and feasts. At times it appeared that Mary was almost a rival to her Son, since people placed her between Christ and the Church, rather than in the Church.

Sr Rakoczy says the renewal of Vatican II called the Church to first honour Mary in the liturgy, especially in the four major Marian feasts: Mary, Mother of God (January 1), the Presentation (February 2) the Assumption (August 15) and the Immaculate Conception (December 8).

The Immaculate Heart of Mary sister says devotion to Mary should always be rooted in the Scriptures and the liturgy, and prayer to Mary must always be seen in reference to Christ. They are not rivals. Mary is our sister in faith and thus a good companion on the journey of faith. Devotion to her is more significant than devotion to any other saint.

Pat Gonsalves leads a pilgrimage from Cape Town to the Marian shrine of Ngome in the diocese of Eshowe every year. For him the highlight of each pilgrimage is hearing those who make the journey say they that they have been transformed by the experience, brought closer to God because of their devotion to Mary. For some, he says, it is a new devotion.

Mary is there to assist us to get closer to God. She helped me, she helps everybody, Mr Gonsalves says. He likens Mary to mothers who will help their children when they have encounter disapproval elsewhere. As a child, when you are in trouble with your father, you turn to your mother for help. Thats what Mary does  she listens to us.

Lebo Lentsoane is the Soweto Youth Deanery Forum coordinator. He believes that Catholics revere the mother of Christ because she was the one chosen to conceive and give birth to Jesus, our Saviour. She was appointed by Jesus to be the mother of the Church, Mr Lentsoane says.

The parishioner of St Philip Neri church in Moletsane, Johannesburg archdiocese, says because Mary is Jesus mother, she is the fastest way to communicate with him. Jesus cannot refuse his mother, and she is therefore a great option when looking for help to pray to God, Mr Lentsoane says.

Revering Mary is not, as some Protestants accuse, worship – this is reserved for God, says Mr Gonsalves. He believes the Blessed Virgin is a source of inspiration and love. Mary and the saints are there to guide us to Gods love.

The sites of shrines dedicated to Mary around the world are usually associated with an apparition or the site of a miracle in which Mary was involved. In South Africa, Ngome is one such place of prayer. Our Lady is said to have appeared ten times to German-born Benedictine Sister Reinolda May between 1955 and 1971. Mr Gonsalves believes it is a place where one can draw nearer to God through Mary.

Blessed Sacrement church in Malvern, Johannesburg, hosts an annual pilgrimage to the local Schoenstatt shrine to honour Mary on the feast of Our Lady of Fatima. Parish secretary Gail Carroll says the pilgrimage has become a community event with more than 1000 people attending. We walk from the parish to the shrine to honour Mary as the Mother of God to pray and intercede for our favours and concerns.

Ms Carroll says prayers have been answered as people find the space and the environment to be calm enough to think through their issues properly. Its a very spiritual experience. We have people from all around Johannesburg and even non-Catholics joining us.

The annual event, initially promoted by the Portuguese community in the area, has grown to include all cultures, ages and understandings of the devotion. Its a great introduction to Mary. Its just so lovely, Ms Carroll says.

Sr Rakoczy says sites of pilgrimage to Mary are generally linked with apparitions of Mary. The institutional Church is very careful about affirming apparitions as signs of Gods presence through Mary. Places such as Lourdes, Fatima in Portugal, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico and South Africas Ngome have been and continue to be carefully investigated to ensure that the message of Mary and the forms of devotion that were surfacing were in accord with Catholic understanding of Mary. These sites give people a focus for prayer; often prayer for healing.

Mr Gonsalves pilgrimage group, Friends of Ngome Cape Town, upholds the value of the pilgrimage site in Ngome because, along with learning about Mary�s love, it also provides a space for silence something he believes is necessary in developing a relationship with God. There are too many distractions in life today  from cellphones to televisions and the Internet, life is noisy. Getting away, just as Jesus did when he went to pray at Gethsemane, is a way of drawing closer to God. We do this with the help of Mary, he says.

These shrines and apparitions have even taken on national importance in some countries. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the national symbol of Mexico, Our Lady of iluva is a symbol of Lithuania, and Lourdes in France is a major Catholic symbol with more than five million pilgrims visiting annually. Only Paris has more hotel rooms than Lourdes.

Pilgrimages play an important role in our lives as they are a part of our spiritual journey. We go to places such as Ngome as we believe miracles happened there. Offering our prayers, or rather petitions, to Our Lady of the Most High Tabernacle, [we believe] they will be answered through Marys intercession, says Mr Lentsoane.

Mr Gonsalves believes intercession is achieved through respecting and honouring Mary. If you concentrate on the Rosary and on what you are saying, you are drawn into Marys love and you believe and know your prayers will be answered, one way or another, with her help. Its nice to know tthere’s someone to assist you when praying to God.

For Mr Gonsalves, Mary is amazing and changes the lives of those on the pilgrimage. For Mr Lentsoane, who describes himself as a devoted young Catholic, “Mary plays a very important role in my life, like any child who loves and trusts their mother. I don’t worship Mary but I believe that she intercedes and is the mediator to Jesus Christ.”

For all Catholics, Mary is revered and present. Our Lady facilitates miracles in many Catholics lives. She is a vital part of their spirituality.

Sr Rakoczy says people have their own distinct spirituality in which, for some, Mary is very important and for others less so. But regardless of how one prays, whether one looks for intercession or not, Mary should not be absent from our life of faith.