Both Eastern and Western Christian traditions commemorate times when the Blessed Virgin Mary has defended people from hostile invasions, famines, or natural disasters: through the prayer of the Rosary (at Lepanto) or through her icons or various expressions of her local patronage. This is not superstition. Mary is not manipulated; she participates in God's mysterious plan to communicate to each of us a love beyond all understanding, which travels paths that don't necessarily correspond to temporal success or even safety.
But Mary is also our Mother. And she wants to draw us into a more profound trust in the tender care she has for us. She wants us to turn to her in all our needs, and she promises to respond in the manner that corresponds to what is truly good for us.
The Rosary, in particular, is a place where we discover how Mary cares for us, and the "victories" she wins for us every day.
The victory of Our Lady is the loving protection of a mother for her children. It is a sign of the strength of her maternal heart, which is our refuge if we seek her like children. In the Rosary we follow Jesus and find our unity with Him as His brothers and sisters in Mary's heart. We will win today, in time and in eternity, by bringing all our sorrows and troubles and fears and concerns to Mary's Immaculate Heart.
The victory of Our Lady is the loving protection of a mother for her children. It is a sign of the strength of her maternal heart, which is our refuge if we seek her like children. In the Rosary we follow Jesus and find our unity with Him as His brothers and sisters in Mary's heart. We will win today, in time and in eternity, by bringing all our sorrows and troubles and fears and concerns to Mary's Immaculate Heart.
In her heart we will encounter Jesus and learn how to abandon everything to Him, our God, our brother, our source of new life.
