It’s the month of the Rosary! This is a wonderful opportunity to honor the Blessed Mother and get closer to her. Many saints have stressed the importance of honoring Mary through our prayer and how essential she is in forming a relationship with Jesus. St. Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei, had a special love of the Blessed Mother. He wrote in The Way: "Love our Lady. And she will obtain for you abundant grace to conquer in your daily struggle.” If you are looking for ways to grow in love and devotion to Our Lady this October, enjoy some advice from St. Josemaría!
St. Josemaría’s guide to loving Mary:
- Greet her often. - "I have come to see that every Hail Mary, every greeting to Our Lady, is a new beat of a heart in love." - The Forge
- Turn to her your struggles. - St. Josemaria writes in, "Holy Mary is the Queen of peace, and thus the Church invokes her. So when your soul or your family are troubled, or things go wrong at work, in society or between nations, cry out to her without ceasing. Call to her by this title: Regina pacis, ora pro nobis — Queen of peace, pray for us. Have you at least tried it when you have lost your calm?... —You will be surprised at its immediate effect." -Furrow
- Offer something up for her. - “You should learn to offer her, in your strenuous life, some small sacrifice each day, to show her your love, and to show her the kind of love that we want the whole human race to proclaim for her." - The Forge
- Invoke her name. - "Invoke the Blessed Virgin. Keep asking her to show herself a Mother to you — monstra te esse Matrem!" -The Forge
Mary is not only the mother of Jesus, but also our spiritual mother and intercessor. She longs to care for us as her own children. If we learn only one thing from St. Josemaría Escrivá’s example, let us know that we can best love Our Lady by bringing our joys, hopes, and worries to her in prayer.
