In the month of August, dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Catholics reflect on the Blessed Virgin's complete submission to the will of God. Mary is the model of Christian life; if we were to live our lives as she did, we would be assured of our place in heaven.
That's why Catholics have such a great devotion to Mary. We don't worship her; nor, for that matter, do we revere her for her own sake. Like all saints, the Mother of God points the way to Christ. She just does it more completely than any other saint, and we venerate her for that.
And so this week, as we prepare to celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, let us turn to the Mother of God in this Prayer of Intercession to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This long but very beautiful prayer draws us to Christ through Mary.
Indeed , Mary is the “Queen of Peace”. Love that title. So, I looked it up, it was John Henry Newman who wrote that long and very profound prayer.
I’ve wondered how non-Catholic Christians, who don’t recognize Mary to the same high degree as us Catholics, what their attitudes are towards the Fatima and Guadalupe events. Are they in general skeptical this was really the Virgin Mary?
Well, if events like these were indeed real, and I do trust the Catholic Church on this, then yes indeed Mary is THE ONE sent to us… the Queen of the heavens and earth. That is the conclusion that I come to.
Correction here…
John Henry Newman wrote the “Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” He uses the Queen of Peace term. Don’t ask me how I got mixed up–I’ve had a headache all day. Sorry about that. My same premise still stands, though.
When I was a non-Catholic, I never heard of Fatima or any apparitions.
I didn’t know there was such a thing.