The Sacred Liturgy as the Foundation of Marian Devotion

The Sacred Liturgy is the public worship of the Church. It is the adoration that Christ, as Priest and Head of the Church, offers to His Eternal Father. In the Liturgy, Christ associates His Church, His Bride, to Himself in the offering of adoration. This is why the Second Vatican Council states that «in it the full public worship of the Body mystically of Jesus Christ, that is, of the Head and of His members, is exercised» (Sacrosanctum Concilium 7).Since the Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of the Redeemer, the most distinguished member of the Church, she is undoubtedly also the Mother of the Church, and because she was associated with the mysteries of Christ the Redeemer, the Sacred Liturgy has given her a place of honor. Certainly, «throughout the history of Christian worship, it can be seen that, both in the East and the West, the highest and clearest expressions of devotion to the Blessed Virgin have flourished within or been incorporated into the Liturgy» (Marialis Cultus 15). The most prominent is the commemoration of our Blessed Virgin Mary in the Eucharistic Prayer at every Mass. Given that the Eucharistic Sacrifice is the supreme act of Christian worship, «this daily memory, by its placement at the heart of the divine Sacrifice, must be considered a particularly expressive form of the worship that the Church renders to the Blessed by the Most High» (cf. Lk 1:28) (Marialis Cultus 10). As these reflections proceed, it will become increasingly clear how the Roman Liturgy in general constitutes a splendid illustration of the Church’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin.The Liturgy of Advent is one of the earliest evidences of the veneration paid to the Mother of God by the Church. Devotion to Mary, therefore, is not separated from its necessary reference point, which is Christ. Advent is a liturgical season particularly suited to devotion to the Mother of the Lord. The feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated at the beginning of Advent, on December 8th. The entire season, together with the Christmas period, has Christ at its center but also, by His side, His Blessed Mother. «The Christmas season constitutes a prolonged memory of the divine, virgin, salvific motherhood of that one whose immaculate virginity gave the world the Savior» (Marialis Cultus 11).The document *Marialis Cultus* (5) states that Christmas is followed by the Feast of the Holy Family and then by the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. The placement of Mary in all these celebrations is clear, and her role is also evident in the Solemnity of the Epiphany and the Feast of the Presentation of the Child Jesus in the Temple.The rest of the Liturgical Year is dotted with celebrations in honor of the Mother of God. The Annunciation on March 25 marks the great event of the celestial messenger addressing the Virgin of Nazareth to announce the beautiful news of the Incarnation of the Word. The Visitation is celebrated on May 31, Assumption on August 15, the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen, on August 22, her Nativity on September 8, and the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sorrows, on September 15.Other liturgical Marian celebrations that may be mentioned here refer to sanctuaries, locales, or aspects of her life. Examples include the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes on February 11, Our Lady of Fátima on May 13, the Immaculate Heart of Mary the day after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel on July 16, Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7, the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary on November 21, and Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12. Additionally, there are many Marian feasts or memorials approved for local churches or religious congregations. And there are the Saturdays of Ordinary Time when there are no specific memorials. All this demonstrates that veneration of the Blessed Mother of God accompanies the Church throughout the Liturgical Year.The Sacred Liturgy highlights Mary’s role as an intercessor. Public worship of the Church values the importance of intercessory prayer. In the Liturgy, the Church prays generally for itself, for the world, for the just and the sinners, for justice and peace, and for the living and the dead. The Church is conscious of how Moses interceded for the people of Israel, averting God’s punishment, as the psalmist says: “He would have brought them all to complete destruction had not Moses, his chosen one, stood between them and God” (Ps 106:23).Jesus Christ is our great intercessor. But the Church also turns to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints for intercessions. On the Solemnity of All the Saints, the Church asks to be heard by God through “the abundance of intercessors.” The Church cannot forget the intercessory power Mary exercised at the wedding feast in Cana.Given the brevity of the Roman Liturgy, it is truly impressive to trace through the Roman Missal and find references to Mary’s intercession in celebrations honoring our Blessed Mother. For example, on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Church in the Collect prays to God that, having preserved the Blessed Virgin Mary from all stain, “grant us also, through her intercession, to present ourselves before you in holiness and purity of spirit.”In the prayer over the Offerings during the feast of the Sacred Family, the Church prays: “Accept, O Lord, this sacrifice of salvation, and by the intercession of the Virgin Mother and Saint Joseph, grant that our families may live in thy friendship and in thy peace.” Similar references to Mary’s intercession can be found in the Collects of the feast of the Holy Mother of God, on Friday of the fourth week of Lent, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and most other Marian celebrations. The Collect for the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel deserves to be cited in full: “O God, who hast honored the Carmelite Order with the glorious title of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of thy Son, grant to us, who this day celebrate her solemn feast, to attain, with her help, the summit of the mountain which is Christ our Lord. He is God, and liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, world without end. Amen.”In the Collect for the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, on December 12, the Church expresses full trust in her protective power: “Look upon thy people, gathered for the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. Make them partakers, by her intercession, of the fullness of thy grace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who is God, and liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, world without end.” The prayer over the Offerings at the feast of the Assumption contains a special warmth: “Ascend to thee, O Lord, the sacrifice which the Church offers thee at the feast of the Virgin Mary, assumed into heaven, and by her intercession, may our hearts, burning with thy love, continually aspire to thee.”Since “the Liturgy is a constitutive element of the holy and living Tradition” (Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship, 1990), that is, “the law of prayer is the law of faith” (lex orandi, lex credendi, or legem credendi lex statuat supplicandi, as Prosper of Aquitaine put it), the liturgical formulas express our faith. The Church believes what it prays. From these and similar liturgical expressions of belief in Mary’s intercessory power, the Church teaches us how we should pray. Marian devotion has solid roots in our faith.There are other liturgical texts that manifest the Church’s faith in the Mother of God and thus teach us how to pray. The Lectionary provides numerous biblical readings for celebrations in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office or Breviary, contains many hymns, texts, prayers of the faithful, and beautiful Marian conclusions and antiphons following Compline. In the baptismal rite, religious profession, consecration of virgins, and prayers for the dying, the dead, and those in mourning, references to the intercessory role of the Blessed Virgin Mary are present.

Conclusion

This brief excursion on the importance the Sacred Liturgy attributes to the veneration of our Blessed Mother demonstrates that the Roman Liturgy, renewed under the pontificate of Saint Paul VI, appropriately places the Virgin Mary within the mystery of Christ and recognizes her singular role in Christian worship. As Mother of God and partner of the Redeemer, she is honored by the Church’s tradition and by the liturgical movement preceding the Second Vatican Council. Christians who venerate the Madonna today have strong liturgical reasons for their devotional attitude. Marian piety leads us to a deeper participation in the mysteries of Christ and helps ensure that a solid faith supports our affection for the Blessed Mother.Deepen your studies: explore Mariology, Marian theology, Marian apparitions, and the Postgraduate Program in Mariology.To further explore the relationship between the Sacred Liturgy and devotion to Mary, consult the Apostolic Exhortation Marialis Cultus by Pope Paul VI.