Editor’s note: Catholic devotions: why do they matter, what are they made of, what are they are not. In a strong and prescriptive phrase in his Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius of Loyola wrote “we ought to praise not only the building and adornment of churches, but also the images and veneration of them according to what they represent.” He seemed to press the point even further, writing “we should show our esteem for the relics of the saints by venerating them and praying to the saints. We should praise visits to Station Churches, pilgrimages, indulgences, jubilees, crusade insults, and the lighting of candles in churches.” For some, these devotions are the spiritual life-blood of the believing Church; for others they may seem simplistic or quaint. But in the spirit of our founder, we, too, seek to explore and understand the powerful role of devotions in the Church today.
“I am slow when it comes to these holy ladies.”
I used to say this jokingly to describe my relationship with the Virgin Mary. I have never had that strong of a devotion towards Our Lady of anything. Yet my appreciation for her has grown over time, and I believe that she has something very valuable to offer to our Christian faith.
First, I think that our general understanding of Mary's importance can risk being slotted into two categories: too much, and too little. “Too much”, is when we make the mistake of worshipping Mary, which no one in their right mind should do. Some Protestants think that Catholics engage in such behaviours, but this is more of a misunderstanding than anything else. “Too little” is when we think that Mary really ain't that special; she is just like one of us. There is some truth to this, but only to a certain extent. All arguments for or against Marian devotions essentially circle around her identity, and it is the focus of this short blog entry.
