Mary’s Umbilical Cord

I love Advent. The call to slow down is always a welcome invitation this time of year, and I love how it helps build anticipation for Christmas, squeezing as much of God’s grace from it as possible.

I also love that our attention is naturally drawn to Mary: Her yes to God, her relationship with Joseph, and the remarkable, harrowing, and hope-filled stories tied to the birth of Jesus.

If there’s one thing Catholics are accused of that bothers me most, it’s that we place too much emphasis on Mary.

Such a thing is preposterous, and frankly, impossible.

As St. Maximilian Kolbe said, “Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.”

I get the argument that we are commanded to worship God alone. What I don’t understand is how this misconception that Catholics worship Mary persists, when a simple comparison between the words “worship” and “venerate” should have cleared the whole thing up centuries ago. 

Remarkably, even Google AI does not seem to be confused on this: “Venerate is not the same as worship; veneration is showing great respect or honor to something or someone deemed sacred, while worship is reserved for a divine being and involves complete adoration and devotion. Worship is directed to God alone, whereas veneration can be shown to saints, religious icons, or other figures who are seen as holy or virtuous.”

What saddens me most is that in going out of their way to not worship Mary, many people relegate her to little more than a bit player in salvation history. 

But alas, division is what the devil does best, and apart from God, he hates Mary most, so this confusion and infighting between Christians adds up.

Bullies are scared of their victims’ mothers.

“What Lucifer lost by pride, Mary won by humility” -St Louis de Montfort

I am no theologian. I’m just a regular guy. And believe it or not, I too once wondered if maybe we Catholics are taking this “Mary thing” a little too far. I’d like to share a few thoughts, besides the aforementioned quote from Maximilian, that have contributed to my change of heart over the years.

We hold St. Paul, St. Peter, and the Apostles in very high regard. (And justifiably so.) But Bishop Fulton Sheen once dropped a truth bomb that blew me away: Jesus gave ten times as much of His life to Mary as He did to his disciples. This isn’t opinion; it’s simple math. After all, he spent three years with them before his death and resurrection, and thirty years with her before he entered His public ministry.

If I want to know Jesus better, looking to Mary for help is a good play. As St. Pope Pius X observed, “Nobody ever knew Christ so profoundly as she [the Blessed Mother] did, and nobody can ever be more competent as a guide and teacher of the knowledge of Christ.”

You want Jesus? Mary can help. Mary was the first and best follower of Christ. St. Louis de Montfort assures us, “She is the safest, easiest, shortest and most perfect way of approaching Jesus.”

Then there’s the rosary, another point of division that drives some people crazy.

“It’s not in the Bible!” is a common refrain.

I’m with Kevin Matthews, former radio legend and author of Broken Mary, who said, “The rosary IS the Bible! It is the life of Jesus through the eyes of his mother.”

Matthews also gives us another metaphor, maybe the one I love most, which is especially fitting this time of year as we home in on Jesus’ birth story.

“The rosary is Mary’s umbilical cord. It’s how she feeds us Jesus.”

Beautiful. 

One of my favorite things about the Catholic Church is how much respect we give to Jesus’ mom.

How blessed we are that our Savior would share her with us!

May we ask for Mary’s help this Advent, that she might escort us even closer to her son, teaching us more about Him, and guide us ever deeper into His Sacred Heart.