• Home
  • Diocese
  • Bishop Burns
  • Synod
  • Columnists
  • Revista Catolica
  • Vatican
  • Subscribe
The Texas Catholic
The Texas Catholic

Dallas, Texas

Today is Thursday, March 30, 2023
  • Home
  • Diocese
  • Bishop Burns
  • Synod
  • Columnists
  • Revista Catolica
  • Vatican
  • Subscribe
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Instagram
Home
Bishop Kevin Farrell

Devotion to Mary is essential part of our faith

Monday, December 1, 2014

A statue of Mary overlooks the grounds of St. Jude Church in Mastic Beach, N.Y. (CNS Photo)

A statue of Mary overlooks the grounds of St. Jude Church in Mastic Beach, N.Y. (CNS Photo)

By Bishop Kevin J. Farrell
Publisher of The Texas Catholic

Devotion to Mary is an essential part of our Catholic faith. For Catholic children learning the Hail Mary is an important spiritual rite of passage. There are many traditions about the Blessed Virgin. She has revealed herself in numerous apparitions. Some, including those at Lourdes, at Fatima and Tepeyac, have been accepted by the Church as conforming to Catholic teaching. Others are under discernment.

Mary has been the subject of two ex-cathedra definitions of Catholic doctrine. The first, by Pope Pius IX in 1864, concerned Mary’s Immaculate Conception; the second by Pope Pius XII in 1950, involved her Assumption into heaven. These two events are now dogma. Beyond that, Mary’s role in the Redemption has been debated in councils and by theologians through the ages and still is today.

I like to think that her role is best described in the story of the Wedding Feast at Cana (John 2: 1-12). When the wedding steward reveals they have run out of wine, Mary mentions it to Jesus, who responds that his hour has not come. Nevertheless, she tells the steward, “Do whatever he tells you.” Jesus responds by turning water into wine.

This Gospel passage reveals two important things about Mary. First, her role is to point us toward Jesus, telling us to do whatever he says, to follow him and become disciples. Second, we see that her intercession with her son is powerful and that we may turn to her in prayerful petition.

December is an important Marian month that gives us the opportunity to honor our Blessed Mother in a special way. Early in the month we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8. Then, on Dec. 12, we commemorate her apparition to St. Juan Diego as a Mestizo woman as a reminder that Spaniards, Indians, and the new race emerging from their union – the Mestizo, the dignity of all human beings created in the image and likeness of God.

Let us pray that we have the courage to heed Mary’s call to become disciples of her son and to treat all of our brothers and sisters as fellow children of God.

Bishop Kevin J. Farrell is the seventh bishop of Dallas. Read his blog at bishopkevinfarrell.org/blog.

  • Tags
  • Bishop Kevin J. Farrell
  • Devotion to Mary
  • The Texas Catholic
Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest
Next article God reveals himself to humble hearts, says pope
Previous article Find happiness in all aspects of life

Related Posts

Father Esposito: Happiness as the blessed life Columnists
Friday, March 10, 2023

Father Esposito: Happiness as the blessed life

Father Dankasa: Two voices in one Columnists
Thursday, March 9, 2023

Father Dankasa: Two voices in one

Prayerfully using Lenten seeds for Easter growth Columnists
Friday, March 3, 2023

Prayerfully using Lenten seeds for Easter growth

Texas Catholic Classics

A look at the five Dallas law enforcement officers who gave their lives while protecting citizens during a mass shooting in downtown Dallas in July 2016.

 

How a child with special needs inspired a high school volleyball team, community and a family who heeded God’s call to protect life.

 

After a young runner collapsed at a Dallas marathon, grace and providence unfolded for those involved in the valiant effort to help her.

   

In the summer of 2016, 50 students and 25 chaperones from Dallas Catholic high schools traveled to Nicaragua for a 10-day mission trip.

 

Early on a November morning, Kenndrick Mendieta bounded from the gym at Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep toward the campus’ athletic fields as clouds lifted on a fresh new day.

 

Subscribe

Get the award-winning Texas Catholic delivered to your door. Use the menu below to subscribe now.


Subscription length




 

Photo Gallery

Click here to find your favorite Texas Catholic photographs.

The Texas Catholic Newspaper

Catholic Diocese of Dallas
Michael Gresham, Editor

3725 Blackburn Street
Dallas, Texas 75219
(214) 379-2800

Our Affiliated Sites

Texas Catholic Youth

Revista Católica

Legal and Other

Contact us

Terms of service

Privacy policy

Site map

Site powered by TexasCatholicMedia

© 2013-2019 The Texas Catholic Publishing Company. All rights reserved.