Mary in the Liturgical Year
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By Deacon Keith Fournier
The Second Vatican Council did not offer one particular document on Mary, the Mother of God. Rather, the Council fathers incorporated the meaning and mission of Mary, as well as her special place in God's plan for the Church and the world, into many of the documents which were promulgated by the Council. In a particular way, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium) discusses Mary in chapters eight and nine of that document.
The pastoral intent of that Council was to position the mystery of Mary within the broader mystery of God's plan of salvation in Jesus Christ and His Church. At the heart of the worship of the Church is the Liturgy. The Catechism reminds us, "The Church's faith precedes the faith of the believer who is invited to adhere to it. When the Church celebrates the sacraments, she confesses the faith received from the apostles - whence the ancient saying: lex orandi, lex credendi (or: legem credendi lex statuat supplicandi, according to Prosper of Aquitaine [5th cent.]). The law of prayer is the law of faith: the Church believes as she prays. Liturgy is a constitutive element of the holy and living Tradition" (CCC #1124).
Madonna and Saints - Francesco Francia
There is a further phrase which is often added to the Latin phrase mentioned above; lex vivendi (law of life). It means that the way we worship is meant to not only inform what we believe but to transform the way we live. Thus, our love and devotion to Mary is incorporated into the Catholic Liturgical year in many ways in order to help us to grow in the Christian life . In the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium) we read, "In celebrating this annual cycle of Christ's mysteries, holy Church honors with especial love the Blessed Mary, Mother of God, who is joined by an inseparable bond to the saving work of her Son. In her the Church holds up and admires the most excellent fruit of the redemption, and joyfully contemplates, as in a faultless image that which she herself desires and hopes wholly to be"(#103).
The different Marian feast days in the Liturgical year involve solemn Holy Days, Feast Days, Days of commemoration and Local Marian commemorations on a Diocesan level. In 1974, Pope Paul VI issued an apostolic exhortation renewing the Marian Feast Days. The Second Vatican Council also reasserted the ancient teaching that whenever we celebrate the Feast Days of the Lord, we are reaffirming the wonderful connection between Mary's assent to the Lord's invitation and the plan of redemption.
Here is a list of some of the Special Days dedicated to Mary in our Catholic Liturgical Calendar:
Holy Days and Feast Days
September 8: The Virgin Mary's Nativity - Feast
December 8: Immaculate Conception - Holy Day
January 1: Holy Mary Mother of God - Holy Day
February 2: The Presentation of Our Lord - Feast
March 25: The Annunciation - Holy Day
March 31: The Visitation of the Virgin Mary - Feast
July 26: St Anna (Canada) - Feast
August 15: Assumption - Holy Day
Commemorations
Every Saturday, assuming the liturgical cycle does not set that day aside for other Feasts or commemorations, is set aside to honor Our lady. Some Special Commemorations include:
November 21: Presentation of Mary in the Temple
July 26: Saint Anna and Saint Joachim
Commemorative days linked with apparitions of the Virgin Mary:
February 11: Our Lady of Lourdes
May 13: Our Lady of Fatima
December 12: Our Lady of Guadalupe
December 27: Apparition to St Catherine Laboure
In one of the most insightful treatments in the Tradition of the unique on the special role of Mary entitled "Mother of the Redeemer" (On the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Pilgrim Church) Blessed John Paul II began with these words: "The Mother of the Redeemer has a precise place in the plan of salvation, for "when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!'" (Gal. 4:4-6).
"With these words of the Apostle Paul, which the Second Vatican Council takes up at the beginning of its treatment of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I too wish to begin my reflection on the role of Mary in the mystery of Christ and on her active and exemplary presence in the life of the Church. For they are words which celebrate together the love of the Father, the mission of the Son, the gift of the Spirit, the role of the woman from whom the Redeemer was born, and our own divine filiation, in the mystery of the "fullness of time."
"This "fullness" indicates the moment fixed from all eternity when the Father sent his Son "that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" (Jn. 3:16). It denotes the blessed moment when the Word that "was with God...became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn. 1:1, 14), and made himself our brother. It marks the moment when the Holy Spirit, who had already infused the fullness of grace into Mary of Nazareth, formed in her virginal womb the human nature of Christ.
"This "fullness" marks the moment when, with the entrance of the eternal into time, time itself is redeemed, and being filled with the mystery of Christ becomes definitively "salvation time." Finally, this "fullness" designates the hidden beginning of the Church's journey. In the liturgy the Church salutes Mary of Nazareth as the Church's own beginning, for in the event of the Immaculate Conception the Church sees projected, and anticipated in her most noble member, the saving grace of Easter. And above all, in the Incarnation she encounters Christ and Mary indissolubly joined: he who is the Church's Lord and Head and she who, uttering the first fiat of the New Covenant, prefigures the Church's condition as spouse and mother.
"Strengthened by the presence of Christ (cf. Mt. 28:20) the Church journeys through time, towards the consummation of the ages - and goes to meet the Lord who comes. But on this journey- and I wish to make this point straightaway-she proceeds along the path already trodden by the Virgin Mary, who "advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and loyally persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross."
More Mary, Mother of God
Appearances of Mary
Apparitions and Appearances
The term "appearance" has been used with Marian apparitions and visions of Jesus Christ. The Church will confirm an apparition as worthy of belief, but belief is never required by divine faith. Read More
Evaluating Apparitions
A Roman Catholic approved Marian apparition is one that has been examined by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and has been granted approval by the local Bishop or the Holy See. Read More
Approved Appearances
Vatican
Bishop
Coptic
Un-Approved Appearances
Unapproved Apparitions
Mary as Mother
Mother of God (TheotoKos)
From antiquity, Mary has been called "Theotokos", or "God-Bearer". The word in Greek is "Theotokos". The term was used as part of the popular piety of the early first millennium church. Read More
Daughter of the Father
Mary is "full of grace," because it is precisely in her that the Incarnation of the Word, the hypostatic union of the Son of God with human nature, is accomplished and fulfilled. Read More
Mother of the Redeemer
Mary was there at the Incarnation, Birth, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of God Incarnate. She was there throughout the often called "hidden years" in Nazareth. In the life of the Redeemer... Read More
Spouse of the Spirit
Throughout God's relationship with Israel He promises to espouse His people to himself (See, e.g. Hosea 2:19). This language of spousal love, of nuptiality, is also present in this overshadowing... Read More
Mother of the Church
Since the Virgin Mary's role in the mystery of Christ and the Spirit has been treated, it is fitting now to consider her place in the mystery of the Church. She is acknowledged as... Read More
Mother of the Domestic Church
Mary is the mother of every domestic church, of every Christian family. She fully understands the naturally supernatural realities of family life because she lived them. Read More
Our Mother
I found that every one of the great influences in my Christian life from that communion of saints to which we are all joined was profoundly "Marian". Francis of Assissi, Bernard of Clairvaux... Read More
Mary as Model
Mary in the Scriptures
Christian Scripture calls the "more excellent way", the way of Love. Mary understands this Way and walked on it with extraordinary humility. Follow her in journey through the Scriptures. Read More
Mary in the Tradition
To understand Mary in the Tradition of the Church we have to understand what is meant by the word "Tradition" - and why it matters. In his second letter to the Thessalonians the Apostle Paul... Read More
Mary and the Councils
A Bishop named Nestorius objected to the title of Theotokos, Mother of God or God Bearer for Mary. The Council of Ephesus met in 431AD and affirmed Mary was the "Mother of God"... Read More
Mary in the Liturgical Year
The Second Vatican Council did not offer one particular document on Mary, the Mother of God. Rather, the Council fathers incorporated the meaning and mission of Mary, as well as her... Read More
Mary East and West
Devotion to - and love for . Mary, the Mother of God, is a foundational part of the Christian Church both East and West. The Eastern Christian emphasis, both doctrinally and devotionally, is... Read More
Mary and the Early Fathers
Among the multiple and profound references to Mary, the Mother of God, found in the writings of the early Church Fathers is one of my favorites in the Cappadocian, Gregory of Nyssa... Read More
Mary and the Saints
Among the titles given to Mary is "Queen of all the Saints". In one of his reflections on this woman whom he loved with such devotion, Blessed john Paul II proclaimed "This woman of faith... Read More
Mary as Disciple
Mary as Disciple
We were made to give ourselves away to the Lord and, in Him, for others. Mary's choice, her response to the invitation of a God, is a singularly extraordinary event in all of human history. Read More
Handmaiden of the Lord
"I am the handmaiden (servant) of the Lord; let it be to me according to your Word." (Luke 1:38) When Mary spoke those few words, human history was forever changed. Read More
Model of Holiness
From antiquity the early Christians reflected on a "mystery" of the faith- how the Incarnation of Jesus Christ came about through the free cooperation of this little Virgin of Nazareth... Read More
First Disciple
She was the first evangelizer and the first disciple of her Son Jesus. She gave the first Gospel testimony to her cousin, Elizabeth, without words, as the Redeemer in her womb drew the child in her womb... Read More
Way of Mary
The Message of Mary
And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. (The Gospel of Luke 2:34-37) Read More
The Meaning of Mary
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be [done] to me according to your word." "At the announcement that she would give birth to "the Son of the Most High" without... Read More
The Prayer of Mary
Mary's Prayer teaches us to stay afloat in the ocean of life, with all of its undertows. Mary's way is to become an ark within, where the same God who became incarnate within her... Read More
The Song of Mary
"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you... Read More
The Titles of Mary
From the earliest theological reflections in Christian history we find the defense of the most important of the titles of Mary, "Theotokos" in Greek. It is translated God-bearer... Read More
Mission of Mary
Mary and the Eucharist
In a beautiful apostolic exhortation entitled the Sacrament of Love, issued in 1997, Pope Benedict XVI wrote these words under a section entitled The Eucharist and the Virgin Mary... Read More
Mary & the New Evangelization
Throughout his pontificate, Blessed John Paul II called for this "New Evangelization." Pope Benedict XVI made this a central pillar of his pontificate. He erected a Pontifical Council... Read More
The Path of Mary
Before they were called Christians (Acts 11:26), at Antioch, they were referred to as "the Way". A Rabbi named Saul spoke of persecuting "the way" (Acts 22:4) before he was profoundly converted... Read More
The Marian Moment
Over the last two decades a recovery of the significance of the life and witness of Mary has occurred among many Christians, even those who descend from the communities of... Read More
Mary's Mission
"Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother... When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, Woman, behold, your son." Read More
Marian Prayer and Piety
Marian prayer and piety developed very early in the history of the undivided Christian Church of the first millennium. It has been kept alive in a myriad of piety practices in the both the Catholic... Read More
Message of Mary
What Does She Say?
The message of Mary is the message of the Gospel, to repent and believe the Good news. The message of Mary is conversion to Her Son by saying "yes" to God's invitation. That is the path to true... Read More
Marian Prayer and Devotion
The Catechism of the Catholic Church instructs the faithful on just how Mary prayed. Mary still prays. She has a special role in the plan of salvation and is a model for all Christians... Read More
Marian Consecration
To consecrate means to dedicate. It is used in reference to worship and means to be set aside or set apart for God. It is also a word which speaks to the very core of the Christian... Read More
Devotion of Mary
Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary
When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals - one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them... Read More
Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary
My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; Because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid; For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed... Read More
Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary
But at daybreak on the first day of the week they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered... Read More
Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary
While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory... Read More
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