Catholic Beliefs About Mary
"We never give more honor to Jesus than when we honor his mother, and we honor her simply and solely to honor Him all the more perfectly"
-St. Louis Marie de Montfort, the “Apostle of Mary”
November 21st, is the Catholic feast day, Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast celebrates the child Mary (3 years old) being offered to God at the temple by her parents.
In a nutshell, Catholics believe Jesus is always first. There are numerous writings by the saints on Mary as Jesus’s mother and her additional role in our salvation.
- Pope John Paul II On the Blessed Virgin Mary
- St. Louis de Montfort
- St. Thomas Aquinas
- 10 Saints Who Had A Deep Devotion to Mary
Catholic Beliefs About the Blessed Virgin Mary
1. Mary was always a part of God’s plan
It is a little known fact by many Catholics and Christians alike, that Mary is mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible:
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
They will strike at your head,
while you strike at their heel. (Genesis 3:15, New American Bible, Revised Edition)
2. Mary crushed the serpent
For good reason, the greatest artists throughout history have depicted Mary as crushing the serpent with her feet. This symbolizes a big part of who she is: Mother of Jesus and the humble enemy of Satan.
“Men do not fear a powerful, hostile army as much as the powers of hell fear the name and protection of Mary.”
-St. Bonaventure
Remember, whatever grace and power Mary has was given to her by God. Mary is a powerful helper against spiritual warfare and wants to help us overcome temptation and sin. A popular Catholic practice is saying three Hail Marys every morning to help strengthen us against temptation.
The image of La Virgen de Guadalupe is world renowned. In this image, Mary humbly bows her head indicating her humanity and humbleness before God. More amazingly, in the apparition, Mary identified herself as “Tlecuatlecupe” (sounds like Guadalupe), which in Nahuatl, the Aztec language, means “she will crush the serpent of stone.” Her presence in what is now Mexico led to one of the greatest mass conversion of non-believers in history, helping her son gain more souls.
3. Mary guides non-believers to her son Jesus
Mary is a very powerful ally when it comes to our prayers for conversion. Why? Because she was there at Calvary. Mary was at the foot of the cross, she saw her son Jesus nailed to the cross, shed his blood and die for us.
Like any good mother she does not want her son Jesus to have suffered in vain, so she helps him convert sinners. Mary brings non-believers in particular toward her son Jesus.
Catholics believe, when you are praying for the conversion of an impossible convert pray your Rosary (which contains 50 Hail Marys)!
Mary is a guide to Jesus for those who are lost and have never known him. Mary is a gateway because that is the role God gave her from the very beginning.
Another little known fact: Mary is already present and accepted in some non-Christian religions, such as Islam: Muhammad had great respect for Mary as the mother of Jesus and admitted Mary is the most blessed woman in heaven.
4. Mary is the “Second Eve”
Mary is the most humble and beautiful woman that ever lived. God filled Mary with grace (the gifts of the Holy Spirit).
We all heard about Eve in Genesis, and how her disobedience brought the fall. But after the fall, Mary undid Eve’s folly and crushed the serpent. Therefore, Mary is also called the New Eve.
Some Christian leaders, focus on the fall, the mistakes Eve made in her disobedience to God, as an excuse to put women down. But Catholics believe Mary’s complete obedience to God’s will undid the damage done by Eve.
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:38, NABRE)
As women we are to strive to be humble like Mary which is the opposite of the evil one (proud, jealous, disobedient…).
Sincerely,
Laura
Further Reading On Mary
Mary Queen of Heaven: Mary’s Battle for Souls
Note: Despite what many radical Christians purport, CATHOLICS DO NOT WORSHIP MARY. In fact the Catholic Church advocated against a radical priest in the Philippines calling for the worship of Mary.
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