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ON, THEY HAVE NO WINE! Reflections on the Importance of Devotion to Mary

There is a growing trend in some Catholic institutions/communities that should be a cause for alarm to anyone entrusted with the care of souls and particularly with the spiritual formation of the youth. This trend is the ever lessening focus on the role of Mary in the faith journey of the disciples of Jesus.
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What we call "God" is a trinity of Divine Persons. Their unity is so complete that these three who's (God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit) are one what (God): a Divine Communio. God the Father ("…the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth…") by His very Nature pours himself out totally to his Beloved - Jesus Christ ("…eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father…"). This Agape is so complete, we say, "God is Love", not "God has love" or "God loves". Love is His Nature meaning that if he were to stop "begetting" his Son, that is, stop loving (agape), he would cease to be. God the Son, Jesus Christ the Beloved, receives his Father's love perfectly, without fear, hesitation, or doubt. His nature is to glorify the Father in a divine reciprocation of Agape. Indeed, the only right response to love…is love. Eternally, the Father and Son are in a communion of giving and receiving so real, that it is the Third Divine Person, The Holy Spirit ("…the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and Son he is worshipped and glorified."). Talk about love taking on a life of its own! Life and Love are inseparable with God. Made in God's image, Life and Love are inseparable with Man.

The call to marriage

So, what does this have to do with marriage? We were made to love (agape). We were made relational - to be a self-gift. "..man, who is the only creature on earth which God willed for itself, cannot fully find himself except in the sincere gift of himself" (Gaudium et Spes 24). The only two ways to live our vocation here on earth is in marriage or consecrated celibacy "for the kingdom". Though we are all single for some part of our lives, there is no call or vocation to singleness or bachelorhood. This seems harsh to modern sensibilities absent an understanding of the truth of the human person and his destiny. Our destiny is an eternal marriage with Christ. We, the Church, are the bride betrothed to Christ the Bridegroom. Our Lord told the Pharisees that in heaven, man and woman are not given in marriage, yet he raised marriage to a Sacrament here on earth. If it is so sacred and important, why does "death do us part"? In St. Paul's discourse on marriage (Ephesians 5:21-33) we are given the Christ/Church marriage as the model for our earthly marriages.

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