St. Louis de Montfort assures us that devotion to Mary is not a distraction from devotion to Jesus. Nor does he consider his mother a rival whose honor somehow detracts from his own. If we’re establishing sound devotion to our Blessed Lady, it’s only in order to establish devotion to our Lord more perfectly, by providing a smooth but certain way of reaching Jesus Christ.
If devotion to Our Lady distracted us from our Lord, we’d have to reject it as an illusion of the Devil. But this is far from being the case. This devotion is necessary, simply and solely because it’s a way of reaching Jesus perfectly, loving him tenderly, and serving him faithfully. Here I turn to you for a moment, dear Jesus, to complain lovingly to your divine Majesty that the majority of Christians, and even some of the most learned among them, fail to recognize the necessary bond that unites you and your Blessed Mother.
Lord, you are always with Mary, and Mary is always with you. She can never be without you, because then she would cease to be what she is. Dear Jesus, would it please you if we were to make no effort to give pleasure to your mother because we’re afraid of offending you? Does devotion to your holy mother hinder devotion to you? Does Mary keep to herself any honor we pay her?
Is she a rival of yours? Is she a stranger having no kinship with you? Does pleasing her imply displeasing you? Does giving ourselves to her constitute a deprivation for you? Is love for her a lessening of our love for you? Keep me from this way of thinking and acting, and let me share your feelings of gratitude, esteem, respect, and love for your holy mother.
I can then love and glorify you all the more, because I’ll be imitating and following you more closely.—St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary. Do any of my family members or friends claim that devotion to Mary dishonors Jesus? How might these insights help me make a reasonable reply to that claim? Lord Jesus, thank you for giving us your Blessed Mother to be our mother. Holy Mary, thank you for always leading us to your divine Son.
