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 St. Ann's Church in Wilmington, Delaware has an unusual monstrance, the vessel used to display the Holy Eucharist for public veneration.The stem is the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her arms raised and holding aloft the traditional sunburst and luna which holds the Host. Inscribed is the Ignatian aphorism, "per Mariam ad Jesum."
"Through Mary to Jesus."These words sum up our doctrine, devotion, and art associated with the Mother of God. The devotion to Mary is first of all rooted in the Word of God and the faithful witness of Sacred Tradition. The Fathers of the Second Vatican Council recalled Mary's prophetic words, first spoken to Elizabeth and recorded in Luke's Gospel, "all nations shall call me blessed."Our Lady's place in salvation history is also confirmed time and again in countless apparitions throughout the world. It is abundantly clear that the role assigned to her by the Father is to lead the faithful ever-closer to Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Mary.
Authentic, vibrant, and effective Marian devotion invites us ever deeper into the mystery of Jesus and the great truths of salvation history. Beautiful hymns, both traditional and contemporary, artistic images of the Virgin mother in wood, stone, paint, and stained glass, and devotions and prayers like the Litany of Loretto, the Memorare, and the Salve Regina express our love for God's Mother and His Son. The Rosary, in particular, helps us encounter and ponder the mysteries of God's grace in Christ.
We reflect on Jesus and His so-called "hidden life" prior to His public ministry, His passion, death and resurrection, His ascension to the Father and sending of the Holy Spirit, and His heavenly ministry until His return in glory. Through His holy Mother we come to know and love Him more and more, and we grow in our understanding, however imperfect and incomplete, of the sublime truth of Who and What Jesus is, for us each one of us personally and also for our Church and world.
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