By Pat Haggerty

What is your devotion to Mary like?  Do you have one?   Do you turn to Mary as an intercessor to the Lord for you?

As we celebrate the glorious feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I have asked myself the above questions---and more.  Do I pray the rosary enough?  Do I turn to Mary, as our Mother, for help and consolation?  Do I pray the “Magnificat” as my own prayer of resignation to our God?

Devotion to Mary can take many forms.  My own mother prays the rosary with Mother Angelica every night as she watches the broadcast on EWTN.  My aunt used to say this prayer in her time of desperation:  “Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.”  Only she said it in French, which to her had much more impact. (O, Marie, conçus sans pêchés, priez pour nous qui avons recours à vous.)  My own devotion to Mary was reinforced during elementary school.  We learned the beauty of the rosary and we celebrated that beauty with a May procession every year.

One can honor Mary through song, as we sing such hymns as “Immaculate Mary,” “Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above,” and “Hail Mary:  Gentle Woman.” One of my favorites is the John Michael Talbot hymn, “Holy is His Name.”  This song is based on the Magnificat, which is the beautiful prayer of Mary that is part of the gospel reading for August 15.

Take some time to really think about the words of the Magnificat, which read in part:  “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.  From this day all generations will call me blessed; the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name. “

Read and re-read the Magnificat found in Luke’s gospel (1:46-55).  Listen to Talbot’s song “Holy is His Name,” which you can find on YouTube.  Say the rosary with fervor concentrating on the mysteries of the rosary.  Find other prayers to Mary like the Ave Verum or the Memorare and make them part of your prayer-life.

Above all, may our souls rejoice in God’s greatness and may we, like Mary, be His servant forever.