Devotion to Mary profoundly biblical, Argentinean bishop says

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Aug 15, 2012 / 15:09 pm

Archbishop Jose Maria Arancedo of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz, Argentina said devotion to the Virgin Mary has solid biblical and ecclesial roots that culminate in an encounter with Christ.

"Devotion to the Virgin Mary has its most solid foundation in the Sacred Scriptures and in the Tradition of the Church," he said.  

"We cannot speak of her apart from God's plan, and this makes it a profoundly biblical devotion. At the same time, the presence of Mary with the apostles at the birth of the Church made her a unique point of reference for the Christian people," he added.

In his reflection for the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary on Aug. 15, Archbishop Arancedo said this devotion is also deeply ecclesial.  

"The certainty of her divine maternity – she is the Mother of the Son of God – was the assurance for defining the divine nature of Jesus Christ at the Council of Ephesus.

She was not the mother of a man, but rather the Mother of God. Therefore, devotion to the Virgin Mary is the expression of a mature biblical and ecclesial spirituality. This has been the tradition of the Christian people," he said.

Archbishop Arancedo said that Mary's role should therefore be understood within God's plan, "in which everything is oriented towards Jesus Christ...In the Gospel she herself will see to directing our eyes to her Son: 'Do whatever he tells you.'"

"As the chosen daughter of God, she teaches us to relate to Him in a climate of trust and gratitude. She knows that the personal love of God for her entails a calling, a mission, and she lives it with the joy and humility of the truth," he continued.

"An authentic devotion to Mary should lead us to imitate her attitude of faith," Archbishop Arancedo said, "in order to see ourselves in God's plan and to find meaning for our lives in Jesus Christ. The encounter with Christ is the culmination of our devotion to the Most Holy Virgin."