Maternal Intercession in a Chaotic World

Madonna and Child by Marianne Stokes

Have you noticed lately that the Catholic Church is loudly calling upon the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and that even Protestants are beginning to remedy their neglect? It's hard to believe that there was a time not so long ago when Marian devotion was considered passe, sacrificed on the altar of ecumenism. But something must be done about the evils of abortion, euthanasia, the threat to religious freedom, war, mass shootings in schools and movie theaters, etc., etc., etc... And when the going gets tough, the Church calls on the Mother of God. Why? Because she hears the cries of the world, and she takes them to her Son, as He wills it to be. Jesus takes them to the Father, and then something gets done. Mary is powerful and permeated with divine grace. She is our life, our sweetness, and our hope. She knows what it is like to be pregnant under dangerous and uncertain circumstances, to give birth and to see your child die. She is the spiritual Mother of us all.

So on a day like this, the 40th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade and the Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion, we are horrified. 55 million children dead, murdered with the consent of their mothers. I think of Mary, whose fiat brought salvation to a world of sinners, and I know she must cry bitter, bitter tears. Every day. What irreplaceable souls are lost forever to this fallen world?

Novenas to Our Lady are coming back into fashion. Rosaries are being prayed in homes and churches, in cars and on buses and planes. Pilgrimages to Marian shrines continue to grow. It gives you some hope, doesn't it? Can you feel that a monumental, sea change is coming? Stella Maris, Star of the Sea, pray for us. Mother of Sorrows, pray for us. Mother of Consolation, hear the cries of the unborn and the mothers who regret their terrible choice. Help us to give a voice to the voiceless. Speak to the hearts of expectant mothers. Give us the courage to surrender all in our lives to your maternal care. May we give birth to the God of peace.