Surrendering to God Through Mary

“From Mary we learn to surrender to God’s will in all things. From Mary we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone. From Mary we learn to love Christ her Son and the Son of God.”

 ~St. John Paul II

St. John Paul II knows what he is talking about. This is very true. We should strive to become closer to Mary as she is the Mother of God. By becoming closer to Mary, she leads us closer to Christ. When we do not know where to turn, we can ask Mary to pray for us. Just as she said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word,” we too should decide to surrender to God and let Him do what is best for us. Even if we have trouble understanding God’s will for us and why He might be calling us down a certain path, we can ask Mary to help us completely surrender to God. Since Mary shows us such a good example of trusting in God, she can help us transform our heart so that we will have an open heart as she did.

When we are afraid or worried, we can ask Blessed Mother to intercede for us. There is a beautiful prayer by Mother Teresa, “Mary, Mother of Jesus, please be a mother to me now.” When you are alone or fearful ask Mary to be a mother to you. As our mother, she comforts us, loves us, and cares for us. Mother Teresa had a great deal of hardship in her life and often said this prayer during those times. This prayer is, therefore, a beautiful way of asking for her intercession.

How exactly can we grow closer to Jesus through Mary though? We can spend time every day asking Mary to intercede for us. Praying the Rosary is a very good way of getting closer to Mary and Jesus. She asks us to pray the Rosary, so it is a very powerful way of growing in holiness. In addition, the Marian Consecration to Jesus through Mary can help us strengthen our relationship with Jesus through His mother Mary. There are many different kinds of Marian consecrations such as the one by St. Maximillian Kolbe. Learning more about Mary by reading books about her is also a great way. One book that is especially good is St. Louis De Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary.

Jesus loves His mother very much, so He is very happy when we honor her and ask her for prayers. Ask her to help you imitate her complete trust in God and have an open heart to do whatever He asks of you.