The Bishop Writes

(From the April 30, 1998 edition of the Inland Register)

The month of May has traditionally been dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Several weeks ago at our Catholic Youth Celebration, I was asked to give a workshop on Mary in relationship to miracles and visions. I thought it would be appropriate to share some of those reflections with you as we approach May and acknowledge gratefully the tradition of the devotion to Mary in the Church.

In Sacred Scripture, we find many instances of God communicating to people in unusual ways. Moses and the burning bush, Elijah and the gentle breeze, St. Joseph's dream, St. Paul on the road to Damascus: all are instances of unusual experiences of communication with God. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque founded the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus based upon her conversation with the Lord. In the Old Testament, the parting of the Red Sea, the plagues, manna in the desert, and the story of Jonah are all accounts which speak of God's power in our lives. Jesus cures leprosy and mental illness, raises the dead to life, and calms the stormy waters. In recent centuries, the devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Lourdes, and Fatima have sprung up. Supposedly there have been visions in Medjugorje, with accompanying signs. Road signs in the Yakima Valley and weeping statues around the world have attracted great attention. Some of these episodes have been accompanied by messages of doom and gloom as well as anti-Vatican II sentiments - for instance, the events at Bayside, N.Y., with visions which the Diocese of Brooklyn has judged are not authentic.

What is one to make of all this? Our attitude should be that of the Church. The Church has recognized miracles, and indeed does generally require them if a person is to be declared a saint. She is also very cautious in this regard. The Church has never proclaimed private revelation or visions as a matter of faith.

In the chapter on Mary in Lumen Gentium, the Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, there is no mention about visions, but the chapter promotes a healthy devotion to Mary. The same is true in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. An article by Jesuit Father Avery Dulles appeared recently in the magazine America. In the article, titled "Mary at the Dawn of the New Millennium," Father Dulles asserts that the basic lines of Catholic devotion to Mary are now beyond dispute. She is enshrined in Sacred Scripture, prayer, poetry, song and art, writings of saints and theologians and in the teachings of the popes and Councils. Mary was conceived and born without original sin, remained a virgin throughout her life, was full of grace, was exemplary in her faith, hope, and love of God and generous concern for others, and at the end of her earthly life was taken body and soul up to heaven where she continues to exercise her spiritual motherhood. As Father Dulles states, this teaching within the Church is uncontested.

In recent years there has been an increasing emphasis on Mary as the Mother of the Church. When Jesus tells John at the foot of the cross, "Behold your mother," this moment was to convey the divine tenderness of God. We need to imitate that tenderness as well.

Jesus strongly condemns those who seek signs: "Why does this age seek a sign? I assure you no sign will be given it" (Mk 8:12). Those who seek signs run the serious risk of imbalance on the spiritual journey. Our search should be for holiness of life. Looking for signs can also lead to a weakened faith. Faith for us has to be a leap into the unknown. In addition, if the search for signs becomes intense, a person can be afflicted with grand delusions which they think are real. If one wants signs of God's goodness and activity, they are all over: the galaxies in the universe, the human body, the birthing process as the infant transitions from a world of liquid to one of air, or the DNA molecule.

While he was bishop of Helena, Archbishop Alex Brunett of Seattle issued a pastoral letter on devotion to Mary. At the end of the letter, he indicated that a healthy devotion to Mary is marked by four ways of praying:

1. A strong place in our lives for the celebration of Eucharist. Mass is not a time for private devotion but an opportunity of giving ourselves more fully to the action of the Church gathered in prayer.

2. The prayer of the Church in the Liturgy of the Hours offers a wide variety of reflections and prayers following the cycle of Christ's life. The Magnificat of Mary (Lk 1:46-55) is prayed during every evening prayer.

3. The angelus is a prayer which traditionally has been prayed at 6 a.m., noon, and 6 p.m. The angelus prayer is specifically Marian.

4. The rosary, which can be traced back to the 12th century, has become a very popular form of prayer within the Church. The cycle of mysteries facilitates our prayerful reflection on some basic mysteries of our faith.

I hope and pray that this May will be a time for all of us to deepen an authentic devotion to Mary and to appreciate the gift she has been to us as the mother of the Church. Her prayer, "My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord," continues to challenge us to make that response happen in our own lives.

May God bless you and give you peace.

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