Our Lady of Divine Providence: The Mother Who Never Lets Her Children Lack

Our Lady of Divine Providence: The Mother Who Never Lets Her Children Lack  

Reflections on the Wedding at Cana and the Tender Care of Mary

The title “Our Lady of Divine Providence” is not as universally known as “Our Lady of Guadalupe” or “Our Lady of Fatima,” yet it carries within it one of the most consoling truths of our faith: Mary is the Mother appointed by God to see that her children lack nothing necessary for their journey to heaven. In Puerto Rico, in Sicily, and in countless hearts around the world, she is invoked under this precise name: Madre de la Divina Providencia. The image is striking: a serene Virgin holding the Child Jesus in one arm while with the other hand she gently extends a gesture of giving, as though reminding us that everything we receive comes through her maternal mediation.

The Gospel scene that most perfectly reveals this aspect of Mary’s mission is the Wedding at Cana (John 2:1–11). It is no accident that the Church has always seen in this episode the inaugural sign of Jesus’ public ministry and, simultaneously, the first great Marian moment of the New Covenant. At Cana we discover how Divine Providence actually works in the life of the redeemed: through the attentive heart of a Mother who notices what we lack before we ourselves dare to ask.

 The Silence Before the Request

“They have no wine.”

Four quiet words (John 2:3). Mary does not dramatize the situation, does not scold the steward, does not draw attention to herself. She simply states a fact to her Son. This is the first movement of Divine Providence: the Mother sees. Long before the servants realize the calamity, long before the groom faces humiliation, Mary has already perceived the need.  

St. Bernard of Clairvaux, in one of his sermons, beautifully remarks: “She knew the embarrassment that was coming, and her compassionate heart could not bear it.” That is the heart of the Mother of Divine Providence. She is never indifferent. She does not wait for us to formulate perfect prayers or to deserve her intervention. She notices the empty jars of our lives—empty of joy, empty of hope, empty of love—and she moves.

We are often slow to recognize our own poverty. We cover it with noise, with distractions, with false self-sufficiency. But Mary is not deceived. She sees the moment when the wine of gladness runs out: in a marriage grown cold, in a priest discouraged by the emptiness of his church, in a young person tempted to despair, in a family crushed by debt or illness. “They have no wine.” She says it softly, almost in a whisper, directly into the ear of her Son.

 The Obedience That Opens the Jars

Jesus’ reply seems, at first glance, almost a rebuff: “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4). Yet Mary is undeterred. She turns to the servants and gives what may be the most important instruction in all of Scripture for those who wish to receive from God: “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5).

Here is the second movement of Divine Providence: obedience. Mary does not argue with Jesus, does not try to convince Him with reasons. She simply prepares the ground for the miracle by preparing hearts to obey. Six stone jars stand empty—ritual vessels that had contained water for Jewish purification, now useless. They are a perfect image of the old covenant: beautiful, solemn, but incapable of giving joy. Mary points to them and says, in effect, “Fill these with water. Trust Him even when the command seems absurd.”

How often does the Lord ask us to do something that appears pointless? Go to confession when we feel no guilt. Forgive when the wound is still bleeding. Get out of bed and pray when exhaustion weighs like lead. Give alms when the bank account is nearly empty. “Fill the jars with water.” It is ordinary, humiliating even—servants hauling bucket after bucket while the guests wait and perhaps mock. Yet it is precisely into this obedience that the miracle pours itself.

St. Augustine comments: “The servants knew where the wine came from; the headwaiter did not. So it is with grace: those who obey discover its sweetness; those who merely taste the result remain ignorant of its source.” The Mother of Divine Providence is the great teacher of this obedience without understanding, this obedience that makes room for God to act.

 The Superabundance That Astonishes

When the headwaiter tastes the water that has become wine, he calls the bridegroom and says, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now” (John 2:10). One hundred and twenty gallons of the finest wine—far more than the wedding could possibly consume. This is the third movement of Divine Providence: superabundance.

God never supplies merely what is necessary; He delights to give beyond all asking or imagining (Eph 3:20). Mary does not ask for a few extra cups to save face; she simply presents the need, and Jesus transforms embarrassment into overflowing joy. The miracle is not only for the wedding guests; it is a sign for the disciples, a foretaste of the Eucharistic banquet, a promise to every generation that the Mother of Divine Providence obtains for us “the good wine kept until now.”

St. John Paul II, in his encyclical Redemptoris Mater, writes: “Mary’s mediation is intimately linked to her motherhood… At Cana she shows herself to be the Mother who obtains from her Son the gifts that the people need.” The jars are filled to the brim (usque ad summum, says the Vulgate)—a phrase that echoes throughout salvation history. The ark was filled with manna, the Temple with glory, the Upper Room with the Spirit, and now the jars at Cana with wine. Mary is the woman who makes space for God to fill to overflowing.

 The Mother of All the Redeemed

We must never forget the deeper context of Cana: this wedding takes place after the Blood of the Lamb has already been foreshadowed. John the Baptist has pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:36). The true Bridegroom is already among them, and the true wedding is the union of Christ with His Church, sealed in His Blood. Mary stands at the beginning of this new covenant as the Mother of all those redeemed by her Son.

In 1903, when Pope Leo XIII approved the devotion to Our Lady of Divine Providence for Puerto Rico, the accompanying prayer spoke of her as “the Virgin who takes care of our needs as a mother cares for her children.” That same year, St. Pius X would later declare that Mary is the “Dispensatrix of all graces.” The theology is clear: every grace won by Christ on the Cross passes through the hands of His Mother. She is not the source, but she is the channel—the aqueduct, as St. Bernard called her—through which Divine Providence reaches us.

The Wedding at Cana is therefore not an isolated episode; it is the icon of how salvation is distributed. The empty jars are our souls after sin. The water is the obedience of faith. The wine is the Holy Spirit, the joy of the Kingdom. And standing in the middle, interceding silently, directing the servants, is Mary, Mother of Divine Providence.

 Living Under Her Mantle Today

What does it mean, practically, to entrust ourselves to Our Lady of Divine Providence in 2025?

1. Cultivate her attentiveness. Begin each day by asking Mary to open your eyes to the hidden needs around you—the coworker whose smile no longer reaches his eyes, the child who has stopped talking about school, the neighbor who no longer comes to Mass. Providence begins when we notice.

2. Practice Cana obedience. When prayer feels dry, when the rosary seems an empty ritual, when the command to love your enemy feels impossible—fill the jars anyway. Bring the ordinary water of daily duty, and let the Mother present it to her Son.

3. Expect the superabundance. Dare to ask for more than survival. Ask for joy in suffering, for conversion of those who seem unreachable, for a new Pentecost in your parish. Mary never asks small.

4. Consecrate your material needs to her. The original image of Our Lady of Divine Providence in Puerto Rico shows the Child Jesus asleep on her lap—an image of total abandonment. When finances collapse, when illness strikes, when the future is dark, place yourself like that sleeping Child in her arms. She provided for the Holy Family in Egypt with nothing but trust; she will provide for you.

In 1960, during a terrible drought in Puerto Rico, the people carried the image of Our Lady of Divine Providence in procession, begging for rain. On the very day of the procession, torrential, unexpected rain fell abundantly. The chronicles record that the bishop exclaimed, “See how the Mother of Divine Providence cares for her children!” The miracle was not only the rain; it was the faith that dared to ask.

 Conclusion: The Hour That Has Come

At Cana, Jesus said, “My hour has not yet come.” Yet because of His Mother’s request, He anticipated the hour. On the Cross, that same hour would arrive in fullness, and from His pierced side would flow blood and water—the wine of the Eucharist and the water of Baptism. There, too, Mary stood, and Jesus gave her to us as Mother (John 19:26–27).

Every grace we have ever received—every sacrament, every moment of consolation, every answered prayer—has come to us at the hour anticipated by Mary at Cana and consummated on Calvary. This is why we can say with absolute confidence: Our Lady of Divine Providence will never let her children lack what they truly need.

May we learn to live as the servants at Cana: attentive to her voice, quick to obey, ready to be astonished by the good wine she obtains for us—until the day we sit at the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb, where the jars will never be empty again.

Our Lady of Divine Providence, pray for us.  

Mother who sees our needs before we speak them, teach us to trust.  

Mother who turns water into wine, turn our poverty into joy.  

Mother of the redeemed, lead us safely to your Son.

May the Mother of Divine Providence bless every soul who reads these words with the choicest wine kept until this very hour.

 Citations & Further Reading

- Holy Bible (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition), John 2:1–11  

- St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermon on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary  

- St. Augustine, Tractates on the Gospel of John 9.4–6  

- St. John Paul II, Encyclical Redemptoris Mater (1987), §§ 21–23  

- Pope Leo XIII, Decree approving the devotion to Our Lady of Divine Providence (1903)  

- Catechism of the Catholic Church §§ 967–971 (Mary, Mother and Dispensatrix of Grace)  

- Fr. Luis M. Martínez, The Sanctifier (chapter on Mary and the Holy Spirit)  

- Historical chronicles of the 1960 procession in Caguas, Puerto Rico (Archdiocesan archives)

The Wedding at Cana and the Modern Misuse of Scripture: When Jesus’ First Miracle is Twisted to Justify Alcoholism

The Wedding at Cana and the Modern Misuse of Scripture: When Jesus’ First Miracle is Twisted to Justify Alcoholism

Every year, around the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Gospel reading brings us to the wedding feast at Cana. Jesus, at His mother’s gentle prompting, transforms six stone jars of water—each holding twenty to thirty gallons—into the finest wine. The master of the banquet is stunned. “Everyone serves the good wine first,” he says, “and then the inferior when the guests have become drunk; but you have kept the good wine until now” (John 2:10). For centuries, preachers have rightly seen this as a sign of Christ’s generosity, a revelation of His divinity, and a quiet affirmation that joy, celebration, and even fermented drink can have a place in the Christian life.

Yet in recent years a disturbing trend has emerged, particularly on social media and in certain Catholic circles: the miracle at Cana is being weaponized to celebrate, endorse, or minimize alcoholism. Memes proclaim “Jesus turned water into wine, not water into water—so drink up!” T-shirts boast “Cana: the original open bar.” Influencers post photos of overflowing pints with captions like “What Would Jesus Brew?” Some go further, insisting that anyone who abstains from alcohol is a “Puritan” or a “Jansenist” who rejects the spirit of the wedding feast. One popular X account with over 80,000 followers regularly declares, “Teetotalism is a heresy—Jesus was literally a winemaker.”

This is not harmless humor. It is a grotesque distortion of Sacred Scripture, a mockery of Our Lord’s first public miracle, and a pastoral failure that endangers souls struggling with addiction. Today I want to examine three things: (1) what the wine at Cana actually was, (2) why invoking this miracle to promote heavy drinking is immoral and constitutes grave abuse of Scripture, and (3) the clear teaching of the Church that alcohol consumption is neither a doctrinal requirement nor even necessary for valid consecration at Mass.

 Part I: The Wine of First-Century Palestine Was Not Modern Cabernet

One of the most common sleight-of-hand tactics in the “Jesus wants you to party” crowd is to equate the “wine” (Greek: oinos) mentioned in John 2 with the 12–16% ABV (alcohol by volume) bottles we buy today. This is historically indefensible.

Fermentation in the ancient Near East was limited by technology and climate. Without airtight seals, distillation, or modern yeast strains, naturally fermented grape juice rarely exceeded 4–6% ABV before secondary fermentation turned it to vinegar. Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79) notes that the strongest wines in the Roman Empire were around 8–10% ABV, and even those were considered exceptionally potent. Most everyday wine was diluted with water at ratios ranging from 1:3 to 1:20. The Mishnah (Pesahim 10:1) and Talmud (Shabbat 77a) prescribe dilution rates that would bring the final drink to roughly 2–3% ABV—comparable to a modern near-beer.

Archaeological evidence confirms this. Residue analysis from first-century jars in Judea shows average alcohol levels between 3.5% and 5.8%. The six stone jars at Cana held purification water; filling them to the brim with undiluted high-ABV wine would have produced roughly 900 modern bottles at 14% ABV—enough to intoxicate the entire village for days. That is not what happened. The headwaiter’s surprise was not that the guests were suddenly hammered, but that the host had saved the best-tasting (not strongest) wine for last.

The Greek verb methyskō (“to become drunk”) in John 2:10 does not imply widespread inebriation at the feast; it simply acknowledges the common ancient practice of serving better wine first, before palates grew dull. St. John Chrysostom (Homily 22 on John) and St. Augustine (Tractate 9 on John) both emphasize that the miracle reveals Christ’s lordship over creation and His desire to gladden human hearts—not to sanction excess.

To claim “Jesus made 180 gallons of top-shelf booze” is to project 21st-century fraternity culture onto first-century Galilee. It is the equivalent of saying Jesus served espresso shots because the Greek oinos could theoretically mean any fermented beverage. Accuracy matters when we are dealing with the Word of God.

 Part II: Using Cana to Endorse Alcoholism Is Immoral and an Abuse of Scripture

Scripture is not a wax nose to be twisted into whatever shape suits our vices. When St. Paul warns Timothy, “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach” (1 Tim 5:23), he is giving medicinal advice, not a blank check for bar crawling. When the Psalmist sings that wine “gladdens the heart of man” (Ps 104:15), he places it alongside bread and oil—staples of life, not licenses for oblivion.

To invoke the wedding at Cana as justification for drunkenness violates at least four serious moral principles:

1. It commits the sin of sacrilegium—treating sacred things with irreverence.  

   Jesus’ first public sign was meant to manifest His glory (John 2:11). Reducing it to a divine stamp of approval on binge drinking drags the Savior into complicity with behavior He repeatedly condemned. Our Lord warned, “Take heed that you are not led astray” (Luke 21:8), and pronounced woe on those who “run to strong drink” (Isa 5:11, quoted by early Fathers against excess).

2. It mocks the virtue of temperance.  

   The Catechism teaches that “the virtue of temperance disposes us to avoid every kind of excess: the abuse of food, alcohol, tobacco, or medicine” (CCC 2290). Offenses against temperance are grave matter when they lead to loss of reason or harm to health. St. Thomas Aquinas classifies drunkenness as a mortal sin when voluntary and complete (Summa II-II, q. 150, a. 2). To joke that Jesus “invented day drinking” is to treat mortal sin as a punch line.

3. It scandalizes the weak and endangers souls in recovery.  

   St. Paul would rather never eat meat again than cause a brother to stumble (1 Cor 8:13). One in ten American adults suffers from alcohol use disorder. Countless Catholic men and women in AA or Celebrate Recovery hear priests and influencers joke that “real Catholics drink like fish because of Cana.” That is not pastoral accompaniment; that is spiritual malpractice. As Our Lady of Fatima warned Sister Lucia, more souls go to hell for sins of the flesh than any other reason—and alcohol is the primary gateway drug to many of those sins.

4. It distorts the nuptial symbolism of the miracle.  

   The Fathers saw Cana as a foreshadowing of the Eucharistic banquet and the wedding feast of the Lamb (Rev 19:9). Ephraim the Syrian, Cyril of Alexandria, and Rupert of Deutz all interpret the “good wine saved for last” as the Blood of Christ reserved for the eschatological banquet. To reduce this profound typology to “Jesus supports tailgating” is exegetical vandalism.

 Part III: The Church Has Never Taught That Catholics Must Drink Alcohol

Some defenders of the “Cana party culture” claim that teetotalism is “Protestant” or “rigorist.” This is ahistorical nonsense.

- Pope Pius XII explicitly praised the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association in 1950, calling their pledge “a wise and generous act of renunciation.”

          - St. John Paul II told recovering alcoholics in 1995: “Your witness of total abstinence is a great                 gift to the Church.”

          - The 1917 Code of Canon Law (canon 1269) allowed bishops to require total abstinence pledges             in mission territories.

- Venerable Matt Talbot (1856–1925), an Irish alcoholic turned mystic, is on the path to canonization precisely because he embraced lifelong abstinence after years of drunkenness.

Even more telling: the Church does not require alcohol in the Eucharist itself.

Canon 924 §3 of the 1983 Code states: “The wine must be natural, from the fruit of the grape, pure and incorrupt, not mixed with other substances… It is altogether forbidden to use wine of doubtful authenticity or quality.” The phrase “natural wine” has been interpreted by the Congregation for Divine Worship to permit mustum—fresh grape juice with fermentation just begun and immediately arrested—so low in alcohol (usually <1% ABV) that recovering alcoholics may receive under this form with episcopal permission.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, as Prefect of the CDF, wrote in 1994: “The Church has always recognized the legitimacy of using mustum… The use of mustum is a concession made out of pastoral solicitude for priests who are alcoholics.” If the Precious Blood can be confected validly with virtually no alcohol, then no Catholic can claim that “real sacramental life” requires drinking.

 Part IV: A Personal Appeal

I write this not as a teetotaler lobbing stones from the sidelines. I enjoy a good stout on feast days. My family keeps a bottle of Barolo for Easter. But I have buried friends who died of cirrhosis before age forty. I have held the hands of wives whose husbands chose the pub over their children, quoting Cana memes as justification. I have heard confession lines where men weep because they cannot receive Communion on Sunday after blacking out on Saturday—yet their parish men’s group calls sobriety “unmanly.”

Enough.

The miracle at Cana reveals a Savior who enters into human joy so fully that He will not allow a wedding to end in embarrassment. But the same Savior who multiplied loaves also fasted forty days. The same Christ who made wine also overturned tables. Joy and austerity are not enemies in the Gospel; they are dance partners.

If you struggle with alcohol, know this: the Church does not demand that you drink. Jesus does not love you less because you choose water, coffee, or O’Doul’s. Your sobriety is not a defect; it is a share in the Cross that perfects your love.

And to those who post the memes, sell the T-shirts, and preach “moderate drunkenness” from the ambo: stop. You are not defending Catholic culture. You are profaning the Scriptures and jeopardizing souls for likes and laughs. Repent. Delete the posts. Make reparations.

Our Lady of Cana, who noticed the servants’ need before anyone else, pray for us. May she teach us to hear the quiet voice that says, “Do whatever He tells you”—even when He tells us to put the cup down.

 Sources

- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997), nos. 1803, 1866, 2288–2291.

- Code of Canon Law (1983), canons 924 §3, 927.

- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, “Circular Letter Concerning the Use of Mustum and Low-Gluten Hosts” (24 July 2003).

- St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of John, Homily 22 (PG 59:131–134).

- St. Augustine, Tractates on the Gospel of John, Tractate 9 (PL 35:1460–1463).

- St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 150.

- Pliny the Elder, Natural History XIV.58.

- Patrick E. McGovern, Ancient Wine: The Search for the Origins of Viniculture (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003).

- Pius XII, Address to the Pioneer Total Abstinence Association (9 September 1950).

- John Paul II, Address to Alcoholics Anonymous (24 August 1995).

- Mishnah Pesahim 10:1; Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 77a.

- Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum (25 March 2004), no. 50.

- Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Letter on Mustum (24 October 1994).

 

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: God Transforms Things

The readings for the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time in Year C, January 19, 2025, offer a rich tapestry of themes and insights that invite us to reflect deeply on our faith journey. The liturgical readings for this Sunday include Isaiah 62:1-5, Psalm 96, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, and John 2:1-11. Each of these readings provides a unique perspective on God's relationship with His people and the transformative power of His love.

Isaiah 62:1-5

In the first reading from Isaiah, we encounter a powerful message of hope and restoration. The prophet Isaiah speaks of God's unwavering commitment to His people, promising that their righteousness will shine like the dawn and their salvation like a blazing torch. This passage is a reminder that God never abandons His people, even in times of desolation and despair. The imagery of a bridegroom rejoicing over his bride underscores the intimate and joyful relationship that God desires with each of us. As we reflect on this reading, we are called to trust in God's promises and to recognize the ways in which He is actively working to bring about our redemption and renewal.

Psalm 96

Psalm 96 is a hymn of praise that calls all creation to sing a new song to the Lord. This psalm celebrates God's sovereignty and His marvelous deeds among the nations. It invites us to acknowledge God's glory and strength, and to worship Him with reverence and joy. The psalmist's call to "declare His glory among the nations" challenges us to be witnesses of God's love and to share the good news of His salvation with others. As we meditate on this psalm, we are reminded of the importance of gratitude and worship in our spiritual lives, and the need to proclaim God's greatness to the world.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

In the second reading from 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses the diversity of spiritual gifts within the Christian community. He emphasizes that these gifts are given by the same Spirit and are intended for the common good. Paul lists various gifts, including wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, and prophecy, and highlights that each gift is a manifestation of the Spirit's work in the believer's life. This passage encourages us to recognize and appreciate the unique gifts that God has bestowed upon us and others. It also challenges us to use these gifts in service to the community, fostering unity and building up the body of Christ.

John 2:1-11

The Gospel reading from John recounts the wedding at Cana, where Jesus performs His first public miracle by turning water into wine. This event is significant not only because it reveals Jesus' divine power, but also because it symbolizes the transformative nature of His ministry. The miracle at Cana points to the abundance of God's grace and the joy that comes from being in His presence. It also highlights the role of Mary, who intercedes on behalf of the wedding couple, demonstrating her faith and trust in Jesus. As we reflect on this Gospel passage, we are invited to consider the ways in which Jesus transforms our lives and to respond with faith and gratitude.

Reflection

The readings for the Second Sunday of Ordinary Time Year C invite us to reflect on the themes of hope, praise, unity, and transformation. They remind us of God's unwavering love and His desire to be in a joyful and intimate relationship with us. As we meditate on these passages, we are called to trust in God's promises, to worship Him with gratitude, to recognize and use our spiritual gifts for the common good, and to embrace the transformative power of Jesus in our lives.  Jesus can turn water into wine. Imagine what He can do in your life?  Jesus has the power of space-time, matter and the laws of physics. There is nothing He cannot do.   You just need to ask as we read in the Gospel

Today's Gospel also highlights Marian theology regarding her intercession to Christ.  She intercedes to Christ while Christ is the Sole Mediator to His Father.  We read of the waiters going to Mary specifically to voice their concerns about the lack of wine.  Why her?  There are many things we can think about here.  Perhaps Mary knew the family or couple getting married and had a role in the organization of the wedding. Maybe they knew who her Son was and what He could do.  There are many ideas we can come up with, however, we know that this story and particularly this detail was placed in the Gospel for a reason.  

The Apostle John was the one who Jesus told to take Mary as his own mother.  In light of this, we can see why John would highlight Mary's unique role in salvific history in regards to being the intercessor to Christ her Son.  Mary knows Jesus more than anyone on Earth. She is only best by God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and possibly the heavenly host of angelic beings.   Nevertheless, she is the only human to truly know the Lord Jesus on a personal and deep level.  She bore Him in her womb, fed Him, changed Him, bathed Him, taught Him, and so on. St. Joseph had a hand in this as well, but based on tradition, he passed before Jesus took on His ministry.  

The waiters telling Mary that there was no more wine shows us that Mary has a unique power and role as an intercessor and advocate, mediatrix of grace, and co-redemptrix.   Because of her, Jesus performed His first miracle before the time was set to take place.  We know God is immutable, but in this Gospel, we see God "change," so to speak. As a human actor, Jesus did the miracle before He was supposed to perform any miracles. As God, He cannot change. In light of this, we see the awesome intercessor that we have in Mary, Our Mother and Mother of God. 

Moreover, we cannot forget Mary's last words in the Gospel reading, "Do whatever He tells you."  These words are very powerful.  Many of our separated friends in the Protestant faith accuse us of paying too much attention to Mary or even worshiping her. This is false. No Catholics worship Mary. We give her extra attention or hyperdulia, but only God gets latria or worship.  We see how Mary points us to Christ. Even throughout the centuries,t he many apparitions of her both approved and not yet approved but permitted by the Church show a Mother pointing to her Son and asking the world to repent because it offends God.  This is not a woman seeking attention or worship. She is a fellow Catholic Christian evangelizing the world even after her Assumption into heaven.  In light of this, it is hard to process why many of our Protestant friends loathe Mary and speak ill of her.  It is just strange and quite frankly, demonic-influenced.  Only satan hates Mary with a passion.  

In our daily lives, we can apply these reflections by seeking to deepen our relationship with God through prayer and worship, by being attentive to the needs of others and using our gifts to serve them, and by remaining open to the ways in which Jesus is working to transform us. Let us take these readings to heart and allow them to inspire us to live more fully as disciples of Christ, bearing witness to His love and grace in all that we do.