Mary, Mother of Priests

The quickest and surest way to have a closer relationship with Jesus is through His Blessed Mother. She is the one that He chose to give to all of us, God's children, as our Mother and Queen. There is no more powerful intercessor for us before the throne of God. No one else, except Jesus, has suffered as much for the sake of her children. Jesus told Venerable Concepcion Cabrera de Armida (Conchita), "Without Mary, God did not want that Redemption would be possible, nor the Church, nor the Eucharist, nor salvation of the human race."

For those Catholics or other Christians who object to the powerful role assigned to the Blessed Virgin Mary by God Himself, it would be wise to pray for enlightenment--if you truly don't want to offend Jesus. Everything He does and decides comes from love for mankind. He shares His own Mother with us, an awesome generosity! To reject His wisdom and His Mother (and ours) is an affront to Jesus, our Savior and our God. From a purely human point of view, most of us would strenuously object if someone mistreated our earthly mother. Could Jesus, with His infinite sensitivity as God, be less offended when His own Mother is ignored or insulted?

Even more is Jesus offended if the ones with little respect and love for His Mother are priests. In this Year of the Priest, it is especially important for all priests to develop a closer relationship with their heavenly Mother. For the rest of us, prayers to the Blessed Mother for priests are encouraged. To Venerable Conchita Jesus said,

"...if My priests progress in virtue, it will be through Mary; if they want to grow in the knowledge and love of the Holy Spirit, let them make her more their own and let them make her known and let them glorify her."

"... I ask this much more of them, that they do not hurt, nor remain distant from Mary, My Mother, so that they treat her as I did, with all filial respect, at the same time with all loving confidence and with a son's intimacy."

"With a summons that arises from the inmost depths of My soul I cry out directly to them today: PRIESTS OF THE LORD, LOVE MARY AND BE TRANSFORMED INTO ME THROUGH MARY!"

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us to respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

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Photograph by Lawrence Lew, O.P. from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/31560823201