False Devotion to Mary

Merely external devotion is one which consists simply and solely in outward practices. Now we must not make the mistake of thinking that all outward forms of devotion are to be condemned. Far from it. The Church not only permits, but very definitely approves of an exterior show of piety, provided, of course, that it is not only exterior, but also and above all interior. Outward forms of devotion are instituted or approved by the Church for the excellent reason that they stimulate our love of God and the Blessed Virgin, and present us with the opportunity of professing that love publicly. It is true, no doubt, that God wishes to be worshipped ”in spirit and in truth.” But this by no means implies ”only in spirit.” God made us the way we are, beings composed of body and soul. Hence, we must show our love for Him not only with our soul, but with our entire human nature, both body and soul. A criticism of merely external devotion must not, therefore, be construed as a reprobation of the proper use of public worship of God and veneration of Our Blessed Lady.

Those who are deluded by merely external devotion are described by St. Louis de Montfort as ”persons who make all devotion to our Blessed Lady consist in outward practices.” They have the impression that piety comprises nothing but a definite number of prayers to be said every day, without their paying the slightest bit of attention to what they are saying. They are firmly convinced that simply because they are present at Mass they are infallibly deriving profit from it. They glory in the number of novenas they attend, and wouldn’t think for a minute of missing May devotions or first Saturdays. Whether or not these externals are leading them closer to God and our Blessed Mother is something they rarely, if ever, bother to consider.

The sad part of the story is that they make these excellent practices an end in themselves, forgetting that the whole and entire purpose of outward forms of devotion is to increase our love of God and our neighbor. What all of us should do is give some serious thought to the words of Christ: ”Not everyone who says Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven. But he who does the will of My Father . . . he shall enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Interested Devotees

Even worse is the attitude of those whose devotion to our Blessed Mother is altogether self-centered. This group is interested only in deriving some temporal favor through her intercession.

Now it is true that self-interest creeps into all of our thoughts and actions. We cannot entirely get rid of it. It is also true that concern for one’s spiritual welfare is a great virtue. For Christ told us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, thereby making it clear that there is such a thing as legitimate self-love.

But the people we are considering here are those who have recourse to Our Lady only when they need some earthly good. They never think of her until they are out of a job, or have an examination to take, or an operation to undergo. Then it suddenly dawns on them that they could use a little outside help. So they turn to the Blessed Virgin. All along they have relied upon themselves, caring little or nothing about honoring her for her own sake, forgetting that they owe her a debt of gratitude for past favors, and that they have a duty of reparation to atone for their sins. No, the only prayers they are interested in are prayers of petition for some temporal benefit.

This is not a condemnation of prayer of petition. Our Lord has told us to ask and we shall receive. Neither is it a blanket denunciation of everyone who prays for earthly favors from our Blessed Mother. Our prayers, of course, should not be limited to what is spiritual; they should include all our needs. For just as the entire human being, body and soul, should honor God and His holy Mother, so also the entire human being, both body and soul, should ask their help in times of need. But the point is that our devotion should include adoration of God and veneration of Mary, thanksgiving for the countless gifts we have received from them, and reparation for our own sins and for the sins of the entire world. If devotion to the Mother of God does not comprise these elements, then that devotion is false and delusive.

For All Our Needs

The reason for considering these false devotions to our Blessed Lady is not precisely because they are in any way prevalent among Catholics. Most of us realize our obligations to God and His Blessed Mother and are quite willing to live up to them.

Doubtless it is somewhat rare to find a Catholic who is interested only in the externals of devotion or who prays for nothing else but the material goods of this world. No, we deal with them here mainly to remind ourselves that sometimes we can pay too much attention to the exterior trappings of devotion, and lay too much emphasis on the acquiring of temporal benefits. We must never forget that we are human beings, and that the material and perceptible have a more immediate appeal than the spiritual. True devotion to Mary is principally, but not exclusively, interior. The externals should be but a manifestation of our inner sentiments and dispositions.

A good and holy devotion to our Blessed Lady should certainly lead us to pray for everything that we need, in both the spiritual and temporal order of things. But it should also incite us to be devoted to her because of our love for her, and not only because she is the source of all blessings.

In the final analysis, our devotion to the Mother of God and our Mother will be good and true and pleasing to God is it draws us closer and closer to Him, and develops within us a love for each other in accordance with the command of our Savior: ”A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you.”