I don’t know about you, but I need to turn on my GPS to get just about anywhere I’ve never been before—and oftentimes, to places I’ve visited multiple times before. Sometimes, it’s about comfort. Other times, I need it or I’d be clueless without it. “Oh, was I supposed to turn there? I thought it was the next light. I guess I’ll have to make a u-turn.”
I have come to realize (mostly due to the insistence of those who ride with me) that I depend on my GPS too much. Still, having it on, even when I have a general idea of where I’m going, gives me peace and confidence. Would I be able to reach my final destination without it? Most likely, yes. Yet, the GPS is a valuable tool that allows me to prepare for what’s coming ahead and avoid whatever dangers I may find on the road.
My relationship with Our Lady can sometimes feel like this. Mary is the surest, quickest way to get to her Son, our final destination. St. Louis de Montfort, a French priest and missionary living in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, is known for having a fervent devotion to Mary. He says, “If then we are establishing sound devotion to Our Blessed Lady, it is only in order to establish devotion to Our Lord more perfectly, by providing a smooth but certain way of reaching Jesus Christ.” [1]
Depending on Mary does not detract from our devotion to Christ. It adds to it. De Montfort is not afraid to invite us to abandon ourselves to her because he realizes that “recourse to Mary leads one to give Jesus an ever greater place in one’s life.” [2] True devotion to Mary cannot exist apart from true devotion to Jesus. What good would the GPS be if I had no idea of where I want to go?
Blessed Carlo Acutis spoke of the Eucharist as the highway to heaven. I sometimes think of Mary as the highway to Jesus. It’s like when my GPS assures me: “You are on the fastest route despite usual traffic.” And indeed, there is traffic in our lives.
“When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” ” (John 2:3-5 RSV-2CE)
While Mary may not be able to remove the obstacles on the road—the crosses in our life—she’ll certainly help us learn to navigate around them. We just need to listen. With Mary by the hand, we can travel quickly on the road to holiness. And though it might be a long and winding road, full of sudden stops, jams, and detours, we find hope in knowing that we’ll eventually reach our destination, Christ himself.
So, in times of doubt or when you are feeling lost, turn to Mary. As you strive to become an established disciple, turn to her. As you prepare to welcome Jesus this Christmas, ask her to help you. Trust and rely on her to lead you safely to her Son. She is, after all, the disciple par excellence, and she will not steer you wrong.
[1] https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/1997/june/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19970621_montfort.html
[2] https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/1997/june/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19970621_montfort.html
