The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of Jesus, the Mother of the Church, a model of discipleship, and the greatest saint.

Mary shares in God’s holiness in a unique way because God chose her to be the Mother of his Son. Mary was conceived and born without Original Sin and believed in Jesus from the moment that God asked her to be the Mother of his Son. In her faith and trust in God, Mary said yes to all that God asked of her. She placed herself in God’s hands and became the Mother of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Since Mary was the first to hear about the mission of Jesus, she is his first disciple.

Mary loved and cared for Jesus as mothers do, with an open, trusting, and faithful heart. Mary was with Jesus as he grew and learned and was a support during his ministry. She dedicated her life on earth to following him and supporting his work, and she stood with him as he died on the cross.

Mary’s faith in her son did not weaken in times of suffering or loss. As Jesus was dying on the cross, he saw his mother and his disciple John at his feet. Jesus said to Mary, “Woman, behold, your son.” He said to John, “Behold, your mother” (John 19:26, 27). The Blessed Virgin Mary waited in prayer and with hope for the coming of the Holy Spirit. After Jesus’s Death and Resurrection, she stayed with the disciples to continue Jesus’s work. Mary is the mother of all those who believe in and follow Jesus Christ, and thus, the Mother of the Church and all Catholics. She is also a model of motherhood.

In all these ways, the Blessed Virgin Mary is a model for all Catholics in cooperating fully with God’s Word and doing God’s work. In Mary we find not only the first but also the perfect disciple; she is the “model and source” of holiness for our lives (CCC 2030). Just as she was instrumental in the plan of salvation by becoming the Mother of God, her faith in God’s promise reminds us of our obligation to trust in him and shows others how to follow Jesus as well. Her faith came from an understanding of the great gifts that God had given to her, especially the gift of her son Jesus.

There are many titles for Mary. In fact, Mary has more titles than any other saint. These titles help us to understand Mary’s role in the lives of Christians and in the life of the Catholic Church:

• Blessed Virgin Mary
• Mother of God
• Our Lady
• Queen of Heaven
• Immaculate Conception
• Assumption

Mary has many more titles, some of which we hear in the Litanies of Mary, which give praise to God for making a humble young woman the Mother of his Son and the Mother of the Church. These litanies are composed of a list of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s titles followed by a short request for her help:

• Model of motherhood
• Mirror of justice
• Health of the sick
• Comfort of the troubled
• Help of Christians
• Queen of all saints
• Queen of peace
• Mother of the Church

The Immaculate Conception

The Catholic Church teaches that Mary was without Original Sin from the moment she was conceived in her own mother’s womb, a truth called the Immaculate Conception.

The Annunciation

When Mary was betrothed to Joseph, an angel appeared in an event known as the Annunciation, during which the announcement was made that she would be the Mother of the Son of God.

The Visitation

The Visitation is the name given to the event in which Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, which is central to understanding Mary’s role in salvation history. At the time, Elizabeth was pregnant with John the Baptist who would prepare the way for Jesus' ministry. The words from Mary’s conversation with Elizabeth form the basis of a Marian prayer prayed today.

The Birth of Jesus

According to the Gospel of Luke, pregnant Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem due to a census, where the infant Jesus was born in a stable. Angels announce his arrival and shepherds leave their flocks to adore the baby. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Magi follow a star to Bethlehem to present gifts to Jesus. The Holy Family escape an attempt by reigning King Herod to kill Jesus by ordering a massacre of all the toddler boys in Bethlehem.

The Finding of Jesus in the Temple

During a pilgrimage to Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve years old, Mary and Joseph were separated from Jesus and spent days searching for him before finding him at the temple, preaching to the elders and teachers.

According to the Gospel of Luke, “his mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.’ And he said to them, ‘Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:46-51).

The Wedding Feast at Cana

The first miracle of Jesus in John’s Gospel occurred at a wedding at Cana that Jesus attended with his mother, Mary, and his disciples. When Mary discovered that the hosts had run out of wine, Jesus performed a miracle at her request: turning water into wine. “His mother said to the servers, 'Do whatever he tells you.’” (John 2:5)

The Crucifixion

Mary was also with Jesus when he carried his cross. She witnessed the terrible deeds that others committed against him. Because of her faith, Mary did not leave Jesus when he was suffering, even though it would have been a painful experience for her. She stood at the foot of the cross still listening to him and trying to comfort him.

The Assumption

When Mary’s work on earth was done, God brought her body and soul to live forever with the risen Christ, a belief called the Assumption.

Part of our understanding of Mary stems from Scripture, beginning with the Annunciation in the Gospel accounts. The Annunciation is the name given to the angel’s visit to Mary at which the announcement was made that she would be the Mother of the Son of God.

God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in Galilee to a young Jewish woman. Her name was Mary, and she was promised in marriage to a man named Joseph. Joseph was a descendant of David, the great king of Israel. The angel had great news for Mary. The angel came to Mary and said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28). Mary did not understand what the angel meant, so the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus” (Luke 1:30–31).

Mary grew up learning about the promise of the Messiah. When she was a young girl, Mary was engaged to a man named Joseph. Mary questioned how this could be possible. She was not even married. The angel told Mary that she would conceive her child by the power of the Holy Spirit. “Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35) And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

Mary was chosen by God from among all the women of history to be the Mother of his Son. We learn from this Gospel account that Mary trusted God completely, and her faith was unshakeable. She did not know what to expect or how Joseph would react to her news about a baby. Yet, Mary’s love for God brought her to accept his invitation and to believe in his Son completely.

When the angel Gabriel visited Mary, he told her something amazing about her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth, who had not been able to have children, had become pregnant with a son, even in her old age: “for nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:37).

Mary has an important role in our salvation. Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth can help us to understand Mary’s place in the Church. Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s husband Zechariah. “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice, and said, ‘Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?’” (Luke 1:41–43). Elizabeth then told Mary, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Luke 1:45). Mary’s response to Elizabeth is still sung today. It is known as The Magnificat. A version of the prayer is also found as a song called “The Canticle of Mary.”

Being the mother of Jesus was not an easy task. Mary’s life was full of great joys and great sorrows. Mary and Joseph were poor people, so they both worked hard to provide food and shelter for Jesus. Mary raised her son in the traditions of her culture, presenting him in the temple when he was a baby and taking him to Jerusalem for the religious festivals. Since she knew who Jesus was and what his mission would be, it would have been a huge responsibility.

When Jesus was an adult and began preaching, Mary accompanied him. She asked him to perform the miracle at Cana, in which he turned water into wine. Mary was completely faithful to the message that Jesus preached, and she was confident that he would grant her request. She instructed other people who were there to "do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5).

As Jesus was dying on the cross, he saw his mother and his disciple John at his feet. Jesus said to Mary, “Woman, behold, your son.” He said to John, “Behold, your mother” (John 19:26, 27). It was then that Jesus entrusted all of us to Mary’s care. This mission was very close to Mary’s heart. She comforted the Apostles and prayed with them after Jesus' Ascension into heaven. Mary was with the Apostles when they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and watched them depart for many different countries to spread the Good News of God’s love. “All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers” (Acts of the Apostles 1:14).

Mother of God

As the mother of Jesus, Mary went through the joys of being pregnant and having a baby. She cared for her son and loved him. She prayed with him and was an example to him of love and obedience to God. However, Jesus was truly human and truly divine. He is the Son of God, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity who became man. So, Mary is the Mother of God. This understanding of Mary as Mother of God (in Greek, “Theotokos”) was decided at the Council of Ephesus in 431 and is central to the Catholic Church’s teaching about the Incarnation.

Assumption of Mary

Throughout her life Mary loved and obeyed God. She lived a life of holiness, without sin. When Mary’s work on earth was done, God brought her body and soul to live forever with the risen Christ, a belief called the Assumption. Pope Pius XII declared the Assumption of Mary official dogma in 1950; the Blessed Virgin Mary "having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory" (Munificentissimus Deus). The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated on August 15.

Immaculate Conception of Mary

Mary, blessed by God and chosen to be the Mother of his Son, was free from Original Sin from the moment she was conceived and remained without sin throughout her life. This dogma is called the Immaculate Conception and is celebrated on December 8 at the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.

Perpetual Virginity of Mary

We learn from the Annunciation account that Mary was a virgin and not yet married when the angel visited her. Her son was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Mary was truly blessed by God with the gift of his Son. Catholics also believe that Mary remained a virgin throughout her married life with Joseph, hence her titles Blessed Virgin, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Blessed Mother.

Catholics are devoted to Mary and the saints because of the ways they have responded to God’s great love. Catholics have a rich history of devotion to Mary, but do not worship or adore her. Worship and adoration belong to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Instead, Mary is honored through devotions, prayers to Mary, and acknowledged for her ability to intercede on behalf of those who pray for her help. Marian devotions are an integral and important part of the Catholic tradition.

Rosary

Praying the Rosary is one of the many popular devotions to Mary. The Rosary is usually prayed using a string of beads with an attached crucifix. We pray the Rosary by praying the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be to the Father repeatedly. The prayers we pray during the Rosary create a peaceful rhythm of prayer during which we can reflect on special times in the lives of Jesus and Mary. We remember a different mystery at the beginning of each set of prayers, or decade, of the Rosary. Catholics pray the Rosary alone or with others. We can pray the Rosary at any time of the day.

Scapular

There are many scapulars. The first scapulars were part of a monk’s habit—a length of cloth around the shoulders worn continually. (Scapulae means “shoulder blade.”) This monastic scapular evolved as two small panels of cloth, either oblong or square, connected by a loop of string, and often worn by tertiary members of a religious order.

Devotional scapulars are worn continually around the neck as a silent prayer by many Catholics today. Though there are many types of scapulars associated with Mary, perhaps the most well-known devotional scapular is the Brown Scapular which dates to 1251 in England, when the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Simon Stock as Our Lady of Mount Carmel and presented him with a scapular. As part of the Brown Scapular devotion, Catholics wear a blessed, adapted version of the garment from Saint Simon’s vision and make spiritual commitments for protection and the promise of salvation.

The Angelus

The Angelus is a Marian devotion that is traditionally prayed three times a day (typically at nine o’clock, noon, and six o’clock). It is meant to interrupt daily routines as a reminder of the angel’s appearance to Mary and an invitation to focus on God and the Blessed Mother. Historically, the prayer coincided with ringing of morning, noontime, and evening bells, the Angelus bell, a call to prayer. Each recitation of the Angelus includes three Hail Mary’s:

℣. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
℟. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary…
℣. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
℟. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary…
℣. And the Word was made flesh.
℟. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary…
℣. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
℟. That we might be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray,
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that, we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord.
℟. Amen.

Excerpted from Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers, revised edition © 2007 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. All rights reserved.

Every day of the year, Catholics honor Mary through prayer and reading Scripture, remembering the many ways Mary was blessed by God. But during the month of May, Mary is especially honored by devotions around the world. In fact, for Catholics, May is the month of Mary. Catholics honor Mary by doing good works in her name, by paying a special visit to parishes named for her, and by asking Mary to pray for us and speak to her son on our behalf. May crownings and celebrations that include flowers, a symbol of Mary, are common during Mary’s month.

There are special celebrations for Mary and feasts of great importance throughout the year. We celebrate the special times in her life as the Mother of the Son of God. The Church has many feast days in Mary’s honor. On these days and others, the Church gathers to celebrate the Eucharist. Some of these feasts are holy days of obligation for Catholics.

Feast Day of Mary, Mother of God

On January 1st, the Church celebrates the Feast Day of Mary, Mother of God. On this day, Mary is honored as the Mother of God and the greatest saint. This feast day is a holy day of obligation for Catholics.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Blessed Virgin Mary was without Original Sin from the moment of her conception, a truth called the Immaculate Conception. “Through the centuries the Church became ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 491). The Immaculate Conception is celebrated by Catholics on December 8th at Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This feast day, which falls during the liturgical season of Advent, is a holy day of obligation for Catholics.

Solemnity Of The Assumption Of The Blessed Virgin Mary

Mary did not sin and therefore had a pure heart. So, when Mary’s work on earth was done, God brought her body and soul to live forever with the risen Christ. This belief is called the Assumption. On August 15, Catholics celebrate Solemnity Of The Assumption Of The Blessed Virgin Mary. The Feast of the Assumption celebrates Mary’s body and soul taken up to Heaven to live forever with the risen Christ. “Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 62). This feast day is a holy day of obligation for Catholics.

Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

On September 8, Catholics celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary—an opportunity to celebrate Mary’s birthday, held nine months after the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8th.

Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12. On this day Catholics remember that in 1531, Mary appeared before Juan Diego, a poor Aztec Indian peasant, on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico. Clothed like an Aztec princess, she requested that a shrine be built on the spot of her appearance. Our Lady of Guadalupe is a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with the venerated image enshrined within the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Catholics all over the world honor Mary through prayer. We ask Mary to pray for us and to speak to her son on our behalf. In its prayer and liturgy, the Church remembers the ways God blessed Mary.

Hail Mary

The Hail Mary prayer that is prayed as part of the Rosary and the Angelus comes in part from Scripture and the words of the Annunciation (Luke 1:28). The official wording of the prayer has been prayed since 1568:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

The Magnificat

Mary’s response to her cousin Elizabeth when she said, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Luke 1:45) is still sung today. The Magnificat is the Blessed Virgin Mary’s own hymn of praise to God. The words of the prayer are the Blessed Virgin Mary’s hymn of praise to God and come from the Gospel of Luke (1:46–55). The Magnificat has been set to music by composers throughout history and can be spoken or sung. A version of the prayer is also found as a song called “The Canticle of Mary” in the Liturgy of the Hours.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

The Memorare

The Memorare is a Marian prayer of intercession dating back to the fifteenth century:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word incarnate, despise not my petitions, but, in your mercy, hear and answer me.
Amen.

Hail, Holy Queen (The Salve Regina)

The Hail, Holy Queen prayer (also called Salve Regina) is a Marian hymn and antiphon sung at different seasons during the liturgical calendar. It is also the final prayer of the Rosary.

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this our exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary

Like Mary, disciples of Jesus strive to be open to the ways God may be calling. Mary teaches trust in God’s will. Those who trust God demonstrate belief in his love for his people. Just as she was instrumental in the plan of salvation by becoming the mother of Jesus, Mary’s faith in God’s promise reminds us of our obligation to trust in him. Mary helps Christians to live as faithful disciples, who learn from her to say “yes” to God and to care for others. Mary is Jesus’s great gift to all of us.