Our Lady of Lourdes: 1 February, Mary is our Mother in Heaven too

The Lord's plan stands forever, the thoughts of his heart for all generations "(Psalm 32, 11). Yes, the Lord has a plan for humanity, a plan for each of us: a wonderful plan that he brings to fruition if we let him; if we say yes to him, if we trust him and take his word seriously.

In this magnificent plan the Virgin Mary has an important place, which we cannot neglect. “Jesus came into the world through Mary; through Mary he must reign in the world ”. Thus St. Louis Marie de Montfort begins his Treatise on True Devotion. This the Church continues to teach officially, precisely in order to invite every faithful to entrust themselves to Mary so that God's plan is more perfectly fulfilled in their life.

“The Mother of the Redeemer has a precise place in the plan of salvation because, when the fullness of time came, God sent her Son, born of woman, born under the law, to be adopted as children. And that you are children the proof of this is the fact that God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts crying: Abbà “. (Gal 4, 4 6).

This makes us understand the great significance that Mary has in the mystery of Christ and her active presence in the life of the Church, in the spiritual journey of each of us. “Mary does not cease to be the" star of the sea "for all those who still walk the path of faith. If they raise their eyes to her in the various places of earthly existence, they do so because she "gave birth ... to the Son whom God placed as the firstborn among many brothers" (Rom 8:29) and also because of regeneration and formation of these brothers and sisters Mary cooperates with the love of a mother ”(Redemptoris Mater RM 6).

All this also makes us understand the reason for so many Marian apparitions: Our Lady comes to carry out her maternal task of forming her children to collaborate in the plan of salvation that God has always had in his heart. It is up to us to be docile to his words which are nothing but the echo of God's words, the echo of His special love for every man who desires "holy and spotless in his presence in love" (Eph 1: 4) .

Commitment: By fixing our gaze on an image of Mary, let us stop to pray and tell her that we want to be guided by her to fully realize in our life the Father's plan of salvation.

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.