I find that one image over all others of the Madonna appeals to her devotees. In my case, it's Our Lady of Guadalupe. For my mother, Madonna and Child/Rosa Mystica. For my father, the Immaculate Heart of Mary. My sister is Our Lady of Lourdes and my brother says he likes Our Lady of Grace and Our Lady of Perpetual Help. My point is that as we all have different, individual gifts that if used as the sum of the whole, society functions more smoothly and better overall. I'm sure that these particular faces of our Blessed Mother have some kind of correspondence to these graces. For my mother, it is motherhood, even to children who are not her own. My father has several prayer apostalates and groups that correspond to the graces given by God through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. For me, Our Lady of Guadalupe - her humility, motherliness, affection and care for those who are marginalized, her missionary work as the first disciple of Jesus is what most appeals to me. As my sister's patron saint is St. Bernadette, Our Lady of Lourdes makes sense with her own physical suffering and other trials she's had in life, as our Lady told Bernadette: "I cannot promise you happiness in this life - only in the next." Trish is happy, but her happiness has its price - namely her children.
From the many faces of our Lady, from Our Lady of Grace to Our Lady of Siluva, she appeals most tenderly to everyone to lead them to Jesus, her son. She has our devotion, not worship as belongs to God alone. As Jesus said, "No one can love the Father and hate the Son," so no one can love the Son and hate His Mother, with whom he spent 30 years of His life in obedience to according to the will of His Heavenly Father as the commandments proclaim "Honor Thy Father and Mother."
Anyone else have a particular devotion or further thoughts?
Marian Devotion
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