It’s the perfect time to deepen your devotion to her. She is our most powerful intercessor and has promised great things to those who pray to her frequently.
If you’re not sure how you should show your love to Our Lady, there are many powerful devotions the Church gives us. Some of these were revealed by the Blessed Mother herself!
Here are five Marian devotions with serious potential to make you a saint.
1. The Miraculous Medal
Mary appeared to St. Catherine Labouré in 1830, asking that a medal be made in her honor. She even gave detailed descriptions of the images to appear on the medal and the text to be used.
What resulted was the Miraculous Medal, which — as its name reveals — has been connected with many miracles!
On the front of the medal is an image of Our Lady crushing Satan’s head. The image is encircled with prayer “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” On the back of the medal is the letter “M” for “Mary,” a cross, the two hearts of Jesus and Mary and twelve stars that represent the twelve Apostles.
2. The Brown Scapular
In 1251 Our Blessed Mother appeared to the Carmelite St. Simon Stock. She gave him a brown scapular and promised that “anyone dying in this habit shall not suffer eternal fire.”
While originally a possession of the Carmelites alone, the Brown Scapular can now be worn by any Catholic. Some parishes will enroll you in the Brown Scapular Confraternity. Members of the Confraternity share in the special protection of Our Lady promised to the Carmelites.
3. Our Lady of Guadalupe
While people all over the world have devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, she has a special place in the hearts of Catholics in North and South America. She is the patroness of the Americas, having appeared in Mexico to St. Juan Diego in the 16th century. The miraculous image she imprinted on his tilma can still be seen at the Basilica of Santa María de Guadalupe in Mexico City.
She is also the patroness of unborn children. If you’re involved in pro-life work, you should frequently invoke her intercession!
4. The Rosary
This is probably the most popular Marian devotion. It was revealed to St. Dominic in the 13th century. It consists of 53 Hail Marys, 6 Our Fathers, the Apostles Creed, Glory Be, Fatima Prayer, Hail Holy Queen and an optional closing prayer. You also meditate on one of four sets of mysteries based on the lives of Jesus and Mary.
Many popes have strongly encouraged Catholics to pray the rosary daily. Many miracles and conversions have been attributed to it. One of the most famous is when the Christian armies of Europe defeated the much larger Ottoman forces at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. The turning point in the battle happened after Pope Pius V asked churches to pray the rosary for victory.
5. Spiritual reading about Mary
You can’t fully love what you don’t know. Reading more about the Blessed Virgin Mary is a great way to know her better and learn how to apply her virtues to your own life.
Great Marian classics include “True Devotion to Mary” by St. Louis de Montfort, “The World's First Love” by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen and Pope St. John Paul II’s encyclical “Redemptoris Mater.”
It’s not recommended that you try all five of these devotions at once. Pick one or two and — if they provide spiritual fruit — continue them. You can incorporate others later on if you desire.
