The 7th resource from the Dicastery for Evangelization is titled “Mary’s Prayer Together with the Saints Who Encountered Her.” It was prepared by Catherine Aubin, a Dominican nun, psychologist, and theologian who teaches theology at various universities in Canada and collaborates with Vatican Radio.
Using a biblical and original method of reading, she presents Mary’s prayer as a pilgrimage into the depths of one’s own heart — to listen, to keep, and to put into practice the word of Jesus; to interpret not only what her Son says, but also events, surprises, and the very places where life unfolds, in the light of the Gospel.
Mary’s prayer is essentially meditative — a prayer of assimilation of the Word and of reflection on personal experiences. By imitating her, welcoming her into our homes, we discover our inner life, bring unity to our memories and our lives, and give birth to and radiate Christ around us.
In this way, we fulfill Jesus’ command: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it. They will be called my mother, my brothers, and my sisters” (cf. Lk 8:21).
A beautiful tercet by our poet Dante comes to mind, regarding Mary as our model of prayer, life, and contemplation of Christ:
Gaze now upon the face that most
resembles Christ, for only her
radiance can prepare you to behold Him.
(Paradiso, XXXII, 88-90)
In other words: at this moment, gaze closely at Mary’s face, the one most resembling Christ’s, because only the sanctity of Mary in all its splendor can make you capable of contemplating Christ and His mystery.
A Method for Reading the Bible
Reading the Bible requires depth: prayer is a journey inward, a descent from the external, physical world into our inner world. Taking the word “door” as an example, which appears in several New Testament passages, the four levels of Scripture understanding are outlined:
- Literal level – the “door” is a physical object made of wood or metal that opens and closes.
- Functional or evocative level – the door separates two spaces, allows passage, may be locked or open.
- Metaphorical level – transferring the image of a door from the material world to the spiritual, as when Jesus says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock” (Rev 3:20).
- Mystical level – the door as a revelation of the mystery of Christ: “I am the door; if anyone enters by me, he will be saved.”
The Word of God continually calls us to descend into prayer through these four levels of reading.
The Places of Mary: Bethlehem, Nazareth, Cana
Not only the words of Scripture are full of meaning and mystery — the places inhabited by Mary also reveal aspects of her identity and become subjects of prayer. These are not merely geographic sites; they encompass a history, relate to the person, and both conceal and unveil God’s mystery.
- Bethlehem is more than a small Judean town. It is linked to Joseph, Mary’s spouse, who was a Bethlehemite. It recalls Rachel, wife of Jacob, who gave birth to Benjamin there; Boaz, who married the Moabite Ruth; and Jesse, the father of David. Bethlehem, the “house of bread,” becomes the place of birth, filiation, and lineage. Mary, in meditation, reveals the mystery within her — she is the true house where Jesus, the Bread of Life, is born. Here she teaches us to become God’s dwelling, to give birth to the Word within and radiate Him in today’s world.
- Galilee, where Mary spent most of her life, is a mountainous northern region of Israel, a frontier land and crossroads of nations, a place of mixing and meeting — a land to depart from and return to. In this “Galilee of the heart,” Mary awaits us.
- Nazareth, a hidden and insignificant village in Galilee, is where Mary hears the angel Gabriel’s message and speaks her first words in dialogue with God. Here, she lives in intimacy with Jesus, unseen by others. In this place of silence, peace, freedom, simplicity, and humility, Mary invites us to live united with Jesus, growing with Him in wisdom and grace.
- Cana of Galilee, “on the third day” — a reference to Jesus’ resurrection — is the setting of a wedding feast. Here Jesus reveals His divine and human glory. It is Mary who first steps forward, then invites the servants to follow Jesus’ instructions. Mary invites us all to enter our inner Cana, the place of spiritual marriage, the nuptial wine, where she prepares for us a union with the Word, her Son.
The Words of Mary
There are words or phrases we often repeat, consciously or unconsciously, that connect us positively and serenely with our deepest selves. Mary, who bears within her the Word made flesh, can help us enter into our true words — those that re-establish intimacy with the Father, with the Son, in the Holy Spirit.
- Mary’s first words in the Gospel are: “How will this happen?” Drawn from an ordinary life, she accepts to cooperate with God, speaks and dialogues with Him, showing her faith and immense courage. She does not ask “why,” but “how,” with simplicity and humility. She says her unreserved yes: “Let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38), in total and lifelong trust, ready to follow the path God will show — even to the foot of the Cross.
- When the twelve-year-old Jesus is found in the temple among the teachers, after her initial astonishment, Mary gently reproaches Him, expressing the anguish she and Joseph felt. Jesus’ response — His first recorded words — is striking: “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Lk 2:48–49). Jesus is at home in the temple, and His life is oriented to the Father. Mary treasures these words in her heart, once again called to embrace change and mystery. But she too is the temple where the Word became flesh; He dwells in her heart. She realizes she must now seek Jesus within herself in a new relationship of love, meditating on and treasuring His words and deeds, entering the mystery of the Word made flesh in her womb. The Virgin invites all of us to this form of prayer and interiority.
The Holy Women and Mary
The resource also includes accounts of apparitions of the Virgin and references two saints visited by Mary.
- Catherine Labouré, in 1830 at age 24, began her formation in Paris with the Daughters of Charity, founded by St. Vincent de Paul. She received three apparitions of Mary, considered significant for the whole Church, and was entrusted with spreading the Miraculous Medal. Mary, who allows herself to be approached and touched in maternal intimacy, helps St. Catherine understand that she desires salvation, healing, and liberation for every person, through her Son, Jesus the Redeemer.
- At Lourdes, a remote and unknown village like the Nazareth of the Gospel, Mary appeared 18 times to Bernadette Soubirous on the banks of the Gave. In the most significant vision, Mary tells Bernadette to go to the spring. Obeying, Bernadette first finds mud, scrapes the ground three times, and on the fourth attempt, clear water begins to flow.
This is the real pilgrimage: digging within ourselves, removing the mud of harmful thoughts and actions, to let the clear water of our encounter with Jesus flow — with Mary’s intercession.
The introduction to the resource also mentions another Marian sanctuary: The Shrine of the Three Fountains in Rome, also known as the Shrine of the Revelation, where Mary appeared in 1947 to Bruno Cornacchiola, an anti-clerical communist who later converted to faith. In the grotto where Mary appeared multiple times, there is a door known as the “Door of Peace.” Mary requested that everyone pass through this door — it is Christ, born of Mary, who is our door and our peace.
The author shares how a woman received a spiritual grace there, and she too chose to pass through this “Door of Peace” as she prepared to write this book on Mary’s prayer and with Mary.
Father Giuseppe Oddone, CRS