WITH THE PIETY OF THE PEOPLE
In all the countries with a Christian tradition there are Marian shrines that bring together thousands and millions of people every year. There will surely be one where each one of us lives.
In the life of Anthony Mary Claret there are various titles of Mary that accompanied him to the various places where he carried out his life and ministry. Our Lady of Fussimanya of Sallent, which he frequently visited with his sister, Our Lady of the Rosary in Vic, the Moreneta of Montserrat, patron of his native Catalonia, Our Lady of Pino or Candelaria in the Canary Islands, Our Lady of Charity of Cobre in Cuba, Our Lady of Almudena in his years in Madrid and many other titles which helped him to grow in his devotion to Mary.
In all of these St. Anthony Mary Claret discovered that Heart which welcomed the Word of God and in it he found echoes of situations and aspiration of her children. In the contemplation of Mary he found the powerful inspiration to follow Jesus and to generously dedicate himself to his apostolic ministry.
Devotion to Mary is a very important part of the spiritual patrimony of the Church. She introduces us to the ‘maternal face’ of God. Each time Mary appears in the Gospels we see her attentive to the Word of God and to the situations people find themselves in. When we visit a Marian shrine or invoke the intercession of Mary, we allow the fire that beats in her heart to take over ours. Our life is made capable of transmitting heat and light to those who have need of it.
