The holiness of Mary is what many of us need to cling on to in our life when there are suffering and challenges in life.

                        Why a reflection on Mary’s blessedness can help us in life.

Sound and healthy mariology has always been a part of me for the longest time that I can remember.  Yes, I was born into a Catholic family, and from the earliest time going to weekly catechism lessons in Church and in school, it has been strongly focused that Catholics need to adopt a healthy approach to Mary, rather than to divinise her and raise her to the level of a goddess.  That would be called Mariolotary (a term familiar when one understands the term idolatry where people who are not god somehow attained godliness later on).  

My healthy approach toward good Mariology came with the introduction to the weekly Novena sessions organised by the Redemptorists in Singapore, where each Saturday there would be at least 8 different Novena sessions bringing home to us different aspects of Mariology taken from the Sacred Scriptures.  This has helped me in my development of sound Mariology that I find is most helpful now in my time of recovery since the unfortunate accident that occured to me on May 24 when I was out exercising early in the morning.  The recovery from the accident required of me to undergo a craniotomy which removed two parts of my skull that covered by brain, and I am not awaiting the replacement of two PEEK implants that are coming in from Switzerland where they are manufactured.  I am still in that waiting period for the replacement surgery to be performed, and one of the reasons this second surgery is getting prolonged from happening is because of the rise in COVID cases.  This has caused many hospitals to prohibit visitors to patients in hospitals, and my surgeon believes that I would do better if members of my family are allowed to freely come and visit me once the surgery takes place.

In the meantime, before the surgery happens, I find myself devoting a lot of time in prayer to Our Lady, praying very often the Flame of Love rosary that comes from the diary of Elizabeth Kindkemann.  It was revealed to her by Jesus that this prayer is an instrument in the hands of people.  This prayer as been approved by the Catholic Church in recent decades.  It isn’t all that different from the traditional rosaries that we have grown up praying as Catholics, but there is a strong devotion to the grace of the power of the Flame of Love that extends from the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and part of the Hail Mary includes us seeking Mary’s intercession to extend that flame of love to cover all generations now and when we are at the hour of death.  I find this prayer particularly useful because I have lost several members of my family and this bonds me closer to them as I am praying actively for them in and through this prayer.  

Praying this in the time that I am waiting for the surgery is extremely helpful, and I find that in some ways I am like Mary being used by God for the aid of souls that God has placed in my life.  I don’t want to waste the time I am given right now in my life, and praying for my deceased relations and friends who have gone before me is a very well used portion of time in my life.  

If you need an example of the way the Flame of Love rosary, do go to YouTube and search “Flame of Love Rosary” and you will be given a host of different examples of people who have recorded themselves praying this Rosary.  May you be encouraged to increase your level of Mariology.