TWENTIETH VIDEO-CONFERENCE 

Dr. Rodney Moss (Johannesburg): MARY AND THE EVANGELISATION OF THE FAMILY.   (3 min.)

 
The close link between the Blessed Virgin and the whole history of salvation establishes the basis for a pre-eminent claim to a pivotal role in the evangelisation of the family. Lumen Gentium states: 

Having entered deeply into the history of salvation, Mary, in a way, unites in her person and re-echoes the most important doctrines of the faith: and when she is the subject of preaching and worship she prompts the faithful to come her Son, to his sacrifice and to the love of the Father. [ 65 ] 

The Christian family is in a crisis in an increasingly secularised world. Mary, as an instrument of evangelisation, suggests a three – pronged approach to this crisis: 

First, through her union with Christ’s salvific work she is a model for the Church, and indeed for the Domestic Church, the family, of "faith, charity and perfect union with Christ" ( Lumen Gentium: 64 ). In the encyclical Redemptoris Mater it is noted that she is " … the Star of the Sea for all those who are still on the journey of faith" [ para. 4 ]. The contemporary family desperately needs role models and as The Letter from the Congregation for Catholic Education 2March 1988 notes: 

[T]he Virgin is both the highest historical realisation of the Gospel … and the woman who, through her self-control, her sense of responsibility, her openness to others and to the spirit of service, her strength and her love is the most completely realised on the human level. [ para. 15 ] 

Secondly, the Christian family needs renewal and deeper interiority in order to face contemporary challenges. The more we understand the truth about Mary, the first disciple, the more contemporary disciples will understand on a spiritual and existential level the truths about the Father, Christ, the Church and humanity. Mary’s life was contemplative: "As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart" ( Luke 2:19 ). She now leads her children to an ever deeper appreciation of the levels of truth . Prayerful contemplation of the mysteries of faith is the most effective means of family evangelisation. 

Thirdly, world peace requires a deep concern for justice, for the poor, the marginalized and the outcast. Mary in her Magnificat embodies Catholic social teaching. In Redemptoris Mater the Holy Father states: 

[T]he truth about God … cannot be separated from the manifestation of his love of preference for the poor and humble, the love which, celebrated in the Magnificat, is later expressed in the words and works of Jesus. [ para. 21 ] 

In conclusion then the contemporary evangelisation of the family will require a deeper insight into the saving mystery of Christ; a renewed spirituality grounded in contemplation and interiorisation and a passion for a renewed world of justice and peace for all. Mary is the key.