The Secular Franciscan Home Page: http://www.secularfranciscans.org What is Mary to us as Franciscans

Ruth's Book I

What is Mary to us as Franciscans?

 

    We know that Christ is the Head of the Mystical Body, the Church. We know that Mary is the mother of Christ. Therefore, Mary is the mother of the Mystical Body, which is all of us. Mary is our Mother.

    A deep love for Mary is a characteristic mark of the entire Franciscan Order. St. Francis looked upon her as a special advocate and protectoress of his Order. He prayed to her before he said his breviary each hour. In countless instances during his life we find evidence of his devotion and respect for her, the mother of his idolized Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

    St. Francis placed his three orders under her special patronage. The poor little church outside Assisi, which he helped to restore, the “Portiuncula,” or “The Little Portion,” he dedicated to her, naming it “Our Lady of the Angels.” He made it the mother church of his entire Order and St. Clare took her vows as the head of his second order, the Poor Clares, within it’s hallowed interior.

    One of the followers of St. Francis, long ago, founded the devotion of the Franciscan Rosary which we know as the  Franciscan  Crown. This  rosary  is  devoted  to  the Crown of Seven Joys of Mary. They are:

    1. The Annunciation.

    2. The Visitation.

    3. The Birth of the Lord.

    4. The Adoration of the Magi and/or The Presentation and Purification.

    5. The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple.

    6. The Resurrection of our Lord.

    7. Her Assumption and Coronation into Heaven.

    The method is: start the Crown with the first decade; recite the 7 decades and at the end say 2 hail Marys for the 72 years of Mary’s life on earth. Finally say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for the intentions of the Holy Father.   

    In this Crown we rejoice with Mary in her joys. But, we should not forget her Crown of Thorns — the sword that pierced her heart. With deep gratitude we should remember her agony as she followed her Son’s journey to Calvary and remember how her heart broke when she saw His body slump in death on the cross.