My evangelical friend asked me: “The Holy Scripture does not say we should honor
Mary. Why do Maronites honor Mary?
I said: We are called to imitate Jesus for He is the Way, the Truth, and Life.
We are called to love what Jesus loves and to hate what Jesus hates (sin).
We are also called to honor whoever he honors. Jesus honored his mother
otherwise he would have broken the 4th commandment (honor your father
& mother).
There are 8 reasons why Maronites we honor Mary:
1- We honor Mary because Jesus honored her. Jesus said: “For God said, 'Honor
your father and your mother,' and 'Whoever curses father or mother shall die.'”
[Mat 15:4] Do you think Jesus broke this commandment?
2- According to the Gospel of Luke, Mary said: All generations shall call me blessed
(Luke 1:48). The Maronites are fulfilling this verse by calling Mary Blessed.
3- Mary is the mother of all the living. Jesus called her “woman” which means
“the mother of all those who have life in Jesus Christ”, including the Evangelicals.
Eve was called woman because she was the mother of all the living. Mary,
the New Eve, became the mother of all those saved by Jesus.
4- We honor Mary because without her “Yes” we wouldn’t have Jesus, but we
would have remained in darkness. Thank you Mary.
5- We honor Mary because she is the mother of the Light, the Way, the Truth,
the Life.
6- Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent
me.”[Mat 10:40] We can apply this verse on Mary saying, "Whoever receives [Mary] receives [Jesus], and whoever
receives [Jesus] receives the one who sent Him. Whoever receives [Mary] because [she] is [the mother of the King]
will receive [the mother of the King's] reward, and whoever receives a righteous [woman] because [she] is righteous
will receive a righteous [woman's] reward.[Mat 10:41]
7- Jesus said about himself that there is something greater than Solomon here [Mat 12:42] Read how Solomon treated
his own mother: “Then Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king stood up to
meet her and paid her homage. Then he sat down upon his throne, and a throne was provided for the king's
mother, who sat at his right.”[1 Ki 2:19]
If Solomon, who was an earthly king, treated his mother this way, how would Jesus, the King of kings, have treated
his own mother Mary who is the mother of the King? And Jesus is greater than Solomon [Mat 12:42].
8- Mary is the Queen of Heaven: “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with
the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” [Rev 12:1]
(This is Holy Scripture).
9- Finally, the Maronites experienced Mary’s protection in a special way throughout history. When they were
isolated in the arid mountains of Lebanon, cut off from the rest of the world, Mary was with them. When they
were persecuted for the sake of Faith, Hope, and Love, Mary was there to strengthen and console them. When
they were divided, Mary was there to reunite them. When they were oppressed, Mary was there to ease the pain.
When the whole world abandoned the Maronites leaving them at the mercy of their enemies, Mary was there,
under the cross of our people and at the moment of our ancestors’ death.
Happy birthday, dear Mary! God gave us a precious gift when He gave you to us to be our mother; and to me when He gave you to me to be my mother! May the Holy Trinity always bless you!