St. Christopher Ladies Guild Woman of the Month
Mary, Star of the Sea
Growing up in landlocked Dayton, Ohio, I had little knowledge of the grandeur of Lake Erie. Our family vacations were spent visiting relatives to the south, the east and the west, but we never traveled the 200 miles to Ohio’s North Coast. I had not been to Cleveland before my husband and I arrived for a job in 1987. Upon my first view of Lake Erie I said, “This is not a lake, this is a sea!” Erie, like the other Great Lakes, is often referred to as an Inland Sea. Its beauty and ever-changing character make it a great inspiration for prayer. Its many moods mirror our own. We feel at times hemmed in by the fog of doubt, buffeted by waves of sorrow, or blown off course by unexpected tribulations. On better days we skip joyfully like whitecaps moving across the water or feel the deep peace of the tranquil sea reflecting the blue sky.
Our ancestors knew well the moods of the seas. Their livelihoods often depended on traversing the waters. Before the invention of modern navigation tools, they relied on the stars to find their way. The most important of these navigational stars in the northern hemisphere is the North Star (Polaris) because it serves as a fixed reference point amongst the other moving constellations. This reliance upon the stars for guidance was the inspiration for the beautiful Marian title Mary, Star of the Sea (Stella Maris), originating with Saint Jerome in the 5th century.
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux further popularized this beloved title for Mary in his 12th century Homilies in Praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary, Star of the Sea is our true north as we seek to deepen our faith and draw nearer to Jesus. She is the first and most perfect disciple as she accepted God’s will at the Annunciation and carried our Savior within her. Mary’s life of faith and surrender is a model for us all. In praying to Mary, Star of the Sea we ask for her intercession in navigating life’s storms. She is a shining beacon of hope and reassurance in times of trial and doubt. Her bright star beckons us to draw ever closer to her son, Jesus. Mary, Star of the Sea is the patroness of seafarers and coastal communities like our own. Mary, Star of the Sea, pray for us.
Some Words from
St. Bernard of Clairvaux
“She, I tell you, is that splendid and wondrous star suspended as by necessity over this great wide sea, radiant with merit and brilliant in example.”
“O you, whoever you are who feel that in the tidal wave of this world you are nearer to being tossed about among the squalls and gales than treading on dry land, if you do not want to founder in the tempest, do not avert your eyes from the brightness of this star.”
“When the wind of temptation blows up within you, when you strike upon the rock of tribulation, gaze up at this star, call out to Mary.”