Certified Mama's Boy

A Bosconian's identity is always marked with a great devotion to the blessed mother, Mary Help of Christians. It cannot be otherwise because Don Bosco himself did say that a young person who enters a Salesian setting was brought there by no less than the Blessed Mother herself. And as a Bosconian starts to get immersed with the Salesian spirituality, he/she cannot help but to have a deep devotion and love for the Mother Mary.

On a personal note, when I was young, I never had a relationship with the Blessed Mother. I never ever had an inkling as to her significance in my life. My thoughts of her bordered only on the statues of her that I see everywhere. When I became a Catechist at the National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians in Paranaque, I think that at that moment, God planted a seed in me which will eventually help me grow a love for Mary. In our shrine's Oratory, we always prayed the rosary every Saturday and we will sing Marian songs. Every time that a feast of Mary will be coming, it was always filled with great anticipation and preparation. From then on, I began to realize that as a Bosconian, I should create a special place for Mary in my heart.

A very beautiful image of the Blessed Mother at the
National Shrine of Mary Help of Christians
in Paranaque

 When I entered the seminary back in 2009, all the more did I realize the great importance of Mary in our life. Her feast days are greatly waited and there were a lot of physical and spiritual preparations. However, above all else I realized that she is our mother, a very sweet mother in fact. A mother whose understanding knows no bounds. A mother whose love for her children is limitless. Now that I am no longer in the seminary, I still think of her that way. It was a relationship that I still cherish until this very day.

A Bosconian is certainly a Mama's Boy/ Mama's girl. It cannot be other than that because Mary leads us to her Son, Jesus Christ. She surely is the right way to holiness. Aside from that, as a mother, she helps us in times of danger whether physical, spiritual, or moral. She brings miracles in our life, for she delivers all our prayers to her son and intercedes for us.

Since her feast on May 24 is fast approaching, I feel that it is our duty and our chance to give her the greatest honor. It is our time to thank our mother who has helped us more than we actually deserve. We have betrayed her son many times due to our sins and yet she is there pushing us to go back to Jesus. Because of her Fiat (may it be done) the rest is history, we have received salvation.

As Don Bosco once said: "Have devotion to Mary Help of Christians and you will see what miracles are."