The eighth (8th) of May has deep Marian
connections in three titles:
1). The Virgin of Lujan, who is the patroness
of Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Officially declared in 1930 by Pope Pius
XI, she is a 17th-century terracotta statue representing the Immaculate
Conception. This particular localized devotion took on more significance or prominence with the election of Cardinal Bergoglio from Argentina as Pope Francis!
2). “Mother
of Fairest Love”
“Fairest Love” is a title derived from Sirach 24:24. It
states, “I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of
holy hope.” Pope Saint John Paul II wrote of this title in his 1994 Letter
to Families, paragraph 20. St. Josemaria Escriva had a devotion to Our Lady
under this title.
The "Fairest Love" devotion aligns with the
Franciscan focus on her spotless nature, often celebrating her as "all
fair" and without blemish. St. Bonaventure, a revered Doctor of the
Church, beautifully encapsulated this devotion in his Psalter of Mary,
highlighting her as the fount of clemency and sweetness of piety, adorned with
the beauty of chastity, justice, and truth. Franciscans traditionally honor
Mary through the "Franciscan Crown," a 7-decade rosary meditating on
the Seven Joys of Mary, recognizing her as the source of "fair love"
and joy.
3). “Mediatrix of Grace”
This title speaks of Mary’s powerful intercession and
mediation of heavenly grace. There is a long Franciscan tradition acknowledging
Mary’s role as such.
The decree Lumen Gentium of Vatican II would caution against
the title of "Mediatrix" that: "This, however, is to be so
understood that it neither takes away from nor adds anything to the dignity and
efficaciousness of Christ the one Mediator." And as recently as November
2025, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Catholic Church
declared that the use of the titles Mediatrix, Mediatrix of all graces, and
Co-Redemptrix "have limits that do not favor a correct understanding
of Mary’s unique place".
A long Franciscan tradition holds that Our Lady’s unique
role in the redemption is worthy of this special feast. Mary herself was
redeemed by Christ, her Son. Then through her powerful intercession, she
obtains for us the graces that God wishes to bestow on the human race. In the
15th century, the Franciscan friar, St Bernardine of Siena wrote: “I do not
hesitate to say that she (Mary) has received a certain jurisdiction over all
graces… They are administered through her hands to whom she pleases, when she pleases,
as she pleases, and as much as she pleases.” In the Constitution on the Church,
Vatican II states: “In the work of the Saviour, she (Mary) cooperated in an
altogether singular way, by her obedience, faith, hope and burning love, to
restore supernatural life to souls.”
The connection to the Immaculate Conception, a concept that was championed by Franciscan theologians, is apparent through the combination today with Our Lady of Lujan, a statue of the Immaculate Conception. In most common depictions, rays of grace emanate from the hands of Mary, and you can see in one of the following illustrations how that grace is being passed on to Mary from Jesus.
