May 8th in the midst of Marian devotion

 

The eighth (8^th) 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.