The Marian Year is an opportunity to study the meaning of the liturgical year, which is the celebration of "the whole mystery of Christ, from the Incarnation and Nativity to the Ascension, to Pentecost and the awaiting in hope of the return of the Savior" (Sac. Concilium, 102). Every liturgical year is a "holy year" and a "year of mercy," for, through the presence of Christ and the Holy Spirit and through the reliving and celebration of the sacred mysteries, "God is perfectly glorified, and men and women are made holy" (Sac Concilium, 7).

The liturgical year is the context for the celebration of the Marian Year. Every Marian Year observance should be in harmony with the theme and character of the liturgical season. The seasons and feasts of the calendar should be respected; in many cases, upon investigation, a Marian dimension will emerge which can be harmoniously inserted into the celebration.

Mary in the Liturgical Year

Through her association with Christ, Mary is present in the celebration of the paschal mystery; the entire liturgical year has a Marian dimension.

In Advent, she is the one in whom Israel's hope for a savior is centered, the one through whom "the time of waiting is fulfilled and a new stage inaugurated."

During the Christmas season, she is present in the narratives of Christ's infancy. The Solemnity of the Mother of God, January 1, commemorating Mary's maternity divine and virginal is the oldest Marian feast of the Church of Rome.

In the Lenten period, Mary is Christ's first disciple following him in her pilgrimage of faith.

During the Easter season, she is the person of joy and hope, present at the birth of the Church.

In Ordinary Time, in addition to the various feasts of Mary and the weekly memorial on Saturday, there is the Solemnity of the Assumption which crowns and terminates Mary's pilgrimage of faith.

Marian Devotion and Liturgy

Marian devotion is part of Christian liturgy. The two nourish and develop each other. The characteristics of Marian devotion indicate its liturgical character. Marian devotion is part of the one worship in which the Church praises and thanks God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Marian devotion reveals and celebrates the bonds which unite Mary to the persons of the Trinity, to the Church, to the communion of saints. Sustained by Scripture and tradition, Marian devotion includes the sentiments which are part of prayer veneration, praise, love, invocation, supplication and it welcomes the beauty of artistic, musical, and literary expression. Lastly, Marian devotion requires that prayer be consistent with daily conduct.

The liturgy provides the norm for Marian devotion. Similar to the liturgy, Marian devotion has trinitarian, christological, and ecclesial dimensions. Nourished from the same sources as the liturgy, Marian devotion enkindles the desire for ecumenism, evangelization, and witness to Gospel values.

Mary, Model of Worship

Mary demonstrates the attitudes for celebrating the divine mysteries. In every liturgical celebration, the Church imitates Mary by hearing and welcoming the Word, by praising and thanking God, by presenting Christ to the world, by praying and interceding for all people, by giving and nourishing life, by offering Christ to the Father, by awaiting the coming of the Savior.

Together with Mary, the Church welcomes God's presence in word and sacrament, looks for the signs of his reign, awaits his coming in glory, and is actively concerned for the well-being of all people.

The image of Mary presented in liturgy invites imitation. Mary is model for all virtues and for cooperation in God's work. The image of Mary presented in the liturgy "enkindles a desire for conformity with Mary as a way of imitating Christ and gives a model of careful and loving attention to God's word. With Mary, the Christian worshipper praises and thanks God with joy, serves God faithfully through service to humanity, while persevering in prayer and confidence" (Collectio missarum de b. Maria Virgine, 14).