Pope Benedict: 'We are all pilgrims.'

By Mary DeTurris Poust

Yesterday, when I was doing a live interview on Twitter about the catechism (related to my book The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Catholic Catechism), one of the questions was this: What is Mary's role in Catholic life? Do we study her life or have a relationship with her? I explained that it is both. We look to Mary as an example of faith lived out in her day-to-day life, her 'yes' to God, her total trust in His will. But we also have a relationship with Mary as our spiritual mother, someone we can go to in prayer, someone who helps us move closer to Jesus.

I wish I could have posted the YouTube clip (above) of Pope Benedict XVI talking about how Mary, in Fatima, calls all of us to "regard earth as the place of our pilgrimage to our final homeland, which is heaven." The pope went on to say that we are all pilgrims, and we "need our mother to guide us."

So often Mary's role in Catholic life is misunderstood, and yet what a beautiful role it is to those of us who know Mary and go to Mary with our troubles and our joys. And seeing this life as one long pilgrimage toward God, with Mary at our side the whole way, is a gift and a blessing. Be sure to listen to the pope's message in the clip above.