Introduction
Many Catholics devote themselves to Mary out of love for the Mother of God. Most devotions were inherited from parents or from being involved in Marian groups and associations. But if you want to find a solid reason for the necessity of devotion to the Blessed Mother, St. Louis-Marie de Montfort in his book, "True Devotion to Mary", gives an important purpose for this devotion:
Mary has a role in our journey to wholeness and holiness.
The "treasury of the Lord"
Montfort says that as the Father and Creator of the world gathered all the waters together and called them the seas, in the same way He gathered "all His graces together and called them Mary" (True Devotion #23). That is why the gospel of Luke also tells of the angel calling Mary "highly favoured" or "full of grace" (in Greek, 'kekaritomene'). The saints call Mary the "treasury of the Lord", since from all the graces God has given her, all those devoted to her are made rich.
The 'mystic channel': Christ's aqueduct
By His life and death, Jesus imparted to His mother His infinite merits and His eminent virtues. Through her, He applies His merits to those devoted to her; He transmits His virtues and distributes His graces. Mary is, as it were, a mystic channel, through which He causes His waters of mercy to flow gently and abundantly to arid souls (True Devotion #24).
The Holy Spirit sanctifies us through Mary
Montfort also states that the Holy Spirit wishes to mold each and everyone of us in holiness "in and through Mary". The Spirit wills that Mary's virtues also take root in us that we "may grow from strength to strength and from grace to grace". He also wills that Mary reproduce herself in all her devotees that the following virtues may take root in us: Mary's invincible faith, profound humility, total mortification, sublime prayer, ardent charity, and firm hope (True Devotion #34).
The formation and education of great saints
Together with the Holy Spirit, Mary produced the greatest miracle that ever was or ever will be: the Word of God incarnate, a God-man, Christ the Eternal Wisdom of God. In the same way, when Mary has taken root in souls, in her "school of holiness", she will form and educate great saints - "wonders of grace" which only Mary can produce. These great saints will "come at the end the world" and their formation and education are reserved only through Mary's school of holiness (True Devotion #35).
Conclusion
Devotion to Mary is not only meant for intercessory prayers and daily petitions that we entreat for the necessities of daily life: health, work, success for the work of our hands, protection against adversities and dangers, security from the onslaught of temptations within and around us, and peace for ourselves and the members of our family. Much more than these, according to Montfort, devotion to Mary is a school of holiness - one in which we grow in faith, humility, mortification, prayer, charity and hope. Mary is the treasury of the Lord by which Jesus distributes the Father's graces to us. She is the spiritual mold by which the Holy Spirit forms us in the likeness of Christ's holiness.
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