Psst: Get your free printable: ‘How to Say The Chaplet of the 10 Virtues of Mary’ at the bottom of this post!
The Blessed Virgin Mary served God directly through motherhood. She dedicated her life entirely to raising her son, Jesus. Because he was the Son of the Most High and one with God, every act of motherhood Mary performed was an immediate service to God.
All mothers have the opportunity to serve God through their vocation of motherhood. Jesus is present in the hearts of every mother’s child, and when she serves them she also serves God. Mary was blessed with many virtues that enabled her to mother Jesus with the purest love that could ever be given by a parent.
What were Mary’s specific virtues and how can we imitate them as mothers? We’ll discuss each of the 10 Evangelical Virtues of Mary in this post.
What Are the 10 Evangelical Virtues of Mary?
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “a virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts, but to give the best of himself. The virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions” (1803).
The 10 Evangelical Virtues of Mary are revealed to us through her appearance in the Bible. Descriptions of Mary throughout the Gospels tell us that she possesses these 10 virtues:
The 10 Virtues of Mary:
- Most Pure (Mt 1:18, 20, 23; Lk 1:24,34)
- Most Prudent(Lk 2:19; 51)
- Most Humble (Lk 1:48)
- Most Faithful ( Lk 1:45; Jn 2:5)
- Most Devout (Lk 1:46-47; Acts 1:14)
- Most Obedient (Lk 1:38; 2:21-22; 27)
- Most Poor (Lk 2:7)
- Most Patient (Jn 19:25)
- Most Merciful (Lk 1:39, 56)
- Most Sorrowful (Lk 2:35)
Source: University of Dayton
Keep reading to dive deeper into each of these 10 virtues.
Why Should You Imitate Mary’s Virtues, Especially as a Mother?
Mary’s virtuosity is an excellent source of inspiration for parents who want to raise Christ-like children. By imitating Mary’s virtues, you can give your children an upbringing that reflects Jesus’ own childhood. I can’t think of a more perfect way to raise my own children than that!
However, true virtuosity is counter to today’s culture and difficult to obtain. Mary lived without sin. We, on the other hand, struggle to maintain a virtuous life because we are deeply wounded by sin. We need God’s help to live a moral and virtuous life.
It is not easy for man, wounded by sin, to maintain moral balance. Christ’s gift of salvation offers us the grace necessary to preserve in the pursuit of the virtues. Everyone should always ask for this grace of light and strength, frequent the sacraments, cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and follow his calls to love what is good and shun evil.
CCC 1811
Let’s take a look at each of Mary’s virtues and discuss how mothers can imitate them in their daily lives.
Mary, Most Pure
Those who are pure of heart protect the dignity of their own person and the dignity of others through actions of chastity, modesty, and temperance. Mary was pure in the utmost sense of her virginity at the time she conceived Jesus and through the rest of her life. Mothers who are married can practice purity by being modest, by being faithful to their husbands, and by protecting the innocence of their children.
Mary, Most Prudent
Mothers can practice prudence in their daily decision making. The virtue of prudence helps us with our practical reasoning so that we don’t make decisions based solely on emotion. “With the help of this virtue we apply moral principles to particular cases without error and overcome doubts about the good to achieve and the evil to avoid” (CCC, 1806).
The Wedding Feast at Cana comes to mind first when I think about Mary being prudent. She made the prudent decision to encourage Jesus to perform his first public miracle and begin his work when the bride and groom ran out of wine.
Many emotions could have held Mary back from making this decision. She had been told by Simeon at the temple in Jerusalem, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk 2: 34 – 35). Even though she knew that Jesus would face challenges and a sword would pierce her own heart after his ministry began, she encouraged him to move forward anyway. Her virtue of prudence allowed God to work through her, resulting in Jesus’ first miracle.
Mary, Most Humble
Humility is the foundation for all other virtues. Those with humble hearts and minds always acknowledge their existence as the created after the Creator. It is in this understanding that we can humble ourselves to do the will of God, even when it is difficult.
In her humility, Mary chose to say yes to God’s will and became the “handmaid of the Lord.” We can practice the virtue of humility in motherhood by saying yes to God even when we feel tired, underappreciated, or unnoticed. Mary took on motherhood for Jesus without asking for anything in return.
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.”
(Luke 1: 46-48)
Mary, Most Faithful
It took all of Mary’s faith to believe what the angel Gabriel spoke to her was true. When Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was also pregnant, she said to her, “Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Lk 1: 45).
Do we have confidence that Jesus will deliver what he has promised to us? As mothers, we can be faithful by praying for our children, our husbands, and our family’s unity. I feel that some anxiety is unavoidable in motherhood, but we should try not to worry too much. Instead, pray about everything and have faith that God will hear and answer you.
Mary, Most Devout
Even after Jesus ascended into Heaven, Mary continued to honor him on Earth. In the Acts of the Apostles, we read about the continued ministry of the Apostles and Mary: “All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers” (Act 1: 14).
We can imitate Mary’s devotion by consistently bringing our families to church, praying every day, and following the commandments and teaching them to our children. Bring Jesus into your homes and teach your children how to love Him. Can you pick a particular devotion, such as the Divine Mercy Chaplet or the Rosary, for your family to practice together?
Mary, Most Obedient
Mary was obedient to God’s will. When the angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her she would conceive a son and name him Jesus, she responded, “May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1: 38).
As mothers, we can practice obedience by saying yes to God’s will in our life. One of God’s desires for parents is that they teach their children the Word. “Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest” (Deut. 6 6-7). This may include enrolling your children in Catholic school, homeschooling them, or ensuring they attend Religious Education or a youth ministry.
Mary, Most Poor
It is known that Mary and Joseph lived a modest life with Jesus. Joseph was a carpenter and they did not have an excess of possessions. Mary was also poor in spirit. You may be familiar with poverty of spirit as one of the Beatitudes. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 5:3).
Mothers can practice the virtue of poverty by being grateful for all they have and by avoiding greedy behaviors such as excessive spending. Set an example for your children by tithing or by donating unused items in your household. Even better, involve your children in these practices (let them put money in the collection basket/ask them to help gather old toys or clothes to donate).
Mary, Most Patient
Mary endured many trials with patience. She was there at the foot of the cross when her son was crucified. We can imitate Mary by being patient with our children and stand with them through the trials they face.
Imagine what comfort Jesus must have gained just from having his mother there with him at the cross.
“When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home” (Jn 19:26).
Mary, Most Merciful
After Mary found out she was pregnant, she hastily went to visit her cousin Elizabeth who was also pregnant. She stayed with Elizabeth for three months, helping her with her household. Because Elizabeth was “advanced in years” and with child, she must have been very grateful for Mary’s visit and helping hands.
Being merciful means aiding those who are in need. “The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities” (CCC 2447). Not only did Mary help Elizabeth in the final months of her pregnancy, she also helped her spiritually. With the infant Jesus in her womb, Mary was able to bring her cousin the presence of the Holy Spirit. “Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 (Lk 1: 41 – 43).
It’s so important as mothers to help one another. Seek out community with other women and help them in any way you can, physically and spiritually. By doing this, you will grow in mercy like Mary.
Mary, Most Sorrowful
Mary endured perpetual sorrow in her life, awaiting the death she knew would inevitably come for her son.
What we can imitate from Mary is how she handled these sorrowful moments. She suffered quietly, without drawing attention to herself. For example, when she found Jesus in the temple after he’d been missing for three days, she did not lash out angrily. Instead, she listened to what he had to say (“Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”) and Mary “kept all these things in her heart” (Lk 2: 19).
How to Pray the Chaplet of the Ten Evangelical Virtues of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary
The Chaplet of the Ten Evangelical Virtues of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary is a beautiful way to meditate upon the virtues of Mary, to grow in understanding of these virtues, and to develop them within yourself.
The Chaplet was written by Blessed Gilbert and St. Joanne, co-founders of the Sisters of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Members of this religious order, still active today, are called Annunciades. Blessed Gilbert wrote the Rule of the Ten Virtues of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary as a model for the Sisters to follow. St. Joanne composed the Chaplet as a daily reminder of their rule of life and Marian origination. The Rule of the Ten Virtues and the Chaplet also served as the foundation for the male religious order of The Marians until its renovation in 1910.
The Chaplet can be prayed by anyone and only takes a few minutes. If you would like to learn how to pray the Chaplet of the Ten Evangelical Virtues of Mary, I suggest this video from Radical Mothering on YouTube. It’s less than 10 minutes and explains how to pray the Chaplet well.
I’ve also put together this ‘How To’ guide that you can download, save, and print for reference any time.