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All of Our Lady's greatness comes from her relationship with Christ. We cannot appreciate her or appreciate her role in the Church without keeping this in the forefront of our minds.
Christ is a self-portrait of God. It was through Mary that he came to birth among us. She cared for him during all the years he remained in the shadows, unknown and unrecognized. And when Jesus came onto public view, he did not meet with universal acclaim. Mary suffered enormously at seeing him regarded with suspicion, declared an imposter and eventually put to death. All the time, however, in spite of darkness and difficulty, she continued to believe in him and stood by him in his hour of humiliation. Mary's sanctity is the most hidden of all sanctities.
Should not Mary share in Jesus' victory? Being humble, she did not seek her own glory. She attributed all her greatness to the love and mercy of God and she did her part. Mary lived the will of God even though it meant following a path that was steep and dark. It was through her that Christ's glory was seen and recognized. This is why she has been called: "The Second Eve."
 Remember what happened in the Garden of Paradise? Almighty God gave Adam and Eve everything imaginable, everything that you and I would dream of as a potential for perfect happiness. God forbid them only one thing. He said, " There is only one tree, the fruit of which you will not eat, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." We are told that the devil came along and asked Eve, "Why is it that God does not want you to eat of this particular fruit? I will tell you. If you eat of this fruit, then you will be able to determine for yourself what is good, what is bad, what is right, what is wrong. You won't need God to tell you this." Eve, the mother of the human race, turned to Adam and the two of them ate of the fruit and committed the act of disobedience, rejecting the will of God in their lives. Instead of becoming gods, they found themselves naked, ashamed, humiliated and ejected from the Garden of Paradise.
Then came "The Second Eve," mothering Jesus, mothering his Church, mothering us. Mary attuned her will to God. When the Archangel Gabriel asked Mary if she would become the God-bearer for the world, her yes turned the world upside down. When Christ came into the womb of Mary, he transformed us. In a mysterious way, he swept us up into his divinity. When Christ entered the womb of Mary, in a certain sense, he took us with him. Through that yes it became possible for Jesus to come into the world and bring about the potential of our salvation. It is in this way that Mary is "The Second Eve." Adam and Eve rejected the will of God. Jesus and Mary accepted and lived out the will of God. Christ, "The Second Adam," bringing new life into the world and Mary, "The Second Eve," mothering that new life.
Mary is our mother and we are precious to her. With her help we will come to believe in our human and divine dignity and we will try to be true to it. A devotion to the Rosary teaches us that we can hope to share in her glory, which is the glory of her Son. Christ wants us to be where he and his Mother are now.
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