Mary, Mother of God, and Our Mother ... Your Experiences?

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On this Feast Day of Mary, Mother of God, please feel welcome to share your relationship with Mary and how Mary leads you or has led you closer to Jesus Christ her Son, True God and True Man.

Personally as a cradle Catholic, my relationship with Mary seems to be mostly on an intellectual level of belief, even when I know that she has been helping me through her love or intercession. I have always easily and naturally accepted praying to Mary, the other saints, and angels as intercessors. However, saying the Rosary, which I do but not as often as I should, often seems to have been “because God wants me to,” or “because Our Lady of Fatima wants me to.”

Some Catholics, including most or all of the saints, have been blessed with a very deep relationship with Mary. Since the Lord has blessed me with other gifts, I have no right to expect anything beyond an intellectual acceptance through faith of Mary and her role in salvation history. However, if anyone wishes to share how Mary is special to you, please feel welcome to accept this invitation to do so. Also, if you would like to describe any experience you have had that expresses the phrase “to Jesus through Mary.”

Thank you,

~~ the phoenix
 
Mary our heavenly Mother, has always been present in my life. I have never doubted. When I was 3, I saw a lady at the foot of my bed. She was gazing at me not saying a word but I could hear her speaking to me, telling me that she would always be with me and to never be afraid. Her face seemed to be lit from within, and she was wearing a white dress and a blue mantle. This memory has been with me all my life, of course being only 3, I couldn’t accurately articulate what I had seen. But growing up Catholic and going to Catholic school, I eventually learned more about Mary. Mom had already taught me to pray the rosary since I was very small. She taught me that Mary is my Heavenly Mother and she is my earthly mother. When I was to give birth to my daughter, Mary came to me again and said, be strong I am with you. my daughter was born 5 weeks early with heart problems. Had open heart surgery, but I never once lost hope or worried because Mary told me to be strong, and I felt her presence with me. Again after my sons death, I smelled the roses at the cemetery by his grave, and I knew Mary was with me, then I realized that all my life she was preparing me for the ultimate pain, a pain so great that it would bring my whole life to a screeching halt, a pain that only a mother could feel, a pain she knew…the pain of losing a child. My son was 21. Mary, my mother has been with me and has shown me that she is still here to help me. She comforts me she strenghthens me, she is my hope and through her love I have asked Jesus for mercy on my soul and my family.
 
Hi

Being a convert (Ok, not official until Easter this year now) Mary was the hardest thing for me to accept. In fact, doing so was a long battle with me turning away from the Truth for a bit. Fortunately, ‘Mom’ never gave up on me, and after going through everything again (For like the thousandth time) and reading a book by Scott Hahn caled ‘Hail Holy Queen’ (I Highly Recommend It for anyone struggling with this issue) I finally accepted the truth about Our Blessed Mother.

As I was Praying a day or so later, and apologizing to her for rejecting her and ignoring her, I felt a wonderful sense of peace and Love - on top of that I was already feeling. It was a NEW sensation, not like the usual peace and Love I feel from the Lord. Then I sensed a quick presence in front of me, and also sensed something had happened. Then I smelled something…something kind of familiar…earthy like. I recognized it as flowers…a second later I identified it as Roses. I was wondering about this…then I remembered - Roses are associated with Our Blessed Mother. To say the least I was speechless, awed, and humbled by this token of Love and acceptance…and forgiveness, from Our Lady.

My life has not been the same since, and I feel so much more at home now than I thought would ever be possible for me. Glory to God, Hail Holy Queen.

Thank you for the opportunity to share

Peace

John
 
For some people, your earthly mother is the one that comforts you and tells you how to approach your father if you’ve done something wrong. I felt that way when I wanted to come back to the Church… I felt I wasn’t worthy. When a Chaplain told me of the prodigal son, although he knew I was Catholic (soooo not practicing)… he told me God was waiting for me. So my first step was to say a prayer to Mary for help. And she’s been with me ever since.

You can’t fully know Jesus without also knowing his mother.
 
Dear joyfulmess:

Thank you for your witness of being under Mary’s special care and protection from the very early age of three. You are so blessed! As a merciful mother and the Mother of Mercy, she has guided you so gently and with such love through the hardest parts of your life. You have shared with her the sorrow of losing a beloved son, and have been granted the peace which passes all understanding from her Son, the Prince of Peace. May Mary continue to lead you to the Divine Mercy which you seek for yourself and your family. 🙂

Dear John / PraRFLEsEkHm:

Thank you for your witness of growing in faith to the fullness of a relationship with Mary, such that you even feel comfortable referring to her as “Mom” … you have had to overcome so much, and you have been granted such a precious gift! 🙂 You also hold out hope to other people like myself, that in time if the Lord wills, … (and with the effort of prayer on our part!) … we might also develop a deeper closeness to the Blessed Mother.

~~ the phoenix
 
Dear tamccrackine:

Yes, I agree with you. What strikes me as admirable is how natural it was for you to turn to Mary in your situation, and how deeply natural it seems to you to fully know Jesus based also on your knowledge of His Mother. Something seems to click with you easier than it does with me, even though I’ve been well taught in the Catholic faith.

If it were me, instead of turning to Mary when I felt that I was not living up to what I should be, I would be more likely to feel a nudge from my guardian angel to go to Confession.

Thank you for serving as a good example, and for helping me see things the way you see them. 🙂

~~ the phoenix
 
Our mother named her first born daughter, Mary after becoming pregnant after saying a novena to our Blessed Lady for intercession. Until that novena over 50 years ago, our mother could not become pregnant… God is good all the time!
 
the phoenix:
Dear tamccrackine:

Yes, I agree with you. What strikes me as admirable is how natural it was for you to turn to Mary in your situation, and how deeply natural it seems to you to fully know Jesus based also on your knowledge of His Mother. Something seems to click with you easier than it does with me, even though I’ve been well taught in the Catholic faith.

If it were me, instead of turning to Mary when I felt that I was not living up to what I should be, I would be more likely to feel a nudge from my guardian angel to go to Confession.

Thank you for serving as a good example, and for helping me see things the way you see them. 🙂

~~ the phoenix
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Now didn’t you just put a huge grin on my face! What lovely words you wrote to me!

Mary has always been my nudge to get to confession…much like my mom used to do to me to “go talk to your father, he’s upset with your behavior” and based off the trust and confidence she exuded, I would go just with that faith that I wasn’t going to get “nailed.” And now that I’m a mother, I look to her more and I can feel her pain when I think of any harm befalling my children… what a model of trusting in the Lord and to obey His will, no matter how difficult it may seem.

May you have a very blessed day!!
Theresa
 
Dear contemplative:

Thanks for sharing and making your voice heard! 🙂

Dear stbruno:

Thank you for sharing your family history in which Mary through her intercession blessed you with a sister. What a wonderfully fitting tribute for her to then be named in Mary’s honor. Your sister must treasure that, as well as your mother and the rest of you. 🙂

Dear tamccrackine:

You’re very welcome – I call it as I see it. 🙂 You’re helping me to think of things in a new way. Maybe it’s just a case of the Lord’s Providence where for some reason the Blessed Mother helps you towards Confession and angels help me, the difference being due to the individual differences in our lives. Either way, being led closer to Jesus is the main thing. * nods *

~~ the phoenix
 
When I realized what Christ was doing when he said to the disciple “He loved” the admonition to “behold your mother” I was in awe, and it changed my entire thinking on “Marianism.”

Why can’t any of us who love Christ be “the disciple that Jesus loved” in this context, and understand what Christ is doing. He is saying we are close friends, adopted into His Family by His own actions, to the extent that we share both the blessings and responsibility for His own mother, in addition to our own human mother. It like doubles the number of mothers we have but multiplies the graces.

Alan
 
While I am relatively new to Catholicism, I find such comfort and joy in the Rosary. I pray it on a (fairly) regular basis. While I pray it, I often picture Mary and think about her humility and her love and her willingness to do God’s will. Several times while I was praying and picturing her, I just felt that she was smiling so happily as if she had a great secret that I knew nothing about. Like she knew something wonderful was going to happen but wasn’t letting me in on it! (It may sound a bit silly but I don’t know how else to explain it)

At that time I was praying a lot for improved financial circumstances (as well as for spiritual matters) but I’ll admitt, strained finances were uppermost in my mind. A matter of a few weeks later, we had a really down and out argument with our landlord who lived next door and was just becoming more and more of a pain and more hateful to us by the minute even though we’d always been so careful to be considerate of him, etc. (Basically he was blaming us for routine maintenance that needed to be done because he was el cheapo and never wanted to keep anything up!) Finally, fed up by having every weekend that my husband was home from his trucking driving job ruined by this man, we gave him our notice and told him we’d be out in X amount of time.

That was all well and good but we had no idea where we’d go at all! Needed to stay in the school district due to son being a senior in HS. At any rate, one thing led to another and we were so truly blessed to be able to buy a house we’d have never dreamt we could afford (with no downpayment saved or any anticipation of moving) through a rent-to-own program that we happened upon.

As soon as this happened, I just knew that the new house and the move were exactly what the Blessed Virgin had been smiling at me about! She knew wonderful circumstances were just around the corner for my family with the blessing of a beautiful new home where we can live peacefully and independently! While it wasn’t exactly with regard to the finances, it was a wonderful blessing (and has only increased my faith that the financial improvement will follow).

I love her so much and everyday feel so thankful that she is my spiritual mother.

Amie
 
I Love My Mother Mary!!!

On January 1st this year, we were blessed to have our Legion of Mary Pilgrim Virgin statue come into our home for a week! It was such a beautiful little ceremony, and I am thoroughly enjoying having her here in my home! I’m going to miss her when she leaves next Sunday!

One of the people who brought her to our home had an awesome relic he shared with us. It was a thread from Mary’s veil, put into a beautiful, ancient crucifix. Wow, was that a special way to celebrate her feast day as Mother of God! :):)🙂
 
Dear AlanFromWichita:

Thank you for bringing up so important a point! Jesus bequeathed to us His Own precious Mother, so that she would also be our own. * smiles gratitude * 🙂

Dear Amie / BeluvdLily:

Your meditation and how you’re able to picture Mary so vividly is wonderful! I rejoice with you about how you’ve been blessed through her loving intercession with a new house. 🙂

Dear CatholicSam:

Love the “Blessed Mother Blue” in your post! 👍
Great way for you to start off the New Year with the Pilgrim Virgin statue in your home! I myself have a statue of Our Lady of Fatima, having rescued it from its place on a shelf at a flea market. The relic with the thread from Mary’s veil sounds awesome indeed !!!

~~ the phoenix
 
the phoenix:
Dear CatholicSam:

Love the “Blessed Mother Blue” in your post! 👍
Great way for you to start off the New Year with the Pilgrim Virgin statue in your home! I myself have a statue of Our Lady of Fatima, having rescued it from its place on a shelf at a flea market. The relic with the thread from Mary’s veil sounds awesome indeed !!!

~~ the phoenix
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This Pilgrim Virgin statue is also Our Lady of Fatima 🙂 My hubby and I think that when she leaves we might have to take a trip down to the Monastery and buy another one! We have her on an end table whose lamp has been temporarily displaced. It makes me want to chuck the TV out of the place of honor in our living room and replace it with the family altar :bible1:
 
“How Mary is special to me…”
I recently posted some of my “Long Strange Trip to Mary” on the “Praying the Rosary” thread (post #23, I think)…

As a proud intellectual/academic/apologist-type guy, sometimes I wish I had an intellectual/academic/apologist-type conversion story, *a la * C.S. Lewis, Scott Hahn, etc. - how I finally figured out on my own, through much study and effort, that the Catholic Faith is the Truth.

Instead, I rather have a Saul-on-the-Road-to-Damascus testimony. When asked, “Why did I become a Catholic?”
I have to say, because of Mary!
Not only was she not a stumbling block to my conversion, she was the reason for it…
As St. Alphonsus Liguori writes somewhere in The Glories of Mary (citing some other Saint),
“She is a most sweet bait, by which God catches the hearts of men.”
 
That’s a big question. Seldom a day passes when I don’t pray and honour Mary. I don’t always feel emotional about our relationship- but boy doe’s she help me.
At times I have especially noticed her help- It’s just like providence. To me - Mary is truly my mother.
Just one thing - a few years ago we were struggling financially in the family business - But every one of our Lady’s feast days bought a huge boost to the companies sales. This went on for a few months. Mary takes care of all our needs- Temporal or spiritual.
I could list hundreds of times when I sensed her maternal care ffor me and my family. Somettimes her intercession may have even been miraculous.
I believe that Mary would even perform a miracle to help me if it were absolutely necessay. I really pity the Christians who don’t know their mother.
 
I come from a large Catholic family, seven kids - five boys and two girls. My mother was Catholic and my father wasn’t, nor was he religious. As a matter of fact, I would say he was anti-religious years ago. My parents had a very turbulent marriage, but my mother was steadfast with her Rosary novenas and eventually (near death) my father accepted the Lord and was baptised.

Our house was turbulent because my mother wasn’t just “catholic” — she was CATHOLIC ! And, my father wasn’t just “non-religious” he was anti-religious and NON-Catholic. It’s been interesting to see how each of us kids has allowed God or not allowed God to enter into our lives and the fruit of one christian mother standing for her Lord, and refusing to compromise. In the later years, she softened and so did he and they truly became one, tried by Fire and tested as gold.

Mary became very important to me as a child. A few years after making my Holy Communion and having a definite sense of the Real Presence of the Lord, my mother taught all of us to say the Rosary. Every evening she would bring the three oldest kids into a quiet bedroom and we would say the Rosary with her for my father’s conversion.

Early on I began to sense Mary as the mother of Jesus and my mother, too. There was a definite sense that she was my spiritual mother, also. This got me through so many hardships and emotional ups and downs as a pre-teen and teenager. I felt the Lord’s strength with me all through grade school, but as I was tested in high school, it was her motherly voice I heard in my heart. She would always remind me of my love for her Son, and that it was He who gave me the strength to not buckle under peer pressures. I’m absolutely sure now, looking back, it was the grace of God that kept me strong.

There is so much to say regarding Jesus and Mary, it would take volumes to fill, but there is something I would like to leave you with because it was a private revelation from Mary to me and asked her if I could share and she said, “yes, share it.”

Years ago, when I was returning to the Catholic Church after quite an absence, I began to take up the Rosary again.

—I will complete the story of this revelation on my next post below, since I’m running out of room here —
 
…continuing on with my private revelation from Mary, the Blessed Virgin.

As I was saying, after returning to the Church after a long absence I began to take up the Rosary again. One day, before I began to recite it, I asked Blessed Mary if she would tell me why, as many of my Protestant friends has often asked, “Why is it that we repeat the same prayer over and over – doesn’t this go against our Lord’s teaching on repetitious prayers?”

I had asked this question with a sincere child-like heart and had not done any previous “research” as to why the Rosary was structured as it was. After a couple of decades of the Rosary, she spoke to my heart:

*My child, when I was a young girl of fourteen, an Angel, the Angel Gabriel appeared to me… It was a frightening experience and yet I was in awe of his message. As he spoke, I knew in my heart that I must not forget, I must not forget his message, every word of it. Every word, every syllable, I must remember exactly what he said. Therefore, I began to repeat the words over and over to myself – exactly as he had said them. Exactly, my repetition caused me to ponder even more about their meaning. As I pondered, it increased my knowledge and my joy. These words that the Angel spoke were my comfort and joy during difficult and trying times. And so, I would repeat them often to myself throughout the day to remember that God was in charge and I could trust Him to finish what He began.

After I was assumed into heaven, the Father crowned me Queen of Heaven and promised me that all who would recite these words, as I had done, would receive special graces, unwarranted graces, merciful graces to overcome all obstacles. He told me He would make these words a powerful weapon against Evil and the compulsion of sin. These words, this Rosary was a Gift from the Father — and so I have appeared to my children to encourage them to respond to the Father’s great love, granting them mercy and grace –
Say the Rosary, and remember He has promised grace and mercy to those who say it with a reverent heart.*

Now I must qualify the above message, most of it came to me as an inner knowledge; the first paragraph was pretty much her words verbatim, and the second paragraph was an understanding that I received immediately following her words to me.

The Rosary is a scriptural meditation on the Life of Christ. So why can’t we just pray over the scriptures about the life of Christ and receive the same benefits as the Rosary? I have come to believe it is because of the special graces we receive while being obedient to saying the Rosary.

There are times I find it just as difficult to say the Rosary as anyone else but once I get started and proceed forward, the graces come and I seem to hear the voice of the Lord with more clarity.

As a sidenote: Father Corapi once said (and I’m paraphrasing) that when he was a Marine his weapon was very important to him, and now that he is a priest, one of his most important weapons against evil is the Rosary.
 
Just a quick note now because I need to leave for Mass. I’ll be back as soon as I can with personal responses to those who are participating whom I have not yet replied to.

TO THE MODERATOR:

If there is anything in this thread which does not follow forum rules regarding private revelation, may I please ask you the favor of editing the posts to remove anything which does not belong instead of closing down the entire thread? I would hate to see an entire active thread devoted to Mary closed down because one or two posts may contain content which does not belong, when editing would provide a solution which would allow the thread to continue.

TO THREAD PARTICIPANTS:

Please respect the rules of the forum so that this thread may continue. Your help is greatly appreciated!

~~ the phoenix
 
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