C
Curious
Guest
Hope this it the right place to put this thread. Sometimes it’s hard to tell! 
Like many other Protestants, I never gave Mary much thought except around Christmas and the occasional, “Gee, wasn’t it neato that she was chosen to carry Christ?”
In studying Catholicism, the idea of speaking to Mary was of course, quite weird, unnatural, and honestly, a little creepy. Especially in the uncertainty that she could actually hear me. Can she? I don’t know, but I certainly I act like she can these days.
It started with me getting into the Rosary.
“Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.”
Okay, I thought. Not bad. Nothing but scripture there. And all generations shall call her blessed, so…no problem.
“Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”
Holy Mary? Okay, sure. Mother of God? Never had a problem with that. The rest of it? wellllll…okay. If she could hear me, fine. No problem.
But that’s all I was ever willing to say. I have a child now. The depth of feeling I have for her is undescribable (sp?) as I’m sure any other parent can attest.
And Mary? My God, what a mother she must have been. Even if her love for Jesus was as imperfect as I’m sure mine is of my baby…what a love, what a love. And to see him crucified brutally at a young age, to have faith in her son, to say earlier, “Do whatever He tells you.”
What a mother. I ask her occasionally, and quite comfortably, to pray for me to be a wise and loving mother to bring up child in the ways of God. Do I still pray straight to God for His help in this? Sure! Does asking Mary for these things take away from this? Not at all.
It’s amazing. Perhaps my new feeling about Mary is clouded by the intensity’s by the mother’s love I now have, and emotion. But I don’t care.
I just wanted to share my little journey from “Those silly Catholics pray to Mary” to “Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for me now and at the hour of my death. Pray for me to be a great mother, as I’m sure you were, and that I’ll bring her up well in a way pleasing to the Lord.”
Like many other Protestants, I never gave Mary much thought except around Christmas and the occasional, “Gee, wasn’t it neato that she was chosen to carry Christ?”
In studying Catholicism, the idea of speaking to Mary was of course, quite weird, unnatural, and honestly, a little creepy. Especially in the uncertainty that she could actually hear me. Can she? I don’t know, but I certainly I act like she can these days.
It started with me getting into the Rosary.
“Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.”
Okay, I thought. Not bad. Nothing but scripture there. And all generations shall call her blessed, so…no problem.
“Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”
Holy Mary? Okay, sure. Mother of God? Never had a problem with that. The rest of it? wellllll…okay. If she could hear me, fine. No problem.
But that’s all I was ever willing to say. I have a child now. The depth of feeling I have for her is undescribable (sp?) as I’m sure any other parent can attest.
And Mary? My God, what a mother she must have been. Even if her love for Jesus was as imperfect as I’m sure mine is of my baby…what a love, what a love. And to see him crucified brutally at a young age, to have faith in her son, to say earlier, “Do whatever He tells you.”
What a mother. I ask her occasionally, and quite comfortably, to pray for me to be a wise and loving mother to bring up child in the ways of God. Do I still pray straight to God for His help in this? Sure! Does asking Mary for these things take away from this? Not at all.
It’s amazing. Perhaps my new feeling about Mary is clouded by the intensity’s by the mother’s love I now have, and emotion. But I don’t care.
I just wanted to share my little journey from “Those silly Catholics pray to Mary” to “Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for me now and at the hour of my death. Pray for me to be a great mother, as I’m sure you were, and that I’ll bring her up well in a way pleasing to the Lord.”
