Do you Have a Relationship with Mary?

Mother Mary Pray For Me:

Mother Mary pray for me

I forgot to say my Rosary

Not to mention I sin a lot

You are pure and I am not

Please ask your Son to rescue me

I need His help I’m sure you see

Sometimes I desire to get away and pray

Finally found the time today

So, I kneel before this Bread made Lord

And lay my sins out on the board

I am selfish and lazy too

I don’t do what I ought to do

I am heartily sorry for having offending He

Mother Mary pray for Me

Do you Have a Relationship with Mary?

I have had people ask me how my relationship with Jesus is; or if I have one.  That was mostly as a college student.  As it happens, I don’t think I have anyone ask me how my relationship is between His mother and I.

Well, we grew up going to Saint Mary Star of the Sea Church.  Not until I read a book about Fatima did I hear any one use the term “Our Lady” talking about Mary.  We just called her Mary.  I taught myself the rosary with a small book I picked up at a Catholic shop on a field trip with our Confirmation class.  Once in a while they would teach the Rosary in catechism class but that was only a few times over the many years, and not often enough for us to remember it.  I had asked my parents about the Rosary and was told it was a bunch of Hail Marys.

I remember my response when we were about ten and my sister asked at the dinner table, “What’s a virgin?”  My parents laughed and asked if I knew.  My response was just as innocent as my twin sister’s question. “A saint, like Mary or something?”  They were still trying not to laugh and probably thought it was cute.

I remember, as a child, thinking the song Amazing Grace by John Newton was about Mary. She was after all, full of grace.  She was Jesus’ mother and a pure white marble looking statue to the left of the alter, and the name of our parish church. How was I supposed to know that Star of the Sea was a title for Mary?  I thought it was part of the title of our church as it was just down the street from Scarborough and Olivo’s State Beaches.  There were fishing boats docked only a few miles away.  We also always prayed “that the men, and women who harvest the sea will be aware of your love and protection and be brought safely home to port.” during the Prayer of the Faithful.-Wow I still remember the words to that; wow!

So, I guess I did not have an official relation with Saint Mary in spite of, or because I was a child in the parish before kindergarten.  By high school I sought a relationship with Mary.  I think it was because we were given a book by a catechism teacher talking about Fatima.  She attempted to teach us how to say the Rosary.  It took me years into college before I got use to using terms like “Our Lady of…” because of the daily Mass, older population, that I was spending time with off campus.

Now the words Our Lady of Mount Carmel can roll so easily off my tongue and my prayers to the Blessed Mother can come so easily thanks be to God.

Yes, I have a relationship with her and her Son.

Do you?