When we consider the role of a mother, certain characteristics come to mind. A mother is a nurturer. She’s usually the one a child goes to when hurt or sick. She offers guidance and direction; Her love knows no end.
If this is true of any good mom, then how much more true would it be of the Mother of God?
God could have chosen any way to come to us; any method to save us. But he chose to come to us through a mother. From the moment the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to the moment she stood at the foot of the cross watching Jesus’ crucifixion, she remained a faithful servant of God.
To turn to Mary for her intercession is to trust in the fullness of God’s plan.
For most of us, our prayer lives ebb and flow, changing like the seasons. We experience springlike seasons of prayer, full of consistency, beauty, and abundance. But we also experience dark, drab, winterlike seasons when prayers may seem unanswered, or fear consumes us, leaving us feeling desolate and lost.
It’s during these latter seasons that, like any child needing the warm embrace of a mother, we can turn to Our Mother Mary for guidance and redirection.
Here are two common circumstances where we can turn to Mary through the Rosary for her prayers:
Too much noise: when we’re overwhelmed and don’t know what or how to pray
We’ve all had moments of prayer where the distractions seem to own us. We can’t focus, we don’t know what to say, and we certainly don’t know how to say it.
Maybe we begin a prayer of thanksgiving and then find our prayers hijacked by thoughts about the chores that await us – the dishes still in the sink from the night before or the project still unfinished at work with the deadline looming too close for comfort.
We can’t seem to focus. Instead of giving up, we can turn to Mary for help.
Like a good mom, she wants to help.
The perfect example of her generous, servant heart can be found in John 2:1-11 at the wedding in Cana.
Mary notices that the couple has run out of wine. To run out of wine during a wedding would have meant extreme embarrassment for the families, potentially bringing shame to the family name. Mary, understanding this, took the problem to Jesus.
You probably know what happened next.
Jesus, at the urging of his mom, performed His first miracle – turning water into wine.
Mary, the Queen of Heaven, continues to come to the aid of her adopted children (you and me) the same way that she came to the aid of the bride and groom in Cana.
And she does this by taking our needs straight to Jesus.
Too much worry: when we’re scared or feel frozen with fear
As faithful Catholics, we understand the devil’s temptations, which begin in our thoughts. Fear is a usual tactic he uses to tempt us not to trust the Lord.
We give in to this temptation when we focus on that which the devil wants us to – our fears.
The Rosary is uniquely designed to help us do the opposite – to keep our thoughts focused on the lives of Mary and Jesus. When we focus on the mysteries of the lives of Mary and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we are slighting the devil.
With each bead, it’s as if Mary herself is quietly whispering to us, “Focus, child.” Like any good mom would do.
Interestingly enough, a quick Google search will reveal how self-focused our culture has become. It’s difficult to find a lot of data supporting an opposite approach – away from self and toward others.
But the truth is, as our faith affirms, when we set our minds on things above, and we surrender our thoughts to God, our hearts and minds become settled. As a specifically meditative devotion, the Rosary helps us do just that.
The Rosary keeps our eyes focused where they belong – on the beautiful mysteries of our faith – and grace fills our hearts.
As you quietly glide your fingers over each bead, you’ll notice the fear gets drowned out, and you begin to relax.
Though she undoubtedly faced the same human emotions that we do, she continually said yes to God. She was entirely devoted to Him. We can trust her as our Heavenly Mother to take our petitions to Him still today.
And as she did at the wedding in Cana, Mary continues to lead us to Jesus.