Seat Saved

I was asked the other day about my relationship with Mary. Like I mentioned back in October, in my post, Goodbye Lisa, I didn't always have a relationship with our Blessed Mother. Over the years though, I have grown to be open to her love and look to her in so many ways...as a source of strength and guidance, a model of beauty and grace, as a women who said yes and gave her whole life to Christ. I think Mary found me before I even knew it and fully realized it!

 

I was given a rosary when I graduated high school. I didn't learn how to pray the rosary until years later when I began to pray vigils for 40 Days For Life. I was given a Miraculous Medal at the Church of Cana by sisters at the church. Wearing the medal over the years I knew it was special, but did not know much about the devotion until a colleague at work gave me prayer card for St. Catherine Laboure and I began to learn more. And the saints! How they speak and write of Mary. Like St. Alphonsus Liguori or St. Maximilian Kolbe. Then there were the roses...on a couple occasions I have found myself smelling roses without roses (or lady clad in rose perfume) in sight. And then I was given the book The True Devotion to Mary by Saint Louis de Montfort as a gift ...hope to finish it soon so I can plan for total consecration.

 

Our Lady found me I believe. She found me over the years when I lay at the cross weeping and grieving. She embraced me and brought me to her son, to heal me,  protect me from evil, to intercede on my behalf. And she still does today.

 

The day after I was asked this question about my relationship with Mary (and no I wasn't able to answer the question this poignantly).  I was attending a bereavement group where I was going to help.  A different perspective/role than 3.5 years ago when I was attending the group after Michael's death. I was a little nervous, curious I guess how things were going to go; how I would feel, react, act. Would I choke up, ramble on (I can do that you know) say the wrong thing, or just clam up not say anything? Through the day I prayed about this and before I left I said prayers and you better bet Mary was on my prayer list. When I got to our room my seat was assigned. Who was I seated next to? Mary of course! I couldn't think of anywhere else I would have wanted to sit than beside Our Lady. My seat was saved and I felt at peace...as for the rambling, no gaurantees.

 

“May the Mother of Jesus and our Mother, always smile on your spirit, obtaining for it, from her Most Holy Son, every heavenly blessing.”

~St. Padre Pio