The Thing About Mary
The pre-teen version of me was sitting in our living room on a forest green couch. Feet planted in the high pile cream carpet. Just shy of shag but enough for my toes to play. Less for delight. More from dismay.
There I received the news, my best friend’s mom was dead.
When I was a child, my best friend’s parents were my parents, at least half of the time. School pickups, dinners, and ‘why did you do this?’ became more than familiar. As my toes came to a stop, my weeping wouldn’t cease. I learned from grief by loving a friend I witnessed the death of my own family.
I grew up between Mexican Catholicism and American Protestantism. Both continue to enrich my relationship with Jesus. But for my evangelical, casual, and agnostic friends, one question has continued ad nauseum:
Don’t the Catholics worship Mary?
Well… No. A Hail Mary is a summary of the Gospel.
Speak with the Angels (Luke 1:26-28)
Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
As an Archangel authored these opening words, the question becomes, do the Angels worship Mary? And if this is the story to begin the gospels, then did all the Apostles worship Mary? Rather I contemplate: Who would I be if the Lord is with me?
Ávē in the Latin tongue is more than a greeting, it is seeing and saying I contemplate what it means to be you. This is not the hero's journey. This is the beginning of the greatest story. The one where the woman unwavering answers the call.
Sing with the Saints (Luke 1:39-55)
Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus
Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
This medley of music was made for the soul. One little line is the setup to the song crowning the Psalms. One we must never forget. How could it not ever be on our lips? Even Mary worships.
Resonance is the evidence not all things are materially made.
Stand at the Cross (John 19:25-27)
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
More horrific than murder alone, we bear witness with the victim’s parents. In Christ we have died and not only gained life but also a mother. A mother who not only asks why did you do this but also speaks do whatever he says. While we are the sinners all wrapped up in irons connecting the splinters and flesh our Mother is in prayer faced with her own child's death.
A Hail Mary is as much a prayer as it is a meditation. Our devotion is a reminder we are all starving for the sacred and the hungry will be fed.
When you love a friend you gain their parents. I do not worship a woman but I am moved by a mother. Like a child I greet her as I call upon the Father.
Until next week,
-Steven
Read more about my descent into Spanish Mysticism with The Mark of a Mystic. Or entertain the eternal in Commit a Career Ending Move. To all my subscribers, my gratitude for each of you continues to grow. If you have yet to subscribe, use the link below.
This essay would not have made the light of day without the Catholics, Protestants, and discerning agnostics I am blessed to call friends. Your conversations, comments, and commitment have honored and humbled me. Thank you
, , , , , , , Annemarie Allen, , , and from Write of Passage Cohort 11 and many more.And a special thank you to
.
I so resonate with this: “Our devotion is a reminder we are all starving for the sacred and the hungry will be fed.”
Grateful, Steven.
It’s interesting how pervasive a thought could be. I remember my mom telling me when I was young that Catholics worship Mary.
“I do not worship a woman but I am moved by a mother.”
Beautifully said