Growing up, I knew little about Mary, at least compared to what I know now. I knew she was the mother of God and that she gave her great “yes” to God at the Annunciation. I knew we were to honor her and look to her as a role model in how to always follow God’s will. I wasn’t, however, aware of her very special role in our relationship with Christ.
A few years ago, God in His goodness, gave me the grace to experience her special role in prayer, which would beautifully confirm what I would learn later in my first Marian consecration.
It was September of 2014 and there was a bit of turmoil in my life. My heart was unsettled. I was finding it difficult to overcome a challenge I was experiencing at work.
Daily I would come to the adoration chapel that was close to my job. Tears would fall, I would beg for guidance, help, and mostly, deliverance from this situation that seemed as though it would never be resolved.
It was a Tuesday at about noon when I had made my way once again to the adoration chapel. It had been a particularly trying day. I sat down in the third pew from the front, placed my purse next to me, hunched over and hung my head in sorrow. Tears streamed down my face. My heart was in agony.
Suddenly, I felt the presence of a woman sitting beside me. She wrapped one arm around me and held me close. By the purity and gentleness of her presence, I knew it was my heavenly mother. I don’t remember having ever experienced her presence in prayer before this, but there was a distinct peace which assured me it was her.
In my prayer, I began to turn to her, to beg her to help me, to take away the pain. Instead, I felt her gently ask me to look up at Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. He was ready to console me. He would give me comfort.
I slowly opened my eyes. It was difficult to look up at first, as the pain in my heart was intense and having to extend my body by sitting up hurt. I slowly did as she asked, and I looked upon Jesus exposed in the Blessed Sacrament. My heart was still raw from the pain of the challenge I was struggling with, but the heaviness of my sorrow had lifted.
I sat looking at Jesus for some time. My difficult situation had not changed, but there was a peace I experienced which gave me the strength to return to work and get through my day.
That was the day I experienced in my prayer, and in my heart, Mary’s special role in our relationship with Jesus – she leads us to Him.
Since that day, when I turn inward and am consumed with sorrow over a trial or challenge in my life, my heavenly mother comes to me. She comforts me in my prayer, in my heart. She either stands beside me with one hand on my shoulder or sits next to me, wrapping her arm around me. She gently asks me to look upon the face of Jesus.
A couple of years later I made my first Marian consecration using Fr. Michael Gaitley’s 33 Days to Morning Glory, during which I would learn in detail about Mary’s very special role in leading us to Christ. As I went through the preparation period, I couldn’t help but recall my very first experience with Mary in the adoration chapel.
I praise God for this amazing gift He gave me in experiencing Mary’s role so beautifully in this way.
Perhaps, in His wisdom, He knew I needed to experience her tender care before I would answer His call to learn more about her. Perhaps, in His mercy, He just couldn’t bear to see me in so much agony and knew the best person to help lead me to Him was her.
What is for certain is that my heart knows, from a very deep personal experience, the surest, easiest, fastest, and most perfect way to Jesus is through Mary.