Who's Praying for You?

Every once in a while I stop in a prayer and really think about what I'm saying. You know what I mean - that moment when you really hear what your saying or suddenly see it from a different perspective.

This week it was the Hail Mary.

It's always seemed funny to me that Mary is such a controversial person in the Christian faith. One area of difficulty for many non-Catholics that I know is how Catholics "worship" Mary. There are so many prayers and devotions to her, and I can understand how it looks like worship.

I thought of that as I prayed this morning. However, the prayers to Mary are not asking for her to grant our wishes or answer our prayers, but instead is asking her to take our prayers to her Son.

I have a group of women who are powerful when it comes to praying. If I have something big, I go straight to them. Maybe it's the level of their faith, maybe it's the fervency of their prayers. I don't know why, but what I doknow is that their prayers make a difference.

How much more would you want someone to pray for you when they can be described this way:

Full of grace

The Lord is with her

Blessed among women

Blessed is her child

Holy

Mother of God

The first two were proclaimed by an angel, the last ones by her cousin, Elizabeth, when Mary came to her home and John leaped in her womb in recognition of Jesus.

We say all of these things in the Hail Mary prayer as we address the woman we are asking to pray for us. To honor her and to remind us. This is a woman with powerful prayers. This is someone who has the ear of her Son. This is the woman who told Jesus the wedding needed wine and left knowing that He would do as she asked.

Because she ruled over Him? No. Because He loved her.

I want her praying for me. Don't you?

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.