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With the Sacraments being taken away from the faithful during an uncertain and confusing time of pandemic, Mary, the mother of Jesus Our Lord, has a particular role in coming to our aid today.
When we think of Jesus, it is easy to feel that since He is God, His earthly life was somehow easier than ours because he had perfect knowledge of the eternal life he was restoring in us. Because Mary did not have this level of foreknowledge, her role as mediator for us before God means that we have an advocate who went through an uncertain time on earth just as we do today.
Mary understands our struggles. She was happy to receive her newborn son, she enjoyed the wonderful moments of motherhood, she watched her much-loved child grow up and leave her. She lost her husband to death. She went through the tragic loss of her only child who was treated as a criminal. Her life was a hidden, ordinary one in many ways. She understands our joys, our sorrows, our lives. It is natural to turn to her for help.
The recent stay-at-home orders have stopped my usual prayer life including daily Mass. During this dark time, I've been saying a novena through the intercession of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus to give us back the public Mass. St. Theresa the Little Flower promised to send a 'shower of roses' from heaven to help us. In the middle of my novena I complained that I hadn't yet received a rose. My son, who works at EWTN, told me to watch the Mass that day. I did. The little chapel happened to be filled with the most roses I have ever seen there! Fr. Joseph Mary and Fr. John Paul Mary of the Franciscan Missionaries had asked the viewing audience to say a rosary and send a rose to the Mary Garden there. A Mary Garden in an old tradition to bring flowers to honor Mary as our Queen, and this was the reason there were so many roses in front of the Mary statue.
To see so many people sending roses to the Mary Garden during the week I was saying a novena to restore to us the Mass gave me hope.
How God works is multifaceted. My novena had nothing to do with the Mary Garden roses, but God let them work together. The priests at Mass commented on how hard hit the florists in Birmingham AL were by the COVID19 shutdown. They lost much regular business like proms, weddings, and Mother's Day in recent weeks. The priests simple idea to send roses had given hope to the florists who were afraid they'd be put out of business. All this converged into a great sweeping affirmation that God still works for our salvation and provides for our daily needs. God cares for us. Little acts of faith create long-lasting devotions to God.
Where we find Mary, we find God.
Article:
A long time ago I thought I was a writer. Because my parents were practical, I went into teaching. About ten years ago, I began to write again.
I hold a B.S. degree in Elementary Education from Penn State University (University Park). I enjoy gardening, reading, Pittsburgh sports, and cooking, but not in that order. My regular job is being a wife and mother.
