Holy Mary Full of Grace, Help Me Find a Parking Space

To honor Mary the way many Catholics do can seem odd to some people, and even blasphemous to non-Catholic Christians. They may get the impression that we are worshipping Mary, as if she were equal to God. I have to admit that even as a Catholic, I did not get the whole Mary thing until the last few years of my life. I didn’t understand the part she plays in our lives. It has been through meditating on the mysteries of the rosary that I have come to see her as the amazing advocate that she is, and asking for her intercession has become a vital part of my own role as a mother. Is Mary equal to God? Of course not. Is she the most important human being, besides Jesus, ever to have lived? Absolutely. She was chosen and trusted to carry the Son of God, Himself, in her womb, and to raise him. We can entrust ourselves to Mary, because God entrusted Himself to her.

The point of the exercise of praying the rosary is to meditate on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and at some points, Mary’s life as well. As the mother of two sons, I have often meditated on the relationship between Jesus and Mary. In the Joyful Mysteries (The Annunciation, The Visitation, The Nativity, The Presentation at the Temple, and The Finding of Jesus in the Temple), I see Mary as the young mother she was. I am sure she prayed to God about Jesus, asking for His protection, and I am sure she prayed for him daily. I pray daily for my sons as well. As I meditated on these mysteries, I began asking Mary to pray for my sons as she prayed for her own son. I believe that Mary has more knowledge of my sons’ lives, both now and in the future, than I do, so she knows better what prayers they need.

Praying through the sorrowful mysteries (The Agony in the Garden, The Scourging at the Pillar, The Crowning With Thorns, The Carrying of the Cross, and The Crucifixion), I walk along with Mary as see what happens to her son. To see our children suffer is usually more painful than dealing with our own struggles. How her heart must have broken at watching his pain and not being able to make it stop. Did she know he had the ability to stop it himself, but chose not to? Probably, but I’m sure that did not make it any easier for her to watch him go through it. Our own children will also suffer. Maybe it will be suffering they choose to endure such as pushing their minds and bodies to the limits by training hard for a sport they love to play or working long and hard hours to get through college. Often, it is suffering caused by outside sources such as being bullied at school, struggling in their classes because of a learning disability, or feeling the hurt of the divorce of their parents. Mary knows what it is like to see her child hurt and suffer. And she also saw him overcome it. So again, I ask Mary to pray for my sons as they meet the struggles in their lives. I ask her to implore the Holy Spirit to pour His gifts and fruits into my boys so they will be equipped to handle the trials they will face.

When I meditate on the Glorious Mysteries (The Resurrection, The Ascension, The Decent of the Holy Spirit, The Assumption of Mary, and the Coronation of Mary), I imagine Mary’s assumption into heaven. We are not sure how many years she lived after Jesus’ death, but I am sure she missed Jesus a great deal, as all parents do who have lost a child. What joy she must have experienced when she saw him again! Maybe she was torn between wanting to worship him and wanting to hug him tightly. This meditation causes me to cherish the moments I have with my own sons, and pray that we will be united in heaven after our lives on earth have ended.

I once heard the prayer, “Hail Mary full of grace, help me find a parking space.” It makes me laugh, and it reminds me that God has given her to us as an advocate. Does she help with things like finding a parking space? Maybe. I know for sure she helps us parents who want the best for our children. I used to think that praying the rosary was just a boring, repetitious exercise. Thanks be to God, I have not only discovered the true value of these prayers and meditations, I have discovered the love and devotion that Mary has for all of us.