Some Protestant Christians have been heard to state: “We do not need to go through Mary to ask Jesus for help” referring to the often-used Roman Catholic saying: “Through Mary to Jesus”.
As a convert to the Roman Catholic faith, I have never given that phrase a moment’s thought.
For me, a stronger friendship with Mary gave birth to a closer relationship to Her Son Jesus in my heart and in my life. My friendship with the Mother of the Lord helps to make me a better person, and opens my heart wider to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus promised to leave us an advocate to assist us on our journey towards heaven. He left us the Holy Spirit and who better to instruct and guide us with an understanding of this Spirit than His Spouse, the Blessed Virgin Mary.
It was only after the death of my mother-in-law, Lucille Earle in 1981 that this Marian friendship was born. Finding her rosary beads and a little booklet of rosary prayers gave me comfort when she died prematurely at the age of 65.
I was packing up her belongings about a month after her passing when I felt called to begin to pray a daily rosary. Before daily Mass I would sit with the little book in one hand and her rosary beads in the other and struggle to memorize the fifteen mysteries and their purpose.
Ironically, just three years later, I was inspired to write a little booklet called A CIRCLE OF LOVE which had simple meditations on the rosary mysteries as well as the story of my new love for the prayers of the rosary.
Then Our Lady inspired me to volunteer to do a radio show with the rosary as its focus each Sunday morning for two years. If you say YES to the Lord and His Mother, they know how to keep you busy.
What a blessing it was to share my faith with others through this broadcast. I received a lot of fan mail, especially from those who were living in nursing homes.
My connection with the radio station also provided a live broadcast of a major Marian event that a small committee organized with me at our local arena. PRAYERS FOR PEACE was held on Pentecost, 1985 and the rosary was the focus, with students praying and performing before a crowd of nearly 2000 in attendance.
The late Bishop Eugene LaRocque read a telegram from St. John Paul II who was joining us in spirit for this special afternoon of prayer.
There is a commercial that has been airing on television for several months. A little person version of the same person is sitting in a chair, and they are chatting. The narrator says: “You can learn a lot if you listen to the little voice inside of you…”
I chuckled when I first saw this commercial because I hear a little voice inside of my head every day. That voice is the Holy Spirit, guiding and reminding me of things I need to do. As long as I stay close to Our Lady and Her Son, I am never alone.
Sometimes I will be putting on my coat, and the little voice says: “Don’t forget the list on the table,” or I will be locking the door of my apartment and I hear: “Joan, your mail is still on the kitchen table”, and so I go back in and take it with me.
As long as we live a life that is focused on prayer, we will hear the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and it will be easier to follow the will of God for our lives. If we are friends with Mary and Jesus, life can offer a new adventure every day. We never need to fear the future because we are not travelling this journey alone