4th Week of Lent - Holy Mary

"This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world." St. John, 6:14.

Several years ago a working man came to a Catholic rectory in Lan­cashire, England, with this request:
"1 would be most grateful, sir, if you would come and visit my sick wife."

"Are you a Catholic?" asked the priest. "No, sir," was the answer.

"But your wife is a Catholic?"

"No, sir," the man again replied, "but she insists on seeing you. She will not have a clergyman of any other religion."

The priest was eagerly welcomed by the sick woman.

"I am convinced," she exclaimed, "of the truth of the Catholic religion, and I beg you to tell me about your faith."

For six weeks the priest gave her instructions. As death approached, he baptized her and administered the last sacraments. Wanting to know how she received this great grace, he inquired:
"Did you ever speak to a priest before I came to your house?"

"No, Father," she replied.

"Did you ever say any prayer before I came?"

The woman smiled and slowly answered:
"Well, when I was a little girl, I often played with Catholic children. I caught a few words they used to say at times, especially when they wanted some favor. For many years, at least once a day, I repeated those words."

"What were the words?" the priest asked gently.

"Hail, Mary, full of grace. . ." she began, continuing through the entire prayer.

Here was the secret of her conversion. Every day she had prayed the Hail Mary. And now Mary had come to claim her own.

When Jesus worked the miracle of feeding over five thousand, the­c rowd declared: "This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world."

Of the best helper of our Lord, His Mother, we can say: "This is indeed the Mother of the Prophet who is to come into the world."

To that Mother we pray in the Hail Mary, especially in the latter part, which begins beseechingly: "Holy Mary, Mother of God."

"Holy Mary." Who more holy than she? Who was ever "full of grace" as she? Who possessed all virtue as she did? Who led a more perfect life? Who could ever have been more pleasing to God?

"Mother of God," was the title given her at the Council of Ephesus, in 431. What a bother the misunderstanding go to, in order to take this title from her. She was the sole earthly parent of Jesus. As His Mother, she is above all other creatures of God. She is adorned with graces befitting her high office. She is our Mother, too. It is a privilege just to talk to her.

"Pray for us." If we ask sinful mortals to pray for us, how much more reasonable to ask the sinless one to intercede for us. Her prayer is more powerful than our own. She will be heard, when others may not, because she was so pleasing to God, because of her relationship to Jesus, because it is unnatural not to hear a mother's request, and because she is appointed as our advocate.

We are all "sinners" in the sight of God. We ask Mary to pray for all sinners, not just for ourselves. She is also Mother of those who acknowl­edge her not. When you say those words, "pray for us sinners," realize the horror of sin, and determine, with her help, to avoid it.

Right "now" we need Mary's intercession. Here we are in the midst of a struggle to be good. Here we are striving to do the will of God. We need help - right now. We need grace to repent of past sins; we need grace to resist present temptations; we need strength to fulfill our duties; we need faith and resignation and courage. And we also need many tem­poral things. For these, too, we ask Mary's help - right now.

"And at the hour of our death." The last hour is the most important. We ask Mary to be with us when we are dying. We ask the grace of repentance, the grace of perseverance, the joy of Holy Viaticum, the strength of the Anointing of the Sick, the warmth and security of her encircling, motherly arms. Perhaps we may not be able to speak or pray at that hour. That is another reason to ask her now to be with you then.

The woman of our story had repeated that request throughout most of her days. Mary was with her when she died. God grant that grace to each of us. That is why we say fervently, "Amen," so be it, that is what we want, for that great favor we pray.

In addition to begging these precious favors from God, we have other reasons for saying the Hail Mary:

1. To put us in mind of the Incarnation, the fact that the Son of God became man, taking His human nature from the most loving, the most beautiful, the most virtuous woman that ever lived.

2. To honor our Lady. Christ honored her. Every son wants others to honor his mother. Christ wants us to honor Mary.

3. To ask favors of all kinds. Every day a dozen desires spring up in our hearts, desires for things of the soul and things of the body. Every day there are trials and temptations, joys and sorrows, success and failure. The Hail Mary fits every occasion.

May that precious prayer be ever in our heart and on our lips. Say it quietly through the day. Say it without fail every morning and every evening. Say it as you ride to work, as you watch the baby at home, as you wait for the bus. Say it daily, as the woman of our story said it.

And may our Blessed Mother, whom we hail and greet with great affection, be with you that day when you prepare to join her and her Son, our Lord, in heaven.
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Adapted from Prayers, Precepts and Virtues
by Fr. Arthur Tonne, 1949