The Blessed Mother

When I was working toward my master’s degree at Franciscan University of Steubenville I was blessed to be on the university’s RCIA Team.  This meant that I, along with several other graduate students, assisted the RCIA Director with the meetings we had for the people who wanted to come into the Catholic Church.

After Easter, when all those people had received the sacraments and become Catholic, they would share with the team their witness of what it was like going through RCIA.  One woman, who was the wife a fellow student, was with child during the whole RCIA process.  Her name was Andria and this is what she told us:

“As you all know I come from a strong protestant background.  My family raised me as a Christian and I have known and loved Jesus from an early age.  However, during this past year, I was confronted with the mother of Jesus.  I didn’t know what to do about her.  She has never been a part of my faith life.  I was not comfortable praying to Mary, even though I was beginning to understand that it was OK to do so.  Eventually, I was able to do pray to Mary for her intersession.  It was then that I realized that Mary had been there all along, praying for me ever since I was a little girl.

This reminded me of this little baby I’ve been caring inside me this whole time.  The baby does not know me.  It doesn’t realize I have loved it and prayed for it all along, just as the Blessed Mother has prayed for me all along, even though I didn’t realize she was there.”

In that moment, a woman who had been Catholic for a week, was teaching graduate theology students a beautiful and profound truth about the Blessed Mother. Jesus gave us His mother to be our mother too, and whether we know it or not, she has always been there… praying for us.