Mary as Friend

When I was a little girl I would go into the church with my grandpa and look at all of the statues. They made no sense to me other than being really sad, or bloody or being my size. I saw people with images of the Virgin Mary on a pendant on their neck or dangling from the car and chalked it up to their superstition and wanting to feel safer having that around. One of the moments Mary became real to me as a friend, and those images became symbolic of saints as something more beautiful and deeper behind the candles, was in praying the rosary and also praying in front of a statue of the Holy Mother.

One awful summer a few years ago I was in a difficult place in every type of way (mind, body and spirit) and had no idea how to get out of the cycle of waking up feeling hopeless and frustrated every. single. morning. I would wake up feeling like nothing made sense and my mind was spinning in circles. I started going each day to pray in a cool dark church and would kneel in front of the Holy Mother's statue, like my grandpa did, and my heart would open and gush out all my thoughts, all my feelings, all my frustrations and my prayer was simply "Help me...." as I didn't know what to ask for and just felt terribly stuck. Little by little I felt her comfort and hand guide me to Jesus through the sacraments and though that didn't "fix" all the problems in my life it certainly guided me to love and mercy and forgiveness which were all way better and bigger than my troubles.

Most merciful and compassionate friend and mother. 

As I started praying the rosary, the second bead in the Joyful mysteries would stay with me, the visit of Mary with her cousin Elizabeth as the only time we see Mary in the role as friend and cousin.

"Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb!"Luke 1: 42

In the Gospel Mary is mostly silent (and her silence speaks volumes on her internal life and internal dialogues with God and not men) yet the few times she speaks are potent. During her visit with Elizabeth her cousin praises Mary for her faith and Mary's response isn't gloating or arrogance but the now wonderful prayer called the Magnificat where she attributes all she has to God. I love the Magnificat in song. 

"As soon as the sound of your voice reached my ears the baby in my womb leaped for joy." Elizabeth to Mary. Luke 1:44

As a friend, Mary doesn't gossip, complain or chew the fat, she uses that time to glorify all the good God did for her and spends her visit taking care of her cousin in the same form Jesus would take the role of a servant. She teaches us how to be a friend and when we speak for it to be something worthwhile. I think her visit with Elizabeth also shows us how she is a friend to us and when she has appeared in different parts of the world she appears as a mother and a friend: speaking the local language, dressed in local clothes, and reasoning in the local mentality. For example, Our Lady of Kibeho was the Holy Mother in Rwanda who appeared as a Rowandan mother and stayed like the local custom, for hours as a guest, laughing and loving in Rowandan style, for this reason European Cardinals had a hard time believing it was really the Virgin Mary! In Mexico she appeared to San Diego the peasant man as a local native woman and spoke in the Nahuatl language that San Diego knew closest in his heart. Mary knows her children and the language of our hearts and is there as a friend to intercede for us like good friends do but she never turns her back, stops returning text messages, or judges us in our darkest moments. I also love how she is the mother of the world, regardless of religion or race, and has been through history such a sweet and compassionate example of multi-cultural acceptance. 

Lastly, how amazing is that she appears in many times and countries in the local form and is yet the same loving mother and friend pulling us in our unique way and our unique journey to her Son?

Our Lady of Kibeho (Rwanda), warned people of the impending genocide 7 years before it happened.

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico)

Our Lady of Akita (Japan) 

The Magnificat (Prayer of Mary)

Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for He has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

from this day all generations will call me blessed;

The Almighty one has done great things for me,

and holy is His name.

He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

He has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrown,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich He has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise He made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children forever.

Amen

Magnificat anima mea Dominum;

Et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutai meo,

Quia repexit humilitatem ancellae suae; ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent homnes generationes.

Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est, et sanctum nomen ejus, Et Misericordia ejus a

Progenie in progenies timentibus eum.

Fecit potentiam brachio suo;

Dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.

Desposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavit humiles

Esurientes implevit bonis, et divites dimisit inanes.

Sucepit Israel, puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae suae, 

Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, 

Abraham et semeni ejuis in saecula. 

Amen 

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