Tag Archives: Mary

Memorare

Day 8Okay, I have another confession to make.

I’m not really big on Marian devotions.

For other people this may not be a big thing, but being a Roman Catholic, I feel like it is. All the Catholics I admire always seems to have a personal devotion to Mary. They’re the people who pray the rosary everyday, who always asks for her intercession, and trust that she brings their petitions to Jesus.

A little sidenote before I continue. Catholics are often criticized for “praying to Mary”, like putting her in the same level as God the Father or Jesus or the Holy Spirit. If you believe that Catholics do that, well you’re in for a surprise: we don’t. Catholics have never prayed to Mary or any of the saints, but prayed with them. Big difference, yes. It’s just like…well, praying with a friend or a family member. You can read more about that here and here. If you have something to say about that, I’d only entertain respectful questions and nothing of the bashing type — because I’m not here for religious debates (and I will never be a part of another one, thankyouverymuch).

Holy MaryBack to topic. So I’m not really big on Marian devotion, even if I grew up reciting the rosary and knowing and learning about Mary’s life. Believe me, I’ve been saturated about it — and I didn’t even study in a Marian school. Even so, after all that, I still didn’t develop a devotion to her, unlike my Mom.

It’s not that I don’t believe in the power of her intercession. I do. It’s just that…well, I guess I’m just more comfortable praying directly to God and Jesus.

Maybe it’s because I still don’t understand how her intercession works miracles. And that argument doesn’t really make sense because (1) I know things like this isn’t something I can understand fully and (2) I ask my friends and family to pray for me every time I need prayers, so this should be just as easy/easier, right?

It’s something that I admit I have to learn. Not because it’s right and it’s something every Catholic should do, but because I believe that God wouldn’t call her to be Jesus’ mother if she wasn’t set apart. And I believe that because she was set apart, she’s someone who can help me in my earthly needs. She may not provide like God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit does, but I’d like to believe she can help in making me grow in God. Right?

I’m not sure if I made a lot of sense in this post…but then again I just want to let some thoughts out. Today is Mary’s birthday, and I thought it’s just right to reflect on the significance of the mother of Jesus in my life, right?

Oh but wait. There’s something else. Back when I was still looking for a new job, I found myself praying a lot because I really, really wanted to get into the company where I am right now. Let me tell you, the week before I was given the job offer was probably the longest and most difficult week ever. Waiting for the interview call was excruciating.

One day during the week when I was waiting to be called for my next interview, I was talking to my friend Tuesday who told me she was praying for me. She was struggling with her prayer time then, but she still tried to pray for me when she can. I remember her saying, “When I got your message, all I could say was Mama Mary, please take care of her.” Then she told me to pray the Memorare.

I found a copy of the Memorare online and started adding it to my prayers. I stored it in my cellphone’s notes, so I always have it in hand. Suffice to say, I got the job, but I never deleted the Memorare from my phone. There’s something comforting about that prayer, and every now and then I still find myself going back to that prayer and somehow it reminds me that I have another mother who always has my back and would help me knock on heaven’s doors.

Maybe what I really need are open eyes and an open heart to see how Mary can help me in my walk with her Son, Jesus.

Happy birthday, Mama Mary. :)

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

8/30.

Friday Thoughts: Work, Mama Mary and Thanksgiving

I am currently writing this post on my office computer, which, incidentally, has been set up already but I didn’t know. All I needed to do was to plug it all in and it’s ready. And I spent two days with my head buried in a book.

Things are certainly looking up. :) Besides having this computer, I’m being given random testing jobs here so at least I’m doing something instead of just reading and reading. My boss said we’d get to more serious work by next week, so that’s something to look forward to. (Seriously, I mean it)

Earlier, as I was about to go down to hear the mass, I got to talk to Ate Jane again, who I got to know the other day. She asked me where I eat my lunch, and since I didn’t exactly want to tell her that I’ve been eating lunch alone the past few days, I told her I was about to meet up with my mom. Then she asked me how about on other days and I admitted that I eat lunch alone. Then she told me that I should have just joined them and she invited me to eat with them on Monday. On the food court, with baon, which I really don’t mind (especially now that I’m trying to lose weight and save money — buying food out is just too expensive). To be totally honest, a part of my mind is telling me not to expect anything because by Monday Ate Jane might have forgotten that she asked me to join them out to lunch, but a bigger part of me is telling that part to shut up (I sound like I have Multiple Personality Disorder…I don’t. It’s just my paranoia and rationality talking to each other). I mean, if Ate Jane remembered who I am since last Wednesday when we met, why should she forget that she asked me to join them? Diba? But I know I have to do my part and be assertive as well. So Monday, I will have some people to eat lunch with. Amen.

What’s really funny was, this morning when I arrived, I took the time to write on my journal and I asked that my computer be set up, that I get to do something and that I find some people to eat with. Well what do you know, all three prayers were answered like that. :)

I heard the mass during lunch time because today is Mama Mary’s birthday. Now, I am a Catholic, and I used to pray the Rosary a lot when I was younger especially because our school is very much devoted to Mary, but on a personal level, I don’t know her. Mary. Sure, I know she’s the mother of Jesus and she’s the cousin of Elizabeth and she’s born without original sin and all that…but I really don’t know her. As in I rarely pray to her. Yeah, I pray Hail Mary every morning and I get to pray the Rosary once in a while, but that’s it. Nothing else. In fact (and I’m ashamed to admit this), I’d rather not pray the Rosary especially when my mom asks us to pray it at night when all I want to do is sleep.

I’m not really proud to admit all those because I sould like such a bad Catholic there. But that isn’t the reason why I’m starting to get to know her now; I do so because I believe she’s a special lady who loves Jesus more than anyone of us can. And who Jesus loves just as much. And because Jesus loves her and she loves Jesus and I love Jesus, so I should love her too. Okay, I don’t know if that logic made sense to you, but it does to me.

So now…I’ll try to pray the Rosary and mean it a lot more than I used to, and give Mary the honor and respect she deserves. And because today is her birthday…let me greet her here: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA MARY! ♥

On another note, the priest’s homily during the mass earlier was really nice. He said that the Eucharist means thanksgiving, and our presence in the Mass that day on Mary’s birthday was not because we worship Mary (since it’s not a holy day of obligation), but because we are thankful of Mary’s birth. And in the same way, God created each and every creature in the earth to give Him thanks and praise, so what we do at every moment of our life is meant for us to give Him thanks and praise. Everything: we eat because we give Him thanks, we wake up, we talk, we work because we give Him thanks. The moment we stop giving thanks, the moment we start thinking that it becomes an obligation or something we need for us to survive, we become ungrateful, and we stop thanking God.

That just gives a whole new meaning to what I’m doing right now, about work. I should be thankful enough that I get to work in a good company, that I actually got hired because I know a lot of people are having a hard time getting a job out there. I know that things could be mundane here, but then again, I’m still lucky, because God blessed me with this, so I should be thankful for it. :)

And last good thing for today: it’s Friday! And it’s less than an hour till quitting time! Yahoo! :)