This month of May – dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary – offers us a unique opportunity to deepen our contemplative prayer life.

Just as Mary pondered all the early events surrounding Jesus in her heart (Luke 2:19), we are invited to contemplate what the Holy Spirit chose to inspire and share with us regarding Mary – not only as Christ’s mother – but as our own (John 19:27).

Below is part of a reflection I wrote some time ago that I recently rediscovered. Perhaps it will bless your own contemplative prayer life:

• What traits do you look for in a mother? What traits would God look for in a woman to mother His only Son? The Scriptures may paint the portrait but the brush belongs to God.
• The Holy Spirit moves the most intimate inspiration. A woman created…a woman set apart. She stands as a model of chastity, of inner beauty, of humility and of purity; the golden vessel, chosen to carry the most important life the world will ever know.
• Are we not called everyday to live for God? Did she not model openness to God the Father in every conceivable way? Did she leave any doubt that God’s will was more important than her own? Did she run when it was difficult? Did she flee from discomfort? Did she trust in God even when the future was uncertain?
• Did she hide Him away or share Him with the world?
• Are we not called to offer the Lord our bodies – in every way – for His glory? Did she not allow our Lord to live within her? Did she not know Jesus more intimately than anyone else on Earth, even His closest followers?
• She swaddled Him. She nursed Him. She guided Him through his early years. She stood beside Him – never abandoning Him – even in the most difficult moments.
• Now as our Mother, would she ever abandon us? God created her. He Preserved her. He picked her. He descended upon her. He grew within her.
• Jesus listened to her, loved her, and honored her above any other. Not because she wanted it but because she deserves it…because she is different. It was her “yes” to God that set His brothers and sisters back on the right path. It was her “fiat” – her yes – that forever changed the world. “May it be done to me according to Thy will” (Luke 1:38). One “yes” opened the door to hope: hope in salvation, hope for life after death, and hope for even the most wretched of sinners.
• And Christ shows us how to love her. He wants us to know her, to admire her, to respect her and to trust her as our own, so He entrusted us to her and then gave her to each of us. He wants us to know and experience the love that only a Mother can give – that only His Mother – the Mother of God – created and chosen by God, can give.
• God invites you to get to know her, to meditate on her heart as a window into His own. He calls us to honor her, modeling her humility, her openness, her chastity, and her abandonment.
• Just as our Blessed Mother reflects Jesus’ light more radiantly and more fully than any other human in history, so we are called – as children of our Blessed Mother – as children of the light, to reflect and radiate the love and heart of Christ to all the world.
• In the light, it began with a courageous young teenage woman.
  In the light, God became man and walked among us.
  In the light of a bright Sunday sunrise, death was destroyed forever.
  In the light of the Spirit’s flame, a beautiful young Church was born.
• And it is in the light still today that we truly become brothers and sisters – sons and daughters – that we become the family of God that we were formed, designed and created to be . . . one holy, pleasing, and perfect family – encountering the Divine love of the Blessed Father, His Blessed Son, and, indeed, our Blessed Mother.

Mary is always ready to help us and take our prayers to her Son, Jesus. Pray this beautiful prayer to ask Mary for assistance in whatever you need. She is our mother and longs to pour out graces on us, her children.

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“We never give more honor to Jesus than when we honor his Mother, and we honor her simply and solely to honor him all the more perfectly. We go to her only as a way leading to the goal we seek – Jesus, her Son.” – Saint Louis Marie de Montfort

Click here to download “A Mother’s Song” by Danielle Rose, from the Mysteries CD, courtesy of World Library Publications, wlpmusic.com

Why do you have a strong relationship with Mary?

When I was 19, I realized that although I knew a lot about Jesus, I did not know Him the way that I wanted to – to hear Him, see Him, touch Him, and be truly intimate with Him. I realized that there was someone who knew Him that way – Mary.

For the first time in my life, I spoke to Mary from my heart, and I asked her to please teach me and show me how she loved Him and knew Him. Our Mother Mary is very gentle; she waits for us to come to her and ask her for assistance.

I didn’t have any visions or hear any voices. A greater miracle happened. Mary quietly entered my heart and began to plant seeds of desire for prayer. I began to long to go to Daily Mass, confession, dates with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, and to pray the rosary. Instead of fitting prayer “into” my busy schedule, prayer became the #1 priority that everything else was ordered around. Through Mary’s heart, I fell in love with Jesus.

She knew that the intimacy I longed to find with Him was waiting for me in the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. Through her invitation, I began to know that Jesus was truly present in the Eucharist – and that I could receive Him each day and know Him, hear Him, touch Him, see Him – the way that Mary did. And once I knew Him as Mary knows Him – to hold and receive His Body and Blood just as she held Him in her womb, her arms, and her heart – then my relationship with Jesus was forever transformed.

Can you tell us about this song?

I didn’t pray the rosary growing up. It wasn’t until college that I discovered the creative wonders and joys of praying with Mary to ponder the life of Jesus. Praying the rosary is like having a bible study with Mary. We look through her eyes, and she walks with us to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Mary helps us cooperate with the Holy Spirit to take up our cross daily and to say “Yes” to God in all the joys and sorrows of our lives.

The mysteries of the rosary are living, and when we ask Mary to help us turn to Jesus, we begin to see and experience these mysteries in the events of our own lives. In order to share with others what Mary has shared with me, I wanted to write a meditation song for each of the 20 mysteries of the rosary, so that others (especially young people) could receive the gift of this prayer coming alive in their hearts anew.

This particular song is the meditation for the 5th sorrowful mystery: the Crucifixion. The song is from the perspective of Mary at the foot of the cross, as she recalls her the story of loving Jesus from the cradle to the grave.

Dear Mary,

Nat

I’m a girl and I love weddings.

Big surprise, huh? I’ve spent many of my 22 years dreaming up the most perfect wedding. And since the creation of Pinterest, the harmless dreaming has become a borderline-addictive pinning-spree of dresses, cakes and the world’s most adorable flower girl outfits. So, it’s only natural, that I fell in love with the story of the Wedding at Cana when I started praying the rosary regularly last year.

This photo may or may not be from Pinterest . . .

I was never a daily rosary person, in fact, praying the rosary was my least favorite way to pray. But once I discovered how much I could learn from praying and meditating on the mysteries, it became one of my favorite prayers.

I started with what I liked (weddings), opened my heart, and the next thing I knew, I had a much deeper understanding of the importance of the Wedding at Cana and Mary’s role in my faith grew in leaps and bounds.

They Have No Wine

Mary’s first line in this wedding story is, “They have no wine” (John 2:3). Those four words never seemed that important to me until I put them into context. You see, no one knew who Jesus truly was at the wedding, He hadn’t performed any miracles yet, or given any teachings; but Mary took the servant’s worries of having no wine to her Son anyway.

Mary didn’t need to explain the situation or even ask Jesus to do anything; she just trusted and believed in Him. Those four, simple words were Mary’s prayer, “They have no wine.” She let Jesus know what was wrong, and then left it in His hands. When I have a problem, my prayers usually become a long session of whining, complaining, and worrying. If we live by Mary’s example, she teaches us that God only needs us to put our problems in His hands and trust Him.

Do Whatever He Tells You

Mary’s second and last line in the story of the Wedding at Cana is, “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5). This might be the best piece of advice anyone can give. Ever. In all of eternity. Period.

Mary lived her whole life following God's will

After Mary told Jesus about the lack of wine, He didn’t tell her what He was going to, but she already knew the solution. That’s because Mary’s entire life was based on doing God’s will.

Mary has shown me that what Jesus says is always the answer I am seeking and the solution to every problem I have. When Mary told the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them, she became a perfect mirror of Christ; and she remains one today. You can’t look to Mary for guidance without seeing her Son; she wants nothing more than to point us back to Jesus and His will. Because of this, the more I grow in my relationship with Mary, the more I grow in my relationship with Jesus.

A Lesson from Mary

So what began as a girly obsession with weddings, has ended up teaching me just how important Mary is in my life. Her example at the Wedding at Cana showed me how to approach the Lord with complete trust. I’ve learned how much Mary desires me to follow the will of her Son. Who would have thought all that could come from two short sentences in a simple story?

If you take the time to pray through the mysteries of the rosary, I guarantee you’ll find some pretty life changing stuff hiding between the lines. I know I did.

Growing up, I never had a devotion to Mary. I mean, I liked the idea of her . . . but I didn’t have a relationship with her. The Virgin Mother was a porcelain statue, a gold-etched picture on a Christmas card. She wasn’t real to me. My only connection to her, at best, was a panicked “Hail Mary” before a pop-quiz.

What I’ve learned is that Mary is way more than a boring stained glass window. She lived an exciting life and did amazing things. And outside of Jesus, she is one of the greatest gifts we’ve been given as Catholics. Although I didn’t have a relationship with Mary growing up, I have fallen in love with my mother since then, and let me tell you: OUR MAMA ROCKS!

Here are the top five reasons why:

1. She’s God’s Mother

   Think about this, over the centuries prophets and kings spoke of the coming of Christ. What makes Mary so amazing, is she didn’t just “talk” or bare witness to His coming: she bore Jesus. She actually carried Him (the God of the Universe) in her womb and brought Him to life. That is a big deal!!!

   As God’s Mother, she deserves our reverence. In the gospel of Luke, the angel appears saying, “Hail Mary, full of grace” (Luke 1:28). In Mary’s Magnificat she proclaims, “From now on all generations will call me blessed” (Luke 1:49). The mother of a king is given a place of honor next to the king’s throne, and all generations have honored Mary as the Holy Queen, Mother of God. Jesus honored her, too . . . and so should we.

2. She Crushes the Head of Satan

   Our mama wears army boots! That’s right. Mary isn’t just any woman. She was “the woman.” Mary was chosen from the beginning of time to play a role in salvation history as the “New Eve” (CCC 411). Remember the story in the Garden of Eden? Just as Eve’s disobedience led to the fall of Adam, bringing death to humanity, it’s Mary’s obedience, her “yes” to God led to the “New Adam,” Jesus who brings life for humanity. Satan no longer has power; she crushes his head (Genesis 3:15).

   Whatever sin or temptation you face in your life, you can turn to your mama and she will be a fierce butt-kicking power for you. When I am under my greatest spiritual trials, I reach for my rosary like my “spiritual nunchucks.” And Mary, a powerful warrior of love, comes charging in to show Satan who’s boss!

3. Fastest Way to Jesus and Our Greatest Intercessor

   Mary knows what Jesus likes to eat for breakfast; she spent 30 years with Him – sharing cereal bars and pop-tarts. (Okay, Mary probably cooked.) But think of how much time Our Lady must have spent with her Son . . . the deep conversations they had and probably some great inside jokes too. Mary’s heart beat in union with Jesus in her womb, and she journeyed side by side with Him to His tomb. Who better to teach us about Jesus than the one who knows Him best?

   Mary is our greatest advocate. At the Wedding Feast of Cana, she was the one who asked Jesus to work His first miracle (John 2:5). And if we come to her in need, (even if it’s the slightest annoying issue with your brother, a test, or our deepest, unspoken fears) she will ask Jesus for you. And trust me, what son doesn’t listen to his mama?

4. Model for Holiness

   Kate Moss. Cindy Crawfod. Heidi Klum . . . These supermodels have nothing compared to Mary. She is our perfect model. Her life teaches us how we’re all called to obedience and faith even through suffering.

   As a teenage girl, Mary was faced with fear about the road ahead. We all have our own fears too – college, friends, and relationships. But the beauty of Mary is that she surrendered to whatever God asked. She said “Let it be done to me according to your words” (Luke 1:38). Mary journeyed with faith to the cross. I can’t imagine how much a mother would suffer if she had to watch her son be tortured to death. But Mary stood at the cross. That’s what we’re called to do too – to stand in faith through our daily trials, knowing Christ’s love will triumph.

5. She is our Mother

   At the foot of the cross Jesus gave Mary to the world as our mother (John 19:26). Maybe your mom is bossy, wonderful, controlling, or just really busy. Regardless of our earthly moms, we can know that we have a beautiful heavenly mother who’s always there for us – Mary. Like any good mother, Mary wants a relationship with you. She wants to wipe away our tears and teach us her Son’s ways. Even when we mess up, she will bandage our wounds and point us back to Jesus.

If you’re like me and never got the whole “Mary” thing, I encourage you to ask her to reveal herself to you. Mary isn’t even close to being boring, distant, or dull. She is real, powerful, and a fire-ball of love for her son and for you. Since I began to have a personal relationship with Mary, my life has radically changed. She has taught me, protected me, and led me to great intimacy with her son. I now talk to Mary daily and she is an active part of my life. Her power is real!

Open your heart to the Mother of all mothers, and let her rock your world as much as she has rocked mine!

Read more from Mary at MaryBielski.com

Our friends at RosaryArmy.com have some great instructions for how to make your own rope rosary. Do something meaningful (and super Catholic) with some of your free time and get together with your friends or youth group to make a bunch of rosaries for yourselves, or to give away. You could even make small rosaries that are just one decade and wear it on your wrist as a witness and reminder to pray.

The month of May is dedicated to Mary; so it’s the perfect time to put your fingers to good use and make a rosary.

“The holy rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you’ll be amazed at the results.” – St. Josemaria Escriva

• Download printable instructions
• Watch an instructional video
• Get supplies to make a rosary

“Mary, mystical rose, pray for us; virgin most powerful, pray for us.”

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You might see the title of this and think, “Theotokos? That’s as hard to read as Greek!” You’d be right, because it is Greek! Find out what it means – and how it applies to Mary – in this Saintly Minute video.