Praying with Those Who Cannot – Hail Mary

Greetings Dear Reader,

Let me first be clear in that I mean no disrespect to anyone in this writing.  What I am about to say is controversial depending upon what you believe concerning the mother of Jesus.  I have expressed what I think in the afterword of The Foster Father of God.  Feel free to read it and share your thoughts with me.  

When praying the Rosary the most frequent prayer is the Hail Mary.   Here is the most common text:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

First let me say that I find the original version of this prayer as handed down by the church fathers much more in line with what I believe:

God-bearing Maid, rejoice, grace-filled Mary, the Lord with thee. Praised thou among women, and praised the fruit of thy womb, because it was the Saviour of our souls that thou barest.

The only issue I take with the extant version is the request that Mary pray for us.   Since we have direct access to the Father through faith this is unnecessary.   It does not mean that I do not value that others intercede for me.  In truth I cherish it and ask that you do so as often as you feel compelled. 

It also concerns me a bit that the rosary is dominated by prayers to Mary.  Again I am not trying to offend anyone but the focus should always be on God.  Again I feel that the earlier version of this prayer meets this obligation.  

We must not forget that Mary payed a great price for us to have our Saviour.   She suffered ridicule and loss.  She was there as her Son died for those who killed him.   She deserves honor and respect for the woman she is.  

When I pray on behalf of others I must respect their beliefs without compromising mine.   This is the compromise I have found that works for me with this particular item.  It bears repeating that what matters is that we pray in faith. 

Mary’s Song – Petra

Hold that blanket closer Mary dear

All the world waits with you for your day

But for now the wind is cold and it's drear

And Bethlehem's still so far away

Do you remember the way you felt back then?

Joy and wonder filled your soul and when

The angel slipped away

You knew your life would never be the same

And now you're travelling, travelling on a road to Bethlehem

Wandering thoughts fly away

If you knew the road that lay ahead of Him

Would you break down and cry?

Your child is born to die

Feel that hand of strength upon your own

A husband's love that guides along the way

And as his understanding has grown,

His hopes too are centered on that day

For do you remember the way he looked back then,

Pain and sorrow filled his eyes until when

The angel came to say

The Savior's birth was meant to be this way

Think back on that promise you received

For him in whom the prophets long believed

Now belongs to you, you've been chosen too

But He's the One Who's gonna shine

We call His name Jesus, Immanuel

He'll save His people from sin and hell

And of His kingdom there will be no end

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

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