Our Lady of Grace

I have come to love the Blessed Virgin Mary so much since my conversion to the Catholic church. I really started to learn of her in RCIA. Being brought up protestant my whole life I just never really thought about her other than Christmas.  And I knew she was the Mother of Jesus that was about it. While in RCIA a friend came up to me and asked me what my favorite color was and I said blue. He did not tell me why he had asked me. The next week he gave me this blue rosary with pearls on it. It also had Our Lady of Grace on it. It was a beautiful rosary. This would be the second rosary I had received. The very first rosary I had received was a St. Therese Rosary. I told my friend thank you for giving that to me. Receiving that rosary was just something unexpected for me. He just gave it to me out of the kindness of his heart. 

I did not know at the time who Our Lady of Grace was. I was still learning. But looking back it was Mary letting me know she was with me. 

I have grown to love Mary especially though the rosary. As a protestant it took me some time to get use to praying the rosary. When I pray it now I sense her closeness to me. 

I read the most beautiful thing today about Mary. They described Mary like a mother who slips into her child’s room while she’s sleeping and checks to see if the girl's forehead is cool, if she needs the covers to be pulled up, if she is sleeping or staying up too late. Those words just spoke volumes to me. I don't have the closest relationship with my mother and it helps to know that Mary is here with me checking on me and taking care of me. Even when I might be unaware of her presence.

I can look back now and see how she has been with me.  There have been moments since becoming Catholic where she has defiantly let me know she is with me. She was with me even before I was Catholic and that amazes me. 

I am not afraid to love her, to be close to her and to know her more. She's my mother. 

 "Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin Mary too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did." St. Maximilian Kolbe