I hope this finds you healthy and sane in this time of economic dislocation, political contention, extraordinary heat, and dangerous pandemic. This has proved to be a difficult year, with more to come.
Hard times push us to pray. Many recite the simple prayer “The Hail Mary” either by itself or as part of praying the rosary. Recently, I have taken to changing and adapting “The Hail Mary” in my prayer. I recite the first part pretty much as it is, since it comes straight from Scripture. The opening, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” is an old translation of the Angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary reported in Luke 1:28. The second part, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus” is Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary found in Luke 1:42. Since this is straight from the Gospel, I don’t mess with that.
To the second part, “Holy Mary, Mother of God” I add the words, “and Mother of the Church.” Mary is Mother of God, declared at the Council of Nicea in the 4th century. There was a debate over the relationship of the divine and the human in Jesus Christ. Was Jesus part God and part human, or God in a human form, or human and very nearly but not quite God? The orthodox response, our Catholic faith today, is that Jesus is fully God, fully human, and fully one. And since Jesus is fully one, what is true of his human nature is true of his divine nature. You can accurately say, “Mary is the mother not just of the human Jesus, but also Mother of God.”
While that is great for Mary, and is crucial for our individual salvation, it doesn’t have much direct appeal to us. However, at least since Vatican Council II, there has been more emphasis on Mary as a member of the church, and given her special role in salvation history, even as “Mother of the Church.” Pope Francis has emphasized this title of Mary. Therefore, to connect Mary’s role more directly to my own situation, since I am part of the Church, I add the title, “Mother of the Church” to more clearly emphasize Mary’s connection to me. Then, since in English the words “pray for us sinners” sounds like a command, I insert the word “please.” So it reads, “Holy Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, please pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, AMEN.”
We need all the help we can get. Reminding ourselves that Mary is also spiritually our Mother, and politely asking for her intercession, just seems more appropriate to me. And if it does to you, you are free to pray that way as well.
God bless!
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