Mary's Got This

Got Mary? Then, she's got you!

The month of October is the month of the Most Holy Rosary. It's beneficial to remember all the graces - 15 Promises! - that come from Jesus through Mary in the gift of the Rosary. The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is based on the story of the Battle of Lepanto. Mary assisted the victors in battle through the prayers of the Rosary. Similarly, when we are doing battle with foes or with our own fretful situations, we ought to turn to Our Lady of the Rosary with confidence.

In the last year or so, I've been adding a little phrase to prompt and increase my confidence in Mary's intercession, especially when it comes to the long-term or on-going prayers of my mother's heart... "Mary's got this." For example, I've been praying for my husband's job situation for months. He took a new position that made great and impossible demands on him. After nine months, it resolved. I've been praying for a son who has been discerning a military career path, a daughter engaged to be married, and another son who has a different special intention. All three of these intentions are on going and can sometimes lead me to distraction.

Worrying is something I'm very good at, but it is not useful or healthy for me. When my courage and confidence is failing or being challenged, I sometimes find myself distracted from concentrating on my work at hand. When this happens, I can say a rosary, asking Mary for her intercession, and then remind myself –Mary's got this! Calling to mind, St. Pio's admonition to "pray, and don't worry", that little added phrase - "Mary's got this" - allows me to retreat into a kind of calm knowing; believing that a greater mother's heart is at work carrying out all the details of my cares behind the scenes. Counting the beads of a rosary lowers my heart rate, and the prayers restore me. I need not be afraid or disturbed. I just need to carry on.

"Mary's got this" means that I can say "yes" to the needs of the moment, and say "no" to my worrying distraction. I regain my balance and attend to my duties. Knowing my Mother Mary has it covered, I can let it go and be obedient to my tasks at hand. In my minds' eye, I can hold onto Momma's hand with one of mine, as I tend to work with the other. Knowing my concerns are linked to heaven, or better yet - carried in the heart of heaven - helps me carry on.

The bottom line is this: Mary, the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven, is my champion. Blessed Pope John Paul II encouraged us, like so many popes before him, and like Pope Benedict today, to entrust our life to Mary. For me, this entrusting means that all of my life is in her hands, including every item, great or small, in my mother's heart.

For the well-being of my family... "Mary's got this." For vocation/career/ministry paths..."Mary's got this." For the intentions of loved ones I hold dear... "Mary's got this." And so on.

Mary is worthy of my trust. God the Father entrusted his very Son, and our redemption, to come through Mary. Indeed I can bring my needs to Jesus through Mary. In fact, when you think about it, when God entrusted Jesus to Mary, Mary received everything we could ever fathom be in need of. Jesus is our all in all (Col. 1:16), and Mary received it all when she received him into her womb and into her life. No other person is closer to Jesus than Mary. And if I still needed convincing to entrust my life and my cares to Mary, I just have to remember her many good and trustworthy titles: Our Lady of Grace, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Our Lady Help of Christians, Our Lady of Peace, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, and so forth.

Finally, the last two popes have entrusted the entire new evangelization of the planet to Mary, under her title as the Star of the New Evangelization. Mary is our guide to Jesus in this Year of Faith and always. "Mary's got this!"

If I've given it – whatever "it" is - to Jesus through Mary, and especially if I've offered such prayers in the context of the Most Holy Rosary, I can be confident and be at peace knowing that Mary's got this. If you've given your intentions to Jesus through Mary then take a breath and remember: Mary's got this! Jesus has heard the prayer of his mother's heart for her child... you! Mary's got this - and she's got you!


Pat Gohn is a happily married Catholic Mom to three young adults. With a Masters in Theology, a Bachelors in Communications, and a heart for adult faith formation, Pat writes, speaks, blogs, and produces media with a eye toward faith sharing, teaching, and evangelization. Her years in women's ministries led her to produce the Among Women Podcast. Her book, Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious: Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood will be release by Ave Maria Press in 2013. Find out more at PatGohn.com.

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