If you have never prayed to Mary, never thought much about her, or were taught that she is not important, this page is for you. We are not going to argue. We are going to introduce you.
She Is in Your Bible
Whatever you have been taught about Mary, she is in your Bible. She is there at the Annunciation, saying yes to God when the whole of human history hung on her answer. She is there at the Visitation, when the Holy Spirit fills Elizabeth and causes her to cry out: "Blessed art thou among women." She is there at the foot of the cross, one of the few who did not flee.
She is the one who tells the servants at Cana: "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." She is the one Jesus gives to the beloved disciple from the cross. She is the woman of Revelation 12, clothed with the sun.
She is not a minor character. She is the first disciple. She is the one who said yes before anyone else did.
"And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."
Luke 1:38 (KJV)She Is Not a Rival to Christ
The most common concern among Protestants is that honoring Mary takes something away from Christ. We understand this concern. It comes from a genuine love of Jesus, and we share that love.
But consider: does honoring a mother take something away from her son? Does it diminish a man to say that his mother is remarkable? When Elizabeth honors Mary, is she dishonoring Jesus? When the Holy Spirit fills Elizabeth and causes her to call Mary blessed, is the Holy Spirit taking something away from Christ?
Mary always points to Jesus. At Cana, her last recorded words in the Gospel are: "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." She does not point to herself. She points to her son. That is what she has always done. That is what she still does.
An Invitation
You do not need to resolve every theological question before you can speak to her. You can simply say: "I do not know you very well. But your son means everything to me. If you are who they say you are, please pray for me."
That is enough. She is patient. She has been waiting a long time for you to find this page.
Raphael, The Small Cowper Madonna, c. 1505. National Gallery of Art, Washington DC. Public domain.
The next step is yours. We will be here whenever you are ready.