Elizabeth Estrada shares the ways she has deepened her devotion to Mary, and how this has helped transform her sadness into joy.
May has always been a difficult month for me since my mom passed away in May of 2000. I would dread Mother’s Day, which sounds silly, but I would be an emotional wreck, as my mom and I were very close. Due to the pain of losing my mom I stopped going to Mass and was very mad at God.
It wasn’t until my reversion in 2006 that I began to understand that God wasn’t the villain who planned to take my mom away, but instead, due to choices made in the Garden of Eden, this is a suffering world and painful things happen.
One of the major reasons I reverted was that my son was born that year, and I wanted to pass on the faith to him the way my mother had done for me. I was so excited about being Catholic that I learned as much as I could so that as he grew up and asked questions, I could hopefully give him an answer.
One of the first things I learned how to do was pray the Rosary. I knew how to follow along, but I didn’t know how to pray it or what was happening as I would pray the Rosary. Perhaps it was because I was always drawn to Our Lady of Guadalupe that I was called to learn.
My mom had a very strong devotion to Mary, so I too became close to her. People would always give me gifts that involved Mary: one year I received a medal with her image, a statue of her on another occasion, and the list goes on.
So, I thought I should learn how to pray the Rosary. Over time, I have meditated on Our Lady, and one thing that has become clear is that she has always been in my life and drawn me closer to her Son.
Now as I have learned about Our Lady, May is no longer a month of sadness but one of joy. My mom passed away on May 13, which is also not a coincidence, and May is Mother Mary’s month, after all.
I invite you to get to know Mother Mary if you haven’t spent time with her and if you have may your devotion grow stronger.
Remember, it doesn’t have to be May: Mary is always waiting to cover you with her mantle.
Copyright 2022 Elizabeth Estrada
Images: randreu, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
About the Author
Elizabeth Estrada
Elizabeth Estrada, a public-school teacher, is an avid reader and enjoys crafting. She is in formation to become a Third Order Carmelite soon with her son Agustin.
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