David's experience with Mary

I remember standing outside of a Church in 1988, not long after turning my life over to Jesus. I looked at the statue of Mary outside of the Church. I did not think of the statue itself but of what it represented. I did not worship it. I just thought about the Mother of Jesus. All I knew about her was that I'd seen nativity scenes when I was young and I had heard the odd joke about "a virgin having a kid."

In my life, I had had many negative experiences with women. Emotionally, I had hurt and been hurt. I had even cut off relations to my own mother. I didn't think I could ever love a woman again. Then it occurred to me that Mary was the mother of my Lord and Saviour (to whom I had surrendered a month earlier).

I suddenly felt that I could love her. I didn't even know that the Churchyard where I was standing was Catholic. I didn't know the difference between Catholics and Protestants and I didn't know that a bunch of Christians thought and taught that this feeling about Mary was blasphemous. I only knew what my heart told me.

I immediately looked for Churches to join. I looked at many denominations. I went to dozens of Churches. I felt mystified that many of these churches made no mention of Mary. I wanted to tell them about my secret but I was very shy in those days and did not speak or ask questions. I did not know the interdenominational dynamics about Mary.

So I went back to the Church that had the statue. That is the Church where I belong today. If it had been a different denomination I probably still would have joined it. I just loved the fact that they honoured this most beautiful woman who, helped heal my relationship to women and to my maternal mother. If you or I can perform miracles in the name of Jesus, why can't she? (Mat 10:1). She showed me that I could love women again starting with her.

Once inside the Church, there was another miracle. It happened before I knew the Bible or knew anything about angels or religion. There was a picture of Mary holding Jesus with an angel on each side. It was called "Our Mother of Perpetual Help" and was painted in the first centuries of Christianity.

While sitting quietly, I asked Mary who the two angels in the picture were. I heard a woman's voice in my head lovingly and clearly say "St. Michael and St. Gabriel." Six months later, I came into church and there was sheet explaining the painting. If you look closely, there is Greek lettering above each angel, which translated means "Michael" and "Gabriel." I don't read Greek!   To me this was a confirming miracle that I was in the right place.

I took this photo of the original Icon in Rome

Some might say, "this was the devil fooling you." However, let's look at the results of the experience. "You shall know a tree by its fruit." (Mat 12:33) The fruit of this tree is that it drove me deeper into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, son of the living God - Mary's child. "No one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor 12:3).

I've been told by some of my Evangelical friends that icons are idols. Thank God I had never heard that before I had this miracle. It appears that God wasn't in the least concerned that I was looking at an icon. In fact he decided to make a miracle happen while I was looking at an icon. Thank God for the old Catholic stuff. Thank God for giving us Mary as a mother. Thank God for the miracles He is working through her.

We must remember that the apostles Paul, Peter performed miracles in the name of Jesus. Even modern pastors perform miracles in Jesus' name. Catholics believe Mary can do the same.

There was another miracle that Jesus performed through Mary. I had had a terrible eating disorder - anorexia-bulimia for several years. One day I said to Mary. "Mary you fed your Baby Jesus for all those years, I bet you could feed me." That was a decisive moment in my recovery program and I have not binged, vomited or starved since then. I've been a normal weight for 12 years. I believe she performed miracle in the same way as the early Christians cured people with the name of Jesus.

An invitation - Pray to Jesus about Mary

I hope I have not caused anxiety with this article. I wish only to help build a bridge between Catholics and Protestants. I don't believe that avoiding Mary will help build this bridge. I can't see this issue going away, at least in my own life and in the lives of the millions of Christians who are alive in the spirit of Christ and have been enriched by their relationship to Mary. Time spent with Mary does not take away from Jesus anymore than time spent with other Christians.

I would like to conclude with an invitation. It may be very difficult and perhaps impossible for some. I would like to ask you to forget everything you have ever heard about Mary, everything that you have ever read about her, including what I have said here.

I would like to invite you to pray to Jesus. Most Christians would agree that it is completely safe to pray to Jesus about anything. I would like to invite you to pray to Jesus about Mary. Simply ask Jesus to show you the truth about his mother. Ask Him to direct your thinking about her. Ask Jesus if his mother is alive with Him. Ask Him if Mary is praying for us. Just pray to Jesus about her. Try this every night for six weeks. I am thoroughly convinced that He will bring you to the truth about his mother.