Intercession of Our Lady

"Prayer is powerful beyond limits when we turn to the Immaculata who is queen even of God's heart."-Saint Maximilian Kolbe

For the last couple weeks I have been blessed with great suffering - yes, blessed. It doesn't feel like a blessing...ever, but I know that it is because I know God won't give me more than I can handle. With a chronic migraine for about three weeks now life has been a little rough, especially with still trying to do my daily activities. There's school, and household things, and well life doesn't stop just because Amber doesn't feel good. In my physical suffering, all other areas in my life have experienced suffering. My grades aren't so pretty and are on a slippery slope, my prayer life is not what it normally is - or rather it has a different appearance, and my relationships are little well... it's hard to build relationships when your head is constantly hurting, and you're constantly in pain. 

I was thinking about this a little bit today - that my sickness has caused me to very much so revert to the actions of a little child. I have to eat my meals at set times because of my medicine, and I have to get a lot of sleep, and if I don't get a nap or some form of rest time in well you just don't want to deal with me come evening. It feels as if my life has reverted to that of a toddler, which is frustrating. 

But if there is one thing I have learned in all this, God has his hand on us. This physical suffering isn't the only suffering I've been experiencing, there's been some emotional, mental, and spiritual as well. But what I do know is our Lady has been watching over me. 

My prayer normally involved meditation on scripture, intercession for loved ones, maybe some form of spiritual reading, daily mass at least once a week, and I try to get in a rosary. Daily mass wasn't happening because I slept as long and as much as possible. Spiritual reading and scripture reflection was a challenge because it made my head hurt - but one thing I have remained faithful to is my rosary. 

I look back on my spiritual journey thus far, and our Lady has always been there. She has my back. I would pray a rosary when I didn't know what else to do. I bring my struggles to her, and she intercedes for me at the feet of Jesus. In the last three weeks, as I have been suffering with these headaches, or as I like to call it my sickness, I have sought our Lady. If I can't fall asleep, I pray a rosary. The radio makes my head hurt, I pray a rosary. My brain wonders to me having some deathly illness, I pray a rosary. I have an exam, I say a Hail Mary. I'm being asked to be patient and wait on the Lord, I pray a rosary. Our Lady is the Mother of Christ. She is special to him, and her intercession is powerful. Her love is deep. She loves each of her children so profoundly, so deeply, so uniquely, and continually intercedes for us at the foot of her Son - that our petitions may be granted, and meanwhile her grace is being poured into our hearts, that we may have peace as we go about the tasks. Through the intercession of our Lady, our hearts become more rooted in Christ. 

“What a joy to remember that she is our Mother! Since she loves us and knows our weakness, what have we to fear?”
- Saint Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church

May we ever seek the intercession of our Lady, in all our needs. 

"Pray, hope, don't worry" -Padre Pio

"We never give more honour to Jesus than when we honour his Mother, and we honour her simply and solely to honour him all the more perfectly. We go to her only as a way leading to the goal we seek - Jesus, her Son."
-Saint Louis Marie de Montfort, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, #94

"For God has made her queen of heaven and earth, leader of his armies, keeper of his treasure, dispenser of his graces, mediatrix on behalf of men, destroyer of his enemies, and faithful associate in his great works and triumphs."
-Saint Louis Marie de Montfort, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, #28

"Seek refuge in Mary because she is the city of refuge. We know that Moses set up three cities of refuge for anyone who inadvertently killed his neighbor. Now the Lord has established a refuge of mercy, Mary, even for those who deliberately commit evil. Mary provides shelter and strength for the sinner."
-Saint Anthony of Padua, Doctor of the Church