The Hail Mary of a Protestant

(A True Story)

      A little six-year-old Protestant boy had often heard his Catholiccompanions reciting the prayer "Hail Mary." He liked it so much that he copiedit, memorized it and would recite it every day. "Look, Mommy, what a beautifulprayer," he said to his mother one day. "Never again say it," answered themother. "It is a superstitious prayer of Catholics who adore idols and thinkMary a goddess. After all, she is a woman like any other. Come on, take thisBible and read it. It contains everything that we are bound to do and have todo." From that day on the little boy discontinued his daily "Hail Mary" andgave himself more time to reading the Bible instead.

 

      One day, while reading the Gospel, he came across the passage about theAnnunciation of the Angel to Our Lady. Full of joy, the little boy ran to hismother and said: "Mommy, I have found the 'Hail Mary' in the Bible which says:'Hail full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women.'Why do you call it a superstitious prayer?" On another occasion he found thatbeautiful Salutation of St. Elizabeth to the Virgin Mary and the wonderfulcanticle MAGNIFICAT in which Mary foretold that "the generations would call herblessed." He said no more about it to his mother but started to recite the"Hail Mary" every day as before. He felt pleasure in addressing those charmingwords to the Mother of Jesus, our Savior. When he was fourteen, he one dayheard a discussion on Our Lady among the members of his family. Every one saidthat Mary was a common woman like any other woman.

     

      The boy, after listening to their erroneous reasoning could not bear itany longer, and full of indignation, he interrupted them, saying: "Mary is notlike any other children of Adam, stained with sin. No! The Angel called herFULL OF GRACE AND BLESSED AMONGST WOMEN. Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ andconsequently Mother of God. There is no higher dignity to which a creature canbe raised. The Gospel says that the generations will proclaim her blessed andyou are trying to despise her and look down on her. Your spirit is not thespirit of the Gospel or of the Bible which you proclaim to be the foundation ofthe Christian religion."

 

      So deep was the impression which the boy's talk had made that his mothermany times cried out sorrowfully: "Oh my God! I fear that this son of mine willone day join the Catholic religion, the religion of Popes!" And indeed, notvery long afterwards, having made a serious study of both Protestantism andCatholicism, the boy found the latter to be the only true religion and embracedit and became one of its most ardent apostles.

     

      Some time after his conversion, he met his married sister who rebukedhim and said indignantly: "You little know how much I love my children. Shouldany one of them desire to become a Catholic, I would sooner pierce his heartwith a dagger than allow him to embrace the religion of the Popes!" Her angerand temper were as furious as those of St. Paul before his conversion. However,she would change her ways, just as St. Paul did on his way to Damascus. It sohappened that one of her sons fell dangerously ill and the doctors gave up hopeof recovery. Her brother then approached her and spoke to her affectionately,saying: "My dear sister, you naturally wish to have your child cured. Verywell, then, do what I ask you to do. Follow me, let us pray one 'Hail Mary' andpromise God that, if your son recovers his health, you would seriously studythe Catholic doctrine, and should you come to the conclusion that Catholicismis the only true religion, you would embrace it no matter what the sacrificesmay be."

 

      His sister was somewhat reluctant at the beginning, but as she wishedfor her son's recovery, she accepted her brother's proposal and recited the"Hail Mary" together with him. The next day her son was completely cured. Themother fulfilled her promise and she studied the Catholic doctrine. After longpreparation she received Baptism together with her whole family, thanking herbrother for being an apostle to her.

     

      The story was related during a sermon given by the Rev. Fr. Tuckwell."Brethren," he went on and said, "the boy who became a Catholic and convertedhis sister to Catholicism dedicated his whole life to the service of God. He isthe priest who is speaking to you now! What I am I owe to Our Lady. You, too,my dear brethren, be entirely dedicated also to Our Lady and never let a daypass without saying the beautiful prayer, 'Hail Mary', and your Rosary. Ask herto enlighten the minds of Protestants who are separated from the true Church ofChrist founded on the Rock (Peter) and 'against whom the gates of hell shallnever prevail.'"