Being a mom is beautiful… and hard. Jesus knows it. He sees us. He gave us an amazing companion on this motherhood journey. Our Lord gave us His own mother, Mary, to shower our hearts with a daily dose of heavenly grace and to bring us closer to Him. But, how often do we really let her be our Mom?

"They're everywhere," I told the Lord with a hopeless exhale.

"The pieces of my shattered heart are scattered everywhere. I don't even know what they all are... I don't know where they all are."

"Do not worry," He replied. "My Mother knows where to find every single one."

And wouldn't you know, she really did. And she went right to work collecting them and bringing them to her Son on my behalf.

Our Lady Can Be Trusted

We moms are the great finders, aren't we?

Mom, where are my soccer socks?!

Mom, have you seen my science notebook?!

Mom, where did the yarn go?!

We are asked to find things not only because we often know where they are or where they are meant to go, but also because we are trusted. Our children have confidence in us. They know they can come to us needy and at the end of their own efforts.

Our Lady is a great mom. She is a great finder. She can be trusted. Even the Creator of the universe entrusted Himself to her.

She is the Refuge of Sinners and Star of the Sea. Her titles exude her ability to bring people safely Home. She excels at knowing who or what is lost and bringing it where it belongs.

If there is something that feels lost in your life or your soul right now, spending a few moments with Our Lady may be a consolation to you.

So as we spend some time contemplating the value of letting Mary care for us and thus becoming like her, cry out to her:

Mom, where is _________?!

Picture Study: Christ in the House of His Parents by John Everett Millais

Take a few minutes to observe the painting. Take in all the details you can. What do you notice?

Mary and Jesus dwell in the center of the painting, capturing our attention from the start. Prophetically and practically, Saint Joseph hands a nail to Jesus, Who bears the marks of His coming wounds.

Christ and Our Lady share a kiss while she kneels before Him. It is a simple, daily moment in the simple, daily lives of the Holy Family in Nazareth.

But behind the Holy Family we see a ladder, signifying that obedience to the ordinary tasks of daily life form a ladder to Heaven. Daily labors, when lived in the presence of Jesus, are transformed by the grace merited by His Passion.

Notice the sheep in the pasture. This calls to mind Christ's parable of the lost sheep. He will stop at nothing to find us. Since His Mother is of the same desire, neither will she.

Finally, notice the wood shavings on the floor. If your heart or life feel scattered about, strewn haphazardly in pieces, Our Lady knows where to find every single one.

What makes Mary such a great finder of what is lost in our lives? The painting denotes it: her gaze is always fixed on Him.

So while she gathers her spiritual children and their needs, her eyes remain locked on her Son, the One from Whom all blessings flow.

Listen to: Pavane Op. 50 by Gabriel Fauré

Now that we see that Our Lady is so attentive to us because she is so attentive to Christ, let us bring her what is lost.

Maybe you're not sure what is lost in your life. Maybe you feel like I did during that graced moment of prayer—unsure of exactly what I needed. Or perhaps you know precisely what is lost. Perhaps it is what remains on your mind and heart throughout the days.

Maybe what feels lost is the cross you carry in your heart as you find the soccer socks, the science notebook, and the yarn.

You need a mom while being a mom.

Spend a few moments in prayer now. Consider what is lost, or the fact that you're at a loss about what is lost. Ask Our Lady to find it. Ask her to bring it to her Son on your behalf. And trust that she is a good Mom who loves you. She won't rest until it's found.

While you pray, listen to this under-5-minute piece by Fauré.

Pray: The Magnificat

During a particular trial in my life, my spiritual director invited me to pray the Magnificat with Mary every single day.

Oh, how I scoffed!

My soul protested proclaiming anything. I was lowly and cast down. However, I obliged with a major soul eye roll.

Ah, but Mary is used to children behaving like children! She only needed my (even stubborn) willingness. I prayed with her each day, relying on her enthusiasm and confidence where mine waned. Over time, it no longer felt like just my Mom's song... it became mine, too.

In praying the Magnificat by Mary's side, we learn to pray like her. We learn to praise without ceasing and beyond circumstance. 

Father Jean C.J. D'Elbée wrote:

We say, "I have struggled, I have taken so much trouble, I have made so many efforts—all to arrive at what? Nothing—or sometimes a great humiliation. The Magnificat which you sing in your disappointment, the "Thank You for everything" which you say in your humiliations, is the most beautiful of all successes, the most fruitful of all victories.

Does this sentiment feel familiar?

With hope in our hearts then, let us call to mind once again that thing, that person, that trial, that cross, that uncertainty, that piece of who we are or who we were.

Allow the Blessed Mother to hold those pieces in her hand. While she gives them to Jesus, sing her song of praise:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.

Never have I been let down by Our Lady. Never has she not proven to be the most tender, trustworthy mother. Never has she not found what is lost in me, bringing me Home.

Blessedly, when our difficulties do not disappear, we have a dear Mother. She is ready to help us exponentially.

She knows where all the pieces of our hearts and lives are and she is ready to gather them for us, if only we open the front door and let her in.

Want to learn more about Jesus’ Mother being our spiritual mom? Check out this book I narrated!

Ready to dive deeper? 

Here are 4 ways to fill your nets... 

 1. Memorize Bible verses with your children easily with our FREE guide: Stocking the Storehouses

 2. Make your dreams of family prayer a reality with The Daily Feast framework, making it possible in just a few minutes a day. This free guide shows you how.

 3. Want to steward your own prayer life? Check out this Scripture prayer journal we made just for you.

 4. Looking to level-up in your family faith formation? Join over 10,000 families that use our resources. We make open-and-go, family-style resources to make your role as primary catechist easy AND delightful. Click here to browse!