May I tell you a story?

Once upon a time (not too long ago), a “mature” woman had a “conversion experience”. In an effort to solidfy her experience, she began attending daily Mass and weekly confession. The young priest she chose to “direct” her worked hard to find penances that would help her. One time, he instructed her to sit in front of the icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and pray the Joyful Mysteries of the rosary. The woman’s mother was a broken soul who wasn’t much of a mother, and the woman believed she didn’t have, didn’t want, and didn’t need a mother. About half-way through the second decade, the woman became aware that the Woman in the picture was “real”. Those impossibly-long fingers reached out to her; that impossibly-tiny mouth stretched into a warm smile. The woman realized that she had a Mother (whether she wanted one or not), and developed a close relationship with Her that lasted and grew.

Does the woman “worship” the Mother? Of course not! Only God is worthy of worship. But she loves Her, talks to Her daily, and follows Her advice. The woman knows that she does indeed have, want and need a mother. Now, she has one.