The power of just one Hail Mary
March 2, 2023
My Mom has always been my go-to for my prayer requests.
In fact, I have this laughable phrase I say to her when I really need help: “It’s time to break out the big beads, Madre!” (Big beads, as in, major rosary work.)
It’s no coincidence that our heavenly mother, the Virgin Mary, is also my go-to for my spiritual needs.
And so when I recently stumbled across this video on social media about the power of just one Hail Mary, I was so astounded I just had to share this story.
The priest telling the story, Father Joe Freedy of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, is seated in the pew of a church while sharing the dramatic experience of his friend, John, on camera.
John is “just a normal guy – just a really good dude,” said Father Freedy.
The video cuts to John jogging down the street while the priest continues telling the story.
“He’s jogging around a neighborhood he doesn’t usually jog around,” the priest said. “And he sees an ambulance in somebody’s driveway. And he’s a good guy, so he says: ‘Should I stop? Should I see if everything is OK?’
“And then he just thought – I’m not a doctor, I don’t know whose driveway this is.”
Recounting the story later to the priest, John said, “Father Joe, I just kept running and I prayed one Hail Mary. And I didn’t think anything of it.”
The video again shows John running down the street with voiceover from Father Freedy.
“The next week he’s jogging around the same neighborhood,” Father Freedy said. “And he hears a woman call for him.”
John kept running, Father Freedy said, because he did not know anyone in that neighborhood. Finally, the woman catches John’s attention and approaches him with some life-altering words.
“You saved my life,” the woman said to an incredulous John, who had never laid eyes on her before.
“No, I recognize your face,” she continued. “Last week, I was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. And I was dying. And I knew I was dying. And Jesus appeared to me and he held out his hand. And your face was on the palm of his hand. And Jesus said, ‘You were gonna die, but because of the prayer of this man, you’re gonna live.’”
“So that’s the power of one Hail Mary,” Father Freedy said with a chuckle.
The video cuts to John on the street in his running clothes.
“What a jolt that was for not only my prayer life, but my family’s prayer life,” John said, his voice cracking with emotion. “Our outlook on prayer itself. And especially prayers of intercession. When somebody asks you to pray for them or you volunteer to pray for somebody, you never know. You never expect how it’s going to work out. Because in the end, it’s always God’s will.”
“But in a case like this,” John continued, “to have something that dramatic and profound – somebody come up to you and tell you something like that was more than enough to take me back and draw me even that much more closer to praying to the Blessed Mother. Because as we all know, she is the direct line of intercession to her son Jesus Christ in answering all prayers for everyone.”
You can watch this video, called “The Rosary Series: The Power of One Hail Mary” on YouTube or their website, TheRosarySeries.com, which offers a whole host of material and videos.
If you’re still looking for a way to make this Lenten season impactful, here’s one powerful option.
Kelly Mescher Collins is a multimedia journalist for the Diocese of Des Moines. She can be reached at kcollins@dmdio cese.org or 515-237-5054.