Hail Mary!

Just as God commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it. He didn’t leave incomplete one thing that God had commanded Moses. Joshua 11:15

The term Hail Mary goes back to the 1930’s when it was used publicly by two former members of the Notre Dame’s fighting Irish Four Horsemen. The term became widespread during the NFL playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings in December of 1975. Cowboy quarterback Roger Staubach threw the game winning pass to Drew Pearson with an “ally oop” type pass. After the game, he said to reporters, “I just closed by eyes and said a Hail Mary.”

These days, this play is basically a desperation play usually near the end of the game when there is potentially no hope of winning. When nothing seems to be working, the quarterback tells everyone to go long, he lofts up the ball with a “Hail Mary” and hopes and prays someone on his team catches it! The great thing is that when it works, it is one of the most exciting things in football because literally everyone holds their breath for those seconds the ball is in the air. This play is the last ditch effort, a last stand, a desperation move. The “Hail Mary” provides hope for a miracle when time is running out!

The Hail Mary as most Catholics know it was refined from its original prayer in 1568 by Pius V on the occasion of the liturgical reform. It says that Mary is the Mother of God and she intercedes for people with Him to secure salvation. In this faith, she truly is the mediator between God and humanity.

Many times in our Christian walk, we need a Hail Mary to help us answer the call of something different, something difficult, or something overwhelming in our lives. Time is running out, and we are desperate to do all the things we feel God would want us to do. Just like the disciples when Jesus told them to leave the security of the shore and launch out into the deep, we need hope that a Hail Mary would provide to move us forward. The disciples obeyed Jesus’ instruction to get out into the deep, and they landed the greatest catch of fish that day.

Sometimes we use a Hail Mary for those around us who are suffering either from injury, illness, personal struggles, or whatever it might be. We offer up prayers and wait for the miracle.

We might have an occasion for a Hail Mary to continue to follow Jesus in a world where so much is worldly rather than Christian. It is easy to model our behavior after those who profess to be Christian but don’t exhibit any of those qualities. Instead, our behavior should be like Jesus Christ. We might make mistakes and get things wrong, but thankfully, we have a forgiving Savior.

In the Book of Joshua, there were obstacle after obstacle set in front of him as he fought to do God’s will and follow His direction. As army after army assembled in full force with the masses, even horses and chariots, God assured Joshua, “Don’t worry about them. This time tomorrow I will hand them over to you.” Joshua 11:6

As Christians, we have a great opportunity to put up some Hail Mary’s up for this world by remembering Galatians 6:10 which says, Therefore as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all especially those who are of the household of faith.

There are several different parts of the Catholic prayer of Hail Mary with the rosary. I don’t pretend to know many facts about it, but the part of it which is entitled NOW has a beautiful sentiment. It goes like this, “In this present moment, at all times present, when all goes well, and when not, when I am in grace, and when not, when I feel good, and when I do not, in health and illness, in joys and sorrows, in light and in darkness: The now covers all my life.”

In this life, as in football, there’s always room for a Hail Mary as we get our team together with gifts and abilities to complement one another for the good of all!