I learned my prayers
when I was a child
and I particularly liked
the Hail Mary.
You see, it contained the line,
“and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.”
Well, I knew what fruit was
(apples and oranges)
and I knew who Jesus was.
I could easily picture
Our Lady and Jesus
sitting outside the temple
selling apples and oranges
in the sunshine.

I liked this prayer!

Then there was another prayer,
the Hail Holy Queen.
This prayer felt very different,
a bit dark and scary.
You see, it contained the line,
“mourning and weeping
in this valley of tears”.

Don’t they say,
“show me the child at seven
and I’ll show you the man”?
Well, even in my fifties,
I still loved the Hail Mary
and avoided the Hail Holy Queen
(which continued to feel
dark and foreboding!)

Only in recent years
has the Hail Holy Queen
begun to make sense to me.
Now I understand that,
during those times
when life is brimming over
with sorrow, illness and pain
and hope has gone AWOL,
that is our valley of tears.
And that is the perfect time
to ask Our Lady
for help.

Today I’m saying the Rosary
for two friends of ours
who each find themselves,
through totally different circumstances,
in a valley of tears.

As I pray the Rosary,
I say dozens of Hail Mary’s,
that happy wee prayer
that I still love
(even though I now know
that it’s not at all
about apples and oranges!)
And I also say the Hail Holy Queen,
a prayer that I now understand.
It’s a cry from the heart,
a plea for help
for our two friends
in their valley of tears.

Mary, Queen of Ireland,
please pray for our two friends
and come to their aid
in these difficult, dark times.

© Claire Murray, 20th July 2025