Star of the Sea

Growing up, and into adulthood, I have to admit that I was never a Marian person.  It was not that I had any sort of theological problem with Mary as Mother of God. I simply did not see how Mary fit into my relationship with God. To my way of thinking, she was more of a historical figure than anything else.  Throughout much of my life, I took Mary with the passive acceptance of a lot of cradle Catholics.
Not anymore.
There's no point in my life where I can say the light went on as to my knowing the Blessed Mother. Except that I found that the prayer I pray more often than any other is the Hail Mary.  That, the Our Father and the doxology.  Then there was the realization that if anyone understood the grief of a parent for a lost child, it would be Mary.  Above all, Mary has come to mean to me our "yes" to God. She has shown us the way, like a good mother will.  Without her "yes," well...
Of all the titles bestowed on Mary, my favorite is Stella Maris, Star of the Sea.  When I was a kid on Long Island, whenever we sang of the Star of the Sea, I would think about being on south shore beaches when night rolled in, and how different the ocean would seem.  Now I think simply of navigation.  Two stars in our skies to get a fix from...The Mother and the Son.
For your homework, go to the Liturgy of the Hours for today and read St. Anslem on Mary.