From Surprising Mary by Mitch Finley (Resurrection Press/Catholic Book Publishing):
We turn to you for protection, holy Mother of God. Listen to our prayers and help us in our needs. Save us from every danger, glorious and blessed Virgin. - The Oldest Known Prayer to Mary
Notice, this ancient prayer is not a private prayer, it does not begin with "I," it begins with "We." This is a prayer prayed together by a faith community, probably in a liturgical context. The feast of Mary we observe on January 1 brings her before the whole church, the whole people of God, and we recall that she is what the early church called her, in Greek Theotokos, which literally means something like "Birth-Giver of God," or "God-bearer," or "Bringer-forth-of-God."
It you would like to learn more about this book and/or order a copy, click here: Surprising Mary
