Tea Time With Mary

A story of how a gathering with my closest friends budded into a love for our Heavenly Mother.

A text buzzed on my phone from an old friend of mine. Rosary night, next Tuesday, it read.

It was summer 2023, and I had just moved back to Orlando in preparation for my wedding that fall. After a few years living with my family, hours away, post-graduation, I yearned to rebuild college connections that had gone dormant during the COVID-19 pandemic. Isolation and my general introversion had led me to think I was alone in the way of female friendship.

A Rosary Night Invitation

Melodrama aside, I took the Rosary night invitation as a lifeline, marking it on my calendar, nervous yet eager. Days passed, and I pulled up to a cozy home. The host, Kathryn, had several pots of tea steeping in the kitchen. A long-legged pothos plant interwoven with twinkle lights that illuminated religious artwork plastered all over the walls. Several other women chattered in the living room, curled up on overstuffed floor cushions. The environment emanated Christian hospitality, putting my introvert nerves at ease.

I knew most of the women in this group from my college years, and I fell back into conversation with all of them as if no time had passed. Then, after tea was served, a hush fell about the room. We shared prayer intentions in reverent tones and began our rosary.

The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary

Reflecting on the Glorious Mysteries that Wednesday evening, I felt great hope. Just like the promises and miracles found in Christ’s resurrection and His ascension, I sensed a great renewal in my own life. As I entered this new chapter—returning to a community and embarking on the next great adventure of my life—I felt Mother Mary consoling me through the unfamiliarity and fears that arose as I made myself vulnerable in reengaging with others.

After the Rosary concluded, our little prayer group continued their conversation over candlelight, discussing their favorite saint intercessors in heaven and marveling at the mercy of the Sacraments.

That Rosary night also reinforced the fact that I wasn’t alone. This group of women banded together, inviting other ladies into our Tea Time With Mary, as we soon dubbed it. We don’t always get the opportunity to meet each month, but whenever we do, it’s an opportunity for refreshment and renewal (with prayer and chai!) Guided by Mary, we reflect on Christ’s life and the treasures of our faith, all while cherishing the gift of sisterhood we find in one another.

I’m grateful for that Rosary we’d prayed, and that yes, I gave that one night in 2023. I encourage you to lean into Mary’s sweet comfort with community. Find a group at your church, or start one—[consider learning more about the Father Peyton Prayer Guilds]. Let Mary remind you of her Son’s promises through this beautiful prayer…and have a nice cup of tea and some friends while you’re at it.

Christina Vázquez is a writer, editor, and crafter. She is involved at her home church —and her Tea Time With Mary group — in sunny Orlando, FL, and loves writing about the things that set her soul on fire. Connect with her at cvazzy.com or on Substack.