Who is Mary?

Mary is Jesus's mother... which is kind of difficult to understand, seeing as Jesus is God's son. So let's start at the beginning:

Mary was a virgin chosen by God. He sent down the angel Gabriel to bring her the news that she had been chosen to carry out a special mission. Mary consented to God's will, and the Holy Spirit blessed her with a son, Jesus. She and Joseph, her husband, raised him, then later followed him when he began teaching and preforming miracles. Mary was with Jesus until his last moments, when he died on the cross. Some time after Jesus's death and resurrection, Mary too ascended into heaven.

Because Mary ascended into heaven, how we pray to her can be a bit confusing. Mary is not a god, for there is only one God. So we do not worship Mary. However, she is more than a simple saint; she is Jesus's holy mother. We pray to her and ask her to help us in times of great need. If we feel week or helpless, we can ask Mary to pray to God for us to lend us some of her strength and gentleness. Mary herself cannot grant us these gifts or intercede for us; only through the grace of God can she aid us. A common prayer to Mary is stated below:

Hail Mary, full of grace.
Our Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.