The Blessed Virgin Mary

[dominicansoul]

but thanks for giving your point of view, you have responded kindly to the OP. It's interesting to see what others outside the Faith think of Mary. It's sad, but interesting...

[Selah]

[quote name='cooterhein' timestamp='1314263902' post='2294659']
Yes, Mary did give birth to God. No, I don't wish to reject the divinity of Christ as it relates to the term [i]Theotokos.[/i] And....that's pretty much all I have. I'm not sure what else you're looking for. That's her position, as far as I understand it. Is that insufficiently high?
[/quote]

Aww, I didn't mean anything personally towards you. It was more of a general rant. I'm sorry if I offended you.

[Vincent Vega]

Luther held her in pretty high esteem.

[vee]

I remember when I wasnt going to church at all, I was too lazy to even attempt Protestantism, I thought Mary was nice but thats about it I also thought the Real Presence was a load of poo too but thats another thread. Anyway there I was going along being a general idiot in life until the Good Shepherd had enough of my idiocy and threw a few big stones. He never comes alone though as Mary is always there, like at Calvary, and like at Calvary He gave me to her and her to me. He wants us to have her help, He knows we need it!!! We dont get to heaven alone, its a group effort.

Todays gospel reading "Watch ye therefore, because ye know not what hour your Lord will come." reminds me of how much I need Mary as well because who in their right mind would stand before any judge alone, let alone the Just Judge, alone and unprepared!!! Now I know its not the Real Presence that is the load of poo, its me without the grace of God and who is full of grace but Mary. How do we know that? Right in the bible the angel says it to her. So when I go before the Just Judge Id like the best defense lawyer at my side! Actually Im a big chicken and will be more like a little kid hiding under her mantle. It is the safest and most highly recommended place to be!

[FutureSister2009]

One thing I've learned is to never underestimate the Power of Our Lady

[brianthephysicist]

I was raised Catholic but fell away from the faith for a few years. I only recently saw how much I need God in my life. I'm still trying to figure how to fit Mary into all of this. I have some random thoughts on her but nothing really cohesive.

A little old nun once told me that "Mary is the best intercessor; I mean she's Jesus' mother. Can you refuse your mother when she asks a favor of you? How much more will Jesus pay attention to His mother's requests?" This cracked me up so hard when she said it but it really does make sense.

I've been lucky enough to hear a few sermons on Mary as God's example of perfect womanhood. Even when it gets laid out in front of me in a well thought out and prepared sermon I still seem to have trouble identifying with it and making it mine.

From her Immaculate Conception to her Assumption she lived without sin. I get caught in this loop of "that can't be possible, even the holiest people like the saints sinned" versus "everything is possible in Christ". I try to get around this by thinking about the idea that sin is offending God, so for her to be completely without sin, that means she must know God's heart in order to not offend it. I don't really know, it still confuses me and I'm kinda rambling on this so I'll just move on lol.

A priest recommended that I pray to surrender myself to God. This just gave me some fire and brimstone images of God with a lightning bolt ready to strike me down and I was pretty sure he didn't mean it like that so I asked for clarification. The priest explained that I need to follow Mary's example in the Annunciation: "be it done unto me according to your will" (I'm sorry if that's not the exact quote). The point that the priest was trying to get across is that I need to follow her example of offering (surrendering) her life and her will to serve God's will.

So I see how important all of these things are and I've been trying to learn from them and use them, but I don't really end up treating Mary very differently from how I treat the saints. I can see how she's different but I'm still trying to put this all in perspective and find ways to apply it to my life.

[AccountDeleted]

I only know that when I am having a really tough time, I pray to Mary in these words, "Mother, please tell Him that I have no wine. He will listen to you."

It's not that I can't pray to Jesus, I can and do, all the time, but sometimes I just feel a need to ask for extra help, and I know He won't refuse her anything. He might say, "Woman, what has this to do with us?" but He will still turn the water into wine for her.

And isn't it comforting to know that God's mother is caring for us as well? How could anyone not love her?

[Ice_nine]

the prayers of a righteous man (or woman ) availeth much

I can understand where protestants are coming from. During my years I spent fallen away from the church I believed that it was insane to think Mary was sinless. I mean THE BIBLE SAYS not even ONE is righteous. That was enough for me to determine Catholics must have been on crack. I didn't take into account the Ark of the Old Covenant, and how holy and untouchable that was. I can only assume this characteristic would be amplified in the Ark of the New Covenant who literally carried God of the universe incarnate. I also didn't understand the concept of preemptive grace. Mary is not holy on her own account, but was "full of grace" poured out through Christ on the Cross, God exists out of time and can do stuff like that. There's literature out there that explains it much better than I.

And also that non-Catholic Christians don't always subscribe to ancient creeds and thus the whole "communion of saints" thing loses some of it's meaning. It's sad, because the souls of the saints and the holy souls in purgatory are not dead, for God is not a God of the dead, but rather living humans who have approached or attained holiness to a greater level than anyone of us has experienced. Non-Catholic Christians ask other believers to pray for them, why would you not take advantage of asking perfected believers to pray for you?! It's crazy.

Sorry it's late and I'm rambling. But I love Mary so much. I've prayed the Rosary the past few days cause I was dealing with a lot of sorrow and grief, but it brought me an immeasurable peace. She knows her Son more than anyone else save God Himself. She can only enhance your relationship with Jesus, she cannot detract from it.

[faithcecelia]

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1315013767' post='2299419']
I only know that when I am having a really tough time, I pray to Mary in these words, "Mother, please tell Him that I have no wine. He will listen to you."

It's not that I can't pray to Jesus, I can and do, all the time, but sometimes I just feel a need to ask for extra help, and I know He won't refuse her anything. He might say, "Woman, what has this to do with us?" but He will still turn the water into wine for her.

And isn't it comforting to know that God's mother is caring for us as well? How could anyone not love her?
[/quote]

Thanks for this, it is beautiful.

[TheresaThoma]

Just my 2 cents on this.
When I first converted I had a difficult time relating to Mary. I could see others devotion to her and how it was a good thing etc. Personally I just couldn't get my mind around, it just felt too formal to me. Then one time I was going through a very rough time and a couple of my friends prayed with me. My one friend asked "Momma Mary" (in her sweet Texan accent) to wrap her mantel around me. In that moment it clicked for me, I realized that it is a very personal connection, I was trying to be too formal but Jesus gave her to us as a Mother and I needed to have that child-like simplicity with her.

[brandelynmarie]

"Honor thy father & mother...". Exodus 20:12.

[Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam]

[quote name='TheresaThoma' timestamp='1315080456' post='2299723']
Just my 2 cents on this.
When I first converted I had a difficult time relating to Mary. I could see others devotion to her and how it was a good thing etc. Personally I just couldn't get my mind around, it just felt too formal to me. Then one time I was going through a very rough time and a couple of my friends prayed with me. My one friend asked "Momma Mary" (in her sweet Texan accent) to wrap her mantel around me. In that moment it clicked for me, I realized that it is a very personal connection, I was trying to be too formal but Jesus gave her to us as a Mother and I needed to have that child-like simplicity with her.
[/quote]

This personal connection is an important one. Christ is shown in the Scriptures as first being pushed into ministry by his mother. She tells him basically that it is time and he disagrees. She calls him to be the man she knows him to be and to fulfill God's will for the world. The rest of the gospel accounts show Christ and how he relates to the Father: he goes off by himself to pray to the Father, remarks that he and the Father are one and no one knows the Father but through him, prays in the Garden, and even when he is being crucified begs the Father's forgiveness for those who have crucified him. However, when he is on the cross Christ gives the Church to Mary and Mary to the Church. He does not say "Father behold your son, son behold your Father." No, it is "Mother behold your son. Son behold your mother." This shows how important Mary is for our faith and how she should never be placed aside as just another saint in the Bible that really can be ignored because now we have Christ. No she is the queen of heaven and earth and the help of Christians. It is through her help that we are called, as Christ was, to be the men and women she knows us to be, the men and women who have a specific purpose to fulfill in God's plan for the world. She tells us the same thing she told Christ and the servants "They have no wine...Do whatever He tells you."

Edited September 15, 2011 by Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

[Blessed_Irmengard]

[quote name='TheresaThoma' timestamp='1315080456' post='2299723']
Personally I just couldn't get my mind around, it just felt too formal to me. Then one time I was going through a very rough time and a couple of my friends prayed with me. My one friend asked "Momma Mary" (in her sweet Texan accent) to wrap her mantel around me. In that moment it clicked for me, I realized that it is a very personal connection, I was trying to be too formal but Jesus gave her to us as a Mother and I needed to have that child-like simplicity with her.
[/quote]

To me, it feels more natural to go to "Momma Mary" than the Father or the Son. When I was a kid, my mother handled the everyday stuff and my father tended to be vague and wasn't at home a lot. I find it much easier to relate to a fellow female, so to speak. In my experience, they deal with stuff and get things done. :-)

[Selah]

Most Holy Theotokos, save us. <3

[Guest St Bosco]

Mary didnt die a virgin, by the way. Jesus is the reason for the season, not someone else. Mary is just a player in the scheme of things. Just like Moses or John the Baptist. The catholic church has people praying to her in order to keep them away from Christ. Just like all the saints the are told to pray to, they keep them away from the saving power og the Lord. You see, the catholic church is there to keep people from Christ. Never mind its history, its present day fruits should warn people away from this cult of personality and costume holymen. Thanks for your time