Posted on 03/21/2022 8:20:03 AM PDT by shadowlands1960
It turns out moving your thumb along a decade of rosary beads feels a lot like scrolling through a news feed. I have discovered this as I reach more and more for my rosary these days, amid the flood of horrific images and stories of Russia’s onslaught in Ukraine—most recently, the bombing of a maternity hospital in Mariupol.
Each day’s news brings fresh feelings of incredulity, anger and helplessness that gnaw at me long after I set down my phone and tend to my two young sons. I have found that praying the rosary gives somewhere for my anxiety to spill over. Even if I can’t focus on the mysteries, the act of running my thumb and forefinger from one cool, jade bead to another channels my ruminations. The repetitive prayers have sometimes felt like mindless chatter—but amid current events, the simplicity and predictability of the rosary is soothing.
On March 15, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary during a penance service.
I have also been reminded these days of the rosary’s connection to Russia. On March 15, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis, heeding a request from the Catholic bishops of Ukraine, will consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary during a penance service on Friday, March 25. Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, will carry out the same act in Fátima on the same day.
(Excerpt) Read more at americamagazine.org ...
The Fatima apparition was a “lying sign and wonder”. Our God never sends apparitions of people. He sends angels or comes Himself. No one in the Bible prayed to Mary. Jesus taught us to pray to God the Father.
Apparitions are demonic. Major deception to those who lack spiritual discernment.
No one on this thread says she can. The Church doesn't teach she saves anyone. It teaches Jesus alone is our Savior:
Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 480: Jesus Christ is true God and true man, in the unity of his divine person; for this reason he is the one and only mediator between God and men."
"Our God never sends apparitions of people. He sends angels or comes Himself."
Tell that to Saul when Samuel appeared to him (1 Samuel 28). Samuel would not have appeared if our God did not him to deliver a message to Saul. Tell that also to another Saul-- Paul of Tarsus:
Acts 16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedo′nia was standing beseeching him and saying, “Come over to Macedo′nia and help us.” 10 And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedo′nia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
A dream is different from an Apparition
Your namesake was a good Catholic! You should at least find out what the Catholic Church teaches before making comments like this one.
Do you not pray for others? Do you not believe in prayer warriors—that some people seem “better” at praying, perhaps because they are closer to our Lord?
Well, then, don’t you think that Mary, the mother of our Lord, would be the greatest prayer warrior of all?
When we pray to Mary, it is only to ask her to pray for us. Additionally, when she appears to us, her children, she directs us to Him just as she did the servants at Cana: do whatever *He* tells you.
And Moses and Elijah appeared with Christ at the Transfiguration as described in Scripture, so I am not so sure about your argumebt.
You are correct. Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus in the flesh. Not an apparition.
Paul did not have a “dream” in Acts 16, he had a vision. The Greek word is horama, which means vision. If your Bible says “dream” it is a poor translation.
15 Then Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?" Saul answered, "I am in great distress; for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams; therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do."
No, it’s you who doesn’t understand Familiar Spirits. If a witch has a “Familiar spirit”, the spirit speaks through the witch. If you think an apparition of Samuel was in the room, wouldn’t Saul have hugged it or shook his hand? Weeped on his shoulder?
How do you know that Moses and Elijah prepared in a different way than Mary has appeared?
Over 100 years after Fatima, I’m wondering why this was not done before.
What part of “Samuel said to Saul” are you not understanding? You are letting your preconceived notions interpret the plain meaning of the text.
Nope. Why would Saul need a witch who could “speak to the dead” if Samuel could just appear in the room? A little redundant, don’t you think?
Additionally…why did only SHE see Samuel and not Saul?
Regardless of the particulars, the original fact remains that, contrary to your assertion, God does allow non-angels to appear to men to convey messages. Both the cases of Samuel and the Apostle clearly prove this.
Thanks for filling in the ‘context.’
You could say the same about Joan of Arc and her visions of St. Denis....
The funny thing about the ‘Witch of Endor’ story, is the necromancer “screamed” when Samuel actually appeared. She probably wasn’t expecting that (that is, she was a fraud).
Exactly right. The only reason that Samuel appeared is because God willed it so that Saul would receive the message condemning him for his unfaithfulness.
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