Be Like Mary

Lent & Beyond ^ | 3/19/2005 | Jill W.

[sionnsar]

John 2:1-12

One does not have to venture far into the Anglican blogosphere to recognize that the dominant discussion is on the House of Bishops’ report. This morning, I was led to turn my eyes to Mary rather than the bishops.

At the wedding in Cana, Mary comes to Jesus, who had not yet performed any public miracles, with a problem–"They have no wine.” She has a childlike trust that Jesus will do something about it–"Do whatever he tells you.” The scripture doesn’t tell us what she did next. I’ve always thought she went back to the party, but I have nothing to base that on except that there is no record of her helping the servants fill the purification jars.

We have a problem in the Anglican church. I think we are being called to a childlike trust that Jesus will do something about it, that the purification jars will be filled, that the wine will be deemed good by the master of the feast, and that Jesus’s glory will be manifest.

Each of the six purification jars held 20 or 30 gallons. It took time and hard labor for the servants to haul that much water from a bucket well. Some of us will be called to be those servants–"Do whatever he tells you.”

All of us will need to be patient but quietly expectant while the purification jars are being filled. The end result? It will be surprisingly good in quality and overabundant in quantity.

Let us be like Mary.

[murphE]

I was just looking for a place to post this hymn, your thread with Our Lady's name in the title seemed as good as any. :-)

Sabat Mater

 

AT the cross her station keeping,

Stood the mournful Mother weeping,

Close to Jesus to the last.

 

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,

All His bitter anguish bearing,

Now at length the sword had passed.

 

Oh, how sad and sore distressed

Was that Mother highly blessed

Of the sole-begotten One!

 

Christ above in torment hangs,

She beneath beholds the pangs

Of her dying, glorious Son.

 

Is there one who would not weep

Whelmed in miseries so deep

Christ's dear Mother to behold?

 

Can the human heart refrain

From partaking in her pain,

In that Mother's pain untold?

 

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,

She beheld her tender Child,

All with bloody scourges rent,

 

For the sins of His own nation

Saw Him hang in desolation

Till His spirit forth He sent.

 

O thou Mother, fount of love,

Touch my spirit from above.

Make my heart with thine accord:

 

Make me feel as thou hast felt:

Make my soul to glow and melt

With the love of Christ, my Lord.

 

 

Holy Mother pierce - me through.

In my heart each wound renew

Of my Savior crucified.

 

 

Let me share with thee His pain,

Who for all our sins was slain,

Who for me in torments died.

 

Let me mingle tears with thee.

Mourning Him Who mourned for me,

All the days that I may live.

 

By the cross with thee to stay,

There with thee to weep and pray,

Is all I ask of thee to give.

 

Virgin of all virgins best

Listen to my fond request:

Let me share thy grief divine;

 

Let me, to my latest breath,

In my body hear the death

Of that dying Son of thine.

 

Wounded with His every wound,

Steep my soul till it hath swooned

In His very blood away;

 

Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,

Lest in flames I burn and die,

In His awful judgment day.

 

Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,

Be Thy Mother my defense,

Be Thy cross my victory;

 

While my body here decays

May my soul Thy goodness praise,

Safe in paradise with Thee.

Amen.

 

V. Pray for us, Virgin most sorrowful.

R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

 

Let us pray

 

GRANT, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that the most blessed Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, through whose most holy soul, in the hour of Thine own passion, the sword of sorrow passed, may intercede for us before, the throne of Thy mercy, now and at the hour of our death, through Thee, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, Who livest and reignest, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, now and forever. Amen.

[jo kus]

"we don't "work with the Spirit", he works within us."

"work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Phil 2:12-13

You are forgeting free will.

Regards

[irishtenor]

So let's all bow down to Mary.

Like the Spirit didn't have anything to do with it? Like God didn't choose? She was only a tool, just like Jonah at Ninevah. Just like Moses in Egypt. God could have chosen anyone he wanted, he chose Mary... from the beginning of time. She is nothing special, just blessed, like us all who believe.

[irishtenor]

***for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Phil 2:12-13 ***

For God is at work in you. FOR GOD IS AT WORK IN YOU!!!!!
Isn't that what I said? That the Spirit is working in you?

Also, there is nothing in this verse to claim free will. You don't have free will. God has free will.

[murphE]

She is nothing special, just blessed, like us all who believe.

Do you really think that the Mother of Our Lord is no more "special" than you are? Heaven is not a democracy or republic, it is a monarchy. What place do you think the Mother of the King occupies? What do you suspect the King of the Universe, Our Lord, would do to someone who failed to show fitting honor to The Queen Mother? Do you think this would please Our Lord?

[murphE]

Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven,

Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God,

Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary,

pray for us.

Holy Mother of God,

pray for us.

Holy Virgin of virgins,

pray for us.

Mother of Christ,

pray for us.

Mother of divine grace,

pray for us.

Mother most pure,

pray for us.

Mother most chaste,

pray for us.

Mother inviolate,

pray for us.

Mother undefiled,

pray for us.

Mother most amiable,

pray for us.

Mother most admirable,

pray for us.

Mother of good counsel,

pray for us.

Mother of our Creator,

pray for us.

Mother of our Savior,

pray for us.

Virgin most prudent,

pray for us.

Virgin most venerable,

pray for us.

Virgin most renowned,

pray for us.

Virgin most powerful,

pray for us.

Virgin most merciful,

pray for us.

Virgin most faithful,

pray for us.

Mirror of justice,

pray for us.

Seat of wisdom,

pray for us.

Cause of our joy,

pray for us.

Spiritual vessel,

pray for us.

Vessel of honor,

pray for us.

Singular vessel of devotion,

pray for us.

Mystical rose,

pray for us.

Tower of David,

pray for us.

Tower of ivory,

pray for us.

House of gold,

pray for us.

Ark of the Covenant,

pray for us.

Gate of Heaven,

pray for us.

Morning star,

pray for us.

Health of the sick,

pray for us.

Refuge of sinners,

pray for us.

Comforter of the afflicted,

pray for us.

Help of Christians,

pray for us.

Queen of angels,

pray for us.

Queen of patriarchs,

pray for us.

Queen of prophets,

pray for us.

Queen of apostles,

pray for us.

Queen of martyrs,

pray for us.

Queen of confessors,

pray for us.

Queen of virgins,

pray for us.

Queen of all saints,

pray for us.

Queen conceived without Original Sin,

pray for us.

Queen assumed into Heaven,

pray for us.

Queen of the most holy Rosary,

pray for us.

Queen of peace,

pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

Have mercy on us.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,

That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we Thy Servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow and enjoy eternal happiness. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Approved by Pope Sixtus V in 1587

[murphE]

That is the error you are in

With all due respect, I'll give that opinion about as much weight as the amount of authority behind the person making the statement to me.

[murphE]

I am sorry the authority of the Word of God is not enough for you, and that you must seek the authority of another sinful human being to know the "truth", rather than the Word and guidance of the Holy Spirit directly.

No, your fallible non authoritative interpretation of the Word of God is not enough for me, for you are just another sinful human being.

[irishtenor]

What place do I think the Mother of God occupies?

Sinner, same as me!

[murphE]

You can cite scripture all you want, the devil can do this for his own purposes too. Your ability to cite scripture does not give you an infallible authority to interpret it, to declare doctrine that all men are bound to, or to claim that someone else is in error. The Church is the only authority Christ conferred this power to, the Church is the only authority Christ promised to protect from error.

[murphE]

Oh the arrogance you display. Lord forgive him.

[Campion]

Christ died for our sins, so that each of His children could come, forgiven, directly to God without needing the intercession of any one else, not Mary, the angels, our brethren in Christ who have passed, nor any earthly Church beaurocracy.

Tell Paul to stop asking people to pray for him, then. He does this wickedness all over his epistles. He only needed Jesus!!

Face it, your Bible is polluted with Popish doctrine.

[irishtenor]

I am arrogant... for putting the Lord above all others.

[murphE]

No, for this statement you made in response to this question:

What place do I think the Mother of God occupies?

Sinner, same as me!

[irishtenor]

Please note: All of the people Paul asked to pray for him were ALIVE. They were living and breathing, just like your neighbor or friend. They were not dead. Yes, asking a friend or relative to pray for you is perfectly ok, in fact we are taught to do it. Show me one instance in the Bible where anyone was taught to pray to those who are already dead.