Posted on 12/27/2011 8:24:19 PM PST by RnMomof7
Rome, Italy, Dec 8, 2011 / 04:28 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the biblical description of a “woman clothed with the sun” in his remarks at Rome's Spanish Steps on the 2011 Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
“What is the meaning of this image? It represents the Church and Our Lady at the same time,” the Pope told the crowd assembled before the nearby statue commemorating the 1854 definition of Mary's Immaculate Conception. “Before all, the 'woman' of the apocalypse is Mary herself.”
The 12th chapter of the Biblical Apocalypse – also known as the Book of Revelation – describes the glorification and persecution of “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”
Though not named, this woman is described as the mother of the Messiah. In poetic language akin to the Bible's other prophetic books, Saint John says she faced the threat of “a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,” and “fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God.”
Pope Benedict, offering white roses in his traditional yearly act of Marian veneration, gave listeners his insight into the connection between the Virgin Mary and the Church – portrayed in the Apocalypse through the single image of the sun-clad woman.
“She appears 'clothed in sunlight,' that is, clothed in God,” observed the Pope. “The Virgin Mary is in fact completely surrounded by the light of God and lives in God … The 'Immaculate One' reflects with all of her person the light of the 'sun' which is God.”
“Besides representing Our Lady, this sign personifies the Church, the Christian community of all times,” he continued.
The Church, he explained, is “pregnant, in the sense that she carries Christ” and “must give birth to him to the world.”
“This is the labor of the pilgrim Church on earth, that in the midst of the consolations of God and the persecutions of the world, she must bring Christ to men.”
Because the Church continues to bring Jesus into the world, Pope Benedict said, it “finds opposition in a ferocious adversary,” symbolized in scripture by the “dragon” that has “tried in vain to devour Jesus,” and now “directs his attacks against the woman – the Church – in the desert of the world.”
“But in every age the Church is supported by the light and the strength of God,” the Pope said. “She is nurtured in the desert with the bread of his word and the Holy Eucharist.”
“And in this way, in every tribulation, through all of the trials that she finds in the course of the ages and in the different parts of the world, the Church suffers persecution, but comes out the victor.”
Pope Benedict said the Church should not fear persecution, which is bound to arise, but will be defeated.
“The only pitfall of which the Church can and must be afraid is the sin of her members,” he warned, highlighting the key difference between the Church and the woman who is its prototype.
“While in fact Mary is immaculate – free from every stain of sin – the Church is holy, but at the same time marked by our sins.”
While sinless herself, Mary remains in solidarity with the Church struggling against sin.
“That is why the people of God, pilgrims in time, turn to their heavenly mother and ask for her help,” explained Pope Benedict.
He stressed the world's need for the hope brought by the “woman clothed with the sun” – “especially in this difficult moment for Italy, for Europe and for different parts of the world.”
“May Mary help us to see that there is a light beyond the veil of fog that appears to envelop reality,” he declared.
“For this also we, especially on this day, never cease to ask with filial trust for her help: 'O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.'”
LOL I know... it is important to bring in light to expose false teaching ...
Catholics pray TO her. Here are some prayers that anyone can easily find online.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2680611/posts?page=969#969
A link to a page called “Mary is Necessary”
http://www.catholictradition.org/Mary/mary18b.htm
Listen, all you who desire the Kingdom of God! Honor and serve the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, and you will find life and eternal salvation!
St. Bonaventure
Whoever honors, loves, serves, and invokes Mary with humility and confidence will ascend to Paradise.
St. John Eudes
If you persevere until death in true devotion to Mary, you salvation is certain.
St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori
And there are more.....
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Prayer TO Mary asking her for things, not simply to pray for us.
http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/prayers/mpray02.html#4
O Virgin Mother,
In the depths of your heart you pondered the Life of the son you brought into the world. Give us your vision of Jesus and ask the Father to open our hearts, that we may always see his presence in our lives, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, bring us into the joy and peace of the kingdom, where Jesus is Lord forever and ever. Amen
—Fr. Rob Jack, June 10, 1998
Prayer to Mary, Help of Christians
Most Holy and Immaculate Virgin, Help of Christians, we place ourselves under your motherly protection. Throughout the Church’s history you have helped Christians in times of trial, temptation and danger. Time and time again, you have proven to be the Refuge of sinners, the Hope of the hopeless, the Consoler of the afflicted, and the Comforter of the dying. We promise to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, your Son, to proclaim His Good News of God’s love for all people, and to work for peace and justice in our world. With faith in your intercession, we pray for the Church, for our family and friends, for the poor and abandoned, and all the dying. Grant, O Mary, Help of Christians, the graces of which we stand in need. (Mention your intentions.) May we serve Jesus with fidelity and love until death. Help us and our loved ones to attain the boundless joy of being forever with our Father in heaven. Amen.
http://www.marypages.com/PrayerstoMary.htm
Mary, Help of Those in Need
Holy Mary,
help those in need,
give strength to the weak,
comfort the sorrowful,
pray for God’s people,
assist the clergy,
intercede for religious.
Mary all who seek your help
experience your unfailing protection.
Amen.
Morning Consecration to Mary
My Queen, My Mother, I offer
myself entirely to thee.
And to show my devotion to thee,
I offer thee this day, my eyes,
my ears, my mouth, my heart,
my whole being without reserve.
Wherefore, good Mother, as I am thine own, keep me, guard me as thy property and possession.
Amen.
The Memorare
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word incarnate, despise not my petitions, but, in your mercy, hear and answer me.
Amen.
It's so hard to believe that people refuse to see the answer when it is in the same chapter and just a few verses later. However, it does serve as a clear example of how easy it is to twist people to heresy. We forget that Lucifer was a bright shining light.
Wow....
What’s it like to be an expert in everything?
“King” and “Queen” are human terms. They are meaningless to God. They express our perceptions of reality, not God’s.
All I know is Christ has both a Human and a Divine Nature and most normal humans have a very special regard for, and love for their mothers. And I’m sure Christ feels the same way about His. And praying to her to ask her to intercede for you with her son seems to me to be a very sound and reasonable thing to do.
Although I’m not Catholic, the Mary-bashing by certain Protestants is very offensive to me personally, and illogical. You can’t be a Christian and not have a very special reverance for the person who carried Christ and brought Him into this world. She suffered more than any other human could possibly have endured watching Him die at the foot of the cross for miserable sinners like us. I love her very much.
Aside from Christ, she is the most important human being who ever lived as without her, we never would have had Him.
Thanks for posting those prayers. If you look closely, there are petitions inside of them. We always ask, because we know that she is a lot closer to Christ than we are.
Thanks for posting those prayers. We are all among the humble and poor, I hope. And please remember, that Jesus grants the answers to these prayers through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. After all, she is a lot closer to him than we are.
Mary is alive in heaven. A tomb containing her dead body has never been found.
She lived and knew from his earliest He was to suffer and die. She watched her own son die.
"She suffered more than any other human could possibly have endured watching Him die at the foot of the cross for miserable sinners like us. I love her very much."
"Aside from Christ, she is the most important human being who ever lived as without her, we never would have had Him."
Honor Your Mother and Father! How much more for Jesus! Her loyalty was beyond!
So you don’t believe that all believers can go directly to the Father?
How do you know it's never been found?
How would someone know it's hers if they found it?
Billions of people have lived and died on this planet and have been buried and their grave site has never been found. Big deal.
It proves nothing.
CB: So you don’t believe that all believers can go directly to the Father?
In Him I live and move and have my being. Christ in me, the hope of glory.
We are already seated with Him in the heavenly places. The Spirit of Christ dwells in our hearts by faith.
I don't know how much closer one can get to God than having Him live IN you.
But if someone wants to claim that Mary is closer to God than they are, I suppose it's not likely too far from the truth.
Your sect’s practices are evil.
Your sect’s teachings are reprehensible.
Your sect’s perversions of scripture are many.
Wow! This must be the ugliest ant-Catholic thread I’ve ever seen by the snake handlers and tongue speakers!
Exactly. For those who are Catholics it’s evident that they don’t have that closeness with Christ or the access to the Father in Jesus name that true Christians do.
oh there are worse — but they all have the same cast of folks who define their religion as “we be everthing opposite of Catholicism”, so they are against goodness, beauty, God etc.
Obviously not something the Apostles were too interested in. Not a mention by any one of them. Not even an interest by locals or historians of the times. That should be a hint to those who follow the CC.
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