Beneath Her Compassion

Glory to God for All Things ^ | 11-19-2016 | Fr. Stephen Freeman

[Right Brother]

First, I know that there is nothing even remotely like worship accorded to her.

That statement is refuted by the picture above the article..

[Steelfish]

As the saying goes, derived from the miracle at Cana: “To Jesus through Mary.”

[Montana_Sam]

Our Lord Jesus, the creator of the universe, is very generous in giving us His mother as friend and confidant. Apart from Him, she can do nothing. But whatever she asks of Him, He will not deny. As also can be said of Joseph, her most chaste spouse. The Father put the care of mankind’s salvation in the capable hands of Joseph. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the most holy family.

[BipolarBob]

That statement is refuted by the picture above the article..

SSHHHH. Mustn't point out the obvious.

[xelliott123]

Thank you for your cogent, stirring words from the heart!

[A CA Guy]

She had a rough life.

[Old Yeller]

Our Lord Jesus, the creator of the universe, is very generous in giving us His mother as friend and confidant. Apart from Him, she can do nothing. But whatever she asks of Him, He will not deny. As also can be said of Joseph, her most chaste spouse. The Father put the care of mankind’s salvation in the capable hands of Joseph. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the most holy family.

Wow, so many unbiblical statements in that small paragraph. No wonder Catholics frequently depict our Lord and Savior as a baby Jesus dependent on his mother.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Of course, the older traditions (Catholic, Orthodox, etc.) have jettisoned Adam and Eve and the first eleven chapters of Genesis solely because of their association with an ethno-cultural community they look down their noses on . . .

. . . but never mind. That's "different."

[NRx]

Of course, the older traditions (Catholic, Orthodox, etc.) have jettisoned Adam and Eve and the first eleven chapters of Genesis solely because of their association with an ethno-cultural community they look down their noses on . . . . . . but never mind. That's "different."

Really?
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/93437.htm
http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/97046.htm

[Arthur McGowan]

So you believe that the THOUGHTS of the kneeling woman are visible in a PHOTOGRAPH?

She is kneeling in veneration, not adoration. Where in the photograph do you see evidence that she is not kneeling in veneration?

[aMorePerfectUnion]

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols."

Apostle John

[aMorePerfectUnion]

"Our Lord Jesus, the creator of the universe, is very generous in giving us His mother as friend and confidant. Apart from Him, she can do nothing. But whatever she asks of Him, He will not deny."

Not biblical.

Even worse, it is contrary to the teaching of Scripture, that instructs us to approach the Father's throne with boldness.

It ignores the great teaching in Romans that we have the Holy Spirit interceding for us with words too deep to utter. It ignores the teaching of this great passage that says we have Christ Himself as our Advocate before the Father.

[Right Brother]

So you believe that the THOUGHTS of the kneeling woman are visible in a PHOTOGRAPH?

She is kneeling in veneration, not adoration. Where in the photograph do you see evidence that she is not kneeling in veneration?

Interesting. By the bolded, her THOUGHTS are apparently visible to you..

[Mrs. Don-o]

Thank you for posting Fr. Stephen Freeman --- on of the finest thinkers and writers 21st century Christianity has on tap.

If you post him every day, I will never say "Enough!"

[Mrs. Don-o]

This comment seems to come from your assumption that there is nothing to distinguish veneration practiced by Christians (or Jews, for that matter) vs adoration practiced by Christians or Jews.

All we see from the picture is that the woman is kneeling before an icon. She is an Orthodox Christian, which we can tell by the style of her clothes and veil, the priest's manner of dressing, the interior architecture of the church, and most of all by the style of the icon. And their Faith, as such, instructs them that adoring Mary or any creature is forbidden by the First Commandment.

It is a reasonable assumption that she is acting within, and not in defiance of, her monotheistic, Trinitarian Faith. The only reasonable conclusion is that she is venerating Mary.

Now in this I ask you to examine your own reactions If you saw a picture of David prostrating to Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:41) or Abigail prostrating to David (1 Samuel 25:23) would it be reasonable to assume that David adored princes, or that Abigail adored kings?

I suspect not. I would credit you with knowing enough about Biblical culture to realize that there were grades and degrees of honors, and that the lower honors did not compete with, or detract from, the highest, the ultimate adoration due to the Supreme Being and to Him alone.

Fr. Freeman makes the point that "The whole experience of veneration seems t have been lost within Protestant thinking." I think he is partially but not totally correct in this. I have seen Baptist widows kiss their husbands' caskets. This is an example of sincere veneration which is not at all confused with adoration.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"No wonder Catholics frequently depict our Lord and Savior as a baby Jesus dependent on his mother."

But this is a wonderful thing, is it not? It is the miracle of the Incarnation with all of its million human aspects of vulnerability and dependency.

Jesus hanging on the Cross also shows his dependent and vulnerable humanity. And Mary was there for it all: from His first cellular division in her womb, His first swallow of her milk, to His last dying breath.

She was the witness, without compare, of His Divine Humanity.

Satanists boil with hatred over this, and "edgy" blasphemous modern artists mock it.. I think it is beautiful beyond all telling.

[Chaguito]

This distinction between adoration vs veneration should be easily resolved. What do the Apostles say in Scripture should be offered to Mary, veneration or adoration?

[Petrosius]

That statement is refuted by the picture above the article.

And the Marine captain in the picture below must also be worshipping her lost comrade:

You should not be so quick to judge. Catholic and Orthodox Christians can distinguish between worship and veneration even if you are not.

[Petrosius]

Sorry. That should have read: “even if you cannot.”