Catholic Caucus: The Holy Rosary

EWTN.com ^ | 5-04-03 | EWTN.com

[Salvation]

You are so welcome!

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Steve, I think you are misunderstanding this. These are not promises "from" Mary per se. These are graces God has graced Mary with and distributes through her. Does He need to distribute His grace through anyone? No, but we know sometimes He chooses to. There are plenty of people alive in this world who have been found worthy and been given the fruits of the Holy Spirit; the ability to heal, preach the Word, exorcise demons, etc. Catholics believe that individuals who attain a very high level of spiritual development, as Mary undoubtedly did, are graced with fruits of the Spirit. What begins in this world carries over into the next for we live forever in Christ. Mary had the ultimate born again experience. She has received far more graces than anyone of us can imagine by virtue of her experience.

Mary in many ways is considered Christ's first evangelist. Catholics believe that Christ is ever present with us in the Eucharist (as He promised He would be) and Mary continues to spread belief in Him through her apparitions. The fruits of these in the laity are always increased devotion and vocation. Her greatest appearance of the last century was at Fatima, Portugal in 1917 where the miracle of the sun was witnessed by 10,000 people and has been recorded as an historical event. The conversions which occur as a result of these appearances go to Christ, not Mary. She is his biggest cheerleader. The Spirit goes where it will.

[Codie]

Fine.Then shut your mouth.We will sort this out on our own.

[Salvation]

They have been there for many years. It has been a while since I have read them too.

Holy Tradition as well as Holy Scripture. I guess Catholics just have more to ponder.

[nickcarraway]

BUMP

[fatima]

Fatima Bump.

[Desdemona]

BUMP

Don't forget the Luminous Myteries.

[It's me]

Well now, that wasn't very nice, was it? Don't let "them" get to you. :o)

[Blzbba]

For Protestants, if it's not in the Bible verbatim, it's irrelevant to any of their beliefs. So if the Bible doesn't make an exact, specific reference to the rosary, it's therefore going to be ignored by Protestants.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Interpreting the Bible verbatim presents its own set of problems, particularly when one gets to the parables of Christ. If Jesus meant for us to be literalists He would not have spoken as vaguely and mysteriously as He often did. There are many verses throughout all four Gospels which tell us His own disciples did not always comprehend His teachings.

Mark 9:32 "Though they failed to understand his words, they were afraid to question Him."

The "Trinity" is not explicitly taught in the Bible, yet Christians believe it. As Catholics we understand that Scripture both implicitly and explicitly teaches Christian doctrine. Can you find me any verse in the Bible which explicitly teaches the doctrine of the Trinity?

[Blzbba]

Sorry, Deborah, but I'm in agreement with you. I was raised Catholic by pre-Vatican II parents and, growing up in the Deep South, encountered all sorts of interesting Protestant ignorance and bigotry towards Catholocism.

I was just trying to save you some time from debating the rosary with a Protestant, for they just don't give anything that's not explicitly listed in the Bible any credibility whatsoever. Gosh, I've even met a number of self-righteous, "saved" Protestants who claim that, according to their warped version of Revelations, the Roman Cath. Church is the "whore of Babylon". But hey - they're "saved" and no longer have to really live a life according to Jesus' teachings because, hey - they're saved.

Apologies for the bitterness - it's not directed towards you!

[Salvation]

[Salvation]

Ping!

[Salvation]

Beautiful picture.

[Pyro7480]

Thanks. :-) I'm actually eventually going to get a statue of Our Lady of Fatima. I've been drawn to the devotion to her recently, though I didn't get through saying the novena all nine days. But I have been trying to say the Rosary everyday, even in a hard-to-concentrate state on the Metro.

[Salvation]

[Salvation]

Rosary search--Our Lady of the Rosary Memorial

[Salvation]

BTTT on the Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary, 10-07-06!

[Salvation]

 

Pray the Rosary. 

Pray without ceasing.