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The Hail Mary of a Protestant (A true story)
OLRL ^ | Rev. Fr. Tuckwell

Posted on 08/24/2007 4:35:33 PM PDT by NYer

A little six-year-old Protestant boy had often heard his Catholic companions reciting the prayer "Hail Mary." He liked it so much that he copied it, memorized it and would recite it every day. "Look, Mommy, what a beautiful prayer," he said to his mother one day.

"Never again say it," answered the mother. "It is a superstitious prayer of Catholics who adore idols and think Mary a goddess. After all, she is a woman like any other. Come on, take this Bible and read it. It contains everything that we are bound to do and have to do." From that day on the little boy discontinued his daily "Hail Mary" and gave himself more time to reading the Bible instead.

One day, while reading the Gospel, he came across the passage about the Annunciation of the Angel to Our Lady. Full of joy, the little boy ran to his mother and said: "Mommy, I have found the 'Hail Mary' in the Bible which says: 'Hail full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women.' Why do you call it a superstitious prayer?"

On another occasion he found that beautiful Salutation of St. Elizabeth to the Virgin Mary and the wonderful canticle MAGNIFICAT in which Mary foretold that "the generations would call her blessed."

He said no more about it to his mother but started to recite the "Hail Mary" every day as before. He felt pleasure in addressing those charming words to the Mother of Jesus, our Savior.

When he was fourteen, he one day heard a discussion on Our Lady among the members of his family. Every one said that Mary was a common woman like any other woman. The boy, after listening to their erroneous reasoning could not bear it any longer, and full of indignation, he interrupted them, saying:

"Mary is not like any other children of Adam, stained with sin. No! The Angel called her FULL OF GRACE AND BLESSED AMONGST WOMEN. Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ and consequently Mother of God. There is no higher dignity to which a creature can be raised. The Gospel says that the generations will proclaim her blessed and you are trying to despise her and look down on her. Your spirit is not the spirit of the Gospel or of the Bible which you proclaim to be the foundation of the Christian religion."

So deep was the impression which the boy's talk had made that his mother many times cried out sorrowfully: "Oh my God! I fear that this son of mine will one day join the Catholic religion, the religion of Popes!" And indeed, not very long afterwards, having made a serious study of both Protestantism and Catholicism, the boy found the latter to be the only true religion and embraced it and became one of its most ardent apostles.

Some time after his conversion, he met his married sister who rebuked him and said indignantly: "You little know how much I love my children. Should any one of them desire to become a Catholic, I would sooner pierce his heart with a dagger than allow him to embrace the religion of the Popes!"

Her anger and temper were as furious as those of St. Paul before his conversion. However, she would change her ways, just as St. Paul did on his way to Damascus. It so happened that one of her sons fell dangerously ill and the doctors gave up hope of recovery. Her brother then approached her and spoke to her affectionately, saying:

"My dear sister, you naturally wish to have your child cured. Very well, then, do what I ask you to do. Follow me, let us pray one 'Hail Mary' and promise God that, if your son recovers his health, you would seriously study the Catholic doctrine, and should you come to the conclusion that Catholicism is the only true religion, you would embrace it no matter what the sacrifices may be."

His sister was somewhat reluctant at the beginning, but as she wished for her son's recovery, she accepted her brother's proposal and recited the "Hail Mary" together with him. The next day her son was completely cured. The mother fulfilled her promise and she studied the Catholic doctrine. After long preparation she received Baptism together with her whole family, thanking her brother for being an apostle to her.

The story was related during a sermon given by the Rev. Fr. Tuckwell. "Brethren," he went on and said, "the boy who became a Catholic and converted his sister to Catholicism dedicated his whole life to the service of God. He is the priest who is speaking to you now! What I am I owe to Our Lady. You, too, my dear brethren, be entirely dedicated also to Our Lady and never let a day pass without saying the beautiful prayer, 'Hail Mary', and your Rosary. Ask her to enlighten the minds of Protestants who are separated from the true Church of Christ founded on the Rock (Peter) and 'against whom the gates of hell shall never prevail.'"


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Prayer; Theology
KEYWORDS: gospelofluke; hailmary; protestant
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To: ikka

I ask again, the ONLY prayer we are allowed is the Our Father?


41 posted on 08/24/2007 8:00:40 PM PDT by narses (...the spirit of Trent is abroad once more.)
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To: pax_et_bonum
The next day her son was completely cured.

"Dangerously Ill Reparo!"

42 posted on 08/24/2007 8:08:48 PM PDT by humblegunner (Me wise magic)
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Comment #43 Removed by Moderator

To: Ottofire

Didn’t you write earlier that you were going to shut up?


44 posted on 08/24/2007 8:20:13 PM PDT by A.A. Cunningham
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Comment #45 Removed by Moderator

To: narses
My point is, why is no one other than than God himself addressed?

There were other saints, Moses, and the other prophets, just like today there are many Christian saints and Mary.

Yet Jesus never addresses anyone else in his prayers. Why is that ?

46 posted on 08/24/2007 9:08:19 PM PDT by ikka
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To: ikka

You are comparing apples to oranges. We pray to the saints to pray for us. Just look at the Hail Mary. It ends.” Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. “


47 posted on 08/24/2007 10:05:55 PM PDT by RobbyS ( CHIRHO)
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To: AnalogReigns
I must admit I find the Romanist purposeful anti-non-Romanist-Christian postings very tiresome.

Did I ping you to this thread?

For every non-Romanist Christian who becomes a Romanist, of all levels of eduction, religious or otherwise, I can find five ex-Romanists who first heard the good news of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ in a non-Romanist Church.

That comes as no surprise. I know many Catholic parents who feel their children don't need to attend Religious Education. That makes them prime candidates for protestant evangelization.

How I led Catholics Out of the Church

So go ahead, follow your pope, your ceremonies, your Latin, and your man-made tradition, I’ll follow Jesus.

It's good that you are following Jesus. With much prayer, He will lead you home to His Church - the Catholic Church, which includes the Church of Rome.


48 posted on 08/25/2007 5:25:07 AM PDT by NYer ("Where the bishop is present, there is the Catholic Church" - Ignatius of Antioch)
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To: MarkBsnr; Ottofire; ikka; narses; Salvation; Lee N. Field
Front of Our Lady of Sorrows Prayer Card

Text on Front

The Blessed Virgin Mary grants seven graces to the souls who honor her daily by saying seven Hail Mary's and meditating on her tears and dolors. The devotion was passed on by St. Bridget.

Text on Back

HERE ARE THE SEVEN GRACES:

  1. I will grant peace to their families.

  2. They will be enlightened about the divine mysteries.

  3. I will console them in their pains and I will accompany
    them in their work.

  4. I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.

  5. I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.

  6. I will visibly help them at the moment of their death, they will see the face of their Mother.

  7. I have obtained (This Grace) from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors, will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son and I will be their eternal consolation and joy.

Seven Sorrows

  1. The prophecy of Simeon. (St. Luke 2: 34, 35)

  2. The flight into Egypt. (St. Matthew 2:13-14)

  3. The loss of the Child Jesus in the temple. (St. Luke 3: 43-45)

  4. The meeting of Jesus and Mary on the Way of the Cross.

  5. The Crucifixion.

  6. The taking down of the Body of Jesus from the Cross.

  7. The burial of Jesus.

The Hail Mary: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen


49 posted on 08/25/2007 5:38:36 AM PDT by NYer ("Where the bishop is present, there is the Catholic Church" - Ignatius of Antioch)
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To: Ottofire

You do realize that the two Greek phrases in Luke 1:28 and Acts 6:8 are DIFFERENT, right?

The one in Luke 1:28 is a past perfect participle. Mary was endowed with grace.

http://socrates58.blogspot.com/2006/07/luke-128-full-of-grace-immaculate.html


50 posted on 08/25/2007 5:47:51 AM PDT by vladimir998 (Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. St. Jerome)
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To: ikka
Yet Jesus never addresses anyone else in his prayers. Why is that ?
Jesus is God. For fallen humanity, asking others (here on earth and in Heaven) to pray TO God for us makes sense. For God to ask others to pray to Himself for His good makes no sense.
51 posted on 08/25/2007 6:27:16 AM PDT by narses (...the spirit of Trent is abroad once more.)
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To: NYer
How sad. So now the claim is that the angel Gabriel was praying to Mary?

Being full of grace and blessed does not mean the same thing as sinless.

52 posted on 08/25/2007 10:12:19 AM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

“How sad. So now the claim is that the angel Gabriel was praying to Mary?”

How silly. The Angel was addressing her, as we do when we Pray the Rosary. If I ask you to pray for me, am I praying TO you?


53 posted on 08/25/2007 10:43:04 AM PDT by narses (...the spirit of Trent is abroad once more.)
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To: narses
Mary is dead and only if she is omniscient can she hear you, not to mention hearing all Catholics who pray to her at the same time. So it is not the same as asking me to pray for you.

As for Gabriel, the story makes that case, not me. The child is saying that it is good to pray to Mary because of the scripture about the angel addressing Mary. What I posted was a question.

54 posted on 08/25/2007 10:50:00 AM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

“Mary is dead ...”

So you do not believe in the Saints being ALIVE in Heaven? What is the name of your cult?


55 posted on 08/25/2007 11:05:19 AM PDT by narses (...the spirit of Trent is abroad once more.)
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To: narses; Disgusted in Texas; B Knotts; ChinaGotTheGoodsOnClinton; corbos; NYFreeper; Alexius; ...
+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic Ping List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to all note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.

The FReeper above says: “Mary is dead ...”
Perhaps the Catholic Caucus can help open the eyes of our brother FReeper as to how alive the Mother of God truly is.
56 posted on 08/25/2007 11:12:46 AM PDT by narses (...the spirit of Trent is abroad once more.)
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To: narses

Mary is not walking around on the earth. Can you at least admit that? So how does she hear all those prayers all over the world at the same time without god like attributes?


57 posted on 08/25/2007 11:17:33 AM PDT by The Ghost of FReepers Past (Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light..... Isaiah 5:20)
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To: NYer
The loss of the Child Jesus in the temple. (St. Luke 3: 43-45)

Luke 3 has no 43-45

58 posted on 08/25/2007 11:29:09 AM PDT by GoLightly
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To: The Ghost of FReepers Past

Mary is alive and in Heaven, along with the rest of the communion of saints.

You are mistaken about the nature of omniscience. Omniscience means “knowing everything”. Our Lady does not know everything. Only God the Father knows everything.

Our Lady and the rest of the saints are alive in Heaven, which lies outside of the space and time we know. In Heaven, all our yesterdays and tomorrows are one with the eternal “now”; the past and future are as an open book on a table to the saints. To speak of Heaven in terms of time is a misapprehension of the nature of Heaven, where there is no Was or Will Be, only an eternal I AM.

Heaven has no time. It is always and forever. And so is every person living there.


59 posted on 08/25/2007 11:37:11 AM PDT by B-Chan (Catholic. Monarchist. Texan. Any questions?)
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To: NYer
Karim and his mother, Ebtisfam will be received into the Catholic Church

Thanks be to God! Please welcome them on behalf of the Chan Clan.

60 posted on 08/25/2007 11:38:58 AM PDT by B-Chan (Catholic. Monarchist. Texan. Any questions?)
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