Yes, and unfortunately many have no appreciation for the history and traditions of the Church.
And, I think, less appreciation for the Incarnation. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us... born of a woman.
How simple and yet the world was changed forever.
Yet, for all its simplicity, there were the long struggles against heresy, the necessary delineation of theology... the creeds... the martyrs… all together as is so necessary for us as Church to be here two thousand years on.
The older I get the less I understand why some needlessly try to go it alone or with the Church’s book alone? And end up in such twisted binds and confusion: Jesus is God; St. Mary is His Mother, but St. Mary is not the Mother of God. Or St. Mary must have given birth to a “nature” or one nature, but not another, unlike all other mothers who give birth to persons not natures. How some try to make the Incarnation not so simple; not the Word became flesh, born of a woman.
All the possible heresies we see now, the Church dealt with centuries ago. Simply. As Our Saviour taught and the Apostles and their successors maintained: the Catholic faith, One, Holy and Apostolic, as Jesus established Her, the pillar and foundation.... So beautiful in His wisdom, so loved, healed and cared for by His Church.
It seems such an unnecessary loss and a sad decision to separate one’s self from Her, to rebel against His Church.
I’m glad you are here and thank you for your reply.
****It seems such an unnecessary loss and a sad decision to separate one’s self from Her, to rebel against His Church.****
I know just what you mean and have heard many Protestants express the difficulty they had converting because of the “Catholic” Mary.
Protestants literally see everything in the black and white of the written word. I wonder sometimes if they believe that Jesus and His mother had a loving relationship. There is no record of it in Scripture. On the contrary, protestants honestly think Jesus rebuked her and belittled her.
***The Word became flesh and dwelt among us... born of a woman.***
Mary’s is the most singular and most profound role of any human in the salvation of the world.
God said Abraham would have children as numerous as the stars in the sky. If we are all stars, then Mary is the brightest. She carried within her the fullness of God’s love for us (John 3:16) and through her came our salvation. Though she is not the source of that salvation, she is the way in which He came. For God ordained that only Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man could redeem us and He chose Mary to bear our redemption.
Mary was not a random choice. God knew her from before the creation of the world and prepared her for Himself.
But, their hearts are hardened and no words from us can soften them. Only Jesus can show them the honor He has given her. Pray He shows them His mother as He sees her.