Posted on 12/08/2012 2:24:39 PM PST by NYer
Do Catholics worship Mary? This question is as old as the Protestant Reformation itself, and it rests, like other disputed doctrinal points, on a false premise that has been turned into a wedge: the veneration of Mary detracts from the worship of Christ.
This seeming opposition between Mary and Christ is symptomatic of the Protestant tendency, begun by Luther, to view the entirety of Christian life through a dialectical lens – a lens of conflict and division. With the Reformation the integrity of Christianity is broken and its formerly coherent elements are now set in opposition. The Gospel versus the Law. Faith versus Works. Scripture versus Tradition. Authority versus Individuality. Faith versus Reason. Christ versus Mary.
The Catholic tradition rightly sees the mutual complementarity of these elements of the faith, as they all contribute to our ultimate end – living with God now and in eternity. To choose any one of these is to choose them all.
By contrast, to assert that Catholics worship Mary along with or in place of Christ, or that praying to Mary somehow impedes Christ’s role as “the one mediator between God and men” (1 Tim 2:5) is to create a false dichotomy between the Word made flesh and the woman who gave the Word his flesh. No such opposition exists. The one Mediator entrusted his mediation to the will and womb of Mary. She does not impede his mediation – she helps to make it possible.
Within this context we see the ancillary role that the ancilla Domini plays in her divine Son’s mission. Mary’s is not a surrogate womb rented and then forgotten in God’s plan. She is physically connected to Christ and his life, and because of this she is even more deeply connected to him in the order of grace. She is, in fact, “full of grace,” as only one who is redeemed by Christ could be.
The feast of Mary’s Immaculate Conception celebrates the very first act of salvation by Christ in the world. Redemption is made possible for all by his precious blood shed on the cross. Yet Mary’s role in the Savior’s life and mission is so critical and so unique that God saw it necessary to wash her in the blood of the Lamb in advance, at the first moment of her conception.
This reality could not be more Biblical: the angel greets Mary as “full of grace” (Luke 1:28), which is literally rendered as “already graced” (kecharitōmenē). Following Mary, the Church has “pondered what sort of greeting this might be” for centuries. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception, ultimately defined in 1854, is nothing other than a rational expression of the angel’s greeting contained in Scripture: Mary is “already graced” with Christ’s redemption at the very moment of her creation.
Because God called Mary to the unique vocation of serving as the Mother of God, it is not just her soul that is graced, as is the case for us when we receive the sacraments. Mary’s entire being, body and soul, is full of grace so that she may be a worthy ark for the New Covenant. And just as the ark of the old covenant was adorned with gold to be a worthy house for God’s word, Mary is conceived without original sin to be the living and holy house for God’s Word.
Thus Mary is not only conceived immaculately, that is, without stain of sin. She also is the Immaculate Conception. Her entire being was specifically created by God with unique privilege so that she could fulfill her role in God’s plan of salvation. “Free from sin,” both original and personal, is the necessary consequence of being “full of grace.”
Protestants claim that veneration of Mary as it is practiced by Catholics is not biblical. St. Paul encouraged the Corinthians to “be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). Paul is not holding himself up as the end goal, but as a means to Christ, the true end. And if a person is imitated, he is simultaneously venerated.
If we should imitate Paul, how much more should we imitate Mary, who fulfilled God’s will to the greatest degree a human being could. Throughout her life she humbled herself so that God could be exalted, and because of this, Christ has fulfilled his promise by exalting his lowly mother to the seat closest to him in God’s kingdom.
Mary is the model of humility, charity, and openness to the will of God. She allows a sword to pierce her heart for the sake of the world’s salvation. She shows us the greatness to which we are called: a life free from sin and filled with God’s grace that leads to union with God in Heaven. She is the model disciple, and therefore worthy of imitation and veneration, not as an end in herself, but as the means to the very purpose of her – and our – existence: Christ himself.
God’s lowly handmaiden would not want it any other way.
The 1578 handbook for inquisitors spelled out the purpose of inquisitorial penalties: ... quoniam punitio non refertur primo & per se in correctionem & bonum eius qui punitur, sed in bonum publicum ut alij terreantur, & a malis committendis avocentur.
Translation from the Latin: "... for punishment does not take place primarily and per se for the correction and good of the person punished, but for the public good in order that others may become terrified and weaned away from the evils they would commit."[6]
Otherwise known as a ‘teaching moment’.
NOPE! None of dem neither. Ain’t skeered!
http://www.millennialstar.org/southern-baptist-convention-is-a-cult/
It's not right, but you are also under attack. There are long lists of religious cults, and none of them are Catholic. Catholics are imperfect, but none of us are. Attack the Catholic church to your own detriment. It hurts all Christians, but it hurts you more. "You reap what you sow." Not only are other Protestant denominations calling Baptists a cult, so are former members.
http://www.thinkatheist.com/group/formersouthernbaptists
I think we all need to get our own houses in order, before we start throwing rocks. I'll pray for you.
Why are former Baptists calling Southern Baptists a cult?
http://lostcodex.com/2010/07/are-the-southern-baptists-a-cult/
I'm not going to say I agree, but whatever cult it was that told my aunt she couldn't associate with her loving Catholic family, was very critical of Catholics, family, and anyone who wasn't a cult member. Criticism and judgement of christians who haven't sinned against you, or hurt you directly, is NOT christian.
Baptism does not save anyone. No baby makes that personal choice to believe. Infant baptism is something done to the baby. It is not an outward profession of faith that that baby has already exercised.
Tell me the Catholic opinion.
Does baptism save anyone?
If it does, why don’t Catholics have assurance of that salvation?
I have been educated, nor indoctrinated. catholic teaching is never contrary to reason.
Peace be with you.
Oh really? And you just didn't with your first statement?
And you haven't against me?
Thank you.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (Matthew 5:9)
Matthew 24:23-26 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
Luke 17:20-24 20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day.
I referenced links where other Protestant groups, along with former Baptists, claim that southern Baptists are a cult. I also said that I can’t make that judgement, but certainly there are way too many religious cults out there. I didn’t accuse, or pretend to be an authority of Baptist teachings, simply stated what others say about Southern Baptists. That is only out of respect to my God, otherwise I would have choice words for you. Don’t post to me.
Not sure why you sent me that. I’m not a member of the Baptist church. I couldn’t care less what “denomination”. If they teach counter to what scripture teaches I call them in error. Scripture doesn’t delineate between “denominations” or man made and constructed “religious” organizations. When the apostles saw error in any church they called them on it. Just because someone calls themselves a Christian or designates their organization a Christian organization doesn’t mean they conform to what scripture teaches. If they don’t and are in error I speak up like the apostles did and always will.
Well, yeah, of course there's a difference. That certainly justifies the use of torture then, doesn't it?
For the rest of us infidels, it's the Crusades all over again.
That’s a good prayer for all of us to remember here.
Sure it is because it's contrary to Scripture.
It is unreasonable to teach something as truth that is clearly stated in Scripture.
Elsie has just been giving fine examples of that Scripture posts about the rock.
I've been judged again, eh?
Catholic teaching can never contrary to Scripture. Scripture proceeded from Catholic teaching.
Peace be to you
No, the problem is in not understanding what the prefix "omni" means. When we're talking about omnipresence we are speaking about God being present in all places at all times. Just as omniscience means ALL knowing and omnipotence means ALL powerful. Angels can be sent to any place God sends them, but they are NOT omnipresent (in all places at all times). There is HUGE difference between them.
They have ONE verse that they interpret as telling them otherwise. Which by the admission of their own CCC can have two meanings.
So they even recognize the validity of the *Protestant* interpretation.
Just for Catholics
http://www.justforcatholics.org/11.10.pdf
For instance St Augustine wrote: ‘For on this very account the Lord said, On this rock will I build my Church, because Peter had said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. On this rock, therefore, He said, which you have confessed, I will build my Church. For the Rock was Christ; and on this foundation was Peter himself also built. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Christ Jesus’ (Augustine, Tractate 124, 5). So Augustine taught that the rock was Peter’s confession, that is, Christ himself.
Even more interesting is the plain admission by the modern Roman Catholic Church that the rock is Peter’s confession. ‘Moved by the grace of the Holy Spirit and drawn by the Father, we believe in Jesus and confess: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ On the rock of this faith confessed by St Peter, Christ built his Church’ (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 424).
For those who need to hear it from the CCC themselves.....
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P1D.HTM
424 Moved by the grace of the Holy Spirit and drawn by the Father, we believe in Jesus and confess: 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'8 On the rock of this faith confessed by St. Peter, Christ built his Church.9 "To preach. . . the unsearchable riches of Christ"10
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