Posted on 10/15/2013 3:21:28 PM PDT by NYer
Most of us who are Catholics eventually get asked, “Why do you Catholics worship Mary?” More often than not the question is not a real question it is a rhetorical question. For a few of you who might not know what is meant by the expression “rhetorical question,” it refers to a “question” whose purpose is not to seek an answer, but, rather, to make a (usually hostile) point. For example the expression “Who do you think you are!?” is in the form of a question but it does not seek an answer. Instead it is meant as a rebuke. And so it usually is when we Catholics get asked the “question” Why do you worship Mary?” we’re usually aware that it is not a sincere question seeking a sincere answer. However, for those cases where an answer really is sought I might propose the following approach:
“Well, of course we don’t worship Mary since that would be a terrible sin. Worship belongs to God alone. We DO honor her though. Afterall, she is Jesus’ mother. But let me ask you a question. Why in your church, do you NOT honor Mary at all? Doesn’t scripture say Every generation will call [Mary] blessed because God who is mighty has done great things for [her]? (Luke 1:48-49) It seems to me that we Catholics are fulfilling scripture but that in your denomination you are not fulfilling or following it. So why don’t you honor her at all? Why don’t you call her blessed as the Bible says?”
Now stop there and wait for an answer. Don’t keep going. Just stop and wait. Have them answer for a change. We Catholics are always on the defensive, always in answer mode. But we ought to ask a few questions too. And try to avoid a merely rhetorical or hostile tone. Try to allow this question to be genuine, respectful, one meant to provoke thought. It is possible that many Protestants have never been asked this question or pondered an answer. Now it is also possible that your interlocutor will try to change the subject or evade an answer by piling on about Catholics but just repeat the question respectfully and ask for an answer. Remember your point is not to argue, be hostile or win an argument. Your point is to provoke thought and get a real answer. And even if the conversation ends badly or with no answer, you’ve planted a seed, a question that they will ponder even if they don’t admit it. Jesus often asked questions to proke thought and conversion. I will be doing a post on this next week.
A final thought on Mary. Another way to explain out devotion and love for Mary is that we are imitating Jesus. We love, honor, respect and entrust ourselves to her care because Jesus did all these things and we want to be just like Jesus. Consider that the very Son of God, dwelled in Mary’s womb, nursed at her breasts, was held in her arms, sat on her lap and entrusted himself to her care. Our Lord could have chosen to enter our world in other ways. Perhaps He could simply have entered the world as a full grown man. The fact is that He freely chose Mary to be his mother and he was truly her Son. As her son he loved and honored her as any good son must and as her son he entrusted himself to her care. All of this serves to highlight Mary’s dignity and to show us how devotion to her is in perfect imitation of Jesus himself.
What more need we say: Jesus our Lord and God honors and loves Mary, and his very scriptures sing her praises; so too His Angel Gabriel and countless saints. When we honor Mary we imitate the very Son of God and fulfill Holy Scripture. Certainly our Lord is pleased that we love and honor his mother.
Here’s a little viseo I recently put together. The Music is from the Daughters of St Paul, “I Am Thine” from the Handmaiden of the Lord Album:
This, I think, is the point. The prayers are directed to Mary, not to the pictures of Mary. The pictures are easily replaced and are not the object of worship.
[F]or twenty years Our Lord appeared to Gertrude at least once every day...Very often He urged her, as His Church urges us all, to come to Him through Mary.
When Gertrude asked Him what she could do to please Him more, Jesus answered: "Behold My Mother. Endeavor to praise her worthily." In the early years of her conversation, Our Lord said to the Saint: "I give thee My sweet Mother as thy Protectress. I confide thee to her care." And when during a trial Gertrude called upon Jesus to help her, He replied: "I have given thee My own most merciful Mother for thine, and it is through her that I will dispense My graces to thee...."
Once, as the Saint was praying to Jesus to offer His Mother something to make up for her own lack of devotion toward the Blessed Virgin, Our Lord arose, and offering Mary His Sacred Heart, He said: "Most loving Mother, behold My Heart. I offer it to thee with all that divine and eternal Love which prompted Me to choose thee for My Mother. In this Heart I offer thee all that filial affection of which I gave thee so many tokens on earth, when thou didst nourish and carry Me as a little child in thy arms. In this Heart I offer thee that faithful love which kept Me near thee all My mortal life, obedient to thy wishes, as any other son to his mother. I offer thee especially that love which on the Cross made Me in a measure forget My tortures to compassionate thy bitter desolation and to leave thee in My place a guardian and son. And lastly, behold in My Heart the love which prompted Me to exalt thee in thy blessed Assumption far above the Saints and Angels and to crown thee Queen of Heaven and earth." --from Saints Who Saw Mary
She would point only to Christ who is the one who died for sin and is the only gate to God.
Here's another completely false declaration:
obtain mercy when he appeals to me...
Mary cannot deal out mercy. Only God the Judge can decide who He exempts from judgment. Mary is not God so it's ridiculous to think she can play God's role.
It cannot be correct because it's unbiblical.
When there's a conflict you must embrace the Word of God.
If that is a real question, then I am very happy he was granted enough understanding and grace to break with Rome and post the 95. However, whether all of his claims comport with the Scriptures is another question.
But, may I add here...there are several Freepers questioning Rome about the selection of the so-called "pope". You may wish to visit with them about leaving lock-step Catholicism in favor of "Cafeteria Catholicism". At least we have a standard by which we can measure Rome (and find it wanting). They are simply looking and they don't likey. Physician...
46 And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; 47 my spirit rejoices in God my savior. 48 For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. --Luke 1:46-48Mary guides one to Jesus, then Jesus takes over, if you will; she's not interfering with your quoted verse.
No, it's the Holy Spirit who guides one to Jesus. Mary is not the gate to God; we do NOT have to go through Mary to reach God.
She is a only a woman. She obeyed God just like Abraham, Daniel, and Paul. And we honor all these saints for their obedience. But it is God alone who died on the cross to give us the gate. Don't disrespect Him by giving His role to another.
Of course she was blessed. But that doesn't mean she has special powers like being some kind of a gate.
Psalm 1 says all who are blessed who shun the ungodly. Thus, all the righteous are blessed.
If no one comes to the Father but by Jesus that means Mary is not a way to God.
Thus your quote does interfere with the truth.
And who does not recognize her as blessed? I already addressed this.
Why should I listen to Montfort when St. Paul tells me Christ's righteousness is enough for me to get to Heaven?
It's typical of many to load people up with all kinds of things they need to do to to improve themselves to try to avoid God's wrath. The Bible tells me that what one really needs is faith in Christ's righteousness; your own will never do.
And who does not recognize her as blessed? I already addressed this.My apologies; I had a commentary open, and was away from the computer for a bit. But... do you [or your non-Catholic Christian friends/acquaintances] refer to Mary as blessed in open conversation very often? I don't usually see such on Free Republic anyway.
When we encounter the one scripture passage that refers to Mary being blessed we certainly discuss it. But since it is only one passage we don't see any imperative to emphasize it.
There's so many thousands of verses in the Bible which deal with various people, history and doctrines; these are what we emphasize...not just one passage.
Why should I listen to Montfort when St. Paul tells me Christ's righteousness is enough for me to get to Heaven?Far be it for me to say who exactly will get into heaven and who will not. I'm just saying that I don't believe any friend of Jesus' [and not a friend of Mary's] will get very far past the gate. But that doesn't mean they will be cast into hell either. That's the beauty [and pain] of purgatory.
Well, that is completely opposite to the comment you cited before in favor of Montfort "if you do not pray the rosary, it is a sure sign of your predestination into hell;".
I'm just saying that I don't believe any friend of Jesus' [and not a friend of Mary's] will get very far past the gate
For some reason you seem to be twisting things. You claim that believers on the non-Catholic side don't call Mary blessed when I told you several times we do.
No, we are very friendly toward Mary. No one belittles her; we consider her a saint. Now why would that keep us from Heaven, especially when Jesus never claimed we needed anything other than Him to achieve eternity in Heaven? Seems you're putting more obstacles in people's way than Christ Himself. Not a good thing to do.
41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, 42 cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. --Luke 1:41,42Here are a couple more! The Rosary was created [in part] through these Bible verses, and once recited, one gets to know Mary very well, and it is easily figured out that her job is to bring souls to her Son, Jesus.
“Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” --Luke 1:28
No one belittles herbrought a bit of a smile out of me. The bulk of non-Catholic Christians on Free Republic belittle her unceasingly. It's nice you do not, and if you love, honor, and respect Mary, then maybe you'll pass the pop quiz at the gate.
Mary was blessed and favored...as was King David for example. But for some reason you and others believe that being blessed by God as described in one chapter of the Bible equates to being given god-like ability to provide mercy to sinners, or being a gate to God.
You people have created extra-biblical beliefs and doctrine largely based on only one chapter of the Bible. In doing so, you stray from the truth contained in the rest of the Bible.
Strangely, I found myself repeating the Hail Mary until it became a chant. Being a recent convert to Catholicism, I had yet to accept the Catholic doctrines concerning Mary and considered any form of Marian devotion to be idolatry. Though I had never before prayed a Hail Mary in my life, I suddenly found myself incapable of any other form of prayer. Somehow, Mary's intercessions allowed me to find peace during that long night; I knew that I had survived the worst and that I would exit with my faith intact. It terrified me to recall how close I came to turning away from Christ out of fear. --Bobby Jindal
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