The Hail Mary of a Protestant

http://www.abouttherosary.com ^ | September 3, 2014 | Robbe Lyn Sebesta

[NKP_Vet]

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.’”

[caww]

Cresent Moon of the Popes Monstanse

Cresent Moon of Islam

The Mesopotamian symbol of Baal-Hadad...The star in the moon is just another version of the sun crescent descending into the moon.... The star represented 'Horus' and the round disk 'Osiris'.... Horus was the 'rebirth' of Osiris, and so they both signify the same thing.

It is interesting that Islam has the star in the crescent moon (sign of Horus) as its sign. ...Islam and Catholicism stand side by side. Wherever you go in the world, you will generally find Mosques beside Catholic cathedrals.

Rather than Jesus Christ, a 'false universal Christ' is being worshiped...a pluralistic Christ who satisfies all religions.

[Steelfish]

Again, this is not a forum for exegetical discourse. If you are serious why don’t you read up on why pre-eminent Lutheran and Protestant scholars who have taught at leading Protestant colleges and and written scores of books finally saw the error of their ways an converted to Catholicism? You don’t have to go back to Cardinal Henry Newman after whom universities have the so-called ‘Newman Club.”

Take for example the conversion of Francis Beckwith who was head of the Evangelical Theological Society. This is the highest scholarly body of Protestant theologians. Why do you go read his articles?

1. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/mayweb-only/119-33.0.html

Then there dis Richard John Neuhas, the famous Lutheran theologian in all of America who taught for years decamped.

2.http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2009/01/how-i-became-the-catholic-i-wa

These are just two. I trust they knew a little bit more than you and would now laugh-off these odd assortment of quotes by neophytes and street preachers like Billy Graham and Rev. Jeremiah Wright or the insufferable Joel Osteens of this world.

[narses]

“My church did not make blanket statements about adoring the same God together with the muzzies and make it official doctrine.”

What Church is that?

[caww]

..."The Catholic Church has been battling Islam for over a thousand years"....

The catholic/muslim movement contains a message of unity based 'not' on doctrinal truth or the Word,... but on social issues, liturgy, and a watering down of fundamental principles of Christianity..... Those that want 'to join together' without the Word as their basis become a part of the end-time conglomerate.......who will eventually persecute those who do not conform themselves to her.

As for the catholic church fighting Islam???....not over the past years...nor today...

[Springfield Reformer]

Again, this is not a forum for exegetical discourse.

Um, I think this is a jurisdictional question. Jim, did you issue some new rule about not discussing Scripture on your site? Did I miss the memo?

[dsc]

“So your Catholic teachers taught you that they were smarter and holier than you...And then, you believed them”

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote, “Mediocrity knows nothing better than itself.”

In as much modesty as I can muster, the intellect I was born with was...not mediocre. I perceive that some are more intelligent than I, and that many are holier than I.

Are you incapable of perceiving these things?

[Iscool]

lol...

[caww]

The United Nations (UN), (founded in 1945 after World War II), is a corrupt international organization whose agenda is a one-world police state.

The papacy has been one of the strongest supporters of the UN since its formation. Beginning in the early 1960s the UN has granted to the Roman Catholic church a privileged position..( held by no other religion), that gives this church a voice in the international community regarding some of the most sensitive issues of our time.

Since the Vatican II Council in the 1960s, the papacy has been working with the U.N., the Wold Council of Churches and other politico-religious inter-faith bodies to bring about 'world unity of all churches', Christian AND non-Christian alike.

Pope Paul VI in the United Nations, who would speak to the UN

Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi... Permanent Observer of the Vatican to the Office of the United Nations

[Iscool]

841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day.

Well no it doesn't...Here's the plan of salvation:

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)

"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10)

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (John 1:12)

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Lots of people acknowledge the Creator but they will not be included in the plan of salvation...Only those who accept Jesus as their Savior...

That eliminates all muzlims...

841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day.

In the first place are the muzlims??? Ahead of Protestants and others who accept Jesus and partake of the plan of salvation???

That is some real nutso stuff right there...Completely unbiblical...

841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day.

That's over the top right there...It will be Jesus who will judge you on the last day...The one merciful God is a Trinity...A Gentile can not worship God without acknowledging Jesus and the Holy Spirit...

But then perhaps Catholics do worship that 'unknown' God that their brother muzlims worship...

[Elsie]

Please show from your Bible where the assumption of Mary is taught.

Loo-CEE!

Lot's of assumin' goin' on!

[Elsie]

The way he mixes deluded gross heresy with a smattering of truth here and there truly astounds.

He's CATHOLIC?

[daniel1212]

When you want to actually engage the substance of the posts, lemme know. I’ll leave the light on for

Its obvious they have no real defense, but leave the light on.

[Elsie]

We understand that the Catholics who post here in all probability are not going to change.

But hope springs eternal in the human breast.

We also know that many folks who may be neither Catholic, Protestant or even Christian who may read these threads and gain more info from them than they'd get by attending Catholic, Protestant or even atheistic services.

[Elsie]

If the wonderful CCC is so clarifying; why isn’t there a Catholic institution that is comparable to Gideons, International that places it into the bedstand drawers of hotels, motels and hands of servicemen?

[Elsie]

Luther was Christianity’s number 1 heretic and it’s a miracle he didn’t lose his head.

Miracle??

I'd call it yet one MORE FAILING of your precious church.

[Elsie]

You at least stay consistent...always missing the point!

There are NO tanks in BAGHDAD!

[Elsie]

The authority is explicitly given to Peter and His Apostles.

True; but why the emphasis on Peter; the "Get me behind me Satan" guy?

I've read that he was "clearly in the wrong" even after THAT little, uh, rebuke.

[Elsie]

Christ elevated Peter to head His Church...

No; He did not.

[Elsie]

And God’s Mother, Mary is the Queen of All Saints.

Mary is dead as a doornail...

...long turned to dust.

[Elsie]

They were Jesus' apostles.

I read it that way too, the first time, but then noticed that HIS was capitalized.