Posted on 09/03/2014 6:36:07 AM PDT by 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.’”
GLORY BE to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Nothing like a straw man argument.
Where?
Amen.
I prefer the direct line to Jesus. No need for ‘saints’ to get between us.
Where is the straw man? Be specific.
I never realized that we Baptists were that evil.
Well, I am certainly going to change my ways now.
Thank you NKP_Vet. Very inspirational. True story.
Why pray to a creation when the Creator has given Himself to/for us,and made Himself available to us directly?
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that any one who fled to thy protection, implored thy help or sought thy intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins my Mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful; O Mother of thy Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy clemency hear and answer me. Amen.
I know this story.
If you swap 'boy' for 'injured golfer', and 'converted' for 'had to re-learn swing', then 'priest' would become 'Sam Sneed'!!
This isn't the greatest story ever told. It is the greatest golfer story ever told.
True story.
Jesus chose the indirect line to come to us, His mother. His very first miracle was performed because he listened to His mother who in turn told the servants to listen to Jesus. So, yes, I do go to Mary sometimes for prayer knowing that her Son listens to her. I never have to pray alone, I have the benefit of thousands of prayers from saints who came before me, who followed the Word of God and are now in the presence of God.
I only know how to pray in my human way, I have not beheld the Face of God. I ask in my childlike way while looking in the mirror dimly and I know that Jesus will not ignore me but the saints see God and their prayers only add to mine.
A Horatio Alger story for for Catholics?
So everyone who isn't a Roman Catholic is going to hell.
Have you ever tried to have a personal walk with Jesus?
I have the benefit of thousands of prayers from saints who came before me
Why must your voice always be a minor one amongst many others?
It's not "either/or" but "both/and". If you love Jesus how can you not love his mother? At the cross Jesus told John "behold your mother". Mary is the mother of all those who wish to come Jesus.
This is a primary dividing line between Protestants and Catholics.
One of a very few actually. I know Protestant ministers who have had long discussions with Catholic priests, and disagreement over the status of Mary was one of a handful of serious divergences.
If we asked her I’m sure she’d tell us to patch it up and get on with her Son’s work.
I’m standing with you.
If you think about, we frequently ask friends and family to pray for someone who is sick or is in a dangerous occupation, etc. Why is it wrong to ask Mary or the saints, all of whom are closest to Christ, to pray for the same?
Then you do not read Scripture, and/or you do not listen to what Jesus instructed.
Because we are told not to try to communicate with the dead.
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