Posted on 08/24/2015 3:38:40 PM PDT by NYer
The events took place at the El Goloso military base, located near the Spanish capital, seat of the nation's armored infantry brigade "Guadarrama." According to several Spanish news sites, including Infovaticana and Religión en Libertad, a fire broke out that was impossible to control, burning most of the surrounding vegetation.
Once the flames were extinguished, to the soldiers’ surprise, in the middle of the charred area, stood a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes—totally undamaged! What's more, the soldiers were shocked to see that the grass near the statue had not been touched by the flames and that it was even still surrounded by vases filled with flowers, also intact, as if the flames had respected the space around the statue.
The fire took place on July 30, in the middle of the heat wave which had descended upon Spain. The soldiers could not explain why the statue had suffered no damage nor why the flowers had not even been blackened or withered by the heat. The story quickly spread though social networks, some suspecting a fraud, but further investigations have dispelled all possible doubts. In the photographs, one can easily see that the ground is completely burnt, except near the statue.
Indeed, for the most part, the soldiers on the base did not know that there was a statue of the Virgin in their garden. However, some of them who had a special devotion to Mother Mary had recommended themselves to this representation of Our Lady of Lourdes. And, the statue had already participated in official ceremonies at the military base.
The local authorities’ investigation seems sufficient to clarify the natural aspects of the event. There are realities that human knowledge cannot understand but that faith explains. And human science and faith, working together, offer some explanation.
Still, this story reveals Our Lady’s special protection of this statue, however simple and unpretentious. And everyone can learn a lesson from this. Unexpected events may occur that set fire to a world full of threats and evils. In the near future, in the midst of disasters that we cannot even imagine, Our Lady—especially Our Lady of Lourdes–will go through them, fearless and untouched, with the symbols of the devotion of the faithful. And those who believe, even if they are a minority discredited by the atheist or unbelieving majority, will be recognized amid the tragedy as Heaven’s beloved children.
How would you feel about it if, while you were seated across a table from me, I got on my cellphone and made a round the world satellite call to your cellphone, because I felt you wouldn’t really respond adequately to anything else?
As for purification of prayers that is what the Holy Spirit already does. He hears what we mean even when our words are awkward.
But this is a slippery slope...study the ways that Christianity was spread to Pagans who worshiped the goddess (Athena, Semiranis, etc., etc., etc.)
Yes, Mary is the most wonderful woman who ever lived.
But what if you are being tricked (not by the Church...at least not intentionally).
What if Satan is trying to raise the Goddess (she is a specific demon) and shove her in ahead of Christ.
Or what if people are trying to talk down the inherent compassion of Christ?
That really burns me sometimes... because if there is compassion in Mary, guess who put it there. Mary didn’t. God did.
God can use things that are not God as mediums of inspiration, because we are weak. But He is grieved if we can never move past that.
On good grief....not this one.
Yes, but as noted by Paul....to people here on earth. Not those who've gone before us.
We're not bowing down to a statue of anyone, lighting a candle and invoking their name in prayer or praying to them.
Catholic apologetics are so pitiful.
Mother Mary is the most wonderful woman who ever lived.
But don't for a moment that Satan won't try to take advantage of that.
"Do whatever He tells you."
Mary always draws us closer to her son. And her intercession began when saying "yes" to having the Word Made Flesh conceived within her.
Oddly enough as I know more of Jesus, I have less contempt and more pity upon seeing other spiritual practices.
The idea of forever depending on Mary as a steward of prayers for you, talks Jesus down. What keeps HIM from being said steward? Voluntarily? Who is going to have more clout in heaven?
Hail Mary, Full of Grace....
There should be no territory or space or distance between your soul and that of your Saviour.
We can adore His mother all we like. But our primary relationship is with our Lord.
The devil will try to diminish if he cannot abolish. He will harass what he cannot extinguish.
Mary isn’t the same thing as some utterly ginned up goddess. Those following the “official” theology and not a completely uneducated viewpoint will be careful to ask Mary for prayers, not for acts that only the divine can achieve.
I can say one thing, however. If one of the most spiritually energetic figures of the New Testament, Paul, never let on in his epistles about praying to Mary... maybe, just maybe it didn’t HAPPEN.
Have statues/idols of Mary
Pray to Mary
Kneel before Mary
Light candles to Mary
Study Mary
View Mary as Mediatrix
View Mary as co-redemptrix
Have assigned non-Biblical titles to her not supported anywhere in the Word......among these....Morning Star (and we thought that meant Jesus), Queen of Apostles (though she herself was not one), Queen of Heaven; Spouse of the Holy Spirit.
Churches are named after her.
Mariology is the study of Mary.
Yet roman catholics don't worship Mary.
Who did Jesus go to first, even before His Father, after His resurrection?
And the Goddess was most certainly a demon (nephilim or the ancestor or descendant thereof).
Or putting it another way, we can love Mary or any saint BECAUSE we love the Lord. And we can think appropriate things about them. The thoughts of Mary can encourage because they are an exhibit of the work of God.
At a time when I was weak, I prayed once to St. Luke for help with a medical situation. Did St. Luke pray? I have no idea. I believe the Lord heard and answered anyhow, knowing what I would have done had I been stronger.
concrete statuary doesn’t burn.
I can’t prove it one way or another because we’re attempting to convict on circumstantial evidence.
However we can outline the difference in behaviors attributed.
"That is why I said Mary does not desire to be an idol; she does nothing, God does all. We ought to call upon her, that for her sake God may grant and do what we request. Thus also all other saints are to be invoked, so that the work may be every way God’s alone."
"We pray God to give us a right understanding of this Magnificat, an understanding that consists not merely in brilliant words, but I glowing life in body and soul. May Christ grant us this through the intercession and for the sake of His dear Mother Mary. Amen."
These are passages from [Commentary on] the Magnificat by Martin Luther. Did he have it wrong too?
He comforted the women...
No one is questioning the wonderful position of His mother.
I am raising the point that Satan is using that devotion to His mother in the Catholic Church to slide his own agenda into the Church.
And this is not anti-Catholic, and in no way is meant to diminish the wonderful nature of His mother.
This can and is happening in all Christian Churches...they are all under attack. Each in their own way.
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