Advice on Veneration?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kmon23
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
K

Kmon23

Guest
Raised Methodist, turning to Catholicism (RCIA starts next year January for me).
I wholeheartedly accept what Catholicism has to say.
This includes the veneration of Mary and the Saints.

I wish for Mary and the Saints to be part of my spiritual life.
However, due to my upbringing as a Protestant, it feels awkward and very weird.
I’ve memorized the Hail Mary recently.

Any advice on how I should overcome this obstacle in incorporating them into my spiritual life?
 
Kmon23 said** : “I wholeheartedly accept what Catholicism has to say.
This includes the veneration of Mary and the Saints.
I wish for Mary and the Saints to be part of my spiritual life.
However, due to my upbringing as a Protestant, it feels awkward and very weird.”**

If it feels awkward to do private Veneration, then attend a session when others are doing Veneration.
This way, you will be among 20-or-so people, who are venerating.
No need to feel “funny” … at this point, you are just a Witness to THEM Venerating.
This will relieve you of the pressure to Venerate, because they are doing it for you.

Sit there and try to feel a part of the session.
Once you feel calmed down about it, you might feel “OK” about trying it yourself
If so, then tap into the Peer Pressure in the room. It will help you get into it.

No matter what happens, you will get to experience others doing what you can’t quite do yourself.
This will probably remove some of the mixed emotions you feel now.

Remember, you don’t need to be in a Hurry.
You will have Years to fine-tune your conversion into the Catholic Church.
I enjoy Veneration … and I love Adoration of the Holy Sacrament (there’s Jesus, right THERE**!**).
Powerful Spirituality can come from many of the Rituals practiced in the Church.
And, in the mean time, Congratulations for you memorizing the Hail Mary.
You are on your way to becoming a Happy-to-Venerate Catholic.
 
Kmon23 said:
Raised Methodist, turning to Catholicism (RCIA starts next year January for me).
I wholeheartedly accept what Catholicism has to say.
This includes the veneration of Mary and the Saints.

I wish for Mary and the Saints to be part of my spiritual life.
However, due to my upbringing as a Protestant, it feels awkward and very weird.
I’ve memorized the Hail Mary recently.

Any advice on how I should overcome this obstacle in incorporating them into my spiritual life?
Click to expand...
Hold your nose and jump right in! :rolleyes: Start with the rosary. It will feel a little weird at first, but then you will get into it and pretty soon be addicted.
 
I found that my devotion to Our Lady has been the foundation in supporting my love of Her Son, Jesus Our God. Veneration is not adoration as you know. Therefore, it is not necessary for our salvation. We only need to worship Christ as the second Person of the Trinity.
However, we lose so much of the tradition and devotion to our Christ by ignoring the devotion to His blessed Mother and the saints which is so obviously to His glory.
Start slowly as suggested by other wise posts, do nothing you feel uncomfortable with and pray to Jesus for His guidance in this area. Read the lives of the Saints and examine carefully the claims of Lourdes, Fatima, and other Church approved appearances of Our Lady and let your reason discern your faith. It is hard to get rid of habits and your bravery is to be admired. God Bless your search.
 
I’m coming from a very similar position, and what I found helpful was the idea that the saints, and Our Blessed Mother are our friends. You want to spend time with friends, you want to talk to them, you want to ask them to pray for you.

I can recommend the rosary - the vast bulk of it is about Jesus - Jesus is even at the heart of the Hail Mary. It’s an odd thing at first, but after a while, it becomes something very special. God bless you in your journey x
 
Call on the saints like you’d call a friend to agree with you in prayer and to pray with you.

Think of an issue you’re facing. Head over to the Patron Saints Index and match up a saint. “St. Therese, pray with me to develop patience, through Christ our Lord, Amen.” or, “St. Anthony, pray for me to give this presentation eloquently, just the way you spoke. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Start small. Get to know your family in Heaven.
 
Kmon23 said:
Any advice on how I should overcome this obstacle in incorporating them into my spiritual life?
Click to expand...
I would suggest starting slowly. You don’t have to jump in beyond what’s comfortable.

Would you be OK with regarding Mary and the saints as friends in heaven? People who can serve as role models for you?

I mean wouldn’t we all like to be a little more like Mary, being willing to say yes to God when he asks something of us? Can you imagine what it was like for Mary to watch her son grow up from a helpless baby to a grown man? The tender moments they shared? And what it was like for her after he began his ministry and started running into opposition? Yet despite whatever worries she might have had, I think she supported and encouraged him. And she can support and encourage you through the tough times as well.
 
Aim at making Mary your heavenly mother, a personal mother who loves you and is praying for you.

On the Cross Jesus looking down in his agony, saw St. John and his mother Mary. They were there when all the rest fled. They had a deep love for Jesus and knew him well.

Then at one point, Jesus said to St. John, “Behold your mother”, and then looking at his mother Mary said to her, “Behold your son”, referring to St. John. And from that moment onward, the ancient fathers of the church took this to mean that Jesus gave Mary to all of us to be our mother, and that we were designated as her sons.

And so that is what I mean to aim at making her your personal spiritual mother and a part of your life.

Lumen Gentium:
“By her motherly love, she takes care of the brothers of her Son who are still in pilgrimage and in dangers and difficulties, until they be led through to the happy fatherland.”

Here is a picture of what she does for us as she did for Jesus.
catholictradition.org/Mary/prayers7.htm

May God bless and keep you. May God’s face shine on you. May God be kind to you and give you peace.
 
Kmon23 said:
Raised Methodist, turning to Catholicism (RCIA starts next year January for me).
I wholeheartedly accept what Catholicism has to say.
This includes the veneration of Mary and the Saints.

I wish for Mary and the Saints to be part of my spiritual life.
However, due to my upbringing as a Protestant, it feels awkward and very weird.
I’ve memorized the Hail Mary recently.
Any advice on how I should overcome this obstacle in incorporating them into my spiritual life?
Click to expand...
Hi!
Im happy to hear about you enthusiasm regarding Catholicism.
When it comes to Mama Mary and the Saints you will have to expect that it may take some time before you get 100 per cent comfortable With it.

Have you tried praying to Mary about it?
I did when i where New to catholicism a year ago or so and I struggled big time not With my intelectual acceptence, but emotionally.

Growing up as a Protestant made this Things difficult for me as well, but when I Prayed to Mary herself about it she answered within a few days and all the sudden it felt Natural for me to sing her name and kneel in front of her staue and pray to her.

*I simply prayed: Dearest Mama Mary if Im supposed to pray to you and venerate you please let me know becouse the feeling of not knowing and the feeling of guilt are killing me. *

So my advice is to go easy on the matter and pray for Marys guidance and she will let you know just how much she loves you.

As for praying to the Saints Im yet to incorporate it into my spiritual routine.
I sometimes pray to St Jeseph but its not a regular practise at all.
I have to admit that I pray mostly to Jesus and sometimes to Mary, but never to any of the Saints except from Joseph as mentioned above.

It feels unnessesary to do so for me, but With time I may engage in more contact With them.

Sorry for my rant, all Im saying is: give it time and it will all sort out:)
May God be With you on Your spiritual Journey.

Yours in Jesus and Mary
  • MarianCatholic
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top