Blessed and Favored.....?

[Little_Mary]

OK, this post may reveal what a long way I’ve got to go spiritually, but here goes…

I received an email from a (protestant) friend who was saying that she prays for her children, and prays that they are “Blessed and Favored”.

I suddenly had an image of all the mothers of the world at the park with their children, and the skies open up and God reaches down and gives special blessings and graces to these children only. Because He “favors” them.

I mean, don’t we all want to be favored by God? Does He favor some over others? (none of us can compare to Mary, so I’m not referring to that - I’m talking about the rest of us).

For some reason the word “Favored” struck me…I guess I’ve seen it used before, but I am wondering what it means exactly. Favored over what or whom? If I ask God to “favor” me or my children, aren’t I also saying “compared to others, or over others”??

I’ve never prayed for myself or anyone else to be “Favored”. Isn’t it enough just to ask to be blessed, and ask that others be blessed as well??

I guess I’m looking at it like, “Move everyone else to the back and Favor me… give me more than you would give anyone else” and that doesn’t seem like a very nice prayer!

Am I missing something?

 

[Andruschak]

OK, this post may reveal what a long way I’ve got to go spiritually, but here goes…

I received an email from a (protestant) friend who was saying that she prays for her children, and prays that they are “Blessed and Favored”.

I suddenly had an image of all the mothers of the world at the park with their children, and the skies open up and God reaches down and gives special blessings and graces to these children only. Because He “favors” them.

I mean, don’t we all want to be favored by God? Does He favor some over others? (none of us can compare to Mary, so I’m not referring to that - I’m talking about the rest of us).

For some reason the word “Favored” struck me…I guess I’ve seen it used before, but I am wondering what it means exactly. Favored over what or whom? If I ask God to “favor” me or my children, aren’t I also saying “compared to others, or over others”??

I’ve never prayed for myself or anyone else to be “Favored”. Isn’t it enough just to ask to be blessed, and ask that others be blessed as well??

I guess I’m looking at it like, “Move everyone else to the back and Favor me… give me more than you would give anyone else” and that doesn’t seem like a very nice prayer!

Am I missing something?

Probably the fact that Protestant prayers tend to be for an individual, with much use of the first person singular

Catholic prayers tend to be for everyone, with much use of the first person plural.

Example, that good ol’ Hail Mary ends with “Pray for US sinners, now and at the hour of OUR deaths.”

It ties in with the Communion of Saints, with all three groups praying for one another…The Church Militant, The Church Suffering, and the Church Triumphant

 

[MarcoPolo]

\For some reason the word “Favored” struck me…I guess I’ve seen it used before, but I am wondering what it means exactly. Favored over what or whom?

In my initial reading, I would assume and hope that this Protestant meant favored in the sense of asking God to be pleased with them, i.e. count them among His elect. I don’t think it is intended to request “favoritism.”

Hopefully, that is the case, and it she is not expressing the attitude of being favored “over” another, like the Pharisee (Lk 18:11).

 

[Little_Mary]

In my initial reading, I would assume and hope that this Protestant meant favored in the sense of asking God to be pleased with them, i.e. count them among His elect. I don’t think it is intended to request “favoritism.”

Hopefully, that is the case, and it she is not expressing the attitude of being favored “over” another, like the Pharisee (Lk 18:11).

OK, I’ll buy “asking God to be pleased with them”. I was only looking at it from the one definition. Thanks. I feel better now.