Couple of questions about Mary

[squeekster]

I realize that Catholics believe that Mary hears and answers prayers, although I strongly disagree. But my question is not about whether she can or can not hear you. My questions are HOW does she hear you? And HOW does she decifer your prayer from the prayer of Frank who lives down the street?

 

[RobNY]

squeekster:

I realize that Catholics believe that Mary hears and answers prayers, although I strongly disagree. But my question is not about whether she can or can not hear you. My questions are HOW does she hear you? And HOW does she decifer your prayer from the prayer of Frank who lives down the street?

Mary has a secret decoder ring that she got out of a box of *Life *cereal.

I’m not quite sure *how *she hears you (I’ll leave that to the better grounded people here!), but I think it’s simple to know how she knows that *you *and not Frank, are praying. Everyone has a voice. You can tell who someone is by their voice. Heck, people even have ‘voices’ when they play musical instruments. I’m sure you have a ‘voice’ when you pray. It’s unique. It’s yours. It’s identifiable.

Of course, those are just *my *thoughts. Take them as you will.

-Rob

 

[Shiann]

squeekster:

I realize that Catholics believe that Mary hears and answers prayers, although I strongly disagree. But my question is not about whether she can or can not hear you. My questions are HOW does she hear you? And HOW does she decifer your prayer from the prayer of Frank who lives down the street?

Heaven is not bound by the same physical properties that our life on Earth is. It is the belief of the Catholic Faith, that all in the Communion of Saints can hear the prayers of those on earth, and can extend their prayers to God with ours. This includes Mary.

Catholics pray with Mary because of her special relationship with God and her Son Jesus. She deciphers our prayers through the fact that she experiences the Beatific Vision as a member of the Church Triumphant and as a member of the Communion of Saints.

 

[DavidFilmer]

squeekster:

And HOW does she decifer your prayer from the prayer of Frank who lives down the street?

I’m not sure it matters. Remember, we aren’t asking Mary to DO anything for us other than pray on our behalf. If a total stranger asks you to pray for him, you can do so even though you don’t know who he is. The guy could even call you on the phone in the middle of the night, say “pray for me, please,” and hang up. You could pray for him, and your prayers would be effective. You may have no idea for whom you are praying, but God can sort it all out.

Having said that, though, I do believe that the Saints (including Mary) are able to identify and know us personally (they are “in communion” with us). All of this is facilitated by God, so God could “set it up” however He pleased.

 

[returning]

Sometimes we forget that heaven is not earth and the limits of our mortal life do not exist in heaven. We need to stop placing the restrictions of human existance on those who have gone to heaven and are with God. Once we drop the limits we realize that those who exist in heaven exist outside of time and place. They exist in the past, present future at the same time.

As a Catholic I believe that Mary has a special relationship with Jesus (ex the Wedding at Cana) and that she along with the whole communion of saints can assist us in getting our petitions to God, by praying for us. But, God is the one who will answer our prays with Jesus as our chief mediator.

 

[ICXCNIKA]

My simple and most honest answer; I don’t know.

I don’t know how she hears our prayers nor how she can hear my prayer while my neighbor, Frank, is also praying to her.

I also don’t know how Jesus was able to walk through a wall, (John 20:19, John 20:26).

Nor do I understand how Jesus can take a few loaves and fishes and multiply them and feed thousands (Mark 6:37-42, John 6:8-14).

Nor do I know how Jesus was able to easily, and physically ascend into the sky and defy the law of gravity (Acts 1:9-11, Luke 24:50-51).

Apparently in the Kingdom of heaven the natural laws of time, space and physical movement do not apply. In fact Jesus told His disciples, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12).

So if Jesus can transcend physical laws, why not His followers, especially those who are now with Him in that heavenly dimension?

I don’t know, but I do believe.

 

[threej_lc]

Its just one of the perks of being fully united to an omnipotent God in heaven.

Josh

 

[Timidity]

squeekster:

My questions are HOW does she hear you?

Back when I was a fundamentalist, there was a quaint saying that used to be bantered about all the time. Something like “all things will be revealed.” The implication being that once we leave this mortal world and dwell with the Lord, that He will answer all our questions.

I don’t know about you, but one of my first questions would be “who needs my prayers?”!

squeekster:

And HOW does she decifer your prayer from the prayer of Frank who lives down the street?

She doesn’t need to. Sure I pray for her intercession, and so does Frank. But it’s not like she needs to do something different for me and Frank. She’s not like some super hero who’s going to get me a new job and make Frank stop drinking. All she’s going to do is pray–it’s God who takes care of the rest, and He knows who needs what.

 

[NotWorthy]

“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:6) We, the Body of Christ, are all part of the same vine, Jesus Christ.

You may also want to know how the saints offer up our prayers as incense or how they know to rejoice in the recovery of a lost sheep.

Heaven exists outside of time, Once you can rationalize how that can be, then we’ll work on explaining how Mary and all the Saints can hear our prayers and differentiate.

God Bless,

NotWorthy

 

[threej_lc]

Oh, and while I’m thinking about it, hasn’t the holy spirit ever revealed to you when people you really love and care about need your prayers? Even without them telling you?

Josh

 

[scylla]

As in revelation where the saints are offering up the prayers to God, if I were to try and imagine heaven in the most human way possible. I would believe that Mary could in essence just say “please hear the prayers of all as is your desire”. It is all by God’s power.
Now that is a simple way to understand it in earthly terms.
I really try not to define heaven by earthly standards, this is like an ant looking at the feet of a person standing by him and imagining what his world is like. (not the best analogy but hopefully you get my point)

She is blessed among women, in heaven and loved by God. Since scripture says the prayer of a rightous man avails much, I believe her prayers are worth a bit more than my buddy down the street who prays for me.

God Bless
Scylla

 

[ICXCNIKA]

She’s not like some super hero who’s going to get me a new job and make Frank stop drinking.

I thought Frank was on the wagon.

 

[LSK]

squeekster:

I realize that Catholics believe that Mary hears and answers prayers, although I strongly disagree. But my question is not about whether she can or can not hear you. My questions are HOW does she hear you? And HOW does she decifer your prayer from the prayer of Frank who lives down the street?

Mary is alive and in Heaven. She is not bound by the same laws of time, space and physicality that human beings still on earth must obey. As she is our spiritual mother, asking how she knows I am praying and distinguishes my voice from the voice of my neighbor is like asking how my mother on earth knows when I am speaking on the telephone and when my sister is speaking on the telephone to her. Other people often confuse us, as they often confuse me with my mother. But my mother knows when it is me, because she is a mother.

Also, you must remember we do not believe MARY answers our prayers; we believe she prays WITH us and directs us to the only one who CAN answer our prayers - Her Son, Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. While it is not necessary for a Catholic to pray to Mary asking for her to pray with them, we believe that Jesus honors His mother and so accepts her petitions with special devotion…but it still does not mean that everything we ask for of God we will get. Only an indulgent father would spoil his children like that - and Our Father is a PERFECT father.

I hope this helps you on your search for the truth.

 

[NotWorthy]

LSK:

…but it still does not mean that everything we ask for of God we will get. .

What happens when people get everything they want and whole nations prosper? They turn away from God. Don’t believe me, just read the Old Testament. Israel proved that time and time again.

God wants us to love Him in Heaven, that’s one of the reason he allows suffering. Besides, it gives us the opportunity to “offer it up” for someone we love.

NotWorthy

 

[Hildebrand]

squeekster:

I realize that Catholics believe that Mary hears and answers prayers, although I strongly disagree.

Mary does not answer your prayers if you think of answering prayers as being the origin of action done for you.

Mary answers your prayers by praying with you and for you. She prays to the Throne of God for you special intention.

Just as if I ask you to pray for me, it is always up to God to answer prayers.

I hope I explained it right so you’ll understand it.

We have American soldiers in Iraq. We all should pray for them. If someone asks you to pray for the soldiers, you would not say, “Let them pray for themselves”. Mary and the saints in heaven care for all of us.

 

[JimG]

My neice, even now that she is an adult, says she still does not understand how her mother always knew everything she was doing–at school, away from school, in the neighborhood, etc. It seems she could never get away with anything. She still asks her Mom how she knew all that stuff. Her Mom tells her the “how” is not important. She knew. (And still does.)

(I happen to know that she has always had a great network of informants but that is of course only part of the answer. Mothers know.)

 

[Eden]

Do you believe that angels can hear you and know what is happening in different parts of the earth at the same time, even though they are not omnipresent?

Mary’s ability to hear thousands of people at once doesn’t mean she is omnipresent. It just means she is outside of time like everyone else in Heaven.