Devotion to Mary

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EvangelCatholic said:
I raised this question on another thread: Are Catholics required to invoke the saints?
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Short answer is no…We are not required to invoke the saints.
And one need not worry about offending them…since such thoughts and emotions would be foreign to those in heaven.

Peace
James
 
EvangelCatholic said:
And as a Catholic you were not required to participate in devotion to Mary; you were still a good Catholic.
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I don’t know if I would put it quite this way…
As a good Catholic one SHOULD have a devotion to Our Lady. It’s more a question of what form that devotion takes and how it is expressed.

Peace
James
 
JRKH said:
I don’t know if I would put it quite this way…
As a good Catholic one SHOULD have a devotion to Our Lady. It’s more a question of what form that devotion takes and how it is expressed.

Peace
James
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I see. Like a truth should be acknowledged but it is OK to not acknowledge the truth?
 
EvangelCatholic said:
I see. Like a truth should be acknowledged but it is OK to not acknowledge the truth?
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Hopefully JRKH will correct me if I’m wrong, but I think he meant more that there’s no one size fits all when it comes to devotion. So we should all honor Mary - because she is the mother of God - just like we should all honor our own mothers. But the way we go about doing that can be different.

An analogy: For Mother’s Day, I’m usually the one who buys the funny card while everyone else buys the flowery sentimental one. I love my mom just as much as my siblings do, I just show it differently. I’m not one for big emotional moments, and my mom knows that.

I think of devotion to Mary the same way. Some people like the poetic, flowery language of DeMontfort, I don’t. But that’s ok. We’re not required to have the same tastes in devotion.
 
JRKH said:
I have no idea what you mean by this or how it relates to the idea of there being different forms and expression of devotion.

Peace
James
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That the immaculate conception and assumption of the blessed Virgin Mary are pious beliefs but not necessary for salvation.
 
Robyn_p said:
Hopefully JRKH will correct me if I’m wrong, but I think he meant more that there’s no one size fits all when it comes to devotion. So we should all honor Mary - because she is the mother of God - just like we should all honor our own mothers. But the way we go about doing that can be different.

An analogy: For Mother’s Day, I’m usually the one who buys the funny card while everyone else buys the flowery sentimental one. I love my mom just as much as my siblings do, I just show it differently. I’m not one for big emotional moments, and my mom knows that.

I think of devotion to Mary the same way. Some people like the poetic, flowery language of DeMontfort, I don’t. But that’s ok. We’re not required to have the same tastes in devotion.
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A great Explanation…I Love your analogy…👍

Peace
James
 
EvangelCatholic said:
That the immaculate conception and assumption of the blessed Virgin Mary are pious beliefs but not necessary for salvation.
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Of course a Catholic must hold to these beliefs…
I still don’t understand how this relates to my comment that people can hold different devotions to Our Lady.
I hold to the Marian dogmas - but my devotion to Mary expresses itself differently than someone else who likewise holds to the Marian dogmas.

Peace
James
 
EvangelCatholic said:
Yes but the infallibility of these very pious and faithful beliefs is the concern for all but Roman Catholics.
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I don’t agree that it’s a concern for “all” except Roman Catholics. Many non-Catholic Christians don’t have a concern about it at all. For those trying to disprove the claims of the Church, well, that’s different.
 
Robyn_p said:
Hopefully JRKH will correct me if I’m wrong, but I think he meant more that there’s no one size fits all when it comes to devotion. So we should all honor Mary - because she is the mother of God - just like we should all honor our own mothers. But the way we go about doing that can be different.

An analogy: For Mother’s Day, I’m usually the one who buys the funny card while everyone else buys the flowery sentimental one. I love my mom just as much as my siblings do, I just show it differently. I’m not one for big emotional moments, and my mom knows that.

I think of devotion to Mary the same way. Some people like the poetic, flowery language of DeMontfort, I don’t. But that’s ok. We’re not required to have the same tastes in devotion.
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You just described a Lutheran. The very issue of devotion to Mary and the saints was re-articulated in the Lutheran-Catholic Commission on Unity. We have very high regard and refer to St Mary as the Mother of God; all Lutherans must acknowledge this truth. But when it comes to outward expression, the individual is given free reign and always reminded that Christ is our One Saviour.
 
EvangelCatholic said:
That the immaculate conception and assumption of the blessed Virgin Mary are pious beliefs but not necessary for salvation.
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Are you asking if a Catholic can deny that Mary was immaculately conceived and still be considered a good Catholic, or something else? I’m a little confused sorry.

Devotions and prayers are optional, but not beliefs. That’s the key.
 
EvangelCatholic said:
You just described a Lutheran. The very issue of devotion to Mary and the saints was re-articulated in the Lutheran-Catholic Commission on Unity. We have very high regard and refer to St Mary as the Mother of God; all Lutherans must acknowledge this truth. ** But when it comes to outward expression, **the individual is given free reign and always reminded that Christ is our One Saviour.
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Well, I don’t think there’s really anything dividing us on the issue if that’s the case. 👍
 
Robyn_p said:
Are you asking if a Catholic can deny that Mary was immaculately conceived and still be considered a good Catholic, or something else? I’m a little confused sorry.

Devotions and prayers are optional, but not beliefs. That’s the key.
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Glad this has been explained because I needed clarification that a Catholic in good standing could opt out of devotions to Mary but must uphold the infallibility of these beliefs.

For Lutherans, Orthodox, Anglicans, these are acceptable beliefs but we don’t require that everyone accept them. Secondary to our focus on Christ.
 
EvangelCatholic, may I ask about why you to started this thread? But are you trying to show that Catholics and Lutherans have the same views regarding the BVM?
 
Denise1957 said:
EvangelCatholic, may I ask about why you to started this thread? But are you trying to show that Catholics and Lutherans have the same views regarding the BVM?
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We come pretty close in theology but are still far apart in practice and expression, I am afraid as a Lutheran.

But clearly I now understand that a Catholic must affirm these beliefs as dogma while other Christians don’t.
 
EvangelCatholic said:
Glad this has been explained because I needed clarification that a Catholic in good standing could opt out of devotions to Mary but must uphold the infallibility of these beliefs.

For Lutherans, Orthodox, Anglicans, these are acceptable beliefs but we don’t require that everyone accept them. Secondary to our focus on Christ.
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Ah I see. From the Catholic perspective, the Marian doctrines don’t take our focus off of Christ but actually preserve important teachings about Him.

So we don’t see them as secondary or periphery in the same way Lutherans do, which is why we aren’t at liberty to deny or ignore them.
 
Robyn_p said:
Ah I see. From the Catholic perspective, the Marian doctrines don’t take our focus off of Christ but actually preserve important teachings about Him.

So we don’t see them as secondary or periphery in the same way Lutherans do, which is why we aren’t at liberty to deny or ignore them.
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Yes I agree and this is where it gets complicated. Lutherans understand the role Mary played in the Incarnation; she bore our salvation so it is almost impossible to separate Mary from Jesus. Luther said we are to refer to Mary as second only to the holy Trinity. But for the sake of church unity we do not require our parishes to hold especially holy days to Mary or any other saints though the practice is a good one.

Does that make sense?
 
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