Don't feel connected with (Virgin) Mary

[x1980x]

As I’ve been looking at the CC, I’ve felt connections with a few saints. One saint that I hardly feel a connection to at all is the Mother of God. Is this really normal? It seems that half of Catholicism is about her, but I look at her and just see this regular girl/woman.

 

[MS_SURVEYOR]

Let’s start with

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.[56]

Now let’s go here,

Luke 1

*The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called** the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 **“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” ****Then the angel left her.

Don’t you find it odd that God asked Mary, a virgin, without sin to give birth to the Christ?

Book of Revelation 12:1-18

1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2 And being with child, she cried travailing in birth: and was in pain to be delivered. 3 And there was seen another sign in heaven. And behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns and on his heads seven diadems. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered: that, when she should be delivered, he might devour her son. 5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with an iron rod. And her son was taken up to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God, that there they should feed her, a thousand two hundred sixty days.

I wonder what woman are they talking about?*

 

[x1980x]

I’m not saying I don’t believe in her, I’m saying that I don’t feel a strong affinity with her as a saint to look up to. I think there’s a big difference in that.

 

[sparrowhawk28]

I can understand your concern. I went through a period where I didn’t feel much of a connection with Mary either. But now, she is to me a great model of patience and humility.

She had complete trust in God. Just imagine being visited by an angel and told that you’re going to be the Mother of God - I think it would be petrifying. The fact that she completely accepted God’s plan, she let His will be done - to me that’s truly remarkable and worthy of following. And in the story of the wedding at Cana, she tells the servants to do what Jesus tells them. Such true belief!
I don’t pray to Mary very often, but she’s in my mind as a woman worthy of emulating. We never see her doubting God or trying to defy His will. Mary truly is a symbol of piety, of reverence and of devotion. May she watch over us always.

 

[MS_SURVEYOR]

I’m not saying I don’t believe in her, I’m saying that I don’t feel a strong affinity with her as a saint to look up to. I think there’s a big difference in that.

Well I don’t have that answer for you. I do know for me Mary answers promptly, and completely. I have lived a life of vice and sin. Once I asked Mary for guidance my life changed. Satan was just having his way with me, until Mary showed up. I seek Jesus with Mary through Mary. I seek Mary through Jesus with Jesus. No saint is closer to Jesus than Mary. When the saints look toward Jesus they see Mary at his side.

One bible verse that has always made me sit back and wonder is when Mary went to visit Elisabeth, John The Baptist at the sound of Mary’s voice leaped in the womb. He knew who Mary was, and what she was doing. And he wasn’t even born yet!

O’Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee

 

[ChrisRedfield47]

As I’ve been looking at the CC, I’ve felt connections with a few saints. One saint that I hardly feel a connection to at all is the Mother of God. Is this really normal? It seems that half of Catholicism is about her, but I look at her and just see this regular girl/woman.

If you pray the Rosary you will slowly start getting connected to her. If you have any sins that you may want to overcome, pray the rosary and you will be amazed at the results.

 

[chuckfrmvalyfrg]

I’m not saying I don’t believe in her, I’m saying that I don’t feel a strong affinity with her as a saint to look up to. I think there’s a big difference in that.

How much of what you believe about Mary is a product of your prior Christian faith experience ?
How does your past influence what you think of Mary today ?
If it helps , Mary always points you to Christ .

 

[MS_SURVEYOR]

I wonder sometimes is people don’t feel Mary is up front and center as they feel the saints are? Most if not all the saints prayed to Jesus through Mary with Mary. Mary is Queen of Heaven and earth. Queen of all the angels and saints.

And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

Just as in the bible, Mary is in the back ground ever watching. Just think, all she has to do is say, Michael the Archangel, I need you to take care of this for me. Son I need a favor for one of our loved ones. God the father, could you do this for me? Oh! The Love and Power Mary has. She’s not wanting big flashing signs. All she wants to do is save one soul at a time. And keep Satan where he needs to stay.

 

[Neil_Anthony]

As I’ve been looking at the CC, I’ve felt connections with a few saints. One saint that I hardly feel a connection to at all is the Mother of God. Is this really normal? It seems that half of Catholicism is about her, but I look at her and just see this regular girl/woman.

I don’t think you should worry about it. A lot of people don’t ‘feel’ much of anything but they still believe. Just be happy that your faith has some emotion to it.

You’ll have the rest of your life to hear and read things about Mary. I felt the same way as you at one point, but things change. I don’t think you need to rush it or force it.

 

[puzzleannie]

Ast seems that half of Catholicism is about her, but I look at her and just see this regular girl/woman.

all of Catholicism without exception is about Jesus Christ. Any belief, devotion, prayer, emotion or doctrine about Mary is all about Jesus, points to him, explains him, who he was, what he did, and why he did it. If you want to learn about Mary, learn about her son, because no matter how you come to her or what you ask her, the answer will always be the same “do whatever He tells you.” The closer you grow in relationship with the Person of Jesus Christ, the more “Mary” makes sense. No, an emotional attachment is not necessary, and frankly some people to not relate to Mary and the saints in that way, which is nothing to apologize for. But ignorance of doctrine about Mary points to gaps in knowledge about Christ himself.

Personally I shed the rosary when I became an “adult” Catholic has popular culture defined it in the 70s and 80s, when I decided I didn’t need her to have a healthy relationship with Jesus, and the rosary was just for old ladies in babushkas muttering at the back of church. Raising teenagers taught be different, when on a dark rainy night I woke from a nap to find a rosary on my bedside table and immediately felt called to pray for my children. Now recall no such thing as a rosary had come into or been used in our home since my marriage, unless one of the kids got one at first communion and promptly locked it away in a drawer with the Christmas decorations.

a few minutes later the call came from the police that they had been in a multi-car pileup, and I needed to head to the hospital. They were all okay, but from that day I did not attempt parenting w/o the rosary and Mary to support me.

So yes that emotional element is deeply personal and does not come on demand. What did it for me about Mary as a person, however, was encountering the Missionary Image of the tilma of Juan Diego, an exact photographic replica of OL of Guadalupe that is carried around the country in a pro-life pilgrimage of witness. Cannot explain in any way but the moment I saw it I was “converted” and simply fell in love with Mary herself. I am a cynical, non-emotional, by-the-book, prove it to my intellect type of Christian so for me it was definitely not the usual “say the prayer, get the medal” experience.

 

[domandcarols]

How could she just be some girl? She’s the Mother of God. She carried baby Jesus in her womb for 9 months, He came out of her.

Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin Mary too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did and If anyone does not wish to have Mary Immaculate for his mother, he will not have Christ for his brother. ~Saint Maximilian Kolbe

 

[puzzleannie]

Jeff Cavins, in his testimony of his conversion, talks about his troubled relationship with his own father, and how healing that was necessary to the deepening of his own relationship with God as Father. I have also heard speakers, often women, relate how the relationship with one’s mother colors one’s relationship with Mary. For this reason it may be helpful for anyone struggling spiritually to consider asking for healing of fractures in their relationships with their parents. I offer the suggestion that comes from people wiser than I in case it helps someone here.

 

[White_Peony]

If you pray the Rosary you will slowly start getting connected to her.

I know exactly how you feel. I felt the same way for a while. I started praying the rosay every night, and I feel very attached to her. I also started giving her myself to give me to her Son so that His will be accomplished through me every morning.