Explaining the Blessed Virgin Mary with love

[water]

I just finished the book “Hail, Holy Queen” - a great book - and here is the favorite sentence from Dr Scott Hahn:

When it comes to explaining the Blessed Virgin Mary, having a lot of love is more important than having a lot of answers. When we come up lacking, she’ll make greater goods out of our deficiencies, as only a mother can do. Whenever we’re humiliated and shown our weakness, we should get ready for something better than we could ever plan and prepare to accomplish.

I don’t think I have got to the level where I could explain about Blessed Virgin Mary with lot of love. I remember about a year ago when the first time I got asked about the Rosary, my heart was pounding so fast and I wasn’t at peace at all.

How do you handle it when someone approaches you with questions about our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary that seems to be more attacking? I am using the word “seem” to indicate that it could be my judging about the person who might ask with sincere questions and not attacking.

Thanks!

 

[PBP]

I explain the rosary as if Mary were my personal tour guide. By walking with her and looking at the different events in the life of Jesus, she can point out things to me I may have not learned had I not elected to take the guided tour.

 

[water]

I explain the rosary as if Mary were my personal tour guide. By walking with her and looking at the different events in the life of Jesus, she can point out things to me I may have not learned had I not elected to take the guided tour.

ah! as we pray the Rosary, we are with Her.

 

[puzzleannie]

what I am saying is true of Catholics, in my experience, so I don’t want to apply it to non-Catholics, but I have noticed that when someone expresses extreme disdain toward devotion to Our Lady, and criticizes those (usually older Catholics with a simple faith) for that devotion, they invariable in later conversations reveal a dysfunction in their relationship with their own earthly mother.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Many Catholics feel that it is their obligation to defend the Blessed Mother and their devotion to her.

DONT!

The Blessed Mother doesn’t need our defense, we need hers.

If your devotion is out of love for the Blessed Mother, there should be no lack of peace in explaining it, and if attacked, you won’t go on the defensive, because you know the graces the devotion gives you.

Jim

 

[thistle]

I just finished the book “Hail, Holy Queen” - a great book - and here is the favorite sentence from Dr Scott Hahn:

I don’t think I have got to the level where I could explain about Blessed Virgin Mary with lot of love. I remember about a year ago when the first time I got asked about the Rosary, my heart was pounding so fast and I wasn’t at peace at all.

How do you handle it when someone approaches you with questions about our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary that seems to be more attacking? I am using the word “seem” to indicate that it could be my judging about the person who might ask with sincere questions and not attacking.

Thanks!

There is a great book by Bishop Fulton Sheen called The World’s First Love, Mary, Mother of God.

 

[water]

what I am saying is true of Catholics, in my experience, so I don’t want to apply it to non-Catholics, but I have noticed that when someone expresses extreme disdain toward devotion to Our Lady, and criticizes those (usually older Catholics with a simple faith) for that devotion, they invariable in later conversations reveal a dysfunction in their relationship with their own earthly mother.

I love my grandmother. She used to sit on her bed praying the Rosary all afternoon. She had such a happy death. I wish I could have understood more the meaning of the Rosary when I was still with her back in my country.

Many Catholics feel that it is their obligation to defend the Blessed Mother and their devotion to her.

DONT!

The Blessed Mother doesn’t need our defense, we need hers.

If your devotion is out of love for the Blessed Mother, there should be no lack of peace in explaining it, and if attacked, you won’t go on the defensive, because you know the graces the devotion gives you.
Jim

Thanks for your advice, Jim. I think that for some, they could defend when someone is misguided. For some, they don’t. But all should need Her. Over the past year, I’ve been learning not to go into much debate over Blessed Virgin Mary. It helps me more that way.

There is a great book by Bishop Fulton Sheen called The World’s First Love, Mary, Mother of God.

I’ll check that out, thistle. Is it easy to read? I have problem understanding if the words are not simple enough.

 

[Della]

When people ask questions of the “so how many times a day do you beat your wife” variety regarding the Blessed Virgin (or any other teaching of the Church) the best thing to do is to ask the person in return: “Why do you thing we Catholics believe such and such?” instead of getting all worked up over the tone of the question. The ball is then in the other person’s court and it gives you time to send up a quick prayer for grace and peace.

That’s how I handle such questions, anyway and even if the person decides to drop it then and there, I have shown charity and given them something to think about, as well. I didn’t come up with this on my own, mind. It’s something I learned from reading about one of the Saints and how he approached such dilemmas. (Having a senior moment here, and can’t recall the Saint’s name ).

 

[InLight247]

When I explain to someone about Rosary, especially to Protestants, I usually say this fact:

Rosary is the devotion to reflect on Jesus’ life, from conception to resurrection.
Every passage we pray is based on actual Bible verses. It includes the Lord’s prayer, the Creed,
the Glory Be, and Hail Mary. Hail Mary is found in Luke. The only thing we add is to ask Mary,
the mother of God to pray for us. We ask for her intercession as I ask you to pray for me.

Point out the Bible verses to do with the mysteries, if so they request. Explain it in a non-defensive way because there is nothing needs to be defended.

But I find, most Protestants, even they see the proof of Sola Scriptura, they will still hold onto their pre-conceived notion. No matter how many times you tell them that we don’t worship Mary, they come back to say “You worship Mary.” At least that is to some of my experiences.

 

[Archus]

Whenever it comes to explaining our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, I do think that, no matter what we say under whatever circumstance (either the Rosary, Mary herself, Immaculate Heart etc.), we should say one thing simply, and with our entire heart, rather than rattling off a dissertation that is formed in the mind, and not in the soul.

Basically, when I may get asked on the Rosary, I will take a leaf out of JP the Great and say that “The Rosary is nothing more than to contemplate with Mary the face of Christ”.

You can’t get much more defined, methinks.

But when it comes to Mary in general, regardless of her application, puts thinking hand under chin, we should say that she is our mother, and when we are with Christ and in Christ, even if we are out of His grace by sin, that is just as real as our earthly mothers (or ‘real’ mothers, one might say. Remember them, everyone, they’re awesome!). Then I think that after realising that reality, we shouldn’t just say how great/beautiful/wonderful she is, but, like Christ, remember what she did for us, or is willing to do.

From my experiences with Mary, I have always garnered the impression that, provided we think of her, and love her like a Mother, she will think and love us as her children. Of course, being in a state of grace and praying the Rosary will confirm this, but in times of Mortal sin and despair we should keep the same mentality, because she will not abandon us because we chose darkness.

The second thing is following that first thought, she will literally go through Hell for us. If we cry out her name, she will come through Hell and high water to our aid. I remember one time in Lab, my partner made some quip about Mary, and I just stared at him and said, “You really don’t know what she’ll do for us, do you?”

She went through an unimaginable bout of suffering through her Son’s passion, and hence the litany of the seven sorrows, and she will go through the same with us.

I tend to ramble, but I think it got the point across

 

[thistle]

I love my grandmother. She used to sit on her bed praying the Rosary all afternoon. She had such a happy death. I wish I could have understood more the meaning of the Rosary when I was still with her back in my country.

Thanks for your advice, Jim. I think that for some, they could defend when someone is misguided. For some, they don’t. But all should need Her. Over the past year, I’ve been learning not to go into much debate over Blessed Virgin Mary. It helps me more that way.

**I’ll check that out, thistle. Is it easy to read? I have problem understanding if the words are not simple enough./**QUOTE]

Sheen was an excellent communicator so I think you’ll find it okay. Its also acknowledged as one of the better books about Mary.