Help about Mary

[RPRPsych]

I suggest you learn what the Ordinary and Universal Magisterium teaches on these matters, and what the Church Fathers teach. The Church is quite devoid of Marian devotion, in fact, compared with what it used to have less than a century ago.

As for: mediatrix of all graces, I suggest you speak very prudently, very very prudently. This title is employed by the Church Fathers, Church Doctors, and by the Holy Fathers, and there is an official Holy Mass offered (in the Missal of s. Pius V and John XXIII).

So, rather than saying stuff like “c’mon”, please, do try to adopt the humble stance of full assent and submission of mind and will that all Catholics are required to give to the Magisterium. Especially given that - as you state - you are tasked with leading a pastoral council and teaching apologetics, and must thus be imbued in perfect adherence to the Catholic faith.

A good starting point - besides of course the Church Fathers and the encyclicals on Our Lady written by the Holy Fathers I mention above - are books by St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Louis de Montfort. Prayer of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary may also bring some benefits, since it brings forth references to Our Lady from Scripture and Tradition. Finally, I understand Dr. Scott Hahn has some great books on Our Lady.

And please bear in mind what the greatest teachers, theologians, and saints have always taught in unison: to Jesus through Mary.

Pax Christi tecum

Great post.

Another good book on Our Blessed Mother is The World’s First Love by Fulton Sheen. Reading that book was a turning point for me.

 

[Abundant]

Also, mediatrix of all graces?
Does this mean: female mediator of ALL graces? So no graces can be granted except through Mary? If so, c’mon…

I want to sort this out in my mind so any help would be appreciated.

I think you have had a lot of good and supportive responses, so I am just going to add this to help you with the above question. I don’t think it means that Mary is required to be the mediatrix in order to receive a grace, however she is available and able to mediate for all graces. Make sense?

 

[CatholicRaven]

I know her place in scripture. I’m just uncomfortable with how much emphasis is on Mary in a world where God lacks the proper emphasis.

As for mediatrix of all graces, in my mind the term simply puts Us in a position where we are required to give Mary credit for Gods graces.

I know Mary said yes to God, and I’m grateful. But is her life long sacrifice greater then St. John’s, or St. Peter’s? Or St. Therese? If so… How much greater? And where is the concrete scripture/tradition for the Marian devotion?

Does God want us to love him and be devoted to him? Yes!
Does Mary?

I understand being uncomfortable about the lack of emphasis on God in our world, but I think the issue there lies not with devotion to Mary, but with a lack of devotion to God in general.

We have plenty of tradition in the Church to support devotion to Mary, and I would suggest that there are several verses in the Bible that imply it, as well. (“Honor your father and your mother,” “Hail, Full of Grace,” “All generations shall call me Blessed,” “How is it that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” etc.) Catholics are not devoted to Mary as a mere “good woman,” but as the Mother of God. That necessarily implies that Jesus, her Son, is truly God, not just a mere man. So even in her title, we see devotion and honor given to God, as well!

I do think Mary’s sacrifice was greater than other saints’. She gave everything, her whole self, her whole life, over to God when she said that, “Yes.” She didn’t understand what would happen, but she trusted Him fully. She never turned away from God, never betrayed Him, never sinned against Him. She loved Him perfectly. In watching her Son suffer His Passion, she surely suffered more than any other human being–even His closest friends could not have felt the same as His mother would have felt seeing her innocent Son suffer so terribly! As a mother myself, I cannot even imagine how she felt at the foot of the Cross–I can barely stand to watch my children get a shot at the doctor’s office because it hurts so much to see them hurt!

I think perhaps you also misunderstand what a “mediatrix” is and does. She is a type of mediator for us. Just as we can “mediate” by praying for others, and that does not mean we are the source of God’s blessing upon that person, so Mary is not the source of the graces offered to us by God. A mediator should not receive “credit” for the offer made by one party to another; they simply act as a “go-between” to help both parties reconcile; in fact, one definition of “mediator” is, “one who intervenes between two persons who are at variance, with a view to reconcile them.” Try to think of her role in that way. She helps us to reconcile our relationship with God.

And she is full of grace; she follows God’s Will perfectly, so it’s not as if God is saying, “Oops, Mary, you weren’t supposed to give My Grace to THAT guy… Oh, well, I’ll work with it.” Remember that God grants her the power to intercede for us, to “mediate” His Graces. Mary does NOTHING without God.

There seems implied in parts of your posts that there is a limited amount of love and honor we can have for God, like a pie, and that giving Mary a big slice of it lessens the amount we have available to give to God. But that’s not how real love works. Love cannot be divided–it can, however, be multiplied. And the more we honor the Mother, the more we honor her Son. (Worship, of course, is another matter, and is reserved for God only. But Mary does not want us to worship her, either.)

I’m confused by your last question. Of course Mary wants us to love God and be devoted to Him, just as she loves Him and is devoted to Him. She leads us to her Son, and as others have said, she reminds us to, “do whatever He tells you to do.”

Hope that helps somewhat.

 

[Magdalen2013]

I’m at a weird stage, I’m very confused about the Marian devotions to the point that it erks me. It bothers me that it erks me too. I’m aware of many of the fathers writings about Mary. I know her place in scripture. I’m just uncomfortable with how much emphasis is on Mary in a world where God lacks the proper emphasis.

As for mediatrix of all graces, in my mind the term simply puts Us in a position where we are required to give Mary credit for Gods graces.

I know Mary said yes to God, and I’m grateful. But is her life long sacrifice greater then St. John’s, or St. Peter’s? Or St. Therese? If so… How much greater? And where is the concrete scripture/tradition for the Marian devotion?

Does God want us to love him and be devoted to him? Yes!
Does Mary?

God picked Mary to be his spouse – she is the spouse of the Holy Spirit, and that’s one of the reasons why she is mediatrix of all graces. I think part of your problem is that you’re taking “mediatrix” to be “owner.” The word “media” means “in the middle of” – Mary is the channel through which God bestows his graces on us.

I hope you never have to watch your own child die right before your eyes. Because that is what Mary did – just because he was an adult when he died didn’t make it any easier. Her sacrifice was indeed more than any of the saints.

(By the way the word is “irks” not “erks.”)

 

[grandfather]

As for mediatrix of all graces, in my mind the term simply puts Us in a position where we are required to give Mary credit for Gods graces.

I know Mary said yes to God, and I’m grateful. But is her life long sacrifice greater then St. John’s, or St. Peter’s? Or St. Therese? If so… How much greater? And where is the concrete scripture/tradition for the Marian devotion?

Does God want us to love him and be devoted to him? Yes!
Does Mary?

God is the source of all grace. Mary mediates it.

Protestants will say scripture teaches there is only one mediator between God and man, Jesus. But everyone who prays for another person is a mediator. How do you resolve this? Jesus tells us to be in Him as He is in the Father. He says He requests entry into us, nocking at the door of the heart.

Grace comes through every sanctified soul. They are all mediators of grace.

Mary is the mediatrix of all grace, because Jesus the incarnate Lord our salvation comes though her alone.

No Mary, no Jesus.

Mary is indeed greater than Saint John. She is greater than all the saints, because God ordained it. He chose her to be His mother. Is she greater that Therese, Mother Teresa, Padre Pio, etc.? What do they say about the matter? They say they are sinners.

Read Esther. Why is that story even in the Bible? Esther prefigured Mary. Read about Solomon the wise king of Israel. His mother prevented a usurper from stealing the throne. In the royal court he put her on a throne next to Him. Mary is queen of heaven.

If you knew her you would understand.

At the time of the apparition of Lourdes there was a controversy about the Immaculate Conception. When asked who she was she said, I am the Immaculate Conception.

Similarly and recently there was a big debate if the title Mediatrix of all Grace should be declared a Marian dogma. The Vatican said it was the wrong time.

Why are these titles important? We know who people are by their titles. Jesus is King of Kings, Lord and Savior, Prince of Peace, God with Us, etc.

Recently in Aokpe in Africa she appeared to a girl named Christiana. You can see videos of the apparition on the Internet. When the beautiful woman was asked who she is she said, I am the mediatrix of all grace.

It is private revelation. You don’t have to believe it. But if it is true and you do believe it you can not only resolve your confusion, but find grace.

 

[PeterJohn]

I think you have had a lot of good and supportive responses, so I am just going to add this to help you with the above question. I don’t think it means that Mary is required to be the mediatrix in order to receive a grace, however she is available and able to mediate for all graces. Make sense?

Finally…

Your answer is the best so far. Thank you. This helps.

 

[PeterJohn]

I’ve read the gospels. I realize Mary’s role. I’ve read revelation and realize she is the woman with the child. I just can’t connect the dots. With all due respect here… If my priest tells me something, he’s just a man, if a saint writes something, that’s his or her opinion, it’s only certain creeds, and decrees by councils and popes that are ABSOLUTE truth that we must believe due to Gods promise to the church in keeping her from teaching error.
I’d like to read those documents that speak of Mary. Mary was a pure sinless human, but that’s because of Gods doing. Right? The Greek for “full of grace” leans toward meaning graced from the beginning, like from birth right?

For the record, I love Mary as our mother, the mother of our church, the mother of all those who believe in Christ. The new eve, the one who came before all of us ad who made our relationship with God possible. But this eve is not God like the new Adam is and I realize we all can mediate for one another but I believe the title mediatrix of ALL GRACES Implys that ALL GRACES, even though they are from God, go through Mary. Where is that in scripture/tradition/magisterial teaching? Please refer a document

 

[marywarfield]

I’ve read the gospels. I realize Mary’s role. I’ve read revelation and realize she is the woman with the child. I just can’t connect the dots. With all due respect here… If my priest tells me something, he’s just a man, if a saint writes something, that’s his or her opinion, it’s only certain creeds, and decrees by councils and popes that are ABSOLUTE truth that we must believe due to Gods promise to the church in keeping her from teaching error.
I’d like to read those documents that speak of Mary. Mary was a pure sinless human, but that’s because of Gods doing. Right? The Greek for “full of grace” leans toward meaning graced from the beginning, like from birth right?

For the record, I love Mary as our mother, the mother of our church, the mother of all those who believe in Christ. The new eve, the one who came before all of us ad who made our relationship with God possible. But this eve is not God like the new Adam is and I realize we all can mediate for one another but I believe the title mediatrix of ALL GRACES Implys that ALL GRACES, even though they are from God, go through Mary. Where is that in scripture/tradition/magisterial teaching? Please refer a document

Hail Mary, FULL of Grace…
Biblical and scriptural. If Mary is full of grace that
grace is not kept for herself alone or she would
not be Christian…

 

[marywarfield]

I’ve read the gospels. I realize Mary’s role. I’ve read revelation and realize she is the woman with the child. I just can’t connect the dots. With all due respect here… If my priest tells me something, he’s just a man, if a saint writes something, that’s his or her opinion, it’s only certain creeds, and decrees by councils and popes that are ABSOLUTE truth that we must believe due to Gods promise to the church in keeping her from teaching error.
I’d like to read those documents that speak of Mary. Mary was a pure sinless human, but that’s because of Gods doing. Right? The Greek for “full of grace” leans toward meaning graced from the beginning, like from birth right?

For the record, I love Mary as our mother, the mother of our church, the mother of all those who believe in Christ. The new eve, the one who came before all of us ad who made our relationship with God possible. But this eve is not God like the new Adam is and I realize we all can mediate for one another but I believe the title mediatrix of ALL GRACES Implys that ALL GRACES, even though they are from God, go through Mary. Where is that in scripture/tradition/magisterial teaching? Please refer a document

Links to Patristic statements on Mary
ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/fr90203.htm

More quotes and links from Popes plus a discussion
on exactly your difficulty and what causes it under chapter
two and the seven kinds of false devotion.
ewtn.com/library/montfort/truedevo.htm#Ch.%207

 

[grandfather]

I’ve read the gospels. I realize Mary’s role. I’ve read revelation and realize she is the woman with the child. I just can’t connect the dots. With all due respect here… If my priest tells me something, he’s just a man, if a saint writes something, that’s his or her opinion, it’s only certain creeds, and decrees by councils and popes that are ABSOLUTE truth that we must believe due to Gods promise to the church in keeping her from teaching error.

I’d like to read those documents that speak of Mary. Mary was a pure sinless human, but that’s because of Gods doing. Right? The Greek for “full of grace” leans toward meaning graced from the beginning, like from birth right?

       Sorry, I can't make the quote function work on my iPad.  There are Marian dogmas.  Look them up.  Easy.  Dogma means of the faith.  We are required to believe with religious faith Catholic dogma.

For the record, I love Mary as our mother, the mother of our church, the mother of all those who believe in Christ. The new eve, the one who came before all of us ad who made our relationship with God possible. But this eve is not God like the new Adam is and I realize we all can mediate for one another but I believe the title mediatrix of ALL GRACES Implys that ALL GRACES, even though they are from God, go through Mary. Where is that in scripture/tradition/magisterial teaching? Please refer a document

Adam and Eve are partners. She is His helpmate. He came first. The order is reversed with the new couple.

Mary mediatrix of ll grace is not dogma, yet. If you know her though, as centuries of saints do, you will understand as they do, that all grace comes to us through her hands, and Immaculate Heart.

I can not reveal here personal experience. It would only create controversy.

Nevertheless, the reason I have any faith at all is not the witness of popes. There were holy ones and scoundrels. There were the wise and foolish. I know papal history. Overall it is discouraging with some bright lights. It is the holiness, the miracles, the stigmatists, mystics, the children visionaries, the martyrs all rolled up, their witness that leads me to believe. If you study the lives of the popes and roll it all up you have a mixed bag at best. I believe what the saints whose great holiness is undeniable tell me about Our Lady. I apply it and find out for myself it is true.

 

[R_C]

Some of you people whom answered my question just wanted to fight or to lash out at me.
Thanks for that.

Humiliation is very healthy, particularly when you are not used to it, as it seems.

I’m at a weird stage, I’m very confused about the Marian devotions to the point that it erks me. It bothers me that it erks me too. I’m aware of many of the fathers writings about Mary. I know her place in scripture. I’m just uncomfortable with how much emphasis is on Mary in a world where God lacks the proper emphasis.

As for mediatrix of all graces, in my mind the term simply puts Us in a position where we are required to give Mary credit for Gods graces.

I know Mary said yes to God, and I’m grateful. But is her life long sacrifice greater then St. John’s, or St. Peter’s? Or St. Therese? If so… How much greater? And where is the concrete scripture/tradition for the Marian devotion?

Does God want us to love him and be devoted to him? Yes!
Does Mary?

Your confusion is understandable. But it erks you? This is reason for spiritual direction. Catholicism has always placed the highest emphasis on Our Lady, and this only brings greater emphasis on God:

• on the Father, who created her free of original sin and chose her among all women
• on the Son, who took flesh of her and became man in her
• on the Holy Spirit, her divine spouse, who dwells in her to the fullness

I don’t think you are as “aware of many of the fathers writings about Mary” as you ought to be. Otherwise you would not ask such an **irritating **question as: is her sacrifice greater than that of Peter? Who is Peter, next to the Mother of God?

Did Peter conceive and give birth to Christ? Did Peter see his child grow and suddenly, when God’s glory was shining on Him and He had revealed His divinity, see Him beaten, scourged, and condemned to death? Was Peter at the foot of the Cross watching his Son bleed to death? Did Peter receive His dead body in his arms? Bury Him in a tomb, He who had resuscitated the only son of a widow before her very eyes?

Was her sacrifice greater? Much greater! The Church Fathers teach that she was more than a martyr! The Popes teach that she so united herself to Christ’s work of redemption that she became “co-redemptrix”!

Alered Abbot writes:

She is our mother — the mother of our life, the mother of our incarnation, the mother of our light. She then, as mother of Christ, is the mother of our wisdom and justice, of our holiness and redemption. She is more our mother than the mother of our flesh. Our birth from her is better, for from her is born our holiness, our wisdom, our justice, our sanctification, our redemption

Sophronius, bishop, writes:

Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you. What joy could surpass this, O Virgin Mother? What grace can excel that which God has granted to you alone? What could be imagined more dazzling or more delightful? Before the miracle we witness in you, all else pales; all else is inferior when compared with the grace you have been given. All else, even what is most desirable, must take second place and enjoy a lesser importance.

The Lord is with you. Who would dare challenge you? You are God’s mother; who would not immediately defer to you and be glad to accord you a greater primacy and honor? For this reason, when I look upon the privilege you have above all creatures, I extol you with the highest praise: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you. On your account joy has not only graced men, but is also granted to the powers of heaven.

Anselm, bishop, writes:

The universe rejoices with new and indefinable loveliness. Not only does it feel the unseen presence of God himself, its Creator, it sees him openly, working and making it holy. These great blessings spring from the blessed fruit of Mary’s womb. Through the fullness of the grace that was given you, dead things rejoice in their freedom, and those in heaven are glad to be made new. Through the Son who was the glorious fruit of your virgin womb, just souls who died before his life-giving death rejoice as they are freed from captivity, and the angels are glad at the restoration of their shattered domain. Lady, full and overflowing with grace, all creation receives new life from your abundance. Virgin, blessed above all creatures, through your blessing all creation is blessed, not only creation from its Creator, but the Creator himself has been blessed by creation.

To Mary God gave his only-begotten Son, whom he loved as himself. Through Mary God made himself a Son, not different but the same, by nature Son of God and Son of Mary. The whole universe was created by God, and God was born of Mary. God created all things, and Mary gave birth to God. The God who made all things gave himself form through Mary, and thus he made his own creation. He who could create all things from nothing would not remake his ruined creation without Mary.

God, then, is the Father of the created world and Mary the mother of the re-created world. God is the Father by whom all things were given life, and Mary the mother through whom all things were given new life. For God begot the Son, through whom all things were made, and Mary gave birth to him as the Savior of the world. Without God’s Son, nothing could exist; without Mary’s Son, nothing could be redeemed.

 

[R_C]

Cyril of Alexandria, bishop, taught at the Council of Ephesus:

Because of you the holy Trinity is glorified and adored; the cross is called precious and is venerated throughout the world; the heavens exult; the angels and archangels make merry; demons are put to flight; the devil, that tempter is thrust down from heaven; the fallen race of man is taken up on high; all creatures possessed by the madness of idolatry have attained knowledge of the truth; believers receive holy baptism; the oil of gladness is poured out; the Church is established throughout the world; pagans are brought to repentance.

Because of you the light of the only-begotten Son of God has shone upon those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death; prophets pronounced the word of God; the apostles preached salvation to the Gentiles; the dead are raised to life, and kings rule by the power of the holy Trinity.

St. Bede the Venerable, priest, wrote:

She alone was chosen, and she burned with spiritual love for the son she so joyously conceived. Above all other saints, she alone could truly rejoice in Jesus, her savior, for she knew that he who was the source of eternal salvation would be born in time in her body, in one person both her own son and her Lord. Mary attributes nothing to her own merits. She refers all her greatness to the gift of the one whose essence is power and whose nature is greatness, for he fills with greatness and strength the small and the weak who believe in him. She did well to add: and holy is his name, to warn those who heard, and indeed all who would receive his words, that they must believe and call upon his name. For they too could share in everlasting holiness and true salvation according to the words of the prophet: and it will come to pass, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. By meditating upon the incarnation, our devotion is kindled, and by remembering the example of God’s Mother, we are encouraged to lead a life of virtue.

St. John Chrysostom, bishop, teaches:

Believe what we say about the Virgin, and do not hesitate to confess her to be both servant and Mother of God, both virgin and mother. She is a servant as the creature of him who was born of her; she is the Mother of God inasmuch as of her God was born in human flesh. She is a virgin because she did not conceive from the seed of man; she is a mother because she gave birth and became the mother of him who before all eternity was begotten of the Father.

She is therefore the mother of the Lord of angels and our mother; from her the Son of God received the human body in which he consented to be crucified. Do you desire to know how far the Virgin surpasses the power of heaven? Give me your attention then. They veil their faces as they hover in fear and trembling, but she offers the human race to God, and through her we receive the forgiveness of our sins. She bore him whom the angels glorified when they came with reverence to be present at his birth. Glory to God in the highest, they sang, and peace to his people on earth.

St. Bernard, Abbott, wrote:

Truly, O blessed Mother, a sword has pierced your heart. For only by passing through your heart could the sword enter the flesh of your Son. Indeed, after your Jesus–who belongs to everyone, but is especially yours–gave up his life, the cruel spear, which was not withheld from his lifeless body, tore upon his side. Clearly it did not touch his soul and could not harm him, but it did pierce your heart. For surely his soul was no longer there, but yours could not be torn away. Thus the violence of sorrow has cut through your heart, and we rightly call you more than martyr, since the effect of compassion in you has gone beyond the endurance of physical suffering.

Do not be surprised, brothers, that Mary is said to be a martyr in spirit. Let him be surprised who does not remember the words of Paul, that one of the greatest crimes of the Gentiles was that they were without love. That was far from the heart of Mary; let it be far from her servants.

Perhaps someone will say: “Had she not known before that he would not die?” Undoubtedly. “Did she not expect him to rise again at once?” Surely. “And still she grieved over her crucified Son?” Intensely. Who are you and what is the source of your wisdom that you are more surprised at the compassion of Mary than at the passion of Mary’s Son? For if he could die in body, could she not die with him in spirit? He died in body through a love greater than anyone had known. She died in spirit through a love unlike any other since his.

Who are you and what is the source of your wisdom that you are more surprised at the compassion of Mary than at the passion of Mary’s Son? For if he could die in body, could she not die with him in spirit? He dies in body through a love greater than anyone had known. She died in spirit through a love unlike any other since his.

Finally, Saint Aelred, abbot, wrote:

We owe her honor, for she is the mother of our Lord. He who fails to honor the mother clearly dishonors the son. Also, Scripture says: Honor your father and your mother.

Concerning infallible teachings of the Vicars of Christ, part of the Ordinary and Universal Magisterium, I provided already a list with links, which you may consult at your leisure. Particularly, she is honored as Mediatrix of All Graces, even if some don’t like that title because they are unable to bear that God would bestow such glory on a woman: she alone was conceived immaculate, she alone is full of grace, she alone is the channel through which all graces flow from the Head, Christ, to the Members of the Mystical Body, us. For this reason that the Church prays to Our Lady: “you alone have defeated all heresies”. For only the apostolic Faith honors the Mother as much as God wills her to be honored.

As for Scripture, re-read Revelation 12.

 

[R_C]

Even the heretic Martin Luther had this to say concerning the Blessed Virgin:

The veneration of Mary is inscribed in the very depths of the human heart.

No woman is like you. You are more than Eve or Sarah, blessed above all nobility, wisdom, and sanctity.

She is the true mother of God and bearer of God…For God and man are one person, one Christ, one Son, one Jesus.

[She is the] highest woman and the noblest gem in Christianity after Christ. …She is nobility, wisdom, and holiness personified. We can never honor her enough.

One should honor Mary as she herself wished …Mary is nothing for the sake of herself, but for the sake of Christ…Mary does not wish that we come to her, but through her to God.

It is the consolation and the superabundant goodness of God, that man is able to exult in such a treasure. Mary is his true Mother. Mary is the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of all of us even though it was Christ alone who reposed on her knees…there where he is, we ought also to be and all that he has ought to be ours, and his mother is also our mother.

Whoever possesses a good faith, says the Hail Mary without danger! Whoever is weak in faith can utter no Hail Mary without danger to his salvation. Our prayer should include the Mother of God… .What the Hail Mary says is that all glory should be given to God. We can use the Hail Mary as a meditation in which we recite what grace God has given her. Second, we should add a wish that everyone may know and respect her…He who has no faith is advised to refrain from saying the Hail Mary.

 

[PeterJohn]

I’d like to digest all this information step by step. Can someone provide me a set of things officially taught by Christs Church that I must believe in about the blessed virgin please?

I realize many holy saints wrote a great many things about Mary, but I still don’t see some of the connections they make.

God chose Mary, but where in the gospels does it say she is mediatrix of Christs graces? That’s here I’m not connecting things.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ does not include (at least to my few readings of it) Mary, being a instrumental part of the salvation process. I must repent, believe in Jesus, be baptized, confess my sins to one of the apostles(or their delegates) if and when I sin, follow the commandments, ect. Nothing about Mary besides Christ giving her to St. John (or to the Church) as mother. Ok, so my thought process says that’s Mary’s role according to he gospel, that Mary is our mother. She was an instrument of God.

Please don’t take this the wrong way but…
Many mothers see their children harmed and killed. Again, I agree with many Saints, and I honor Mary as theotokis but sometimes, i feel that there’s TO much emphasis put on Mary that it detracts from Gods due. So much that I believe Mary herself would rather we focus on God.

People say Mary leads them to Jesus, I fail to see how praying to our blessed virgin mother is better then praying to God.
And how does anyone get that the Holy Spirit is Mary’s spouse??? The Holy Spirit is God, and isn’t the Church his bride?

Please take it easy on me. I mean no disrespect. I’m scared to ask these questions to my priest because he took offense once before to some Marian questions I had. If I’m in the wrong for asking these things, then they will never be resolved within me and I will perhaps never feel at home amongst my fellow Catholics.

 

[PeterJohn]

Humiliation is very healthy, particularly when you are not used to it, as it seems.

I don’t get your point here. Is this a jab at me?

Also, with all due respect, I’m not interested in non binding writings about Mary, such as from many of our saints. I need to get to the basics of what is officially taught by Christ’s holy Church before I can expound on the theology behind Marian devotions.

 

[pianistclare]

This link may be helpful…
Mary has been given an extraordinary role in the history of salvation. In response to her special status, Catholics give Mary unequaled admiration and respect, greater than any other saint. This is a tradition often misunderstood by non-Catholics. The honor we give to Mary is not to be compared to the worship and praise we give only to Almighty God. However, Mary must not be disregarded, as she offers many graces, and mercy to all who call upon her intercession.

For more information regarding the Dogma of the Assumption and Coronation of Mary, please view the official Church document at the following link: vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-xii_apc_19501101_munificentissimus-deus_en.html

I think if you will forgive me this observation, is that folks may think that in not “getting” our devotion to Mary, you are dismissing her. I don’t think that is the case, but it kinda sounds that way. The bottom line for me is, that since God chose to create Mary sinless, in order to bring about the redemption of mankind…why in the world would I refuse to give her the due respect and love that she surely deserves? She is not a mere human being as some denominations claim, merely “used” for the work of God. God doesn’t use anyone. Not in that kind of way. God can certainly use us, but HE does not 'use" and discard. Her fiat is extraordinary for a “mere person”. to be born without the stain of Original sin? WOW. That is someone who deserves my respect and love, and is certainly someone that God must have a profound love for. Her humility and fiat makes her the new Eve.
We owe her a huge debt. If I met your mom, I would respect her as your beloved mother. Why would we say less about our Savior’s mother? Jesus was Divine and truly human. As a human man, he understands that level of human love. He spoke to John from the cross to care for and protect His mother. He loved her. We should love her. She is the mother of mankind. By virtue of her place in salvation history.
I’ll keep you in my prayers. I understand your struggle, although I have never questioned this myself, being a cradle Catholic. Please don’t take offense. It’s just that for those of us who experience her love and her intercessory prayers for us, we are so “into” it, we forget that others have their own devotions. Someday, I hope you develop the rosary as one of yours.
Peace, and many blessings to you.
Pianist

 

[PeterJohn]

Lumen Gentium
Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 21 November 1964.
Excerpts from CHAPTER VIII: OUR LADY, from sections 60-65.
Mary’s Role in the Church

This is official church teaching right? I think it is. I can defiantly get behind this.
Reading this gives me ease. The way it is spelled out here to me, is defiantly different then what I have taken from many others. This is a beautiful document and I enjoyed reading it.

There is nothing written here that states I must believe Mary is roundly involved in the distribution of ALL graces. It states that Mary is our mother too, and that she is involved in a (singular way is how it was exactly worded) way in bringing about our redemption.
I am eternally grateful to God for his love in offering us redemption and I am grateful Mary said yes. I’m thankful she cared for our Lord, and I’m sorry she had watched Our God suffer and die. I believe this document teaches that Mary is a great(the greatest) example of love towards Christ. To dishonor her would be an insult to God no doubt.

 

[PeterJohn]

Sincerely, thank you for your gentle answer. One of the best so far…

This link may be helpful…
Mary has been given an extraordinary role in the history of salvation. In response to her special status, Catholics give Mary unequaled admiration and respect, greater than any other saint. This is a tradition often misunderstood by non-Catholics. The honor we give to Mary is not to be compared to the worship and praise we give only to Almighty God. However, Mary must not be disregarded, as she offers many graces, and mercy to all who call upon her intercession.

For more information regarding the Dogma of the Assumption and Coronation of Mary, please view the official Church document at the following link: vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-xii_apc_19501101_munificentissimus-deus_en.html

I think if you will forgive me this observation, is that folks may think that in not “getting” our devotion to Mary, you are dismissing her. I don’t think that is the case, but it kinda sounds that way. The bottom line for me is, that since God chose to create Mary sinless, in order to bring about the redemption of mankind…why in the world would I refuse to give her the due respect and love that she surely deserves? She is not a mere human being as some denominations claim, merely “used” for the work of God. God doesn’t use anyone. Not in that kind of way. God can certainly use us, but HE does not 'use" and discard. Her fiat is extraordinary for a “mere person”. to be born without the stain of Original sin? WOW. That is someone who deserves my respect and love, and is certainly someone that God must have a profound love for. Her humility and fiat makes her the new Eve.
We owe her a huge debt. If I met your mom, I would respect her as your beloved mother. Why would we say less about our Savior’s mother? Jesus was Divine and truly human. As a human man, he understands that level of human love. He spoke to John from the cross to care for and protect His mother. He loved her. We should love her. She is the mother of mankind. By virtue of her place in salvation history.
I’ll keep you in my prayers. I understand your struggle, although I have never questioned this myself, being a cradle Catholic. Please don’t take offense. It’s just that for those of us who experience her love and her intercessory prayers for us, we are so “into” it, we forget that others have their own devotions. Someday, I hope you develop the rosary as one of yours.
Peace, and many blessings to you.
Pianist

 

[BluesPicker]

I had the “Mary problem” for years, too. But it all evaporated during a bible study lead by a Dominican priest.

Exorcists rely on the power of Mary against demons. Often the invocation of her name is a turning point in an exorcism. As we see in an excerpt from this interview with exorcist priest Fr. Pedro Barrajon:

   This is a very important point you have made; and yes, priests who are exorcists rely on the intersession of the Blessed Mother.  There are religious seers who help in exorcisms by supporting the priest quietly in prayer.   They see or feel the presence of the Blessed Mother who in one case offered her Immaculate Heart to the victim and the victim accepted Mary's Heart at which point they were liberated because they became full of her love of Christ and His Church.  St. Kolbe states this in this manner:

“We know that there are those possessed by the devil through who the devil thinks, speaks, acts. We want to be thus possessed by the Immaculata, and even more than that we want to be possessed without limits, so that she herself thinks, speaks, acts by means of us. We want to become the Immaculata’s possessions to such a point that there will not only remain nothing in us that does not belong to her, but that we become almost annihilated in her, changed into her, transubstantiated into her so that she herself remains… That we become hers just as she is God’s.” (Pisma, vol. II, n. 432, pp. 659-660).–Ed.

If we let Heaven live within us there is no room for the devil and his demons.  If one should become demonically possessed  but truly has Heaven alive within them,  though they may suffer greatly as did Christ, they make the devil suffer greatly and restrict evil in this world.  Also these victim souls by offering their sufferings obtain Graces of Reconciliation for lost souls bringing them into full communion with Christ and His Church.

 Divine Providence has given us a New Eve who through Love of God and His Church never fails those who appeal to the Immaculate Conception.  Mary the Mother of Christ is the straw that has broken, is breaking, and will break the back of the devil until the End of Days.

 

[R_C]

Please take it easy on me. I mean no disrespect. I’m scared to ask these questions to my priest because he took offense once before to some Marian questions I had. If I’m in the wrong for asking these things, then they will never be resolved within me and I will perhaps never feel at home amongst my fellow Catholics.

Thank you for this. Please realize that many are hurt when we see our Mother not honored as she deserves. Remember this: we are members of the body of Christ; Christ is the head of the body; “we no longer live, but Christ lives in us”; and Mary is Christ’s mother - therefore, we lover her because He loves her; and we must love her as much as He loves her. Anything less would make us less Christ-like. Anything more is…impossible, for nobody can love Our Lady more than Christ did.

with all due respect, I’m not interested in non binding writings about Mary, such as from many of our saints. I need to get to the basics of what is officially taught by Christ’s holy Church before I can expound on the theology behind Marian devotions.

I understand. I’ll post some magisterial citations later. Please note: Church Fathers and Church Doctors are amidst those saints to whom the Church looks for orthodox Christian teaching. Perhaps (some of) their writings may be “non-binding” , but they are authoritative and are not erroneous. So, for instance, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Doctor of the Church, teaches that Our Lady is a martyr in spirit. Perhaps that’s not an infallible teaching of the ordinary Magisterium, but it is not erroneous, and it is not compromising the faith. One can peacefully hold all the saints held without being concerned about such things as failing to give God the honor he deserves. The Saints could not make such a mistake. If we imitate them, we won’t either.

I’d like to digest all this information step by step. Can someone provide me a set of things officially taught by Christs Church that I must believe in about the blessed virgin please?

I realize many holy saints wrote a great many things about Mary, but I still don’t see some of the connections they make.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ does not include (at least to my few readings of it) Mary, being a instrumental part of the salvation process.

Ok, we both know sola scriptura is erroneous, gravely erroneous. We both know this - which is why you are asking a very good question: what exactly does the Church teach in a binding way. It is irrelevant whether you find those teachings fully revealed in Scripture or not. It is irrelevant whether you see the connections or not. What matters it that the Church teaches it.

i feel that there’s TO much emphasis put on Mary that it detracts from Gods due. So much that I believe Mary herself would rather we focus on God.

This train of thought is, pardon me, the produce of protestantism. It is just profoundly flawed. The following is not part of orthodox Catholicism:

• there is too much emphasis on Our Lady
• emphasis on Our Lady detracts from God’s due
• Our Lady would rather we focus on God
• praying to Our Lady is not better than praying directly to God

The first point is entirely wrong: there could never be too much emphasis on the Mother of God, for reasons that I feel incapable of expressing in words, and which at this stage you may not agree with.

The second point is flawed because it was God’s own will to place emphasis on Our Lady. She exalts God’s glory, or in her own words, her soul magnifies the Lord. The greatest evidence of this is found in the following: who desires to detract from Our Lady’s glory and decrease it? Heretics and schismatics. It has always been their point to strike down what the Church has tributed her. They, of course, are merely deceived by the devil’s own trickery. For it is written in Revelation that the devil first attempts to strike the Son, then the Woman, and then the offspring of the Woman, who are those who hold fast to the teaching of Christ. Also Our Lady and the Church are closely linked - so closely, in fact, that they are both referred to often with the same mystical images. For instance, st Paul teaches: “the heavenly Jerusalem is a free woman and she is our mother”. The Church Fathers have consistently interpreted this as a reference to both Our Lady and the Church. And so forth.

The third point is flawed because indeed Our Lady wants us to focus solely on Christ, but she is the best, most sublime channel to attain union with Christ. How can I put this? The saints compare it to our spiritual conception. She becomes our spiritual mother (obviously), and just as Christ was formed in her pure womb, so we must be spiritually formed in her. She is the most perfect teacher of faith and morals, the greatest defender of orthodoxy, the hand that always leads man to God. God commanded us to “love our Father and our Mother”. Well, we are members of the body of Christ - we are one with Christ. Christ has a Father and a Mother. God the Father, and the Blessed Virgin. With the Father and the Holy Spirit He is united as one Blessed Trinity. With the Mother, a mere woman, He is united in the Holy Spirit in a most perfect way, so that she is preserved of original sin (as Eve was, thus the name “New Eve” attributed to her), and so that she is so “full of grace” that she not only hears and keeps God’s word, but she is able to conceive and give birth to God’s living Word: the Word was made flesh. I obviously don’t expect you to have any belief on any of the countless private revelations and apparitions officially recognized by the Church as worthy of belief, where the Lord sent His Holy Mother to us as an instrument, a channel, for us to draw closer to Him, making it very clear that she has authority to dispense graces to those who ask them of her.