How can I dismiss the better parts of Protestantism?

[Kangasaur]

Could anyone comment about this? At different times in history, God seems to have specially visited His people with spiritual movements, revivals, or whatever you want to call them.
These events seem to be genuine, and beneficial.
Such events are, generally, not associated with the Catholic Church.
Why?
Also, if the Blessed Virgin is the conduit through whom all God’s graces flow, how can she be sending these Holy Spirit blessings to people who do not even acknowledge her?
I will be coming into the Church this Easter (as God allows).
It is hard to just dismiss some of the better points of Protestantism.
Any ideas on this?
Thank you.
Kelly/Kangasaur

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Dear Kelly,

First of all, when we say that Mary is the conduit through whom all graces come to us, we are referring to her giving birth to the Savior. Since she was the instrument by which God entered the human race, everything that Jesus accomplished in the past and present as the Savior has come as a result of her instrumentality. That’s all that we mean by Mary being a conduit. We don’t mean that she is God’s gofer.

Revivals often can be affairs in which people become emotionally fired up at the time and then regress into their old ways once the lights are dimmed and they go home. However, some very real conversions do take place as such events. In such cases, the power of the Holy Spirit is in evidence. God can use anyone and any situation to give us grace. He can minister through an atheist if He so chooses—and has!

When most people think of revivals, they think of events in which people accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and are thus “saved.” Catholics have a very different notion of salvation. For us salvation is a process that begins with Baptism and God’s initiative—not ours. It continues in the present as we live lives in accordance with His teaching and is only complete when we die a holy death and God welcomes us into heaven. It is past (Eph 2:8), present (Eph 1:17) and future (Gal 5:5).

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.