How does devotion to Mary differ between men and women?

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YehoiakhinEx232

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Hi, as some people here know, I really love Mary and have a huge devotion to her. I’m curious, how does devotion to Mary differ between men and women? Does anyone have any personal experience with this? What is your take on male vs female devotion to Mary?
 
Good question. Personally, I don’t care much for the Rosary. My Mom loves it and made us say it every day 😵 I told her it was a prayer “only a mother could love “. I’ll join in occasionally though. As a guy, I just relate more to Jesus. However, when times are bad and the chips are down I’d still yell , “Help me Mommy!” 😉
 
Hm, well, I think men can see her as a role model as well, being sinless and all.
Of course, it all leads back to Christ.
If you don’t pray the rosary, does that mean you don’t believe in Fatima or other apparitions?
As a man, I know how powerful a weapon the Rosary can be (ok, I say that, but I may not know the limits of its power, but I do know it is powerful enough to keep me from mortal sin and against evil!)
 
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In my experience, there aren’t that many men who venerate Mary at my parish. But one of the most ardent admirers of Our Lady of Guadelupe is a dude. His wife has a very strong devotion to her. So, I think, if the person’s wife or mother has a strong devotion to Our Lady, then he’s more likely to follow suit.
 
Yeah, that’s one of the things I struggle with in my devotion to her, I do feel kind of awkward imitating her with her being a woman. Although this may have more to do with the surrounding gender-confused culture than simply her being a woman and me being a man, as all she did was say “yes” to God and remained faithful to that fiat.
 
Even as a woman, when I can’t just immitate her I have no problem just worshipping her. When I do Jesus is also there very pleased. Yes I do have visions of Him being pleased.
The gender swamp has been confusing me too. As in one man created me. Hm… so I have a man inside me? Ok this is tough but so is my will to burn and scatter this temptation. It is as it is. Our science and art will all end, St Paul said so and he knew, and only God will remain. And He is a he and I am His daughter. It is as it is. Even if I can’t fill in all the dots in between.
 
I see Mary more as a loving, protective mom than a role model. I am not sinless, nor a virgin, nor a mom, so apart from things like Mary saying “yes” to God, it is a bit difficult for me to see myself as emulating her. That’s not to say she isn’t wonderful and admirable, just that for a “role model” I would pick somebody with a more active, less family-oriented life. I can relate better to the Apostles going off to preach but relying on Mary as the mother figure to give them support and encouragement. I can also see myself as a child who turns to Mary with my fears and hopes or when I need protection or want to talk about my problems with a mother who is older and wiser than me.

It seems like men either relate to Mary as a mom figure, or else (especially in the case of some priests and male religious) they see her as the gracious, perfect lady for whom they can go off and be a “knight”. Like St. Maximilian and the Militia Immaculata. Or, as someone else said, married men can be encouraged to pray the rosary by their wives. I think that was how my dad got into saying the rosary a lot - he was a convert and my mom was really into saying the rosary, so he adopted the habit by following her lead.
 
I’ve always been very close to my mother, so Marian devotions are kind of cool to me. I’m not sure how I differ than women and them, since personality-wise, and I’m not ashamed to admit this, I tend to be much closer to feminine.
 
The Rosary is pretty big in my family. If you were to see me pray, you’d hear a lot more Our Fathers and Glory Bes than Hail Marys.
 
You’d have to ask individual men and women. Generalities are never really fruitful in a discussion.
 
I have never in my life worshipped the Virgin Mary, I only worship God. I have venerated the Blessed Virgin, and I have great respect for her, because she is the mother of God. But only God is to be worshipped in the modern sense of the word.
 
Hence the suggestion for a re-wording!

I don’t want our Protestant forum-mates to come away with the wrong impression…
 
I can’t say that I see a difference between men and women’s relationship with the virgin Mary, Mother of God but more if they are for example Spanish or Polish speakers compared to English or Germanic language speakers.
 
Is the relationship between a son and his mother substantially different from the relationship between a daughter and her mother? Perhaps there might be some minor differences in emphasis, but essentially the relationship is the same.

As for myself and my relationship with Mary, she is my mother, I love her, I ask her for help and I go to her when I am in need of comfort.
 
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HeDa said:
more if they are for example Spanish or Polish speakers compared to English or Germanic language speakers.
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Irish Catholic men speak English and I guarantee you that many of them love Mary a lot.

Certain cultures traditionally have a greater devotion to Mary as part of the culture.
 
To be honest I don’t even own a rosary and the Catholic Church I go to has the smallest Mary and baby Jesus statue on the side which even non Catholic can accept. We even only say one Hail Mary on Sunday and none on midweek masses. Personally being involved in the charismatic Catholics before I converted to become a Catholic I do find the rosary set prayers tedious. Personally I prefer just to speak to Mary personally. If I visit my best friends house I always say hello and goodbye and smile at his mother to give her honour and I suppose that’s the way I approach Mary. Some say it’s not Catholic enough but it’s a thin line between honour and worship.
 
True. I also find solace in the fact her Son pleads at the Father’s right hand.
 
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