If a priest asks me to say "x #" of Hail Marys or Rosaries, or Mary devotions, do I have to?

[po18guy]

I know The Catholic church has never determined that, so that’s fine for Catholics, but for someone who’s believed Catholics were led astray by the devil for years, it’s important to carefully analyze all the Catholic dogmas /practices to make sure they couldn’t possibly be sinful. I’m compelled to look into the Catholic church because of new insight when reading Catholic apologetics on the Papacy/“keys” and Peter, and reading early church fathers, but I’m proceeding w/extreme caution for fear it is a devil’s trap. If the Catholic claims of having Christ’s authority to lead souls to heaven are correct, great, I’ll happily join, but it’s not so easy as saying something is sin or not sin simply because your Church says it is. Pray for me! I’ve bawled my eyes out many times asking God to please make it clear to me. Even today I bawled and even asked Mary to ask him! Yikes! Why does he not want to reveal this clearly to me? There is so much deceit in this world, and the Bible says to weigh everything carefully against scripture, so if it isn’t in scripture, it makes me nervous!:bighanky:

At the same time as you are testing the Catholic Church, you must also test that which you have been taught in your prior churches. The Catholic Church does not demonize any Christian sect - she only claims to have the fulness of God’s revealed truth. But, many denominations have seen fit to sit in judgment of the Catholic Church, claiming that she is demon-lead, the antichrist, etc etc etc. What was their authority (never mind their reasons) to make such damning pronouncements?

 

[3Sanctus]

I come from a Southern Baptist background (you know, the whole “Catholics are going to Hell, no way to avoid it” sort of background?). I think I would have had more issues with Catholic doctrine, but by the grace of God I had a very smooth transition, I just found Him and let myself fall in love with Christ all over again. I would pray for the grace to see through this issue of misunderstanding.

Additionally, check out this website:
secondexodus.com/html/catholicdefinitions/hyperdulia.htm

That page has a brief description of hyperdulia, which is the veneration due to the Mother of God, and has links to the website’s short descriptions of dulia (veneration due saints and angels) and lateria (adoration, which is due to God alone). Hopefully this will be help for you, and God will use it to guide you.

In Veneration of the Holy Mother of God and Ever-virgin Mary.
Stephen

 

[brigid12]

Yes, you can ask the priest while in confession to change your penance due to still feeling uncomfortable. He may be able to explain things to you, also.
Mary only wants to lead you to her Son. Her Son followed the 4th Commandment perfectly and will honor her in whatever way He can. By praying through her - a creature who is as close to Jesus as a creature could ever be - you are gaining a “shortcut” so to speak, to Jesus. She will take your request, your soul, to Him in the same way that a good earthly mother would intercede for her child on earth with their earthly father.

Another thing you could do that Marcus Grodi and numerous other protestant converts did at first, is to pray to Our Lord before praying any Hail Mary or Rosary or other Marian prayer for 1) forgiveness if He sees it as detracting from the worship due to only Him, and 2) for His help in availing yourself of the help of His mother in a way that is pleasing to Him.

Yes, I agree that usually the “just do it” is what Catholics need to learn to do - obedience to the Magisterium. However, I can see that in this area it might “rub” in a fully worthy way. You don’t want to give anyone the worship due only to Him, and that is written on your heart, and is not to be ignored. Where the problem lies is that Catholics don’t want you to give anyone/anything the worship due only to Him, but that the Catholic Church realizes that there is a much larger family of creatures (the Saints and Mary) to help you on your spiritual journey, than you’ve known about previously.