Mary, save me! #2

[Mintaka]

If Mary is the mother of Christ,
then Mary is the mother of the Body of Christ.*

If you are of the Body of Christ,
and Mary is the mother of the Body of Christ,
then Mary is your mother.

Nothing too hard there.

• (As well as the rest of Him, of course. Let’s not be Nestorian.)

Of course, this also means that you’re fully justified in feeling that Joseph is your stepdad, and that Jesus’ cousins are your cousins, too. So it’s not surprising that some people have had a devotion to the Holy Kindred as well as the Holy Family. I’ve seen a beautiful medieval triptych showing all the known clan (the Salomes and all) while Jesus, John the Baptist, et al were little kids. It was really a trip.

Given that every Christian who’s ever lived and ever will lived is part of the same Body as you, and given that we are all always and everywhere praying for each other, it seems a bit smallminded to worry about Mary being honored too much.

Clearly, we are all being honored too much. By God.

 

[Linkowski]

The obstacle that non-Catholics have to Marian doctrines comes from the fact that the highest form of Worship for most denominations is prayer. You are doing your upmost best if you pray, it is the single most important thing you can do to worship God. So when they see Catholics praying to anyone other than God…it is most blasphemous

The highest form of worship for Catholics is not prayer…it is the Sacrifice. Sacrifice (through the once and eternal crucifixion of our Lord Jesus re-presented in the Eucharist) is reserved for God alone. Now…if you ever see someone sacrificing to Mary…that would be Blasphemous and all devout Catholics would be greatly alarmed and quick to correct!

Prayer is for everyone…the Living on Earth and the Living (moreso than me) In Christ…

Passage 2 Thessalonians 1:11:

11With this in mind, **we constantly pray for you**, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.

Constantly pray for you…That feels really good to me. I Love that St. Paul and all the saints that have done His will throughout the ages are "constantly praying for me.

I have a couple things that I would like to address here…

1. You say something about sacrificing to Mary being blasphemy…in light of this, why are you offering spirtual sacrifices to her???

Psalms 141:2 KJV 2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Prayer is looked at as a sacrifice, praise is as well…so is thanksgiving. In this case, I have seen a lot of this going on rampantly from Catholics and the Popes.

1. I have heard this argument - and I believe that Mr. Keating uses this argument in his tracts on Catholic Answers…He cites this scripture…

James 5:16 KJV 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

The people in heaven are glorified and free from sin…so then why does Paul say this?

Philippians 1:23-24 KJV 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

He could have went to heaven and done some real good for them then!!

Oh - I wanted to add this in, too…

Immaculate Conception, Mary, my Mother.
Live in me. Act in me. Speak in and through me.
Think your thoughts in my mind. Love, through my heart.
Give me your dispositions and feelings.
Teach, lead and guide me to Jesus.
Correct, enlighten and expand my thoughts and behavior.
Possess my soul. Take over my entire personality and life.
Replace it with yourself.
Incline me to constant adoration and thanksgiving.
Pray in me and through me.
Let me live in you and keep me in this union always.
– Pope John Paul II

I do not know about you but I am in Christ, not in Mary…

For those that claim her as simply intercessor (like my friend that I ask to pray for me) I guess I have never spoken to another Christian this way before - only to God. Again - this sounds like a prayer of the Psalms only directed at one who cannot hear.

 

[water]

Immaculate Conception, Mary, my Mother.
Live in me. Act in me. Speak in and through me.
Think your thoughts in my mind. Love, through my heart.
Give me your dispositions and feelings.
Teach, lead and guide me to Jesus.
Correct, enlighten and expand my thoughts and behavior.
Possess my soul. Take over my entire personality and life.
Replace it with yourself.
Incline me to constant adoration and thanksgiving.
Pray in me and through me.
Let me live in you and keep me in this union always.
– Pope John Paul II

Thanks for the prayer - I use it tonight
Oh, sure, she can hear us very well.

If a guy down the street thinks he can lead people to Jesus, then Jesus’ Own Mother can do 100000000 times that guy could.

There are more here if anyone wants to know
motherofallpeoples.com/

 

[Linkowski]

Thanks for the prayer - I use it tonight
Oh, sure, she can hear us very well.

If a guy down the street thinks he can lead people to Jesus, then Jesus’ Own Mother can do 100000000 times that guy could.

There are more here if anyone wants to know
motherofallpeoples.com/

I do not need anyone to guide me to Jesus…I am in Christ and He is with me alway…

 

[water]

I do not need anyone to guide me to Jesus…I am in Christ and He is with me alway…

I am sorry but your statement shows a part of being ignorant towards those who have helped you know God. Would you know Christ at all if they never told you about Jesus?

Sure, your bible is your only source and who wrote the Bible?
Sure, your pastor helps you to understand the Bible when you go to his service,
Sure, when you are in trouble, you call out for help from your friends.
Sure, your parents wanted you to to church when you were a kid who knew nothing.

Think it twice before acting - it makes a man wiser and more humble.

 

[Linkowski]

I am speaking about now - I am already in Christ. That is what I wrote. Yes, someone preached the gospel to me and I was born again…BUT…I do not pray to him. We are born again throug the Spirit and by the Word of God…not through Mary.

 

[NotWorthy]

I do not need anyone to guide me to Jesus…I am in Christ and He is with me alway…

Then God Bless you, Linkowski. But please don’t question my path to Christ if He is where I’m ultimately drawn.

You see, like St. Paul, Mary leads many Catholics to Christ.

I know of numerous Catholics that began saying the rosary each day. Shortly after that, they were drawn to attending Daily Mass. In a poll I recently did of Catholics that go to Mass and say the rosary daily, about 80% said that they started the rosary first, and then they found time to attend daily Mass. One can conclude from this that praying the rosary drew them to attending daily Mass.

And most any Catholic will tell you that the Mass is the highest form of Catholic worship!

 

[water]

I am speaking about now - I am already in Christ. That is what I wrote. Yes, someone preached the gospel to me and I was born again…BUT…I do not pray to him. We are born again throug the Spirit and by the Word of God…not through Mary.

I wasn’t born again through Mary, but She is the One who brought me to Jesus.

If you are in Christ, let His Light shine brighter, will you!

 

[NotWorthy]

I am speaking about now - I am already in Christ. That is what I wrote.

That may be so, but your words were:

I do not need anyone to guide me to Jesus…I am in Christ and He is with me alway…

 

[water]

Then God Bless you, Linkowski. But please don’t question my path to Christ if He is where I’m ultimately drawn.

You see, like St. Paul, Mary leads many Catholics to Christ.

I know of numerous Catholics that began saying the rosary each day. Shortly after that, they were drawn to attending Daily Mass. In a poll I recently did of Catholics that go to Mass and say the rosary daily, about 80% said that they started the rosary first, and then they found time to attend daily Mass. One can conclude from this that praying the rosary drew them to attending daily Mass.

And most any Catholic will tell you that the Mass is the highest form of Catholic worship!

You can say that again NotWorthy.
I had started out 10 Hail Mary’s per day because I was obeying my Mom. Now I look back, my simple obedience to my mom has brought me to daily rosary and daily Mass …plus daily Bible study.

 

[Linkowski]

HELLO…IS ANYONE OUT THERE…

I said - I am already in Christ…THEREFORE…I do not need anyone at the present time to guide me to Him. Ughh.

 

[NotWorthy]

You can say that again NotWorthy.
I had started out 10 Hail Mary’s per day because I was obeying my Mom. Now I look back, my simple obedience to my mom has brought me to daily rosary and daily Mass …plus daily Bible study.

Thanks. The practice of Lent also helped me.

I started a daily rosary as a Lenten devotion. At the end of Lent, I wondered, “Why should I stop now?” The next year, one rosary became two. The next year, I added one daily Mass per week. The following year brought another daily mass per week.

And at the end of each Easter, all I could wonder is why should I stop a good thing like that.

God Bless the Catholic Church for leading me down this path!!!

 

[NotWorthy]

HELLO…IS ANYONE OUT THERE…

I said - I am already in Christ…THEREFORE…I do not need anyone at the present time to guide me to Him. Ughh.

Easy Link! We’re all Christians here, and “they’ll know we are Christians by our love”, right?

If I misunderstood your words, my apologies. But if you think that since you are in Christ, then your way is the ONLY WAY, you may want to step back and study Christ’s teachings on humility, there.

 

[water]

Thanks. The practice of Lent also helped me.

I started a daily rosary as a Lenten devotion. At the end of Lent, I wondered, “Why should I stop now?” The next year, one rosary became two. The next year, I added one daily Mass per week. The following year brought another daily mass per week.

And at the end of each Easter, all I could wonder is why should I stop a good thing like that.

God Bless the Catholic Church for leading me down this path!!!

“Do this in memory of Me” - Where can we go to do this?
At a Catholic Church.

 

[water]

Easy Link! We’re all Christians here, and “they’ll know we are Christians by our love”, right?

If I misunderstood your words, my apologies. But if you think that since you are in Christ, then your way is the ONLY WAY, you may want to step back and study Christ’s teachings on humility, there.

One of the most things that Jesus shows us is humility - those who follow Jesus wholeheartedly will reflect just that.

 

[Subrosa]

I wasn’t born again through Mary, but She is the One who brought me to Jesus.

If you are in Christ, let His Light shine brighter, will you!

You are absolutely correct, you were not born again through Mary. Jesus is the only one that can come close to that.

Sub

 

[Subrosa]

I am speaking about now - I am already in Christ. That is what I wrote. Yes, someone preached the gospel to me and I was born again…BUT…I do not pray to him. We are born again throug the Spirit and by the Word of God…not through Mary.

You are absolutely correct, you were not born again through Mary. Jesus is the only one that can come close to that.

Sub

 

[Jennifer_J]

HELLO…IS ANYONE OUT THERE…

I said - I am already in Christ…THEREFORE…I do not need anyone at the present time to guide me to Him. Ughh.

Perhaps you don’t need “guided” to Him, but perhaps you could come to know Him better and who better to do this, than Mary. Praying the rosary while meditating on the life of Jesus can lead you closer to Jesus and can help you form a relationship with Jesus. Asking Mary to take your petitions to her Son makes you feel closer to both. I certainly don’t worship Mary, but I do recognize that she was very close to Jesus, that she stayed by his side during all the difficult times and that she never stopped loving Jesus. It behooves me to do no less…

Jennifer

 

[Lillith]

I have a couple things that I would like to address here…

1. You say something about sacrificing to Mary being blasphemy…in light of this, why are you offering spirtual sacrifices to her???

Psalms 141:2 KJV 2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Amen! But this verse actually proves MY point…

Again…you refuse to read, and refuse to understand. Incense was used as a sacrifice to God almighty and only Him in the Old Covenent…In the New Covenent we have the once and eternal Sacrifice of Jesus…re-presented in the Eucharist. Your prayer is not a sacrafice Linkowsky…to pray means simply to ask…no sacrifice in asking.

Prayer is looked at as a sacrifice,

Where did you get this idea? Again…asking is not sacrifice…it is something we do in our time of need…Sacrifice is giving up to God…

1. I have heard this argument - and I believe that Mr. Keating uses this argument in his tracts on Catholic Answers…He cites this scripture…

James 5:16 KJV 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

This is not an argument. It is pure truth. Praying is asking…there is nothing sacrificial in asking. We are in need of help when we pray…Were is the sacrifice? BTW…I got this Gem from Scott Hahn…

The people in heaven are glorified and free from sin…so then why does Paul say this?

Philippians 1:23-24 KJV 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

This is most confusing…you writing this…Do you think that people in Heaven are NOT glorified and free from sin? What does your comment above really mean??? (the one I emboldened)

Passage Revelation 21:27:
27Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

The people are glorified and free from sin.

One Apostle…made it to the foot of the cross…the rest ran in fear for their own lives…save one, and he was the one holding Mary’s hand.

 

[Linkowski]

Amen! But this verse actually proves MY point…

Again…you refuse to read, and refuse to understand. Incense was used as a sacrifice to God almighty and only Him in the Old Covenent…In the New Covenent we have the once and eternal Sacrifice of Jesus…re-presented in the Eucharist. Your prayer is not a sacrafice Linkowsky…to pray means simply to ask…no sacrifice in asking.

Where did you get this idea? Again…asking is not sacrifice…it is something we do in our time of need…Sacrifice is giving up to God…

This is not an argument. It is pure truth. Praying is asking…there is nothing sacrificial in asking. We are in need of help when we pray…Were is the sacrifice? BTW…I got this Gem from Scott Hahn…

This is most confusing…you writing this…Do you think that people in Heaven are NOT glorified and free from sin? What does your comment above really mean??? (the one I emboldened)

Passage Revelation 21:27:
27Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

The people are glorified and free from sin.

One Apostle…made it to the foot of the cross…the rest ran in fear for their own lives…save one, and he was the one holding Mary’s hand.

1. Prayer is taking the place of incense in Psalm 141:2 - Praying without ceasing as is says in 1 Thes 5:17 takes the notion of the continual offering of incense in the OT Tabernacle. It is a spiritual sacrifice…

1Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Prayer is one of them…

Also, in this prayer, the Pope says…

…“Possess my soul. Take over my entire personality and life.
Replace it with yourself.”…

– Pope John Paul II

If this is not a sacrificing, I am not sure what is…

1. Paul was saying in this scripture…

Php 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

He said it was better for the people that he was ministering that he stay and not go to heaven…there is never any mention of anyone giving command for anyone to pray to anyone other than God.

But clearly…the Pope was offering sacrifice of his whole self to her…clearly causes much confusion.