May I please ask you?

[7_Sorrows]

When I was converting and we began learning about Mary I had trouble understanding Immaculate Conception. I thought it referred to Jesus being conceived and then learned Mary was the Immaculate Conception. I might have briefly struggled with that teaching, but later after I became Catholic and learned more, I accepted the teaching.
I can remember the woman who was doing the one on one conversion
weekly study with me and when she referred to Mary as the Ark I almost laughed. I had never heard anything so silly. Again after becoming Catholic and reading and learning more I see the brilliance of Mary being the new Ark. It makes perfect sense and also helped me understand the Immaculate Conception better.

 

[SAVINGRACE]

Before I converted I had “mama mary” issues. Yes, it was bad! Even though she was directly involved in my conversion I still had a problem with her.

After much prayer, reading and relentless questioning of the local priest and almost every Catholic I knew, I was still unconvinced. Then I opened my emails and a friend had sent me the video below, I played it and three quarters through all my doubts evaporated.

youtube.com/watch?v=kUdYeYy3NQA

 

[7_Sorrows]

Before I converted I had “mama mary” issues. Yes, it was bad! Even though she was directly involved in my conversion I still had a problem with her.

After much prayer, reading and relentless questioning of the local priest and almost every Catholic I knew, I was still unconvinced. Then I opened my emails and a friend had sent me the video below, I played it and three quarters through all my doubts evaporated.

youtube.com/watch?v=kUdYeYy3NQA

Thanks for the link you posted!

 

[spedteacherita]

what reasons are there, if any, to reject the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, Mary’s Perpetual Virginity, her being the Mother of God or her Queenship?

how can we justify not honoring Mary in every way when Jesus was obedient to her and she was honored as Jesus’ Mother?

maybe those questions are just another way of asking what bugs someone about the marian doctrines?

these are sincere questions as I know of no reasons to reject these doctrines?

I understand what you are saying…I just don’t see anything in Scripture and in the earliest Church Fathers writings. I know that there is more in the later ones but why not in the earliest ones? Still struggling…

 

[SAVINGRACE]

Thanks for the link you posted!

You’re welcome.

 

[JonNC]

Before I am chastised by my upcoming answer, I need to tell you that I have printed out all of the great responses my caring Catholic friends have posted in answer to my questions and those of others. I am carefully studying books written by both Catholics and Protestants and have yet to come to a conclusion as to whether I can accept the doctrines developed by Catholics about her as Ever Virgin, Queen of Heaven, and as someone to whom I should make prayers and requests.

These are difficult for one who has grown up in the Protestant faith and I want to be careful to understand and to prayerfully bring it before my Lord and God for true wisdom and knowledge with this.

Hi Rita,
The one of these that should be fairly easy for the typical Lutheran is the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Why? Because it is mentioned in the Lutheran Confessions.

24 On account of this personal union and communion of the natures, Mary, the most blessed Virgin, bore not a mere man, but, as the angel [Gabriel] testifies, such a man as is truly the Son of the most high God, who showed His divine majesty even in His mother’s womb, inasmuch as He was born of a virgin, with her virginity inviolate. **Therefore she is truly the mother of God, and nevertheless remained a virgin. **

bookofconcord.org/sd-person.php

Luther seemed to have little difficulty with Queen of Heaven, though I don’t think he placed much importance in it as a belief.
As for invocation of the saints, the confessions state that it has to do with faith.

But since neither a command, nor a promise, nor an example can be produced from the Scriptures concerning the invocation of saints, it follows that conscience can have nothing concerning this invocation that is certain. And since prayer ought to be made from faith, how do we know that God approves this invocation? Whence do we know without the testimony of Scripture that the saints perceive the prayers of each one?

It seems to me that if you have faith enough in the idea that, without a command, promise, or example from scripture, that this is indeed what we should, or at least can do, then I personally sense some Christian liberty here. Further, Luke 15 seems to support the idea that the saints in Heaven know of the affairs on Earth:
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Rejoicing in Heaven. If not by the saints, then by whom?

Jon

 

[spedteacherita]

Hi Rita,
The one of these that should be fairly easy for the typical Lutheran is the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Why? Because it is mentioned in the Lutheran Confessions.

bookofconcord.org/sd-person.php

Luther seemed to have little difficulty with Queen of Heaven, though I don’t think he placed much importance in it as a belief.
As for invocation of the saints, the confessions state that it has to do with faith.

It seems to me that if you have faith enough in the idea that, without a command, promise, or example from scripture, that this is indeed what we should, or at least can do, then I personally sense some Christian liberty here. Further, Luke 15 seems to support the idea that the saints in Heaven know of the affairs on Earth:
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
Rejoicing in Heaven. If not by the saints, then by whom?

Jon

Thanks, Jon. I will add this to my study material…I’ve never heard or read anything like this within my seminary or apologist friends. I think Jesus will return before I can learn all of this.

 

[friardchips]

The Eastern Orthodox, and St. Thomas Aquinas, have reservations about the Immaculate Conception.

Uh?!..

Unfortunately, St. Thomas Aquinas was born in 1225.

Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette in the 1800s sharing certification of this truth!

 

[Tomdstone]

Uh?!..

Unfortunately, St. Thomas Aquinas was born in 1225.

Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette in the 1800s sharing certification of this truth!

What does 1225 have to do with anything. St. Thomas Aquinas said that Mary was sanctified before her birth, and so never committed personal sin, but he did not say that she was sanctified from the moment of conception.

 

[friardchips]

What does 1225 have to do with anything. St. Thomas Aquinas said that Mary was sanctified before her birth, and so never committed personal sin, but he did not say that she was sanctified from the moment of conception.

Because if the renound saint had been alive after the Immaculate Conception was revealed to the Church he may have had a slight advantage in insight in order to then rethink his position. I doubt he would have gone against the Church. As a rule, this is not something saints did!

 

[SyroMalankara]

What does 1225 have to do with anything. St. Thomas Aquinas said that Mary was sanctified before her birth, and so never committed personal sin, but he did not say that she was sanctified from the moment of conception.

It was a valid theologumena (as the Greeks say) before the Church’s clarification. Just as it would be ok for St. Jerome to academically disagree with including certain books in the Bible, but when decided by the Church he did as he was told and did so graciously.