My heart is rejecting the Blessed Mother

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Litany of the Blessed Virgin intermirifica.org/Mary/marylitany.htm - site lists an explanation of every line in this litany, every single one of the titles listed. I haven’t gone through each and every title and verified its accuracy, but I still suspect that reading the explanations might help. 😛 👍
 
Thank you all for the suggestions. I think I will take a break from True Devotion and maybe switch to Sheen “The Worlds First Love.” I think I do need to spend more time in prayer and seek to thank Mary for all of the wonderful things in my life that she has commanded the angels to assist me with.

I do have “mommy issues” with my real life mother (abandonment and abuse issues) so maybe I just dont know how to recognize and receive a mothers love. Hopefully God will factor that in!

I just feel unfulfilled because I know Mary has so much to offer and deserves my devotion—I just have these moments of doubt and those gut reaction feelings that make me feel like I am doing Satans work for him by holding doubt. I truly feel that it is my pride that is getting in the way for some reason.

Thank you for the prayers, especially those who have been through this. It is frustrating to love, adore and follow Our Lord and yet think much less of His mother than I do of the saints. Please pray for my emotional block that through much fasting, prayer and sacrifice I may become closer to Mary.

THANK YOU and God Bless,
Jess
 
You do not seem to struggling with the same thing us former Protestants struggle with- the fear of idolatry. Instead, you seem to be struggling with an entirely different kind of spirit. One that is belittling the Blessed Mother. You are right to work hard to combat this. I would be inclined to think of it as a spiritual attack, since the devil hates Our Lady.

I recommend that you first pray the rosary, even with half-hearted honor. Mary will take your rosary and increase the love in your heart for all things godly, including her.

Second, meditate on the Immaculate Heart. Ask God to show you Mary’s Immaculate Heart. I have had inner images in my imagination as I have meditated on Mary’s Immaculate Heart. One visual image is of her heart being like transparent crystal, so that we see right through it, and we see that within her heart formed the passionate red Sacred Heart of Jesus.
 
Angels_Unaware said:
You do not seem to struggling with the same thing us former Protestants struggle with- the fear of idolatry. Instead, you seem to be struggling with an entirely different kind of spirit. One that is belittling the Blessed Mother. You are right to work hard to combat this. I would be inclined to think of it as a spiritual attack, since the devil hates Our Lady.

I recommend that you first pray the rosary, even with half-hearted honor. Mary will take your rosary and increase the love in your heart for all thing godly, including her.

Second, meditate on the Immaculate Heart. Ask God to show you Mary’s Immaculate Heart. I have had inner images in my imagination as I have meditated on Mary’s Immaculate Heart. One visual image is of her heart being like transparent crystal, so that we see right through it, and we see that within her heart formed the passionate red Sacred Heart of Jesus.
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I do agree that whatever I am struggling with continues to try to point out how “human” Mary was instead of praising her wonderful example.
I pray the rosary often although I do have difficulty meditating on the mysteries. I’m a language person so I tend to focus on literal meanings and I try to focus on what I am saying to Mary in the “Hail Mary” and I have no contention with saying that she is Blessed and asking her to pray for us/me.

However, when I do read books about how all must go through and within her and we must put all our treasures/prayers/even the Eucharist through her, I just don’t “get it.” I don’t understand why the Eucharist itself can’t just work through me Himself, and how Mary could possibly want the best for me more than my loving Heavenly Father. I don’t understand how the world was created for her and that she is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. I didn’t think we needed a “King and Queen,” only the Trinity. So yes, I do feel as if I’m dividing what attention should be devoted only to God. That’s why when I don’t understand or automatically “accept” (I don’t mean that I reject, I just don’t go "Yeah, that makes sense and automatically respect her more) these things, I feel like I am belittling and rejecting her.
I guess I view her as a “saint,” the best example of how to live a human life and one who prays incessantly for us in Heaven. I do believe that she is the Queen of the Angels and commands my Guardian Angel to protect me, intercedes for the world, etc.

Maybe as long as I truly believe these things and pray my rosary fervently, I don’t need to go deeper. Perhaps she will lead and accept my VERY child-like faith

I hope this makes sense. My faith in Jesus is unshakable, my devotion to the Eucharist is so important to me and I want to be a good Catholic and cherish the facets of our faith. Perhaps I am seeking too much before I am ready…
 
Jessica,

Are you familiar with the teaching on the Davidic Kingdom in the Old Testament? This whole teaching helped me to understand the relationship of Mary to Jesus. In every Kingdom ever established in time, where there was a King, there was also a Queen. The Old Testament has always done a fine job of foreshadowing things to come in the New Covenant. The New Covenant was not meant to replace the old, but to fulfill it, hence our New Testament Queen.

I may be skipping out on some very important details, but I know Scott Hahn does a wonderful job in unfolding this mystery deeper. I attended some apologetic talks a few years back, and the speaker administering the series used this as well. I may be able to find some notes on it if you are interested.

I struggle with it from time to time as well. I am a revert to the Church for about 11 years now. Please be patient with yourself, I know God is.

Peace,
J.A.
 
Jess, I personally don’t think that we “have to go through Mary”. For some people, I think that’s a bad way of stating a theological concept that is implied in Scripture. We do go through Mary, whether we realize it or not, but we do not have to take our eyes off of Christ.

Here, maybe this will help. Mary IS human. She is NOT divine. She is just a different kind of person than what we are used to seeing. She is a sinless person. She is who we were meant to be before the fall. And, she also represents the Church, and what we will become.

When you see her that way, then you see that she is our example of the marriage supper Jesus talks about in the gospels. It is isn’t that God needs a co-ruler. If you are seeing it that way, you are seeing a false divinized version of Mary. She is a human being who is sinless, who is a missionary, who is an advocate, and who is right now perfected. The saints are also perfected, but she was the First, and she also represents more of what is to come after this world passes away.

I actually love her role as Spouse of the Holy Spirit. She is Mother of the Son, Daughter of the Father, and Spouse of the Holy Spirit. In being His Spouse, she acts to bring the Holy Spirit to us. This is why grace comes through her, and appartions of her that cause many to convert are seen.

But in all of these things, she is just an example of what we are to be.

When you are a child, you look up at your mother, and though you are immature and undeveloped, you know someday you will be like her. She is not like us, but she is what we are to become.
 
Angels_Unaware said:
Jess, I personally don’t think that we “have to go through Mary”. For some people, I think that’s a bad way of stating a theological concept that is implied in Scripture. We do go through Mary, whether we realize it or not, but we do not have to take our eyes off of Christ.

Here, maybe this will help. Mary IS human. She is NOT divine. She is just a different kind of person than what we are used to seeing. She is a sinless person. She is who we were meant to be before the fall. And, she also represents the Church, and what we will become.

When you see her that way, then you see that she is our example of the marriage supper Jesus talks about in the gospels. It is isn’t that God needs a co-ruler. If you are seeing it that way, you are seeing a false divinized version of Mary. She is a human being who is sinless, who is a missionary, who is an advocate, and who is right now perfected. The saints are also perfected, but she was the First, and she also represents more of what is to come after this world passes away.

I actually love her role as Spouse of the Holy Spirit. She is Mother of the Son, Daughter of the Father, and Spouse of the Holy Spirit. In being His Spouse, she acts to bring the Holy Spirit to us. This is why grace comes through her, and appartions of her that cause many to convert are seen.

But in all of these things, she is just an example of what we are to be.

When you are a child, you look up at your mother, and though you are immature and undeveloped, you know someday you will be like her. She is not like us, but she is what we are to become.
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Very beautiful post—I hadn’t thought of her trifold role to the Trinity.
I’ve been reading the diaries of St. Faustina the last few hours and they have really touched me. I think I just need to read and listen to Mary’s real words and revelations instead of focusing on theological concepts—I just don’t think I’m ready for that yet.
I will look into Scott Hahn’s book on her—I always enjoy his humor and simplicity.
 
May God Bless each of you…

I to had issues with devotion to Mary. Then I read the gospels and testaments. Woman are to teach woman in faith. What better woman to teach us how to be a servant of Christ than Mary herself. I pray that she teaches me daily to reflect our lord as her own soul did, I pray that she teaches me humility so I can better be a handmaid to the lord. Do I believe she can save me? by herself no but she as the handmaiden of the lord who so perfectly reflects him in her soul leads me closer to him and teaches me as a woman how I am to respond to him. I grew up with out a mother and though I am a weak sinner who once used her blessings for iniquity it was by marys example that I was able to draw closer to the lord to become more pleasing to the lord. She teaches me how to lose myself in the lord and instead of reflecting myself in this world how to reflect our lord instead. Devotion to her in no way detracts from devotion to our lord for in devotion to her she leads you closer to him and teaches many things that as women we need to know.
 
Luther himself had a great devotion to the Most Holy Theotokos.

“True Devotion” might not be a good book for you.

I would suggest making use of the Akathistos to the Mother of God.

It’s one of the few Eastern devotions enriched with an indulgence.

Proper devotion to Our Lady can only be seen in the light of proper Christology, which this Akathist is full of.

There are many translations of the Akathist on line.
 
JessHav said:
I do agree that whatever I am struggling with continues to try to point out how “human” Mary was instead of praising her wonderful example.
I pray the rosary often although I do have difficulty meditating on the mysteries. I’m a language person so I tend to focus on literal meanings and I try to focus on what I am saying to Mary in the “Hail Mary” and I have no contention with saying that she is Blessed and asking her to pray for us/me.

However, when I do read books about how all must go through and within her and we must put all our treasures/prayers/even the Eucharist through her, I just don’t “get it.” I don’t understand why the Eucharist itself can’t just work through me Himself, and how Mary could possibly want the best for me more than my loving Heavenly Father. I don’t understand how the world was created for her and that she is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. I didn’t think we needed a “King and Queen,” only the Trinity. So yes, I do feel as if I’m dividing what attention should be devoted only to God. That’s why when I don’t understand or automatically “accept” (I don’t mean that I reject, I just don’t go "Yeah, that makes sense and automatically respect her more) these things, I feel like I am belittling and rejecting her.
I guess I view her as a “saint,” the best example of how to live a human life and one who prays incessantly for us in Heaven. I do believe that she is the Queen of the Angels and commands my Guardian Angel to protect me, intercedes for the world, etc.

Maybe as long as I truly believe these things and pray my rosary fervently, I don’t need to go deeper. Perhaps she will lead and accept my VERY child-like faith

I hope this makes sense. My faith in Jesus is unshakable, my devotion to the Eucharist is so important to me and I want to be a good Catholic and cherish the facets of our faith. Perhaps I am seeking too much before I am ready…
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Scott Hahn said he accepted all the teachings about the catholic faith after much study but he just couldn’t get the teachings about Mary. Afte thinking about it he decided well their right about 99/100 teachings. That’s pretty good. I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt. He still doubted, but having accepted the church, he bought some rosary beads and got on his knees lke catholics do. After a short time of praying the rosary he found his prayers were being answere left, right and centre. He thought , these catholics are right. Over time it became second nature to him to love and pray to Mary. The same thing will happen to you if you keep trying. It is the enemy who stirs up these doubts here. You clearly accept the church. Just trust the church. Read what the popes have to say about Mary. Christ speaks through the popes. Pray to her for lots of little specific things and watch and see if she does anything. God bless.🙂
 
kage_ar said:
True Devotion is NOT a book for everyone. It is not required reading. To me, it is similar to a love letter, it is beautiful to the person it is intended for.

I’d suggest something more along the lines of Hahn’s “Hail Holy Queen”, Manelli’s “All Generations Shall Call me Blessed”, McKnight’s " The Real Mary" or Sheen’s “The World’s First Love” or even

And, as long as you hold the dogmas on Mary, you are not requiured to have a special devotion to her. One CAN be a good Catholic and never pray a rosary.
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I agree 100%.

Saying the Rosary has allowed me to look at Jesus through her eyes, but I don’t feel a strong closeness to her. I do admire her tremendously though.

However, I don’t worry about it Forcing yourself won’t help. Just let things be.
 
For a moment I just want to address one comment in your original post…about how ordinar Mary’s life was. You see thins honestly, as a detrimental thing, and I wish for the moment to argue that the ordinary is amazing…
For a start I copied these lines from a section of my journal, but though indirectly relevant it’s just the start to a message I wanted to get across…

Saint Therese of Lisieux encourages us in our attempts towards holiness in our vocation to love and serve. Of her own response to the call, she wrote, “This desire could certainly appear daring if one were to consider how weak and imperfect I was, and how after seven years in the religious life, I am still weak and imperfect. I always feel, however, the same bold confidence of becoming a great saint because I do not count on my own merits since I have none, but I trust in God who is Virtue and Holiness. God alone, content with my weak efforts, will raise me to Himself and make me a saint, clothing me in His infinite merits. I didn’t think then that one had to suffer very much to reach sanctity, but God was not long in showing me this was so and in sending me the trials I have already mentioned.” Therese remarked that such holiness may “not be evident to the eyes of mortals.”

We draw hope from this saint of ‘the consecrated ordinary’, whom Pope John Paul 2 declared a Doctor of the Church on October 19, 1997. Many Sisters in her Carmelite community were unaware of the holiness of her ‘ordinary’ deeds of kindness, and doubted that anything worthwhile could appear in her obituary circular. I implore God for ‘everyday’ love and trust such as Therese maintained before temptations of doubt and suffering. Like her, in ordinariness made holy by union with Jesus our God who lived ‘the ordinary life’, we must become shining lights in an era when disbelief, humanism and self-absorption prevail.
 
Jesus and ordinary life

Jesus, God and man**, for most of Your life You lived amongst us in unobtrusive labour Through Your witness, we are encouraged to value the mundane tasks and events that dominate our lives.**

Let us not overlook the value and message of the silent gospel of Your years of ‘ordinary’ service, overshadowed as they are by the drama of those last three years. It is surely a powerful silent witness that You, God incarnate, spent thirty years apparently ‘marking time’ in ordinary activity…as helpless infant…as refugee…as child of a poor family…as village tradesman. Thus is the ordinary, unrecognised and unrecorded routine of our daily lives elevated and sanctified while yet in obscurity, when it is lived in accordance with divine will.

In response to Your quiet example and Your inspired Word, we desire grace to live and work lovingly amongst others, obeying Your will as expressed in our vocations and our individual natures. The brief account of Your infancy and childhood emphasises this lesson. Although at twelve You revealed Your unique nature, You returned to humble daily activity.

We observe Your favoured human Mother, in her option to reject or cooperate with divine will for her life. Her acceptance carried with it some treasured secrets, but largely the ordinary life of human motherhood and home duties commonplace in the lives of multitudes of women throughout the centuries. Surely, her faith and hope were frequently tested in remembrance of divine promise in the face of ‘ordinary’ realities. Ultimately, however, her choice led to mental and emotional martyrdom.

Jesus, along with every human, You faced the choice to employ or misuse, the life, the gifts, and the trust reposed in You. You could embrace or refuse the alluring, deceptive temptations of the devil—gaudy and dramatic with ambition, sensuality and worldliness. Rejecting these temptations, You remained faithful to the God’s will, despite hardship, disappointment and sorrow.

Following almost thirty years of humble obscurity, You began public ministry, openly teaching and exemplifying the truths of the eternal Father, and fulfilling the covenant. Even as You took up Your divine ministry, You remained loving, obedient, wise and trusting. You accepted the realities of Your humanity, not vicariously, but fully, sacrificing this humanity in the culmination of every human deprivation and suffering. Your entire being became ‘a living wound’. [Isaiah] Following annihilation in Your humanity, You resurrected, to consummate Your defeat of sin and death for humankind.

You are witness that each person must accept divine will in the realities and actualities of our personal existences as we follow You our Way to life. Jesus, grant us to shoulder our daily cross lovingly, cheerfully and creatively, regardless of how arduous or ineffectual our lives may seem to ourselves. Grant us to bear our crosses, in ordinary times and in crises, with perseverance, hope and peace, so that You may use us to open heaven to others who live within our influence. Thank You, Jesus, key of our salvation!

So, ordinary is very special…
 
…if you can call 'ordinary being visited by an archangel and being politely asked, not told, if you’d be willing to be the mother of the Saviour. So this woman whom one of the great archangels of light called “full of grace” allowed herself to be put in an intolerable position.

Mary’s culture and religion dictated by law that for a woman to be pregnant but not yet married, she faced being stoned to death. She risked the same of her parents, and of her fiance.

When her fiance found out she was pregnant he had a terrible dilemma. Would he denounce her and have her stoned to death, or would he hide her away. He decided on the latter…but just in time an angel came and told him the real, incredible truth. She’d not defended herself…she was a good but ‘ordinary’ woman and who would believe such a story anyway unless it came from God. So Joseph didn’t have to betray his religion and she didn’t get stoned or exiled.

So far, not too ordinary, this woman’s story!
Anyway, she didn’t stay home pampering herself. She found out that her cousin Elizabeth who was too old to have children was carrying a baby in her womb! Instead of remaining comfortably at home, Mary rushed to the hill country where Elizabeth lived, so she could give help and support. There was great excitement as when, through the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth’s unborn baby sensed his cousin, he knew it was the saviour and leapt for joy. Elizabeth was awed to be visited 'by the mother of my Lord" and praised Mary for her faith. Mary responded humbly and calmly, praising God. Perhaps she remained till the baby was born three months later.

In any case, shortly before her child was to be born, Joseph told her that because there was to be an official census they had to get to Bethlehem the city of his ancestors, and if any woman can guess what it’s like to travel over rough roads in the late stages of pregnancy…they may have ended up in hospital like I did with no ankles or knees from the swelling! Because Mary’s pregnancy meant slow travel, when she and Joseph arrived there was no decent accommodation left.

All there was available was an animal shelter, and Mary had to give birth to her precious son in this environment. She had to put her son in an animal food trough, and even if there weren’t any resident fleas, it was hardly a desirable place to be with a newborn child.

As if this weren’t enough, when she and Joseph got to do the Jewish equivalent of baptism, Mary was told that because of this loved baby, a sword would pierce her soul. Already, Mary had plenty of reason to be confused and to need to rely absolutely on faith in God. Nothing so far had happened that you’d associated with the birth of someone so special that He’d be the saviour. Things had been messy and uncomfortable

This wasn’t the end of trauma… news passed around that the King had heard there was an infant king born and he was determined to kill Him even if it meant killing every male child below two years old, an accordingly, he sent soldiers to murder them all. I’ve thought sometimes, how wounding and puzzling this would have been for Mary when eventually they returned from exile and she heard the stories of other mothers’ children being wrenched for their mothers’ arms and cut to pieces.
So Mary and Joseph fled as refugees to Egypt, where they didn’t know the language but Joseph had to find work somehow, to support Mary and Jesus.

When they returned after the king’s death, Joseph again was unemployed and had to create a business in a new town, Nazareth. And once again Mary had to affirm faith in God, in God’s ways…because innocent babies had died and parents had wailed and mourned…because someone wanted to kill her child. How would you bear that! What faith required to trust in God, that such things could happen in the name of the child you held tightly to you, hearing these stories.

This is only part of Mary’s story, but can you call her life ‘ordinary’ and think her insignificant. This is one very stong lady!!! And a woman of great faith! Yes, she IS relevant, this strong, humble, faithful woman of faith, witnessing to us what it means to be Christ’s first disciple
 
Again…about Mary’s place in our lives

When as a newly returned Catholic years ago I told Jesus I knew He loved and wanted me to have some relationship with His mother, but I had difficulty with it. I didn’t know how to approach her. Without intending to I wrote the following prayer. When next morning I read it, I curled up on my bed and cried.

Woman of faith, pray for us

Dear Mother Mary, you have been honoured, blessed, and gifted by God. You are our mother because in figure of John, Jesus gave us to you as your children as He hung dying on the cross. We ask you to speak to God on our behalf.

It was through your faith that Jesus first manifested His power at Cana, thus beginning His work before the appointed time. Although it concerned neither life nor death, nor eternal salvation but the human feelings of others, He granted your trusting prayer.

Such was your faith, and God’s love for you, Saint of all saints!
Therefore, we trust our prayer to Your faith in God! You see everything that we need in service of God, and all that we desire for each other. You feel the aching of our hearts and hear our longing prayers. You behold our faith, our repentance, and our love.

Stand not silently by, Mother! Our Father, your Son, and the Holy Spirit who overshadowed you and blessed you with our Saviour—They cannot refuse you!

Please give us your unfailing intercession before God so that the fullest gifts and blessings are granted to each of us. We stand humbly before you, Mother, and entreat you with our hearts, minds, and spirits…*Mother! *
 
There’s some great posts here. Mary was the humblest person, besides Jesus, who ever lived. Read her magnifiact. You will see such profound humility. No one has ever responed to Gods call and grace like her. It’s because of this great humility and endless virtue that God exalted her so high as to be queen of all the angels and saints and mother of the church. If you could make your own mother would you not make her as beautiful and sweet and virtuous as you could. Everyone would and God did this.

In the beginnings of the church there was not so much focus on Mary because it was very important to put all the focus on Jesus to get things started. This is why we don’t hear enough about her in the bible. But what we do hear is astonishing when you understand it.

Over time the church began to realise the great place and importance this woman had in the church. And has been singing her praises ever since. A woman has been exalted above all the angels. This is possibly what led to Lucifers rebellion. God revealed that a lowly human and woman would be placed above him.
We read that Jesus performed his first miracle at Cana changing the water into wine at Mary’s request. When we read this we see Mary being called the new eve as Jesus’ public life begins when he calls her woman. Another very important observation here is that Jesus changes his plans at Mary’s request. It may not be obvious at first glance but Mary is the only person who ever got God to change his plans when she got her son to begin his public life early.

She is a very special woman. She is the only creature who can get God to change his mind. This means her prayers are all powerful. She watches over all of us with the most tender concern and love for us. She is our mother. If you love her and stay close to her you are almost certain to be saved. She will not let you perish. She will speak up at your judgment.

The Little Flower was mentioned. What an extraordinary soul. Like has been said people wondered what they could say about her when she died. But her little way has helped millions and she is now a doctor of the church. She may seem to have done nothing extraordinary in her life but her superior or confessor from memory said to her once, " People talk about being possessed by the devil, but you are possessed by God." It’s not what yo do, but how much love you do it with that leads to holiness.

Mary has the most tender, loving heart man has seen. Get to know her, pray to her and you’ll see it yourself. Persevere and you will see this as almost all christians have for so, so long.

God bless you. 🙂
 
JessHav said:
Thank you all for the suggestions. I think I will take a break from True Devotion and maybe switch to Sheen “The Worlds First Love.” I think I do need to spend more time in prayer and seek to thank Mary for all of the wonderful things in my life that she has commanded the angels to assist me with.

I do have “mommy issues” with my real life mother (abandonment and abuse issues) so maybe I just dont know how to recognize and receive a mothers love. Hopefully God will factor that in!

I just feel unfulfilled because I know Mary has so much to offer and deserves my devotion—I just have these moments of doubt and those gut reaction feelings that make me feel like I am doing Satans work for him by holding doubt. I truly feel that it is my pride that is getting in the way for some reason.

Thank you for the prayers, especially those who have been through this. It is frustrating to love, adore and follow Our Lord and yet think much less of His mother than I do of the saints. Please pray for my emotional block that through much fasting, prayer and sacrifice I may become closer to Mary.

THANK YOU and God Bless,
Jess
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prayers for you hugs offer God and Mary all your efforts and they will take them the rest of the way. Also, have you thought about getting a Miraculous Medal or a scapular (brown or green scapular). I have a medal and ever since I got it I’ve been growing in devotion for Mary. God bless 🙂
 
Angels_Unaware said:
Second, meditate on the Immaculate Heart. Ask God to show you Mary’s Immaculate Heart. I have had inner images in my imagination as I have meditated on Mary’s Immaculate Heart. One visual image is of her heart being like transparent crystal, so that we see right through it, and we see that within her heart formed the passionate red Sacred Heart of Jesus.
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wow once too I got an image of Mary’s Immaculate Heart being like crystal, through which God’s graces flow to us from the Sacred Heart of Jesus. NOt saying it’s a revelation or anything!! Just one way to look at it that helped me understand that Mary fully glorifies God…it’s an interesting idea also to see souls as mirrors which are supposed to reflect God’s light, but most ‘mirrors’ are dirty and do this properly. But Mary does. 🙂

(but these are all just images and if they don’t help, better not to use them)
 
JessHav said:
I do agree that whatever I am struggling with continues to try to point out how “human” Mary was instead of praising her wonderful example.
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I’m not the type of person to see demons in everything, but they might have a role in this. Don’t think too much about this though, just focus on Our Lord and Mary. 🙂
I pray the rosary often although I do have difficulty meditating on the mysteries. I’m a language person so I tend to focus on literal meanings and I try to focus on what I am saying to Mary in the “Hail Mary” and I have no contention with saying that she is Blessed and asking her to pray for us/me.
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I’m sort of new to the Rosary, but the way I understand it is that when you’re meditating on the Mysteries you still should focus on the words of the Hail Mary… by relating them to the Mystery.

I don’t know if this makes sense though.

YOu could always also just meditate on the Mysteries separately, at first. What helped me was thinking about how Mary must have felt watching her Son be beaten and crucified, and to really go through every detail. (that we know of).
However, when I do read books about how all must go through and within her and we must put all our treasures/prayers/even the Eucharist through her, I just don’t “get it.” I don’t understand why the Eucharist itself can’t just work through me Himself, and how Mary could possibly want the best for me more than my loving Heavenly Father. I don’t understand how the world was created for her and that she is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. I didn’t think we needed a “King and Queen,” only the Trinity. So yes, I do feel as if I’m dividing what attention should be devoted only to God. That’s why when I don’t understand or automatically “accept” (I don’t mean that I reject, I just don’t go "Yeah, that makes sense and automatically respect her more) these things, I feel like I am belittling and rejecting her.
I guess I view her as a “saint,” the best example of how to live a human life and one who prays incessantly for us in Heaven. I do believe that she is the Queen of the Angels and commands my Guardian Angel to protect me, intercedes for the world, etc.
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I see what you mean… I think many people struggle with this and I did too. Here’s how I look at it… the reason we can go through Mary is not because she is more powerful than God or because God can’t reach us directly. Rather, it’s for us, not for God. See He can reach us directly. But - there are times when people think that they’ve gotten some revelation or spiritual experience etc from God but really it was from the devil…they get deceived…and sometimes that’s because of pride or seeking after such experiences, etc. When we go through Mary, it’s very safe, because going through her requires humility. …it humbles us. And because we become more humble, whatever we’re doing (prayer, worship, etc) becomes really pleasing to God. Also she takes our weak efforts and makes them beautiful for Him. 🙂 God loves us infinitely and what love Mary has for us comes from Him first. But going through Mary has certain benefits.

Also, Mary has a way of leading us very close to Jesus. Much closer that we can come to Him ourselves. It is true that in His mercy, He can lead us to Himself, on His own! Yes. He is all powerful. But would we cooperate in this process? the weakness lies in us, not in God. However, when we go to Mary, with trust and confidence, she perfects our cooperation with God’s grace, and so we are lead ever closer to Him.

Maybe I’m not saying it very well… St Louis de Montfort says it better.

But if you find this difficult to accept right now, don’t worry too much and take it step by step. First, try to develop a greater love for Our Lady. The rest will come in time 🙂 it’s up to God…whenever people are lead to a greater understanding of Mary it’s always the work of the Holy Spirit. So we can’t really ‘make ourselves’ understand anything de Montfort et al said. (we can, however, develop our devotion to her by our prayers).
Maybe as long as I truly believe these things and pray my rosary fervently, I don’t need to go deeper. Perhaps she will lead and accept my VERY child-like faith
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maybe this is what you need right now 🙂
God and Mary always honour child-like faith. I’d say that all the ideas about going through Mary are also child-like, but yea it’s something that God has to lead us to. Just start where you are, that is the best place. Praying the Rosary on its own is very powerful. Whatever you do, Mary will take it further, no worries 🙂
I hope this makes sense. My faith in Jesus is unshakable, my devotion to the Eucharist is so important to me and I want to be a good Catholic and cherish the facets of our faith. Perhaps I am seeking too much before I am ready…
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it’s oki 🙂 that’s wonderful that you have a strong faith in Jesus and in the Eucharist. Just take it step by step and let God lead you.

God bless
 
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