Question about Fatima & Immaculate Heart

[TaliaHudspeth]

I was not raised as a Catholic - I am a Southern Baptist who is studying the Catholic faith and have been for the past 4 years. My last “stumbling block” so to speak before I enroll in an RCIA program is certain things that came out of Marian apparitions.

Any help/clarification you can provide me would be greatly appreciated - either here or privately.

1. When Mary says things are to be consecrated to her “Immaculate Heart,” what does that mean?
2. When Mary says God is giving her something (Russia, etc.) what does that mean?
3. What does Mary’s role as Advocate mean?

I am just confused because the language sounds as if Mary is being elevated above Jesus and that saving power is being put into her hands. I understand and appreciate venerating Mary as the Mother of God, but some of the language of the apparition appearances seem to put her into deity status.

Please help!

In Christ,

Talia

 

[rwoehmke]

Not a Deity, but the Queen Mother of King Jesus, the last of the Davidic Kings. If one reads in Scripture about the Kings of Judea from David onward there is often a Queen Mother mentioned by name for each King. Some of them had more than one wife, so no wife was ever Queen while the King reigned. If one of the wive’s sons became King his mother was elevated to the position of Queen Mother. The position carried a lot of clout. Frequently seated at the right hand of the King they had a powerful influence on favors and requests granted by the King. Just so we Catholics believe Mary carries a lot of clout with her son the King and is very instrumental in the graces and helps we are granted by Him whose death won for us freedom from sin and death, no longer slaves, but His people.

 

[CatholicCorgis]

Sometimes it is the language used when we speak of Our Lady that confuses some people.
I was christened Catholic, went to parochial school for 12 years. My great aunts also took me to Presbyterian Sunday School and services after Sunday Mass. In the late 50’s and early 60’s, a kid could really get confused! Luckily, Jesus was at the center of both Churches, and I grew up appreciating both, knowing Jesus as my Savior at an early age. The Blessed Mother was always looked upon as holy because God chose her. It was good to ask her to pray for/with you. Even my Presby aunts felt asking her to pray with you was Scriptural…because where two or more agree in prayer, Jesus is there.
I left the Catholic Church, attended a Pentecostal, then Southern Baptist Church. I just recently made the journey back to the Catholic Church. All along in my journey I said my Rosary, and felt Our Lady was with me. I have tried to educate my friends who were not Catholic about Mary. Most times their confusion was because of how Mary was explained to them by others…even some Catholics give the impression they “worship” Mary.
My godmother dedicated me to the Immaculate Heart, since I was born on the 8th of Dec. To me it means that Mary watches over me, even when I “forget” her…
I had to decide to trust God that He was the One guiding me to return to Catholicism. So my issues with the Immaculate Conception, and the Immaculate Heart were just left to Him. I kept finding little “answers” here and there…like catching a Fr. John Corapi’s explaination of Immaculate Conception. On an EWTN Journey Home program there was a man who had the same issues I had…his resolutions helped me reach mine.
Sorry this is so long, but I guess I’ve seen both sides of the fence, and my love for Christ and the Eucharist was stronger than my “questions” my mind had. In my heart I knew I belonged back in the Catholic Church.

Peace be with you! Trust the Father! He will help you make the right decision for you.

CatholicCorgis

 

[lak611]

I was not raised as a Catholic - I am a Southern Baptist who is studying the Catholic faith and have been for the past 4 years. My last “stumbling block” so to speak before I enroll in an RCIA program is certain things that came out of Marian apparitions.

Any help/clarification you can provide me would be greatly appreciated - either here or privately.

1. When Mary says things are to be consecrated to her “Immaculate Heart,” what does that mean?
2. When Mary says God is giving her something (Russia, etc.) what does that mean?
3. What does Mary’s role as Advocate mean?

I am just confused because the language sounds as if Mary is being elevated above Jesus and that saving power is being put into her hands. I understand and appreciate venerating Mary as the Mother of God, but some of the language of the apparition appearances seem to put her into deity status.

Please help!

In Christ,

Talia

Approved apparitions are still private revelation. Catholics do not have to believe them. You can be a Catholic without needing to worry about any private revelations.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

I was not raised as a Catholic - I am a Southern Baptist who is studying the Catholic faith and have been for the past 4 years. My last “stumbling block” so to speak before I enroll in an RCIA program is certain things that came out of Marian apparitions.

Any help/clarification you can provide me would be greatly appreciated - either here or privately.

1. When Mary says things are to be consecrated to her “Immaculate Heart,” what does that mean?
2. When Mary says God is giving her something (Russia, etc.) what does that mean?
3. What does Mary’s role as Advocate mean?

I am just confused because the language sounds as if Mary is being elevated above Jesus and that saving power is being put into her hands. I understand and appreciate venerating Mary as the Mother of God, but some of the language of the apparition appearances seem to put her into deity status.

Please help!

In Christ,

Talia

1. Consecration is dedicating or entrusting that person (or place) to Mary under that title. We believe that is what God wants; Mary is just the messenger.

Remember the verse “a righteous man availeth much”? Mary is beyond righteous, she is without any sin. Her heart is pure and is God’s and God’s alone from the moment of conception.

At the wedding at Cana when they ran out of wine she prompted her Son to perform his first public miracle. He didn’t have to (many believe Jesus rebukes her; this is not a Catholic understanding) but He responds to her prompting. So we know that Mary’s intercession before her Son is very powerful.

1. Giving her Russia means she will be interceding for Russia in a powerful way for the conversion of the people.
2. An advocate is someone who helps another. One way is was put to me was that we can crawl to Jesus on our own or Mother Mary can pick us up and carry us. Which is faster and easier? Mary’s help makes our journey to holiness easier and faster.

 

[DustinsDad]

…1. When Mary says things are to be consecrated to her “Immaculate Heart,” what does that mean?

That means the people doing the consecrating are really and truly entrusting the thing/persons consecrated to Mary - to Her care, to her prayers and intercessions.

…2. When Mary says God is giving her something (Russia, etc.) what does that mean?

I’m not sure exactly. I suppose it means that the Most Holy Trinity wants the Blessed Mother to be “in charge” of whatever thing we are talking about. We can trust her being “in charge” of such and such because we know Her special role in God’s plan…her unique bond with God.

…3. What does Mary’s role as Advocate mean?

By becoming Christian’s by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are made* real* brothers of Christ, real sons and daughters of the Father, and this also means we are real sons and daughters of the Blessed Mother. Christ gave her to us and us to her on the cross - as such, she has a maternal love and interest in us and our salvation. She is always there for us, praying for us, interceding for us, pointing us in the direction of her Son. What an awesome gift and treasure she is - if only we don’t reject the gift…

She is one of the means by which God has chosen to help us reach Him and be with Him for eternity, as such, she is are advocate.

I read somewhere that someone challenged St. Maximillian Kolbe as to why man should need a creature, Mary, for salvation. The Saint’s reply was something to the effect of “because God has willed it so.”

…I am just confused because the language sounds as if Mary is being elevated above Jesus and that saving power is being put into her hands. I understand and appreciate venerating Mary as the Mother of God, but some of the language of the apparition appearances seem to put her into deity status.

Though I wasn’t raised protestant, I can appreciate your concern - it must seem very foreign to you. I would say trust in the Lord and pray about your questions. He’ll answer.

Peace in Christ,

DustinsDad

 

[TaliaHudspeth]

Thank you all for your replies. I don’t know unless you have been raised as Protestant that you can understand the mystery surrounding the Catholic church for those of us outside it. Especially those of us who (as I was) have been told our entire lives that the Catholic church is wrong, worships Mary, etc.

I do take solace in the fact that my love of Jesus and desire to partake in the Eucharist outweighs my “Mary confusion” so to speak.

All of your answers have been most helpful - I will continue to study and pray and ask that you all remember me in your prayers as well.

In Christ,
Talia

 

[jj2011]

1. When Mary says things are to be consecrated to her “Immaculate Heart,” what does that mean?
2. When Mary says God is giving her something (Russia, etc.) what does that mean?
3. What does Mary’s role as Advocate mean?

I am just confused because the language sounds as if Mary is being elevated above Jesus and that saving power is being put into her hands. I understand and appreciate venerating Mary as the Mother of God, but some of the language of the apparition appearances seem to put her into deity status.

Please help!

In Christ,

Talia

Remember that in His first advent, Our Lord willed to come to us through a woman, and so it is in our time. Thus in the catholic Church devotion to Mary is Christological-- it must lead us to Christ if it is true devotion.

In the memoirs of Sr. Lucia of Fatima, Russia is said to have been “entrusted” to Our Lady because God willed to save Russia through her intercession.

*1. When Mary says things are to be consecrated to her “Immaculate Heart,” what does that mean?
2. When Mary says God is giving her something (Russia, etc.) what does that mean?
*

I don’t recall that Our Lady used that second expression exactly, but Russia has been entrusted to her.

These expressions basically mean that Russia will be converted and reconciled with the One Mediator, Jesus Christ, through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart, because the Trinity has willed it to be so.

To Jesus through Mary.

God bless you for your diligence in searching for the Truth.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

Thank you all for your replies. I don’t know unless you have been raised as Protestant that you can understand the mystery surrounding the Catholic church for those of us outside it. Especially those of us who (as I was) have been told our entire lives that the Catholic church is wrong, worships Mary, etc.

I do take solace in the fact that my love of Jesus and desire to partake in the Eucharist outweighs my “Mary confusion” so to speak.

All of your answers have been most helpful - I will continue to study and pray and ask that you all remember me in your prayers as well.

In Christ,
Talia

You are right about the bolded above. I appreciate thoughtful questions like yours because I have learned more about my faith because of them. And it helps to appreciate them more. It helps me to stand back and look at it with new eyes. Your choice of the word “mystery” hits the nail on the head.

May God continue to bless you in your journey. You are my my prayers.

 

[quiet52]

My last “stumbling block” so to speak before I enroll in an RCIA program is certain things that came out of Marian apparitions.

Hi Talia,
You can join the RCIA without first committing to become Catholic and without first having an understanding of the teachings. Although I suspect your RCIA team will appreciate all this research you’ve done!