Question About Mary

[Brian_Keith]

I am sitting here and thinking about the Precious Mother of God.

I was wondering, there are so many devotions to Mary: Fatima, Lourdes, Guadalupe, etc. How does one know which one to be devoted to? I know one must respect those apparitions but not take it as an issue of Faith. (Correct me if I am wrong.)

I know that Mary did not give any message outside the Truth of Christ, however, a part of me cannot help but wonder, why did God allow Her and not Christ to give these messages?

I know one can choose more than one of those devotions, but I am still unclear on a lot of these devotions. Does devoting to one make the others any less valid for that person?

Thanks!

 

[PhilotheaZ]

Just follow your heart and honor Mary the way the Holy Spirit leads you. (It’s best to stick with devotions/apparitions that have been approved by the Church; all the ones you mentioned are fine.)

Mary has appeared to different people at different times in different ways according to the needs of the times. If you learn a little about each, you may be drawn to a particular devotion (or different ones for different needs).

For example, Our Lady of Fatima urged the children at Fatima to pray and do penance in reparation for sin.

Our Lady of Lourdes is often invoked to intercede with God for healing from physical illnesses.

Many people pray to Our Lady of Guadalupe for an end to abortion, since she appeared in Mexico at a time of horrible human sacrifice, including the sacrifice of innocent children, according to the rituals of the native religion of the time.

But she’s the same Mother of God, whichever title you use (or don’t use). You can’t go wrong by praying the Rosary and trying to imitate Mary’s virtues.

a part of me cannot help but wonder, why did God allow Her and not Christ to give these messages?

God often works through human instruments. That’s the way He does things. When God became man, He could have just “appeared” on the scene as an adult man, but He chose to be born of a human mother. We don’t always know why He does things the way He does, but we can assume that He knows best. Perhaps He came to us through Mary to teach us humility, or because we have need of a spiritual mother. But since God used the channel of Mary to come to us, it makes sense that we use the same means to return to Him.

 

[MarieVeronica]

Brian, this is just my humble opinion (no official Church Teaching, here)… but I often think that Our Lord has sent His dear Mother, throughout history (possibly, even at HER request)… as a “light” in our darkness. She is the “Morning Star” who leads us to Jesus. She has visited earth, to remind us that God loves us and to ask us to repent and turn back to Him… before it is too late.

I have often had the feeling (again, my own opinion and NOT official Church Teaching)… that Our Lady has stepped between us and disaster more times than we will ever know… through Her intercession, on our behalf.

I’m drawn to Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Mount Carmel… especially.

God bless you.

 

[withwind]

I know that Mary did not give any message outside the Truth of Christ, however, a part of me cannot help but wonder, why did God allow Her and not Christ to give these messages?

Thanks!

Is there any time in our lives when we discern what God’s will for us and we wish He just talked straight to our ears. Instead of doing that, He sometimes put someone in our path and that person is His instrument to let us know what God wants to tell us.

For example: our parents - God wants us to respect them, to listen to them. Many times, when we do, we realize we listen to what God wants of us. In the same way, He wants us to listen to Our Heavenly Mother. God honors Her that way - very humble way.

 

[sbriton]

God often works through human instruments. That’s the way He does things. When God became man, He could have just “appeared” on the scene as an adult man, but He chose to be born of a human mother. We don’t always know why He does things the way He does, but we can assume that He knows best. Perhaps He came to us through Mary to teach us humility, or because we have need of a spiritual mother. But since God used the channel of Mary to come to us, it makes sense that we use the same means to return to Him.

I love this part of your reply, PhilotheaZ! I’ve often had the same questions as OP and have never fostered a true devotion to Our Mother. Your reply made me think: God became Man through Mary thus honoring her as a human. Christ then taught us while He was one of us. But, since He died, rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, and since he will only come one more time at the end of time, He won’t appear Himself again until that time. So, echoing His incarnation, he allows His message to come through Mary, His and our Mother, the first Christian and first human to be raised up to Heaven in bodily form. God the Father and God the Son (with God the Spirit) are in Heaven and remain their until Christ’s second coming (in a phisio-spiritiual sense. He is omniscient and omnipresent!). Thus, Mary is His visible messenger to us throughout time, as is the Pope but on a lesser degree.

Wow. Makes perfect sense to me!

O Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!!!

Merry Christmas! (or should that be Mary Christmas?)

Simon

 

[Edward_Henry]

Wow,
Wonderful thread, and wonderful posts. Yes Philomena, your answer was inspired! Thank you.

I have been blessed to have been in Lourdes, Fatima and in Guadalupe. They are all wonderful sources of Grace. I am sure that as you study each of them, the Holy Spirit will move you to the right devotion for you.

I once wondered why in each of these apparitions Our Lady always first asked for a church or chapel to be built, then the Spirit opened my eyes… because She wants to lead us to Her Son’s Sacraments, and to Her Son’s Church.
Without a Church, the people had no access to Mass, to a priest, to the Eucharist and to all the other sacraments.
What a clever Mama we have. She always leads us to Her Son.

To Jesus through Mary

Edward Henry

 

[iaskquestions]

why did God allow Her and not Christ to give these messages?

Simply because Mary is a member of the body of Christ! So when Mary acts, it is Christ who acts through her!

 

[TJTM3]

I am sitting here and thinking about the Precious Mother of God.

I was wondering, there are so many devotions to Mary: Fatima, Lourdes, Guadalupe, etc. How does one know which one to be devoted to? I know one must respect those apparitions but not take it as an issue of Faith. (Correct me if I am wrong.)

Response: As I was growing up Catholic I often wondered the same myself. But as I have grown in my faith and devotion to the Blessed Mother I have come to realize that she is and always will be for eternity, the Mother of God, and it is her previlege to introduce herself by God’s will (I am the Immaculate Conception—Lourdes) as she or the Church determines fit. The Litany of Loreto is a wonderful example of the many titles of Mary. She is one and the same regardless of title. So what I have done is select a title or group of titles I have a great love and respect for because of what they represent in the message God gives us through His Mother. For me the title of “The Immaculate Heart” is how I most often pray to Our Lord, through His Mother. But I also love Our Lady and pray to her under the titles of Our Lady of Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe, Pellevoisin, etc. Always I go to Our Lord…to Jesus through Mary to make my prayer requests. So my counsel is to pick a title or group of titles you love and pray…for they are all Mary.

I know that Mary did not give any message outside the Truth of Christ, however, a part of me cannot help but wonder, why did God allow Her and not Christ to give these messages?

Response: That is a question only God Himself can answer, but I have the feeling that Jesus in His great love for His brothers and sisters on earth, sent to us that which He most treasured…His Mother, Mary. It is she to whom God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit over shadowed, dwelled within and filled with grace. It is she to whom Jesus gave the Church via John at the foot of the cross. It is she to whom the early Church would have sought counsel. In fact, two of her great titles are “Seat of Wisdom” and “Cause of Our Joy”. So it makes perfect sense to me that Jesus would send His Mother to the world (many times) to point the way to Him. What boggles my mind is the world continues to ignore Him, His Church and His Mother. One other thing to always keep in mind, is that no one, Mary, saints, angels, etc. who come down from Heaven can do anything or say anything that is contrary to the Will of God. So when they speak it is really God speaking through them. We need to listen and obey. God bless!

I know one can choose more than one of those devotions, but I am still unclear on a lot of these devotions. Does devoting to one make the others any less valid for that person?

Response: No, all titles are of one person: Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, the only Son of God. Pick a title or group of titles you love and praise Jesus through His Blessed Mother and God will hear your prayers and answer them. For if Mary asks on your behalf, Our Lord will answer in great volume and grace. Just think of the Wedding at Cana…Mary was told probably by the mother of the groom that they were out of wine. On behalf of the groom’s mother, Mary asked Jesus to help. Not only did Jesus do what His mother wanted, but he did it in great volume and it was the best wine. So if you want your prayers truly answered, go to Mary. Ave Maria!