To an extent I agree; with all the different private devotions in our faith, we should be seeking out one that will help us the most to grow in our faith. And to an extent, if one is ‘struggling’ with a devotion which we feel is ‘forced’ upon one, then it might seem that rather than grow in faith, we would falter. But that might not actually be so.
A HUGE majority of people in this country, at this time, have a BIG problem with obedience, authority, humility, etc. They have no problem doing things so long as THEY make the choice. But boy, how they chafe at doing things that they don’t choose! And the danger is that they can find themselves becoming narrow in their practices yet thinking themselves (because they ‘choose’ what they do) to be far more broad in their practices than they really are. . .and thinking that by their ‘choosing’ to do a practice they are ‘better’ than those who choose other practices, and ESPECIALLY think that they are better than those whom they believe never really ‘bothered’ to think or choose but who follow a practice or devotion because of their particular culture, or family tradition, etc. Or ‘peer pressure.’
I am not accusing anybody here of that mindset, but the fact remains that a lot of people, (and very sweet people too, otherwise) get their knickers in a twist over being ‘told what to do’ or at being anything less than totally free to take what they want from Christianity on their own terms.
I mean, look at the focus of this question, which really focuses not on the devotion per se but on SELF, SELF, SELF, and the notion of being FORCED, and the notion (heaven forbid) of being influenced by others to the detriment of one’s own ‘choice.’
Shouldn’t the focus of devotion be on GOD instead of our SELVES? And yes, devotion to the Saints and Mary, being ultimately to God, is just as much God-centered as devotion to Father, Son, and Spirit.
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