Silly Question: What Should I do if Mary Appears?

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Ramalama

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OK, this might be silly, but if Mary suddenly appeared in my office, what would be the proper response. Should I stand and say hello, bow, kneel, fall prostrate on the floor, what? I question the proper action because I wouldn’t want to bow down before a false god.

I know, I said it was silly. 🙂
 
Ever hear the song “I can only Imagine?” I think seeing the mother of my Lord would also fall into the category of I won’t know until it happens… or as I prefer… As the Spirit moves me…
 
The only way kneeling/bowing/falling prostrate would be wrong is if you intended to do her worship. I’d say kneel, all the Saints did.🙂
 
I’ve asked for her autograph. I suspect it would sell for a lot on eBay.
 
Personally, I’d faint. But I’m a bit skittish by nature and have been accused of being high strung more than once.

FMS
 
Pinch yourself. 😛

If it hurts, then remember to call your physician to schedule a grin-ectomy. 😃
 
First off, your question is by no means silly, but an actual reality some people are blessed to experience. I think you will find people of faith much more understanding about such things.

My first question would be: Did Mary appear in your office?
 
Well, those were certainly some interesting responses. Mary didn’t show up in my office, she probably couldn’t get by security – those Wackenhut kids can be very tough.

I’m new and working through lots of questions. Although I pray the rosary daily, and think I don’t have problems with “praying to Mary”, I just started thinking about how I would react to being in her presence vs. being in the presence of Jesus.

Thanks again for the responses and the smiles. 🙂 I promise to detail my actual response if I get the opportunity to meet her in person before I die.
 
Ramalama said:
Well, those were certainly some interesting responses. Mary didn’t show up in my office, she probably couldn’t get by security – those Wackenhut kids can be very tough.

I’m new and working through lots of questions. Although I pray the rosary daily, and think I don’t have problems with “praying to Mary”, I just started thinking about how I would react to being in her presence vs. being in the presence of Jesus.

Thanks again for the responses and the smiles. 🙂 I promise to detail my actual response if I get the opportunity to meet her in person before I die.
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Look at it this way, how would Jesus act in the presence of His faithful Mother?🙂
 
Ramalama said:
OK, this might be silly, but if Mary suddenly appeared in my office, what would be the proper response. Should I stand and say hello, bow, kneel, fall prostrate on the floor, what? I question the proper action because I wouldn’t want to bow down before a false god.

I know, I said it was silly. 🙂
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If you are male, you should stand and bow, saying “Good morning/afternoon/evening, Your Majesty. What may your humble servant do for you, today?”

If you are female, stand, curtsey and say the same.

(That’s what you would do if Queen Elizabeth showed up - I assume that since Mary is our Queen, that we ought to treat her the same way that we would treat the Queen.)
 
Many Marian apparitions were preceded with some kind of “preparation” for the seers. fatima, St. Catherine Laboure, immediately come to mind.
 
estesbob said:
I’ve asked for her autograph. I suspect it would sell for a lot on eBay.
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Just like the image in the grilled cheese sandwich? 😃

Offer her a seat, show respect due to the mother of our Lord. Yes, a strange question. 😉
 
Newbie2 said:
Just like the image in the grilled cheese sandwich? 😃

Offer her a seat, show respect due to the mother of our Lord. Yes, a strange question. 😉
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I guess we should also ask her she has any grandchildren.
 
Ramalama said:
Well, those were certainly some interesting responses. Mary didn’t show up in my office, she probably couldn’t get by security – those Wackenhut kids can be very tough.

I’m new and working through lots of questions. Although I pray the rosary daily, and think I don’t have problems with “praying to Mary”, I just started thinking about how I would react to being in her presence vs. being in the presence of Jesus.

Thanks again for the responses and the smiles. 🙂 I promise to detail my actual response if I get the opportunity to meet her in person before I die.
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Possibly an appropriate story pertaining to one of the king’s of France (Louis 14th I think but it could be one of those stories simply attributed to him)

"A servant came into Louis’s chambers proclaiming “Jesus is appearing during the mass at the Cathedral, you must come quick.” To which Louis replied, “It’s not necessary, I already see Him every morning when I go to mass.”

Like the Lord, present to us through the Eucharist and in our own souls as well, Mary is present to us in the rosary and through our prayers to her. While most of us truly believe that Jesus is present in the bread and wine, it does take a bit of confirming and reaffirming this belief as we are sometime imperfect creatures and allow the material world to cloud our faith.

Christ gave Mary the power of intercession upon our behalf. Similiarly, to a certain extent but by no means in the same manner, Mary is present to us through the rosary and our prayers of intercession towards her as Christ is present in the bread and wine.

It sometimes becomes difficult to keep this understanding constantly in our minds and hearts because we are visual, tactile creatures who’s minds constantly decieve us into believeing that something must be seen or touched to be present.

That all being said, I think for me it would still be a powerful experience to see Our Lady in person. Kinda like being hit by a mac truck driven by angels but with no hospital bills. 😃

I believe it was either Emerson or Thoreau, who said “The first prize goes to the man who can live one day deliberately.” How difficult is it to live one minute, let alone a whole day. How diffciult is it to live one day deliberately knowing that Jesus is continually present with us? How difficult is it to remember that the Mother Mary is continually with us when we pray the rosary and ask for her intercession?

There are some countries/cultures around the world where people bow to oneanother as not necessarily a greeting or salutation but a sign of respect and reverence to the divinity that exists within that person. How different would our lives be if we not only continually recognized the divinity within others but ourselves as well. How different would our lives be if we could recognize the presence of Our Mother with each whisper …“Hail Mary full of grace the Lord, the Lord is with you…”
 
Ramalama said:
OK, this might be silly, but if Mary suddenly appeared in my office, what would be the proper response. Should I stand and say hello, bow, kneel, fall prostrate on the floor, what? I question the proper action because I wouldn’t want to bow down before a false god.

I know, I said it was silly. 🙂
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if it was me…i would ask her to say the name of jesus and also to say that she loves jesus ( i’ve heard evil spirits can’t or don’t like doing that) i would also ask her in the name of jesus to approach if she was from god and to leave if she wasn’t…
as for bowing, kneeling, and falling prostrate on the floor i think that we should do that only for god…but i think i would kneel out of respect and love for her and also out of respect and love for god who sent her to me…
i don’t know how i would greet her as i would probably be shocked, nervous, scared, excited etc…i would say hello…mary would know how to interact with me so she would know what to say…
it’s not really a silly question as most catholics who pray to mary to ask her to pray and intercede for them ask her to be with them when they are dying and at the hour of their death and to obtain a happy death for them…so if any of us are likely to see her during our living moments it most possibly could be then…and that will be the time when we will be most thankful for her coming to us…

ANGELIC PEACE
 
joanofarc3 said:
The only way kneeling/bowing/falling prostrate would be wrong is if you intended to do her worship. I’d say kneel, all the Saints did.🙂
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If the virgin Mary appeared to you don’t worry what you have to say or do. Most likely you will automatically kneel same with Jesus without forthought. If she wants you to say something, she’ll give you opportunity. Just treat her as you should treat your earthly mother with consideration and respect and love.
 
I would think that the best thing is to act with reverence, full of prayer. And actually, there are false apparitions, and satan can appear as an angel of light, and besides this people have hallicunations for differing reasons. So first you should do as Scripture advises, test everything, and test it in this case. And by responding with prayer, you cannot go wrong, whatever is actully happening.
I am trying to recall what people did who did see her. The only examples that come to mind is the reactions of of Bernadete and of Juan Diego at Guadalupe. They didn’t know it was Mary, though of course they were impressed greatly by this beautiful lady. So they weren’t completely flabbergasted. Of course too there is the reaction to Saint John when he saw Jesus in glory in Revelation 1. As I recall, he fell down as someone dead.
If we do see Mary, we are in a lot of trouble. People will laugh at us and even persecute us, as happened to Saint Teresa of Avila for example when they heard of her spiritual experiences, including visions of Jesus and others. So If there was a choice, perhaps I would pass up such an experience.
 
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