Struggling With Mary

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I don’t know what happened, but even after several years of praying the Rosary faithfully every single day with my wife, I suddenly started to really struggle with the amount of attention many Catholics give to Mary.

I had recently been reading a lot of saints and Catholic writers who speak of Mary in such lofty ways, and frankly, I just started to feel like there was so much emphasis on the relationship between Jesus and Mary that it overshadowed the glorious relationship between Jesus and the Father. The intra-Trinitarian relationships mean infinitely more to me than the relationship between God and any creature (no matter how exalted she may be).

To be clear, I understand the Marian doctrines reasonably well, so I don’t think I am misunderstanding anything. And I know that Mary is always supposed to point us to Jesus. Well, I’m still struggling with it. I’m almost feeling angry that so many writers seem to want to focus so much on her rather than the Trinity.

Please pray for me, that I get some resolution to this issue, because I am really wrestling with this right now.
 
Read Frank Sheed. He writes really well on the Trinity (Theology and Sanity, To Know Christ Jesus, both readily available). Tends to put things into perspective. True, there is a very strong Cultus Mariae in the Church (and it’s important to have some feminine aspect to one’s faith), but this does not in any way detract from the relationship between the relationship between Jesus the Son, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit, which proceeds from both.

The above may not be anything new to you, but reflect on it. Does it concern you that you have these qualms about Mary?
 
Matt241 said:
Read Frank Sheed. He writes really well on the Trinity (Theology and Sanity, To Know Christ Jesus, both readily available). Tends to put things into perspective. True, there is a very strong Cultus Mariae in the Church (and it’s important to have some feminine aspect to one’s faith), but this does not in any way detract from the relationship between the relationship between Jesus the Son, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit, which proceeds from both.

The above may not be anything new to you, but reflect on it. Does it concern you that you have these qualms about Mary?
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It’s definitely a concern for me that this issue is coming up now. It really wasn’t a problem until I started reading more traditional Catholics and the words of certain saints, both of which seem to spare no words of praise for Mary.

Per Church teaching, I know there should be no conflict or competition between God and Mary (in fact, it should be the opposite). That’s why I am seeking prayers to help me work through this, especially if this is revealing some weakness in me I was previously unaware of.
 
I’ll pray for you to find elucidation and peace in this matter.
 
Saint Michael, the archangel, defend us in battle, be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the devil, may God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do you, O’ Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God thrust into Hell Satan and all the other evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls.

Amen.

†

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

†

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

†
 
ToTheWest said:
Please pray for me, that I get some resolution to this issue, because I am really wrestling with this right now.
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Dear heavenly Father we pray for West. Strengthen him, guide him and give him peace in this struggle.
I don’t know what happened, but even after several years of praying the Rosary faithfully every single day with my wife, I suddenly started to really struggle with the amount of attention many Catholics give to Mary.
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I do agree that some people can go overboard when it comes to Mary. However, I have also noticed that with the internet being so easily accessible, it seems the greater concern should be the people consumed with bringing attention to the people giving attention to Mary. (I hope that came across right) The more I’ve studied and the more I’ve researched it has amazed me how many people harp on Catholics about Mary. It’s hard to believe Jesus isn’t up there saying to them “HEY THAT’S MY MOMMA YOUR TALKING ABOUT!”

Luke 1:48 For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;"

I think where I’m trying to go with this is try to work on your own relationship with our Blessed Mother and forget about the people that go over the top, and the people that go to the point of disrespecting Mary.
The intra-Trinitarian relationships mean infinitely more to me than the relationship between God and any creature (no matter how exalted she may be).
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To be clear, I understand the Marian doctrines reasonably well, so I don’t think I am misunderstanding anything. And I know that Mary is always supposed to point us to Jesus. Well, I’m still struggling with it. I’m almost feeling angry that so many writers seem to want to focus so much on her rather than the Trinity.
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I see your point here. The Trinity is more important, not only to you and me but also to all Christians. This is most likely the reason you won’t find many writers focusing on the Trinity. Christians have believed in the Trinity for 2000 years. There is very little objection to the Trinity and not much to debate about.

However, Mary is a subject of heavy debate, major objections, she is scrutinized to the core. That’s why you will see so many more books on Mary than on the Trinity. Once these books are written you end up with all the writings objecting to these books, so more books need to be written. And the cycle goes on and on.

Basically all I am getting at is pray to Jesus, pray to Mary, pray to the saints. Ignore everyone else’s opinion about her.

God Bless
 
ToTheWest said:
I don’t know what happened, but even after several years of praying the Rosary faithfully every single day with my wife, I suddenly started to really struggle with the amount of attention many Catholics give to Mary.

I had recently been reading a lot of saints and Catholic writers who speak of Mary in such lofty ways, and frankly, I just started to feel like there was so much emphasis on the relationship between Jesus and Mary that it overshadowed the glorious relationship between Jesus and the Father. The intra-Trinitarian relationships mean infinitely more to me than the relationship between God and any creature (no matter how exalted she may be).

To be clear, I understand the Marian doctrines reasonably well, so I don’t think I am misunderstanding anything. And I know that Mary is always supposed to point us to Jesus. Well, I’m still struggling with it. I’m almost feeling angry that so many writers seem to want to focus so much on her rather than the Trinity.

Please pray for me, that I get some resolution to this issue, because I am really wrestling with this right now.
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I have also and do still struggle with this as well. Marian devotion has it’s place but it does seem too much at times in certain circumstances.

Mary.
 
Praying for you and all who struggle with this, and for a great increase of devotion to Jesus through Mary among Catholics…
 
ToTheWest said:
I suddenly started to really struggle with the amount of attention many Catholics give to Mary… I’m almost feeling angry that so many writers seem to want to focus so much on her rather than the Trinity…
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I’ll paraphrase an answer I gave on another thread. The same issue seems to keep coming up in slightly different forms.

You are confusing two completely different things. The first one is the core doctrines of faith. Read the Nicene Creed or Apostle’s Creed. “Born of the Virgin Mary.” Do you have problems with that? No? Then you’re fine. Read the catechism or the Vatican II documents about Mary. You’re encouraged to venerate Mary, etc. but are you commanded to say the rosary every day? No.

What you are confusing is core doctrines vs. pious practices. Pious practices may be very important to some people, and different people may emphasize different ones. They may be very helpful to some people. But they are not core doctrines. You don’t have to practice them to be a good Catholic. Could you be a good Catholic without ever saying the rosary? Of course. Do you need to believe that miracles occurred at Fatima or Lourdes to be a good Catholic? No, you don’t. Do you need to ask Mary to intercede with God for you every day? Of course not. Do you need to wear a scapular or the medal of the Immaculate Conception? No. It’s up to you.

Did you listen to the Epistle of St. Paul a while back: “There are many gifts…” and he goes on to talk about different factions in the church at that time, “Some say they are for x, some say they are for y, etc.” His conclusion is the Jesus is the center of the church. So don’t get angry with people who want to focus on Mary. It’s perfectly orthodox, and if it helps them, fine. But do all Catholics need to practice the exact same devotions with the exact same frequency? Certainly not, and the Church would be a lot poorer if that were the case. If you need more convincing, just look at the different orders of priests and nuns–each order has a different emphasis and a different mission. Does that mean that only one order is “correct” and the others are all “wrong”? Of course not.

Or, to make an analogy, what if you wanted to examine a large gem stone. But you can only see one part of it at a time (you can’t see the back if you’re looking at the front, etc.). Does that mean there is a “wrong” way to look at the gem stone? Does it mean that looking at one aspect of the gem stone is somehow denying the existence of the rest of the gem stone? Silly, right?

So why don’t you just focus on some other part of Catholicism you feel more comfortable with? There is a huge range: social justice actions, education, mysticism, the nature of God and Jesus, a personal relationship with Jesus, etc. etc.
 
I want you to think about this title: Theotokos. God-bearer. Have you have ever been to a Byzantine Rite or Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy? Trust me, they are WAY more into Mary during the Liturgy than the Latin church. I will say a prayer for you that is USED during the Divine Liturgy. “Through the prayers of the Mother of God, O Saviour save us”
 
Divine Mercy Chaplet

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
 
Be selective about what you read.
I for one, would not want to have to explain myself to Jesus on the last day as to why I didn’t think Mary was important. God does not dismiss our prayers to Him so easily. For when you pray WITH Mary, you’re praying to Him.
God bless.
 
**God, our loving Father, you sent your Son,
Jesus Christ, into this world to counter
all the forces of evil: sin, suffering and death,
and to overcome evil with the force of good;
hatred with the power of love,
your great love for us in Jesus.

Help us never to curse the darkness,
but to join with you in bringing
Your light into this world,
the light that is your Son,
born of the Virgin Mary, in Bethlehem.
Help us to be instruments of your light
and love by doing one special act of kindness
or by being your special instrument
of reconciliation this New Year.

May the Christ Candle we light symbolise
our desire to bring light into a world of darkness
and hope into a world of despair.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.**

:highprayer:
 
I try to pray the rosary every day…some days I feel like my heart and soul are in it, other days my mind is totally distracted and I know I just do a plain lousy job.

In spite of my feelings (which change with the wind)…I think the most important thing is to continue to persevere. I was told once that God doesn’t expect perfection…he just wants us to try. I think it’s exactly the same with it comes to praying the rosary and praying to Mary. I try to speak with her as I speak to my Mother…it’s helpful as it makes it more personal. I think that anytime we try, especially those times when we really struggle or don’t even feel like making the effort…those are the times that are most pleasing to God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Mary, and the Saints and Angels. It’s just the simple act of making the effort that, I think, it really important.

I will and am praying for you.

Our Father, who art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven
Give us this day, our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those
Who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil
Amen

Hail Mary full of grace
The Lord is with thee
Blessed are you among women and
Blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus
Holy Mary Mother of God
Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death
Amen

Glory be to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit Amen
As it was in the beginning, it is now and forever shall be
A world with out end
Amen

Oh My Jesus, forgive us our sins
Save us from the fires of hell
And lead all souls to Heaven
Especially those in need of thy mercy

Holy Mother
Never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection
Sought your help or implored your intercession had been unaided
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee oh Virgin of Virgins my mother.
To you I do come, before thee I stand sinful and sorrowful.
Despise not my petitions but in your mercy please hear and answer me
Amen
 
Mary was choose by God from the being,if you which too read the paperback( The Secret of The Rosary) by Saint Louis DE Montfort,she takes are prays too her son Jesus,it pleases Jesus,and also his Father in heaven,for all that come too Mary and pray the Rosary shall be Saved by her son,at the end,for Mary will protect all that say the Rosary DAILY. AMEN:gopray2::harp::heaven:
 
Praying for you to find peace. We don’t know the hearts and minds of others. So we should not judge them. For instance, I don’t know if you give more attention to your wife than God. Nor should I judge your intentions of your heart.
 
Morning Offering to Our Lady of Guadalupe

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Heart of my Mother,
Our Lady of Guadalupe, I unite to thy purity,
thy sanctity, thy zeal and thy love, all my thoughts,
words, acts, and sufferings this day, that there
may be nothing in me that does not become
through thee, a pleasure to Jesus, a gain to souls,
and an act of reparation for the offenses against thy Heart.

*From Our Lady of Guadalupe Web site. *

*I saw the tilma in 1979. I wasn’t even Catholic yet. But I never could
deny the importance of the Blessed Mother after seeing that cloth.
*
​
 
St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.
 
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