Superstitious Catholics

[cthulhubryan]

Ha ha. This sort of stuff was my first introduction to Catholicism. I grew up in Ft. Bend county Texas which has no majority race, just pluralities which move back and forth.

Candles to burn that sold in Fiesta but also in Kroger, statues of Saints with instructions on when and how to bury them to achieve the desired results. Items which were essentially a Catholic twist on sympathetic magic. Then I learned that mainline Catholicism does not have all the Mexican/native American superstitions in it.

 

[cyberwolf001]

Fisheaters article for those interested Fisheaters link on St. Joseph

Basicly you burry it and after selling dig him up and place in a spot of honor in the new home. It’s not THAT odd when you think about green scapulars and certain chaplets.

Here is THERE recommended prayer which I like better

Latin version:
Memento nostri, beate Ioseph, et tuae orationis suffragio apud tuum putativum Filium intercede; sed et beatissimam Virginem Sponsam tuam nobis propitiam redde, quae Mater est Eius, qui cum Patre et Spiritu Sancto vivit et regnat per infinita saecula saeculorum. Amen.

English version:
Be mindful of us, O Blessed Joseph, and intercede for us with thy foster-Son by the pleading of thy prayer: do thou, in like manner, render the blessed Virgin Mary, thy Spouse, gracious unto us, for she is the Mother of Him, Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth world without end. Amen.

Ha ha. This sort of stuff was my first introduction to Catholicism. I grew up in Ft. Bend county Texas which has no majority race, just pluralities which move back and forth.

Candles to burn that sold in Fiesta but also in Kroger, statues of Saints with instructions on when and how to bury them to achieve the desired results. Items which were essentially a Catholic twist on sympathetic magic. Then I learned that mainline Catholicism does not have all the Mexican/native American superstitions in it.

The way I explained it when I was Catholic was “God in his compassion, mercy and understanding about how we feel about just asking gave us in his perfect wisdom prayes we can DO as well as prayers we can SAY.”

 

[cyberwolf001]

Ha ha. This sort of stuff was my first introduction to Catholicism. I grew up in Ft. Bend county Texas which has no majority race, just pluralities which move back and forth.

Candles to burn that sold in Fiesta but also in Kroger, statues of Saints with instructions on when and how to bury them to achieve the desired results. Items which were essentially a Catholic twist on sympathetic magic. Then I learned that mainline Catholicism does not have all the Mexican/native American superstitions in it.

The way I explained it when I was Catholic was “God in his compassion, mercy and understanding about how we feel about just asking gave us in his perfect wisdom prayes we can DO as well as prayers we can SAY.”

 

[MercyMia]

Superstition is an unfortunate effect of the human mind searching for some sense of order to cling to. Sometimes it gets attached to Catholic beliefs but don’t think Protestants don’t have their own superstitions. Have you ever heard of bible-dipping? Bible-only Christians do this by asking God a question and then randomly opening the bible and pointing to a word and that’s their answer. I know people who do this and see nothing odd about it.

 

[MercyMia]

It is no different from the chain letters I receive every so often in my emails I think. They ask me to pass it around or else I 'll get blessings OR condemnations!

So what I do?.. DELETE! End of the line.

Ohh yea, my MIL who constantly makes false accusations of Catholics being superstitious sends me these stupid chain letters all the time. She once sent one out that said John Lennon was shot because he said the Beatles were bigger than God and if the reader didn’t forward the email on and say a prayer something bad might happen to them too.

 

[Ghoti]

Superstition is an unfortunate effect of the human mind searching for some sense of order to cling to. Sometimes it gets attached to Catholic beliefs but don’t think Protestants don’t have their own superstitions. Have you ever heard of bible-dipping? Bible-only Christians do this by asking God a question and then randomly opening the bible and pointing to a word and that’s their answer. I know people who do this and see nothing odd about it.

A couple of historical novels I have read have done this; one was a “Brother Cadfael” novel; two monks did it in the church under the watchful eye of the abbot (IIRC). They did this to ascertain the guilt or innocence of an accused party. I assume they didn’t believe it was divination, as they would consider it asking God directly and the Lord guiding their hands to the correct verse. I don’t know how good a researcher Ellis Peters was, if they actually did this in Stephen’s England.

On the other hand, didn’t the Apostles draw straws or cast lots to see who would succeed Judas Iscariot?

 

[cyberwolf001]

A couple of historical novels I have read have done this; one was a “Brother Cadfael” novel; two monks did it in the church under the watchful eye of the abbot (IIRC). They did this to ascertain the guilt or innocence of an accused party. I assume they didn’t believe it was divination, as they would consider it asking God directly and the Lord guiding their hands to the correct verse. I don’t know how good a researcher Ellis Peters was, if they actually did this in Stephen’s England.

On the other hand, didn’t the Apostles draw straws or cast lots to see who would succeed Judas Iscariot?

They did, it’s sad that many very wonderful and beautiful Catholic practices are being religated to mere superstitions.

Of course it is even happening in my own faith right now…

Such is the poison of secularism.