The Hail Mary of a Protestant

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Here is another true Catholic story for you all 🙂

Enjoy!

THE HAIL MARY OF A PROTESTANT

A little six-year-old Protestant boy had often heard his Catholic companions reciting the prayer “Hail Mary.” He liked it so much that he copied it, memorized it and would recite it every day. “Look, Mommy, what a beautiful prayer,” he said to his mother one day.

“Never again say it,” answered the mother. “It is a superstitious prayer of Catholics who adore idols and think Mary a goddess. After all, she is a woman like any other. Come on, take this Bible and read it. It contains everything that we are bound to do and have to do.” From that day on the little boy discontinued his daily “Hail Mary” and gave himself more time to reading the Bible instead.

One day, while reading the Gospel, he came across the passage about the Annunciation of the Angel to Our Lady. Full of joy, the little boy ran to his mother and said: “Mommy, I have found the ‘Hail Mary’ in the Bible which says: ‘Hail full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women.’ Why do you call it a superstitious prayer?”

On another occasion he found that beautiful Salutation of St. Elizabeth to the Virgin Mary and the wonderful canticle MAGNIFICAT in which Mary foretold that “the generations would call her blessed.”

He said no more about it to his mother but started to recite the “Hail Mary” every day as before. He felt pleasure in addressing those charming words to the Mother of Jesus, our Savior.

When he was fourteen, he one day heard a discussion on Our Lady among the members of his family. Every one said that Mary was a common woman like any other woman. The boy, after listening to their erroneous reasoning could not bear it any longer, and full of indignation, he interrupted them, saying:

“Mary is not like any other children of Adam, stained with sin. No! The Angel called her FULL OF GRACE AND BLESSED AMONGST WOMEN. Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ and consequently Mother of God. There is no higher dignity to which a creature can be raised. The Gospel says that the generations will proclaim her blessed and you are trying to despise her and look down on her. Your spirit is not the spirit of the Gospel or of the Bible which you proclaim to be the foundation of the Christian religion.”

So deep was the impression which the boy’s talk had made that his mother many times cried out sorrowfully: “Oh my God! I fear that this son of mine will one day join the Catholic religion, the religion of Popes!” And indeed, not very long afterwards, having made a serious study of both Protestantism and Catholicism, the boy found the latter to be the only true religion and embraced it and became one of its most ardent apostles.

Some time after his conversion, he met his married sister who rebuked him and said indignantly: “You little know how much I love my children. Should any one of them desire to become a Catholic, I would sooner pierce his heart with a dagger than allow him to embrace the religion of the Popes!”

Her anger and temper were as furious as those of St. Paul before his conversion. However, she would change her ways, just as St. Paul did on his way to Damascus. It so happened that one of her sons fell dangerously ill and the doctors gave up hope of recovery. Her brother then approached her and spoke to her affectionately, saying:

“My dear sister, you naturally wish to have your child cured. Very well, then, do what I ask you to do. Follow me, let us pray one ‘Hail Mary’ and promise God that, if your son recovers his health, you would seriously study the Catholic doctrine, and should you come to the conclusion that Catholicism is the only true religion, you would embrace it no matter what the sacrifices may be.”

His sister was somewhat reluctant at the beginning, but as she wished for her son’s recovery, she accepted her brother’s proposal and recited the “Hail Mary” together with him. The next day her son was completely cured. The mother fulfilled her promise and she studied the Catholic doctrine. After long preparation she received Baptism together with her whole family, thanking her brother for being an apostle to her.

The story was related during a sermon given by the Rev. Fr. Tuckwell. “Brethren,” he went on and said, “the boy who became a Catholic and converted his sister to Catholicism dedicated his whole life to the service of God. He is the priest who is speaking to you now! What I am I owe to Our Lady. You, too, my dear brethren, be entirely dedicated also to Our Lady and never let a day pass without saying the beautiful prayer, ‘Hail Mary’, and your Rosary. Ask her to enlighten the minds of Protestants who are separated from the true Church of Christ founded on the Rock (Peter) and ‘against whom the gates of hell shall never prevail.’”
 
I had heard this story before, but always like to hear it again 🙂 thanks.😉
 
Thanks for sharing Caesar. It is such an amazing story. So beautifully done. If that priest is still living, I would love to meet him some day. This shows that there is still hope for our separated brethren. We can only pray and plant seeds.

In Pax Christi
Andrew
 
What about those who make similar “bargains” with God…such as, God, if you give me a job, or heal this infirmity…I will study the Catholic faith…and they are not healed or do not get the job? What of the times that Mary or God do not “play back”?

I find these types of stories to be tear jerkers, heart tuggers, but when people put the same idea into practice, and God or Mary does not “fall into line” faith is seriously tried. I don’t think it it wise to encourage such “testing” of the Divine.

God is not a miraculous vending machine. Most of us know this by firsthand experience.
 
What about those who make similar “bargains” with God…such as, God, if you give me a job, or heal this infirmity…I will study the Catholic faith…and they are not healed or do not get the job? What of the times that Mary or God do not “play back”?

I find these types of stories to be tear jerkers, heart tuggers, but when people put the same idea into practice, and God or Mary does not “fall into line” faith is seriously tried. I don’t think it it wise to encourage such “testing” of the Divine.

God is not a miraculous vending machine. Most of us know this by firsthand experience.
Yes…or “help me St. Anna, I’ll become a monk”…or words to that effect said during a monstrous thunderstorm.
 
It wasn’t the fact that the boy was healed that led to his conversion. It was his study of the Bible and the fact that he discovered the “Hail Mary” is entirely biblical. Likewise, it wasn’t that the boy was healed that his sister became Catholic. It was that the boy was healed that she was willing to study what the Church taught, as she had refused adamantly until that point. In other words, they both studied which Church is true and concluded it was the Catholic Church. Did his sister immediately run out to join the Catholic Church when her son was healed or did she simply commence her study of the Church? It says, “After long preparation she received Baptism…” Please exercise the use of reading comprehension before contributing the standard anti-Catholic, skeptical response to a beautiful conversion story such as this.
 
It wasn’t the fact that the boy was healed that led to his conversion. It was his study of the Bible and the fact that he discovered the “Hail Mary” is entirely biblical. Likewise, it wasn’t that the boy was healed that his sister became Catholic. It was that the boy was healed that she was willing to study what the Church taught, as she had refused adamantly until that point. In other words, they both studied which Church is true and concluded it was the Catholic Church. Did his sister immediately run out to join the Catholic Church when her son was healed or did she simply commence her study of the Church? It says, “After long preparation she received Baptism…” Please exercise the use of reading comprehension before contributing the standard anti-Catholic, skeptical response to a beautiful conversion story such as this.
Exactly, most likely her conversion to the Church took years. It wasn’t something that happened over night or in a week.

Beautiful story! 👍
 
Exactly, most likely her conversion to the Church took years. It wasn’t something that happened over night or in a week.

Beautiful story! 👍
Or it could have also meant she took bible study and sat RCIA before her baptism…

I’m just speculating of cause.
 
Or it could have also meant she took bible study and sat RCIA before her baptism…

I’m just speculating of cause.
That still could have taken years. Not everyone who joins RCIA becomes Catholic their first time in. Also there are many different Bible studies which very in length.
 
Or it could have also meant she took bible study and sat RCIA before her baptism…

I’m just speculating of cause.
Even it that were the case, she took time to actually learn about the faith and choose Catholicism. She didn’t run out in an emotional frenzy when her son was healed and become Catholic thoughtlessly. The healing of her son was the critical moment when she became open to studying Catholicism, but it was not the only reason she became Catholic. So, the skeptical responses by the non-Catholics in this thread about the child’s healing were negative without good cause.
 
I said nothing anti-Catholic in my post. I asked what of the times that Mary or God do not comply? What does that mean? What ifsomeone says…Mary and God, if you come through, I will study the Catholic faith…and then Mary and God don’t come through? Does that imply that God does not wish that person to study the Catholic faith?

Or is merely asking a question to be considered an “anti-Catholic” response?

This story is posted in the Non Catholic religions forum. So why chide us when we join in the thread?

One of the reasons I ask these questions is this. I was raised as a Catholic on a steady diet of such stories of how great, kind, and seeking of us God was. I believed in such a God. I prayed mightily. I was not thus rewarded with any such signs and assurances. It did affect my faith, not in God, but in Catholicism.

Many people have prayed thus, and not received a sign. What do you say to them?

cheddar
 
I said nothing anti-Catholic in my post. I asked what of the times that Mary or God do not comply? What does that mean? What ifsomeone says…Mary and God, if you come through, I will study the Catholic faith…and then Mary and God don’t come through? Does that imply that God does not wish that person to study the Catholic faith?

Or is merely asking a question to be considered an “anti-Catholic” response?

This story is posted in the Non Catholic religions forum. So why chide us when we join in the thread?

One of the reasons I ask these questions is this. I was raised as a Catholic on a steady diet of such stories of how great, kind, and seeking of us God was. I believed in such a God. I prayed mightily. I was not thus rewarded with any such signs and assurances. It did affect my faith, not in God, but in Catholicism.

Many people have prayed thus, and not received a sign. What do you say to them?

cheddar
Apparently, you say nothing to them.

thanx
 
What about those who make similar “bargains” with God…such as, God, if you give me a job, or heal this infirmity…I will study the Catholic faith…and they are not healed or do not get the job? What of the times that Mary or God do not “play back”?

I find these types of stories to be tear jerkers, heart tuggers, but when people put the same idea into practice, and God or Mary does not “fall into line” faith is seriously tried. I don’t think it it wise to encourage such “testing” of the Divine.

God is not a miraculous vending machine. Most of us know this by firsthand experience.
Very true. You can’t test God like that.
 
I have heard that story before but I can’t recall where. Where did you get it from?
 
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