The Memorare

[14er]

The standard apologetics answer for why we pray to Mary is along the lines of “We ask her to pray for us in much the same way we would ask a friend or family member to pray for us.” Or “Christ listens to his Mother, so to have her intercede for us is good.” I believe these are valid reasons. But in the Memorare we say “Despise not my petitions but in thy mercy hear and answer me.” This seems like a prayer we would direct to the Father or the Son. Are we asking Mary to directly answer a prayer request? Also, what value would we get from Mary’s mercy? Isn’t mercy something that allows for our forgiveness and salvation, which comes from God alone?

 

[JCPhoenix]

When we “fly unto Mary” we are asking for her MATERNAL protection as our mother. She is a spiritual mother, and while we ask for her intercession, we do so in consideration of her as a mother. A mother is protective of her children. In the prayer, we are recognizing both her as our Mother and ourselves as her children. Mothers are protective.

The form of protection from the Blessed Mother is the form of prayer, and this is what we are “petetioning” her for. In the Memorare, we are clinging to the hem of our Mother’s skirt and we are asking her to protect us in the form of intercessory prayer for something very important…something that we want God to hear from more thatn just our moths, but also from the mouth of his mother.

I’m sure I completely botched this explanation, but hopefully my reply will at least keep your thread fresh and help you obtain a better explanation.

 

[JaneFrances]

St. Peter teaches us in 1 Peter 4:10: “As generous distributors of God’s manifold grace, put your gifts at the service of one another, each in the measure he has received.”

So, when we approach the Blessed Mother asking for her to look upon us with mercy and to answer our petitions, we are quite simply recognizing that God himself has made her “full of grace” and thus she has been given a great measure of HIS grace to distribute generously.

Each of us must always recognize that all of our faith and work are gifts from the Almighty. Our capacity to be merciful to each other is a gift from God. Our capacity to meet the needs of others is also a great grace from God. Whatever measure of grace Mary has been given to be merciful and intercede for our needs, is in its most fundamental form a gift from God. And, always submissive and obedient to the will of God, the Blessed Mother looks upon us as her children to whom she perfectly distributes God’s gifts lovingly and in perfect accord with the will of her Son.

The graces that the Blessed Mother has to distribute are always “at the service” of others and always leading us to her Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and God!

 

[Church_Militant]

14er:

The standard apologetics answer for why we pray to Mary is along the lines of “We ask her to pray for us in much the same way we would ask a friend or family member to pray for us.” Or “Christ listens to his Mother, so to have her intercede for us is good.” I believe these are valid reasons. But in the Memorare we say “Despise not my petitions but in thy mercy hear and answer me.” This seems like a prayer we would direct to the Father or the Son. Are we asking Mary to directly answer a prayer request? Also, what value would we get from Mary’s mercy? Isn’t mercy something that allows for our forgiveness and salvation, which comes from God alone?

Maybe you’ve never heard of the Sub Tuum; The oldest Marian prayer.

Either way we are asking the Blessed Virgin for her intercession, since every answered prayer is answered by God anyway, is it not? Or do you make the mistake of believing that the apostles did miracles by their own powers?
Pax tecum,

 

[allhers]

JaneFrances:

St. Peter teaches us in 1 Peter 4:10: “As generous distributors of God’s manifold grace, put your gifts at the service of one another, each in the measure he has received.”

So, when we approach the Blessed Mother asking for her to look upon us with mercy and to answer our petitions, we are quite simply recognizing that God himself has made her “full of grace” and thus she has been given a great measure of HIS grace to distribute generously.

Each of us must always recognize that all of our faith and work are gifts from the Almighty. Our capacity to be merciful to each other is a gift from God. Our capacity to meet the needs of others is also a great grace from God. Whatever measure of grace Mary has been given to be merciful and intercede for our needs, is in its most fundamental form a gift from God. And, always submissive and obedient to the will of God, the Blessed Mother looks upon us as her children to whom she perfectly distributes God’s gifts lovingly and in perfect accord with the will of her Son.

The graces that the Blessed Mother has to distribute are always “at the service” of others and always leading us to her Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and God!

This was a most awesome answer, it can’t even be added to, it’s just perfect! …