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Shannon46
Guest
I like praying the Rosary.
- Status
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couponfit
Guest
Well first, it’s an expression of faith. You don’t have to pray the rosary any more than you ave to jog for exercise. It’s one method of prayer. It’s not for everyone all the time. You may be called to a different form of devotion or service. Ther are thousands if not millions of options out there from charitablemwork to opus dei to charismatic movement to 3rd degree orders, to attending theology school, to working in a ministry.
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GaryTaylor
Guest
Perhaps one should view what our Popes have said about the Rosary. Approaching your own Salvation as to what one HAS TO DO or is Required to do, suggests a minimal amount of effort and is definately a dangerous way to view “eternity”.
“To pray unceasingly” is a command given to Christians by Paul in Thessalonians.
“Would you like me to tell you a ‘secret’? It is simple, and after all, is no secret: ‘Pray, pray much. Say the Rosary everyday.’” Bl Pope John Paul II
“Spread the Rosary, the prayer so dear to the Virgin and so esteemed by popes; by it the faithful can best fulfill the command of Christ: ’ Ask and it shall be given; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you.’ (Mt. 7:7). The Rosary puts all who have trust in it into communication with Our Lady.” -Pope Paul VI
“The Rosary, as is known to all, is in fact a very excellent means of prayer and meditation in the form of a mystical crown in which the prayers Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father are intertwined with meditation on the greatest mysteries of our Faith and which presents to the mind, like many pictures, the drama of the Incarnation of our Lord and the Redemption.” -Pope John XXIII
“If you recite the Family Rosary, all united, you shall taste peace; you shall have in your homes concord of souls. Hearing the Christian home resound with the praised of the Queen of Heaven (is) a simple fact in appearance, but extraordinarily received by God, such as to enrapture the Angels, which from Heaven see and hear! The Rosary recited in common gathers the parents with their children, piously joins them with those absent, with the deceased, draws all there, close to the Virgin, who, as Mother, will be in the midst of her children. We esteem the Rosary to be the most suitable and efficacious means to obtain the help of God. The flowers of the Rosary never perish.” -Pope Pius XII
“The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin… It not only serves admirably to overcome the enemies of God and of religion, but it is also a stimulus and an encouragement to the practice of the evangelical virtues, which it develops and cultivates in our souls. Above all, it nourishes our Catholic Faith…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors.” -Pope Pius XI
“The Rosary elevates minds to the truths reveled by God and shows us Heaven opened. The Virgin Mary Herself has insistently recommended this manner of praying. All Graces are conceded to us by God through the hands of Mary.” - Pope Pius XI
“Nevertheless, if men in our century, with its derisive pride, reject the holy Rosary, there is an innumerable multitude of holy men of every age and every condition who have always held it dear. They have recited it with great devotion, and in every moment they have used it as a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight, to preserve the integrity of life, to acquire virtue more easily, and, in a word, to attain real peace among men.” -Pope Pius XI
“From it (the Rosary) the young will draw fresh energy with which to control the rebellious tendencies to evil and to preserve intact the stainless purity of the soul. Also in it, the old will again find repose, relief , and peace from their anxious cares. And to all those who suffer in any way, especially the dying, may it bring comfort and increase the hope of eternal Happiness.” -Pope Pius XI
“The prayer of the Rosary is perfect because of the praises it offers, the lessons it teaches, the graces it obtains, and the victories it achieves.” - Pope Benedict XV
“St. Dominic knew well that, while on the one hand Mary is all powerful with Her divine Son, who grants all graces to mankind through Her, on the other hand, She is by nature so good and so merciful that, inclined to aid spontaneously those who suffer, She is absolutely incapable of refusing Her help to those who invoke Her. The Church is in the habit of greeting the Virgin as ‘Mother of Grace’ and ‘Mother of Mercy,’ and so She has always shown Herself, especially when we have recourse to Her by means of the Holy Rosary.” -Pope Benedict XV
" The Rosary is the most beautiful and the richest of all prayers to the Mediatrix of all grace; it is the prayer that touches most the heart of the Mother of God. Say it each day." -Pope St. Pius X
" The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying." -Pope Leo XIII
“Among all the devotions approved by the Church, none has been so favored by so many miracles as the Rosary devotion.” - Pope Pius IX
“Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world.” -Pope Pius IX
“To pray unceasingly” is a command given to Christians by Paul in Thessalonians.
“Would you like me to tell you a ‘secret’? It is simple, and after all, is no secret: ‘Pray, pray much. Say the Rosary everyday.’” Bl Pope John Paul II
“Spread the Rosary, the prayer so dear to the Virgin and so esteemed by popes; by it the faithful can best fulfill the command of Christ: ’ Ask and it shall be given; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you.’ (Mt. 7:7). The Rosary puts all who have trust in it into communication with Our Lady.” -Pope Paul VI
“The Rosary, as is known to all, is in fact a very excellent means of prayer and meditation in the form of a mystical crown in which the prayers Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father are intertwined with meditation on the greatest mysteries of our Faith and which presents to the mind, like many pictures, the drama of the Incarnation of our Lord and the Redemption.” -Pope John XXIII
“If you recite the Family Rosary, all united, you shall taste peace; you shall have in your homes concord of souls. Hearing the Christian home resound with the praised of the Queen of Heaven (is) a simple fact in appearance, but extraordinarily received by God, such as to enrapture the Angels, which from Heaven see and hear! The Rosary recited in common gathers the parents with their children, piously joins them with those absent, with the deceased, draws all there, close to the Virgin, who, as Mother, will be in the midst of her children. We esteem the Rosary to be the most suitable and efficacious means to obtain the help of God. The flowers of the Rosary never perish.” -Pope Pius XII
“The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin… It not only serves admirably to overcome the enemies of God and of religion, but it is also a stimulus and an encouragement to the practice of the evangelical virtues, which it develops and cultivates in our souls. Above all, it nourishes our Catholic Faith…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors.” -Pope Pius XI
“The Rosary elevates minds to the truths reveled by God and shows us Heaven opened. The Virgin Mary Herself has insistently recommended this manner of praying. All Graces are conceded to us by God through the hands of Mary.” - Pope Pius XI
“Nevertheless, if men in our century, with its derisive pride, reject the holy Rosary, there is an innumerable multitude of holy men of every age and every condition who have always held it dear. They have recited it with great devotion, and in every moment they have used it as a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight, to preserve the integrity of life, to acquire virtue more easily, and, in a word, to attain real peace among men.” -Pope Pius XI
“From it (the Rosary) the young will draw fresh energy with which to control the rebellious tendencies to evil and to preserve intact the stainless purity of the soul. Also in it, the old will again find repose, relief , and peace from their anxious cares. And to all those who suffer in any way, especially the dying, may it bring comfort and increase the hope of eternal Happiness.” -Pope Pius XI
“The prayer of the Rosary is perfect because of the praises it offers, the lessons it teaches, the graces it obtains, and the victories it achieves.” - Pope Benedict XV
“St. Dominic knew well that, while on the one hand Mary is all powerful with Her divine Son, who grants all graces to mankind through Her, on the other hand, She is by nature so good and so merciful that, inclined to aid spontaneously those who suffer, She is absolutely incapable of refusing Her help to those who invoke Her. The Church is in the habit of greeting the Virgin as ‘Mother of Grace’ and ‘Mother of Mercy,’ and so She has always shown Herself, especially when we have recourse to Her by means of the Holy Rosary.” -Pope Benedict XV
" The Rosary is the most beautiful and the richest of all prayers to the Mediatrix of all grace; it is the prayer that touches most the heart of the Mother of God. Say it each day." -Pope St. Pius X
" The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying." -Pope Leo XIII
“Among all the devotions approved by the Church, none has been so favored by so many miracles as the Rosary devotion.” - Pope Pius IX
“Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world.” -Pope Pius IX
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Hesychios
Guest
I noticed that these quoted are all modern Popes, none earlier than Vatican Council I.
Do you have any earlier references from the Popes? I am curious about the time frame.
This is true.
We urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, cheer the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with all. See that no one returns evil for evil; rather, always seek what is good for each other and for all.
Rejoice always.
Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus …
1 Thess 5:14-18
Do you think he was referring to the rosary when he wrote that?
The earliest references I can find of Christians praying has been either to God or to Jesus as God. Even the earliest ‘rosary’ was to repeat a prayer in the words of Jesus (PaterNosters) to God the Father in imitation of the 150 psalms monastics would ordinarily pray to God. Somehow this changed to become a repetition of prayer to the mother of Jesus, which I personally don’t think Saint Paul was praying.
I think, if anything Saint Paul was praying the psalms (a synagog practice and temple practice we still follow today as the Liturgy of the Hours), or perhaps the Lord’s Prayer or the Jesus Prayer. or any mix of these as well as the kind of extemporaneous pleading any one of us might do in times of need or concern.
‘Indeed, our true task is always the same and is always accomplished in the same way: to call upon our Lord Jesus Christ with a burning heart so that His holy name intercedes for us.’
St Hesychios the priest
‘As you sail across the sea of the intellect, put your trust in Jesus, for secretly in your heart He says: “Fear not, my child Jacob, the least of Israel; fear not, you worm Israel, I will protect you.” If God is for us, what evil one is against us? For He has blessed the pure of heart and given the commandments; and so Jesus, who alone is truly pure, in a divine way readily enters into hearts that are pure and dwells in them. Therefore, as Paul counsels, let us ceaselessly exercise our intellect in devotion. For devotion uproots the seeds sown by the devil, and is the path of the intelligence.’
St Hesychios the priest
*‘The more the rain falls on the earth, the softer it makes it; similarly, Christ’s holy name gladdens the earth of our heart the more we call upon it.’ *
St Hesychios the priest
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me the sinner.”
J
jwinch2
Guest
To my knowledge, the only form of the prayer the Church has ever mandated is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Even the Divine Office/Liturgy of the Hours, which is often referred to as the “Prayer of the Church” is not required unless you have received holy orders or are part of a religious order/congregation, etc. For someone really looking to step up their prayer life, the Divine Office is probably a good place to start.
The Rosary, while it does have many recommending it, including various popes, remains at the status of a private devotion and has never been required. Even in the Order of Preachers with St. Dominic receiving the Rosary from Our Lady, I have seen nothing of a requirement to pray it at this stage of my formation.
This may come off the wrong way but I hope it doesn’t. Unfortunately, I find that many seem to shove devotion to Our Lady and the Rosary down people’s throat when they admit to having concerns about it. It’s like they cannot imagine someone having a problem with it, even though many do. Rather than backing off a bit and taking it slowly and allowing devotion to develop over time, they try to force it. This does not work. Devotion implies knowledge, understanding, and dedication. Those things cannot be manufactured by telling someone to do it. They come as a product of time. If someone is having difficulty with the Rosary and finds that at this time, it is not leading them to Christ, then they probably should either A) examine how they are praying it. And if that does not improve things then they should B) stop for a time. I cannot imagine Our Lady, in all of her love for us, wishing us to do any sort of devotion to her at the expense of worshiping her Son. The bottom line is that if you do the Rosary and you are not able to focus on Christ then it isn’t Mary that you are praying to. She wants us to know and love Jesus and she would never do anything to get in the way of that. She loves us and Him, too much.
To the OP. I suggest backing down for a while. Do a Hail Mary now and then. Do a Hail Holy Queen once and a while. Try to establish a good prayer life outside of Marian devotion. Keep a good ratio of prayers directly to the Blessed Trinity as compared to intercessions to saints, Mary or otherwise. While you are doing these, try to ask her to lead you to her Son and to help to understand His will for you. If you are not doing so already, I suggest praying the Liturgy of the Hours, perhaps starting with night prayers once a day. It is very short in comparison to the morning or evening prayer and is relatively easy to learn. Plus, the night prayer typically ends with a short Marian devotion, so that will be helping you along the path to increasing that should you desire. Plus, it has the benefit of being done by the whole Church at set times so you will be joining your prayers with theirs. Also, since it prayers directly with Sacred Scripture, you will praying with God’s own words. After several months of this, try doing one decade of the Rosary and really focus on Christ while you do it. See what happens and take it from there.
God bless you!
The Rosary, while it does have many recommending it, including various popes, remains at the status of a private devotion and has never been required. Even in the Order of Preachers with St. Dominic receiving the Rosary from Our Lady, I have seen nothing of a requirement to pray it at this stage of my formation.
This may come off the wrong way but I hope it doesn’t. Unfortunately, I find that many seem to shove devotion to Our Lady and the Rosary down people’s throat when they admit to having concerns about it. It’s like they cannot imagine someone having a problem with it, even though many do. Rather than backing off a bit and taking it slowly and allowing devotion to develop over time, they try to force it. This does not work. Devotion implies knowledge, understanding, and dedication. Those things cannot be manufactured by telling someone to do it. They come as a product of time. If someone is having difficulty with the Rosary and finds that at this time, it is not leading them to Christ, then they probably should either A) examine how they are praying it. And if that does not improve things then they should B) stop for a time. I cannot imagine Our Lady, in all of her love for us, wishing us to do any sort of devotion to her at the expense of worshiping her Son. The bottom line is that if you do the Rosary and you are not able to focus on Christ then it isn’t Mary that you are praying to. She wants us to know and love Jesus and she would never do anything to get in the way of that. She loves us and Him, too much.
To the OP. I suggest backing down for a while. Do a Hail Mary now and then. Do a Hail Holy Queen once and a while. Try to establish a good prayer life outside of Marian devotion. Keep a good ratio of prayers directly to the Blessed Trinity as compared to intercessions to saints, Mary or otherwise. While you are doing these, try to ask her to lead you to her Son and to help to understand His will for you. If you are not doing so already, I suggest praying the Liturgy of the Hours, perhaps starting with night prayers once a day. It is very short in comparison to the morning or evening prayer and is relatively easy to learn. Plus, the night prayer typically ends with a short Marian devotion, so that will be helping you along the path to increasing that should you desire. Plus, it has the benefit of being done by the whole Church at set times so you will be joining your prayers with theirs. Also, since it prayers directly with Sacred Scripture, you will praying with God’s own words. After several months of this, try doing one decade of the Rosary and really focus on Christ while you do it. See what happens and take it from there.
God bless you!
J
jwinch2
Guest
I should probably add to my post above by pointing out that at various times in Church history, devotions to saints have been done within the context of the Mass. For example, it was required at one time to say a prayer to St. Michael the Archangel following receipt of Holy Communion. There are other examples also, but that is the first one which comes to mind. However the Rosary, by comparison was received through private revelation to St. Dominic and remains a private devotion. Per my understanding, no one is required to even believe a particular private devotion, let alone adopt a private devotion. Even one so popular as the Rosary.
Peace of Christ.
Peace of Christ.
R
rinnie
Guest
I used to be that way, And then as time went on, and I continued to pray something happened. My Life Changed.
The Grace that I was given oneday made me such a different person. I felt such a bond to the Blessed Mother I can never discribe it.
It was like when I was a kid crawling into my Mother or Fathers arms knowing that as long as they were there, I was SO loved and protected.
Never felt any different since.
It is such a strong bond I teach my kids constantly if you are in trouble, or need help fast. Go to her. She will go to God with you! No one loves you like your Mother.
Especially if you go a PERFECT one like her.
J
jwinch2
Guest
In case you are interested. Here is a nice article on praying the Liturgy of the Hours/Divine Office.
ht.ly/1hjYYP
If you are not interested, no worries. I just thought I would share…
Peace, and God Bless.
M
maplebug55
Guest
I used to say the rosary often. But I don’ t really say it much anymore.
I just can’ t keep my mind on it.
It is a beautiful prayers though!
I just can’ t keep my mind on it.
It is a beautiful prayers though!
C
Cavaradossi
Guest
This is probably some of the best advice that has been given in this thread so far.
O
odile53
Guest
I’d really suggest backing off it for awhile, but learning more about the rosary, starting with the history, and keeping an open mind while you’re casually learning more about it. Devotion can’t really be forced, either one particular devotion resonates with you or it doesn’t at the time. If, after learning about the rosary, it appeals to you, try saying it in a group; the mysteries are announced at the beginning of each decade, and frequently a short subject for meditation during that particular mystery is given. Also, you might want to take a look at the list of the mysteries, and then seek out where they are specifically given in scripture (you won’t find the assumption or coronation of Mary there, though.)
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GaryTaylor
Guest
Actually this is untrue. If you believe what the church states or not about this is a completely different matter. I would assume at this point you haven’t re-searched where the mysteries of the Rosary come from, or you do-not believe what the Church states about them?
As to what is required “VERY LITTLE”. And if this is the Equation one is following, lets be serious here and stop talking falsely, they certainly are not going to be praying the Divine Office/Liturgy of the Hours.
Very Little or what is “required” doesn’t even reside in the reality of the Divine Office.
However as stated; “Nevertheless, if men in our century, with its derisive pride, reject the holy Rosary, there is an innumerable multitude of holy men of every age and every condition who have always held it dear. They have recited it with great devotion, and in every moment they have used it as a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight, to preserve the integrity of life, to acquire virtue more easily, and, in a word, to attain real peace among men.” -Pope Pius XI
The bottom line to all this is one must first acknowledge a daily prayer habit is of most importance. What you prefer to choose may well begin with a simple set as daily prayer’s as I would assume most of us did as children? And this becomes like anything else a daily positive spiritual habit. On a world physical level it equates to brushing you teeth and washing which is to maintain the physical, so then, you must also maintain the Spiritual.
Where you end up will hopefully be at the Divine Office. However more realistic is what you WILL DO daily. What you will not do, leaves you doing nothing.
Peace
J
jwinch2
Guest
Hi Gary,
I don’t think anyone is denying that the Rosary is a powerful prayer and a great devotion to do. However, I do not interpret the OP’s issue as one of pride or rejection. Rather, I see it as one of concern and discomfort. As has been noted above, devotion takes time and cannot be forced. The fact that the OP came on here to ask about it suggests that he is concerned and wishes to do the right thing. The Pope Pius quote, while accurate, seems a bit out of touch, with what the OP is experiencing.
Regarding the Divine Office, I say the night prayers daily. You don’t even need the book or know how to use them. Just go here for free, click on night prayer or whatever prayer you wish to do, and follow along. Heck, you can do it with a recording if you are concerned about doing it right.
divineoffice.org/
Having said that, you are quite correct in that it is certainly more than a quick prayer. However, I would suggest that some people who do struggle with the development of a good prayer life can benefit from the structure it provides and are often more comfortable praying directly to the Blessed Trinity for that length of time as well as with something which has far less repetition which makes it a bit easier to keep your mind from wandering.
As for quotes, there are some wonderful ones about the Divine Office as well.
Second Vatican Council said:
Please don’t get me wrong here. I LOVE the Rosary and feel that it is a fantastic devotion which allows our Blessed Mother to lead us right to her Son, Jesus Christ. I shared with the OP, a youtube page where he could do the Rosary by following along with a video and use the images to help his focus on the various mysteries. That being said, it is obvious that many have problems with it and with devotional prayer in general. With that in mind, I am merely trying to offer some suggestions which have worked for me and others that I know.
Peace of Christ,
J
jwinch2
Guest
J
jwinch2
Guest
Good advice…
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GaryTaylor
Guest
Great I’m familiar with it, and thanks, however its has nothing to do with what I stated:thumbsup:
G
GaryTaylor
Guest
How so? If you cannot do the lesser how will you do the more? Is it logic?
L
losh14
Guest
I’m going to echo some thoughts here.
You don’t have to pray the Rosary. Those who don’t pray it probably don’t have the understanding of those who do pray it (and vice versa) but it’s never been mandated. Exhorted, encouraged, strongly recommended, sure, but it is not sound teaching to state that the Rosary is necessary for salvation.
That said, it’s a good discipline. You need a prayer life and ordinarily can’t expect to reach Heaven without one, and one of the beauties of formal prayer is that you have true and trustworthy words to say and a reason to spend time in prayer. With informal and improvised prayer, you may not always have that. Your prayer life should include formal and informal prayer, as well as periods of silence (prayer is speaking as well as listening).
Where I am - and I don’t participate in any form of Marian veneration - is reconciling what amounts to distrust of the Church over Marian teaching with the desire to be obedient and live piously. I have very great difficulties with Marian teaching and Marian devotion, so I focus on the Eucharist and devotions to Christ. I keep a daily devotion to the Holy Trinity and I’ve been reading and meditating upon “The Imitation of Christ” for a year and a half now.
If we were to poll all lay Catholics about devotional life, we’d probably find the Rosary is the most commonly practiced. Sacred Heart would be up there too but I suspect the top 10 would be specific to Mary rather than specific to Christ. That does make me uncomfortable, and if it makes you uncomfortable as well, be an example and pick up a devotion to Christ.
You don’t have to pray the Rosary. Those who don’t pray it probably don’t have the understanding of those who do pray it (and vice versa) but it’s never been mandated. Exhorted, encouraged, strongly recommended, sure, but it is not sound teaching to state that the Rosary is necessary for salvation.
That said, it’s a good discipline. You need a prayer life and ordinarily can’t expect to reach Heaven without one, and one of the beauties of formal prayer is that you have true and trustworthy words to say and a reason to spend time in prayer. With informal and improvised prayer, you may not always have that. Your prayer life should include formal and informal prayer, as well as periods of silence (prayer is speaking as well as listening).
Where I am - and I don’t participate in any form of Marian veneration - is reconciling what amounts to distrust of the Church over Marian teaching with the desire to be obedient and live piously. I have very great difficulties with Marian teaching and Marian devotion, so I focus on the Eucharist and devotions to Christ. I keep a daily devotion to the Holy Trinity and I’ve been reading and meditating upon “The Imitation of Christ” for a year and a half now.
If we were to poll all lay Catholics about devotional life, we’d probably find the Rosary is the most commonly practiced. Sacred Heart would be up there too but I suspect the top 10 would be specific to Mary rather than specific to Christ. That does make me uncomfortable, and if it makes you uncomfortable as well, be an example and pick up a devotion to Christ.
U
ufamtobie
Guest
losh, it is true one does not need to say the Rosary. However the Rosary is about the Life of Christ our Lord.
It was Virgin Mary, who brought the apostle John to the cross, the only apostle who was there present at the foot of the cross, the rest of the apostles abandoned our Lord because of fear, for a while. But I truly believe if the rest of the Apostles where there with Virgin Mary, Virgin Mary would have brought them, as She did John to the foot of the cross, for no one can say no, to the Mother of God, and yet some do, (I’m not pointing no fingers) : )
Virgin Mary takes us all to Her son.
The way Jesus Came into this world to save many, was through Virgin Mary, Am I not right in saying so? This being true/fact, then there is no better road than Virgin Mary, to go to Jesus. Amen
That being the True/Fact I choose the higher road to Jesus Christ, and that Beautiful Road to Jesus Christ is Virgin Mary.
losh, be an example, do what Jesus Christ did, He came to Virgin Mary before coming to us. So go through Virgin Mary to Jesus Christ. Amen
Don’t try to take away people devotion to Virgin Mary, it will backfire on you, : (
Ufam Tobie
J
jwinch2
Guest
To anyone having a tough time with understanding Marian devotion, I highly recommend the book Mary and the Fathers of the Church: The Blessed Virgin Mary in Patristic Thought, by Father Luigi Gambero. The book is very scholarly but still very readable and does a great job of taking you though the development of Marian doctrine and devotion in the early Catholic Church.
In addition, it does a nice job of highlighting which beliefs are the foundation for understanding Mary within the mind of the Church and thus the development of additional doctrines down the road. For example, the idea of Mary as the New Eve goes back to the time of Justin Martyr, perhaps before, and is often considered the pillar on which later Marian doctrines stand. Thus, it is a very good place to start.
In addition, it does a nice job of highlighting which beliefs are the foundation for understanding Mary within the mind of the Church and thus the development of additional doctrines down the road. For example, the idea of Mary as the New Eve goes back to the time of Justin Martyr, perhaps before, and is often considered the pillar on which later Marian doctrines stand. Thus, it is a very good place to start.
- Status