To live by faith

[Cinette]

There are many other passages of scripture not referred to in that tract, which refer to it implicitly, and there are lots of Early Church Fathers who wrote about it.

The “Full of Grace” is probably the strongest New Testament reference to the Immaculate Conception. There are many Old Testament typological references to her Immaculate Conception in addition to that of the ark. I don’t have my list of them on hand, so I can’t get into them at the moment.

There are many passages that show Mary to be the one who receives incredible honors beyond the lot of other Christians, though.

Elizabeth says of Mary, “Blessed art thou among women,” suggesting that she is more blessed than any woman. Elizabeth then addresses her as “Mother of my Lord.” In the language of the East at that time, this choice of words was only made to address a queen. There are no records from that time period of it being used in any other way. Only to refer to queens.

Elizabeth’s form of address here has implications more profound than this, though, because the “Lord” in this specific case, as it is used in the Psalms, means God as well as King. Thus Elizabeth is addressing Mary as “Mother of God,” and “Queen Mother,” simultaneously in this verse.

Equally important is this reference to Mary, who had not even been raised up into Heaven at this time. The Angel Gabriel addresses her with the word “Hail!” a word that in the language of the East (like the term “Mother of my Lord”), was only used to address royalty.

On what follows, I could be mistaken. But I don’t believe rulers visiting one another had to address one another with the word “Hail!” Only their subjects did. Thus the archangel Gabriel acknowledged Mary’s superiority to him as he addressed her, and Scripture acknowledges her role as Queen of Angels. This also is reflected in the fact that golden cherubim cover with their wings the ark of the Lord in the Old Testament.

It is no wonder that Mary’s response was, according to Luke: But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

Then, in the New Testament, Mary becomes Mother of the Church when, at the cross, Jesus said to her, “Woman, behold your son,” and then said to “the beloved disciple,” “son, behold your mother.” In this event, according to Early Church teaching, Mary became the Mother of the Church and all Christians (the “beloved disciple,” John, represents all of us) were instructed to devote themselves to her and take her as their Mother.

The Old Testament contains countless prophecies of Mary’s role as Mother of the Church. The types of Mary in the Old Testament- people such as Sarah, Rachel and many others (I have a list at home, but am not writing from home right now), are told that they will be richly blessed and will be called mother of many nations. These typological predictions were fulfilled in Mary when she became Mother of the Church.

Thus we see in Scripture Mary’s role as Queen of Angels, Queen of believers on Earth (see Elizabeth) and Mother of God and Mother of the Church- in addition to what you were already shown in the tract about her Assumption and Immaculate Conception.

We also can see many references in the Old Testament to Mary’s role as Queen of Heaven in her role as Mother of the King, or Queen Mother. Because Jesus inherited the Throne of David, and the queen mother, in the royal court of David, was second in power only to the king. Since Jesus’ throne is referred to as that of David, it is logical to think of the court of David as a type of that which is in Heaven, in which Jesus reigns. Thus, from the Old Testament (and there are a lot of passages about this- just google “Gebirah” and “Virgin Mary” “queen mother” and you’ll get a ton about it.

Marian devotion is also not only recommended to the Church in the Gospel of John, where the “beloved disciple” takes Mary into his home. It also is in Mary’s Magnificat, when she says, “all generations shall call me blessed.”

Prayer to Mary is prophetically implied in the Old Testament role of the Queen Mother as intercessor for the people to the king. Adonijah went to Queen Mother Bathsheba with his request for a wife from Solomon, saying, “for he will not refuse you.” Bathsheba came to King Solomon, made her request, and was told, “Make your request, mother, for I will not refuse you,” a statement typological of Mary’s role in Heaven on behalf of believers as Queen Mother.

Prayer to Mary is also more explicitly recommended in Revelation 5:8, where the Christian elders in Heaven pass the prayers of the saints on Earth up to God as incense. The saints direct the incense of their prayers to these saints in Heaven, praying to the saints, and then the elders pass these requests on for them to God. How much more are we to pass on our prayers to she who is scripturally the Queen of Heaven herself, called by God through Old Testament prophecy and New Testament word “Behold your son,” to pray for us?

So we can scripturally see how great is the role of Mary given by God for her good and the indescribable blessing of all the Church.

Hi!

I have come across this thread and read this far and thought I would jump in here to tell you about a lovely book called “Hail Holy Queen” by Scott Hahn (convert and ex-Presbytarian Minister). It explains a lot about the role of Mary in a beautiful way. I plan to read it again soon.

Blessings
Cinette

 

[Rawb]

As Catholics live by faith, is the Sacrament of Confession compulsory? Why or why not?

Is Confession actually mandated by the Church? If so, where is that found in official Church documents?

Is there a MINIMUM number of times that a Catholic must go to Confession?

How long does Confession last for? What is the form and procedure that is followed?

May God bless you, Craig

From waaaaaay back on the first page:

The Six Precepts of the Church

• To hear Mass on Sundays and holydays of obligation.
• To fast and abstain on the days commanded.
• To confess our sins at least once a year.
• To receive the Blessed Eucharist at Easter or within the time appointed.
• To contribute to the support of our Pastors.
• Not to solemnize marriage at the forbidden times; nor to marry persons within the forbidden degrees of the kindred, or otherwise prohibited by the Church, nor secretly.

So yes, we are required, at the bare minimum, to recieve Confession once a year (generally in the Lenten Season before Easter). A Catholic is also bound to confess their sins in the Sacrament if they have any mortal sin on their soul, and are forbidden from recieving Communion while in a state of mortal sin.

The longest part of Confession, in my experience, is waiting in line for your turn. This is a good thing, however, because it gives you time to really examine your conscience, to perhaps pray some (or all) of the rosary, or other prayer (I used to read the penitential psalms for example, or some do the Divine Mercy Chaplet).

Anyway, there are two forms of Confession. Anonymous or Face-to-Face. In the Anonymous form (the older form, and the one most seen on TV) a Catholic will go into the confessional (the little room with a kneeler facing a screen built into a wall, behind which the priest is sitting). The priest will say “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (You cross yourrself) and then say a short prayer about God helping us to remember our sins and recieve mercy and forgivness through the sacrifice of Our Lord Jesus Christ.You say “Bless me Father, for I have sinned, and it has been ____ days/months/years since my last confession” (This lets the priest know if someone’s returning, or a regular, or infrequent confessor, all of whom he may need to guide differently). You then list your sins by name and number, ie “I missed Mass three times”.

In Face-to-Face the words are the same, but you sit in a chair in the same little room as the priest and face him.

At the end of your confession (some people ask for forgiveness for anything they may have left out or forgotten, though purposefully witholding a mortal sin in Confession makes it invalid) the priest will ask you to say an act of contrition, then he will say another prayer, generally thanking God for his mercy and gift of Salvation, and then say those all important, beautiful words “I absolve you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” He will give you penance (before the absoloution) which you usually do in the Church before leaving and going home, reborn and reuinted with the Body of Christ.

There is no better feeling than getting it all off your chest, telling Christ everything in the Confessional, hearing Him forgive you through His priest, and knowing that you are forgiven. It’s so…perfect. Almost like a second baptism; you go into the room one creation, and come out born anew.

 

[benedictus2]

As Catholics live by faith, is the Sacrament of Confession compulsory? Why or why not?

Is Confession actually mandated by the Church? If so, where is that found in official Church documents?

Is there a MINIMUM number of times that a Catholic must go to Confession?

How long does Confession last for? What is the form and procedure that is followed?

May God bless you, Craig

Rawb has already done an excellent job of answering your question but I would like to add a little thing I read.

Christ is a good psychologist. He knows that as humans we will need to unburden our guilt. We need to know that we are forgiven.

G K Chesteron said something along the lines of: psychotherapy being secular society’s answer to confession.

Carl Jung made a comment that his business did not do so well in Catholic Austria because people had confession.

I have a Protestant friend with whom I have regular heated discussions (we’re both very stubborn). It surprised me one day when he said that the one thing he wish his church had was confession. I remember thinking that he must be carrying something rather heavy for him to say that.

 

[twb1621]

As Catholics live by faith, is the Sacrament of Confession compulsory? Why or why not?
Is Confession actually mandated by the Church? If so, where is that found in official Church documents?
“…as it is clearly stated in Sacred Scripture – God in the Person of Jesus Christ authorized the priests of His Church to hear confessions and empowered them to forgive sins in His Name. To the Apostles, the first priests of His Church, Christ said: “Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you… Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.” (John 20:21-23). Then again: “Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.” (Matt. 18:18). In other words, Catholics confess their sins to priests because priests are God’s duly authorized agents in the world, representing Him in all matters pertaining to the ways and means of attaining eternal salvation. When Catholics confess their sins to a priest they ARE, in reality, confessing their sins to God, for God hears their confessions and it is He who, in the final analysis, does the forgiving. If their confessions are not sincere, their sins are not forgiven.
Furthermore, Catholics DO confess their sins directly to God as Protestants do: Catholics are taught to make an act of contrition at least every night before retiring, to ask God to forgive them their sins of that day. Catholics are also taught to say this same prayer of contrition if they should have the misfortune to commit a serious sin (called a “mortal sin” by Catholics). Advantages in confessing their sins to a priest in the Sacrament of Penance. First, there is the Church’s guarantee of forgiveness, which private confessions do not provide; secondly, there is the sacramental grace which private confessions do not provide; and thirdly, there is the expert spiritual counseling which private confessions do not provide. With the Apostles, Catholics recognize that the Church is, in a mysterious way, the Body of Christ still living in the world (Col. 1:18); therefore they recognize that God will receive their pleas for mercy and forgiveness with far greater compassion if their pleas are voiced within the Church, in union with the Mystical Body of His Divine Son, than if they are voiced privately, independent of the Mystical Body of His Divine Son.”

Keep in mind Craig, most people who find it difficult to go to a priest for the sacrament of Reconciliation find it embarrassing and humiliating to tell someone their sins. This in fact acts as a deterrent and gives additional strength through grace because once you have confessed a sin sincerely you are reconciled and you don’t want to have to go back repeatedly confessing the same sins so you do your best to repent. If you do not intend to repent you are not forgiven obviously and only God knows a person’s sincerity. As far as the humiliation one may fell, we are told the more humility we practice the closer to God we are.

May God bless you, Craig

 

[Cinette]

Hi Benedictus2,

Thank you very much for this excellent overview on the origins and practise of the Rosary.

I have read this very carefully and found it most informative and interesting. You have filled in the blanks for me on this issue.

May God bless you, Craig

In the Mysteries of Light Benedictus2 left out the 4th Mystery which is the Transfiguration. Just for the record!

 

[AveSantaMaria]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou 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. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

A most wonderful guide of learning more about devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary are the books: True Devotion to Mary, by St. Louis Mary de Montfort, and the Secret of the Rosary, by St. Louis Mary de Montfort. Our former pope, Pope John Paul II, wrote that True Devotion to Mary was a “decisive turning point in his life.” While it is true that no Catholic has to say the most Holy Rosary and commits not even the slightest venial sin if he does not, an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima witnessed by 70,000 people and written about in Newsweek and the New York Times urgently urged the Holy Rosary, for peace in the world, conversion of sinners, and release of the souls in purgatory. St. Dominic and Blessed Alan Roche have quoted 15 promises of Our Lady to those devoted to the most holy Rosary, particularly that, “devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.” St. Louis Mary de Montfrot wrote that “The Rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who so loves his mother.”

St. Maximilian Maria (who named himself Maria instead of Kolbe to venerate the Blessed Vrigin Mary) was a Polish Priest who hid two thousand Jews in his friary and when taken to the Auschwitz Concentration camp offered to die in place of another person because that person had family and he did not. He was starved and dehydrated but he continued to lead the men in songs and prayer. After three weeks of dehydration and starvation, only Kolbe and three others were still alive. Finally, he was murdered with an injection of carbolic acid. A Jewish website calls him Righteous Among the Nations. jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Kolbe.html. To the best of my knowledge, he not only was consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the way of St. Louis De Montfort, but he also used to post excerpts from True Devotion to Mary on billboards for people to read.

It is truly beautiful to have you here. I will try to pray a Rosary for you next week.

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou 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. *

 

[twb1621]

In connection with this “high” view of Mary, as presented in these posts I have a very serious question to ask:

'As Catholics live by faith, on a daily basis, holding to the “high” view of Mary as presented in these posts, do they:

1 Have to say the Rosary? Is the reciting of the Rosary a compulsory part or aspect of Catholic spirituality? Is to not say the Rosary seen in a very dim light by Catholics?

Please be totally honest here. Please tell it as it really is.
A Catholic does not have to pray the rosary OR pray for Mary’s intersession and can pray directly to Jesus however it is certainly not a bad thing to have someone “with pull” praying for you to her Son also.
2 Have to use “beads” in praying the Rosary? In fact, what are these beads? Are they compulsory, in the exercise of true Catholic piety and devotion?

If all of this sounds “basic” to a seasoned Catholic please bear with me. I am learning many Catholic truths at the moment and the answer of these questions, serves my greater understanding of Catholicism.

May God bless you, Craig

 

[Cinette]

twb1621:
when I returned to the Catholic Church after the absence of many years I would hesitate in telling a white lie even. I always do face to face confession and would be embarrassed to confess a whopping sin so there is always a hesitation. Like gossiping for instance and the sin of omission.

So Confession does encourage you to avoid sin.

Confession is “cool” as you Americans would say.

Ciao

 

[twb1621]

In connection with this “high” view of Mary, as presented in these posts I have a very serious question to ask:

'As Catholics live by faith, on a daily basis, holding to the “high” view of Mary as presented in these posts, do they:

1 Have to say the Rosary? Is the reciting of the Rosary a compulsory part or aspect of Catholic spirituality? Is to not say the Rosary seen in a very dim light by Catholics?

Please be totally honest here. Please tell it as it really is.
A Catholic does not have to pray the rosary OR pray for Mary’s intersession and can pray directly to Jesus however it is certainly not a bad thing to have someone “with pull” praying for you to her Son also. Actually the rosary (including the prayer the Hail Mary") is reciting scripture verses.
2 Have to use “beads” in praying the Rosary? In fact, what are these beads?
Are they compulsory, in the exercise of true Catholic piety and devotion?
used to keep track of the prayers and mysteries of the rosary as you meditate but not mandatory to say the rosary.If all of this sounds “basic” to a seasoned Catholic please bear with me. I am learning many Catholic truths at the moment and the answer of these questions, serves my greater understanding of Catholicism.
God BLess You Craig

 

[Lief_Erikson]

Hi!

I have come across this thread and read this far and thought I would jump in here to tell you about a lovely book called “Hail Holy Queen” by Scott Hahn (convert and ex-Presbytarian Minister). It explains a lot about the role of Mary in a beautiful way. I plan to read it again soon.

Blessings
Cinette

Thanks for the recommendation! I think that book is in a Catholic school library near my house. So it should be accessable.

 

[benedictus2]

In the Mysteries of Light Benedictus2 left out the 4th Mystery which is the Transfiguration. Just for the record!

Thanks! I read and re-read my posts but I can tell you that I have never made one that I think was perfect once I’ve submitted it.

Either I ommited whole chunks or tiny bits or added same. Probably thinking too fast for my typing. Or just plain senility creeping in

 

[Lief_Erikson]

Thanks! I read and re-read my posts but I can tell you that I have never made one that I think was perfect once I’ve submitted it.

Either I ommited whole chunks or tiny bits or added same. Probably thinking too fast for my typing. Or just plain senility creeping in

I edit every single one of my posts after submitting it. It’s a terrible habit for me to wait till then .

 

[Craig_Kennedy]

From waaaaaay back on the first page:

The Six Precepts of the Church

• To hear Mass on Sundays and holydays of obligation.
• To fast and abstain on the days commanded.
• To confess our sins at least once a year.
• To receive the Blessed Eucharist at Easter or within the time appointed.
• To contribute to the support of our Pastors.
• Not to solemnize marriage at the forbidden times; nor to marry persons within the forbidden degrees of the kindred, or otherwise prohibited by the Church, nor secretly.

So yes, we are required, at the bare minimum, to recieve Confession once a year (generally in the Lenten Season before Easter). A Catholic is also bound to confess their sins in the Sacrament if they have any mortal sin on their soul, and are forbidden from recieving Communion while in a state of mortal sin.

The longest part of Confession, in my experience, is waiting in line for your turn. This is a good thing, however, because it gives you time to really examine your conscience, to perhaps pray some (or all) of the rosary, or other prayer (I used to read the penitential psalms for example, or some do the Divine Mercy Chaplet).

Anyway, there are two forms of Confession. Anonymous or Face-to-Face. In the Anonymous form (the older form, and the one most seen on TV) a Catholic will go into the confessional (the little room with a kneeler facing a screen built into a wall, behind which the priest is sitting). The priest will say “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (You cross yourrself) and then say a short prayer about God helping us to remember our sins and recieve mercy and forgivness through the sacrifice of Our Lord Jesus Christ.You say “Bless me Father, for I have sinned, and it has been ____ days/months/years since my last confession” (This lets the priest know if someone’s returning, or a regular, or infrequent confessor, all of whom he may need to guide differently). You then list your sins by name and number, ie “I missed Mass three times”.

In Face-to-Face the words are the same, but you sit in a chair in the same little room as the priest and face him.

At the end of your confession (some people ask for forgiveness for anything they may have left out or forgotten, though purposefully witholding a mortal sin in Confession makes it invalid) the priest will ask you to say an act of contrition, then he will say another prayer, generally thanking God for his mercy and gift of Salvation, and then say those all important, beautiful words “I absolve you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” He will give you penance (before the absoloution) which you usually do in the Church before leaving and going home, reborn and reuinted with the Body of Christ.

There is no better feeling than getting it all off your chest, telling Christ everything in the Confessional, hearing Him forgive you through His priest, and knowing that you are forgiven. It’s so…perfect. Almost like a second baptism; you go into the room one creation, and come out born anew.

Thanks Rawb,

As usual, you have given a most thorough answer and one that I am well satisfied with.

One question though:

In your post you write:

“At the end of your confession (some people ask for forgiveness for anything they may have left out or forgotten, though purposefully witholding a mortal sin in Confession makes it invalid) the priest will ask you to say an act of contrition, then he will say another prayer, generally thanking God for his mercy and gift of Salvation, and then say those all important, beautiful words “I absolve you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” He will give you penance (before the absoloution) which you usually do in the Church before leaving and going home, reborn and reuinted with the Body of Christ.”

What is the biblical basis of absolution from the Catholic point of view? Is this truly a New Testament idea and concept, or do Catholics draw heavily here from Old Testament principles?

I look forward to your further thoughts. I do appreciate your posts.

God bless you, Craig

 

[Craig_Kennedy]

Rawb has already done an excellent job of answering your question but I would like to add a little thing I read.

Christ is a good psychologist. He knows that as humans we will need to unburden our guilt. We need to know that we are forgiven.

G K Chesteron said something along the lines of: psychotherapy being secular society’s answer to confession.

Carl Jung made a comment that his business did not do so well in Catholic Austria because people had confession.

I have a Protestant friend with whom I have regular heated discussions (we’re both very stubborn). It surprised me one day when he said that the one thing he wish his church had was confession. I remember thinking that he must be carrying something rather heavy for him to say that.

Thanks Benedictus2,

Yes, I understand the further points you have made.

They are, in fact, excellent points and they will remain firmly written in my memory banks during this earthly pilgrimmage!

God bless you, Craig

 

[Craig_Kennedy]

Hi!

I have come across this thread and read this far and thought I would jump in here to tell you about a lovely book called “Hail Holy Queen” by Scott Hahn (convert and ex-Presbytarian Minister). It explains a lot about the role of Mary in a beautiful way. I plan to read it again soon.

Blessings
Cinette

Hi Cinette,

Would you care to share the salient points that Scott Hahn makes about the role of Mary?

This need not be an exhaustive reciting of every point, you will understand, but - rather - a “big picture” overview of the Virgin Mary.

I know that I, for one, would profit from this but I am sure other readers will as well.

God bless you, Craig

 

[Craig_Kennedy]

twb1621:
Thanks Tom, (in response to Post 142)

You have provided an excellent overview for the basis of Confession and the fruits that result when done in faith.

I am learning a lot here about the beliefs and practices of Catholics in a mature and informed way.

May God bless you, In Christ Craig

 

[Craig_Kennedy]

In the Mysteries of Light Benedictus2 left out the 4th Mystery which is the Transfiguration. Just for the record!

Thanks Cinette,

I have noted this fact.

In Christ, Craig

 

[Craig_Kennedy]

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou 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. *

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

A most wonderful guide of learning more about devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary are the books: True Devotion to Mary, by St. Louis Mary de Montfort, and the Secret of the Rosary, by St. Louis Mary de Montfort. Our former pope, Pope John Paul II, wrote that True Devotion to Mary was a “decisive turning point in his life.” While it is true that no Catholic has to say the most Holy Rosary and commits not even the slightest venial sin if he does not, an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima witnessed by 70,000 people and written about in Newsweek and the New York Times urgently urged the Holy Rosary, for peace in the world, conversion of sinners, and release of the souls in purgatory. St. Dominic and Blessed Alan Roche have quoted 15 promises of Our Lady to those devoted to the most holy Rosary, particularly that, “devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.” St. Louis Mary de Montfrot wrote that “The Rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who so loves his mother.”

St. Maximilian Maria (who named himself Maria instead of Kolbe to venerate the Blessed Vrigin Mary) was a Polish Priest who hid two thousand Jews in his friary and when taken to the Auschwitz Concentration camp offered to die in place of another person because that person had family and he did not. He was starved and dehydrated but he continued to lead the men in songs and prayer. After three weeks of dehydration and starvation, only Kolbe and three others were still alive. Finally, he was murdered with an injection of carbolic acid. A Jewish website calls him Righteous Among the Nations. jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Kolbe.html. To the best of my knowledge, he not only was consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the way of St. Louis De Montfort, but he also used to post excerpts from True Devotion to Mary on billboards for people to read.

It is truly beautiful to have you here. I will try to pray a Rosary for you next week.

Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. Come Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse.

*Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art Thou 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. *

Hi AveSantaMaria,

This was a beautiful post and I learned so much from it. Thank you.

In your post you wrote these words:

" St. Dominic and Blessed Alan Roche have quoted 15 promises of Our Lady to those devoted to the most holy Rosary, particularly that, “devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.” St. Louis Mary de Montfrot wrote that “The Rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who so loves his mother.”

You say that devotion to the Rosary is a great sign of predestination. Do Catholics believe in predestination? If so, where is this taught in the official formularies? Who are the ablest proponents of the concept? Has the Catholic church an official position on predestination?

May God bless you, In Christ Craig

 

[Craig_Kennedy]

Craig Kennedy;4350968:

In connection with this “high” view of Mary, as presented in these posts I have a very serious question to ask:

'As Catholics live by faith, on a daily basis, holding to the “high” view of Mary as presented in these posts, do they:

1 Have to say the Rosary? Is the reciting of the Rosary a compulsory part or aspect of Catholic spirituality? Is to not say the Rosary seen in a very dim light by Catholics?

Please be totally honest here. Please tell it as it really is.
A Catholic does not have to pray the rosary OR pray for Mary’s intersession and can pray directly to Jesus however it is certainly not a bad thing to have someone “with pull” praying for you to her Son also. Actually the rosary (including the prayer the Hail Mary") is reciting scripture verses.

2 Have to use “beads” in praying the Rosary? In fact, what are these beads?
Are they compulsory, in the exercise of true Catholic piety and devotion?
used to keep track of the prayers and mysteries of the rosary as you meditate but not mandatory to say the rosary.If all of this sounds “basic” to a seasoned Catholic please bear with me. I am learning many Catholic truths at the moment and the answer of these questions, serves my greater understanding of Catholicism.
God BLess You Craig

Hi Tom,

I am completely satisfied by this answer. Thank you.

In Christ, Craig

 

[benedictus2]

Hi AveSantaMaria,

This was a beautiful post and I learned so much from it. Thank you.

In your post you wrote these words:

" St. Dominic and Blessed Alan Roche have quoted 15 promises of Our Lady to those devoted to the most holy Rosary, particularly that, “devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.” St. Louis Mary de Montfrot wrote that “The Rosary is the most powerful weapon to touch the heart of Jesus, Our Redeemer, who so loves his mother.”

You say that devotion to the Rosary is a great sign of predestination. Do Catholics believe in predestination? If so, where is this taught in the official formularies? Who are the ablest proponents of the concept? Has the Catholic church an official position on predestination?

May God bless you, In Christ Craig

The topic of predestination came up on another thread.

Below are my posts on this topic

http://forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=4285962&postcount=941

The underlined items on post 941 are links to the articles I based my post on.

http://forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=4285972&postcount=942

http://forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=4290145&postcount=986

Saint Augustin and St Thomas Aquinas wrote about Predestination.

In summary however, the Catholic view of predestination is based on God’s infallible foreknowledge because He is in internity and so knows how we will play out our lives. This makes more sense in my lengthier posts in the above link.