True Devotion to Mary

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Hi everyone. New poster here.

Just wondering if anyone else has read Montfort’s brilliant work regarding devotion to Our Lady.

theworkofgod.org/Library/Links/Trud_lnk.htm

I am very devoted to the Blessed Mother (Totus Tuus), and I learned a lot while reading this masterpiece.

This is the most well-written piece of literature about Our Lady, and I encourage all (Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims) to take a look at it. 🙂
 
Marian_Devotee said:
Hi everyone. New poster here.

Just wondering if anyone else has read Montfort’s brilliant work regarding devotion to Our Lady.

theworkofgod.org/Library/Links/Trud_lnk.htm

I am very devoted to the Blessed Mother (Totus Tuus), and I learned a lot while reading this masterpiece.

This is the most well-written piece of literature about Our Lady, and I encourage all (Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims) to take a look at it. 🙂
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Indeed. Its very good, but I prefer St. Alphonsus liguori’s book:

The Glories of Mary
 
Hi Chaldean Rite,

I might have to buy the “Glories of Mary” when I get home. Thanks!
 
I would like to attract your attention to the
starting point of the Annunciation:

“And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” but she was greatly troubled at that saying and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be” (St. Luke 1:28-29)

So much could be said about these two verses that an entire book would not be sufficient to say it all!
  1. Consider first the angelic salutation. Often times, we gloss over the messenger as though he is a federal express clerk at the door (‘good evening mam, I’ve got a message for you: hail full of grace, the Lord is with you’, now could you please sign here…’ it is as though St. Gabriel’s persona is of no import.
Yet, who is St. Gabriel? He is one of the seven archangels who stand before the very face of God (book of revelation). By this we mean that St. Gabriel enjoys the beatific vision. He sees the Trinity. Needless to say that nothing human could impress this angel – he has seen the face of God. To understand the extent of his power and majesty it is enough to turn to the book of Daniel 8:15-17 “When I, Daniel had seen the vision, I sought to understand it and behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. And I heard a man’s voice between the
banks of the Ulai, and it called “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was frightened and fell upon my face.”

So the great prophet Daniel, the one who God favored with visions, prophecies and who was miraculously saved from the fire, the one who was so high above his brothers in faith, Daniel fell upon his face frightened!

If anyone says that Mary was just an ordinary women, ask this person if they consider Daniel to be just an ordinary guy! If therefore Daniel fell upon his face, how much more we would fall upon our faces if such a heavenly visitor would grace us by his visit.

Gabriel was sent to Zechariah in the temple (Luke 1:11-12) we read that Zechariah was troubled when he saw him (like our Lady) but then the evangelist adds “and fear fell upon him”.

This fear is a Holy fear before the Almighty. It is a fear born out of sinfulness in the presence of the all pure. “Depart from me O Lord for I am a sinful man” exclaimed Peter after the first miraculous catch. He said so because he recognized in Jesus God and he knew that no one shall see the face of God and live (as the Lord told Moses).

How does Mary react in the presence of the archangel? “She was greatly troubled at that saying”. Mary (and this is crucial) is not afraid by the presence of the angel! She is only troubled by the salutation which is the normal reaction of anyone who is truly humble. Scout the bible from beginning to end and you will not find any other human being saluted in this way by an angel.

By the way, some protestant argues that the correct translation is ‘highly favored one’ rather than ‘full of grace’. Without delving into the Greek one can say that ‘full of grace’ captures more accurately the sense of the salutation than ‘highly favored one’. If you would like more info on this particular point, let me know and I can point you to various resources that discuss this point at length.

At any rate, Mary’s purity is such that the presence of an angel does not fill her with fear. If this is not the signature of the Immaculate conception, I do not know what is!

Next consider that salutation. Mary is ‘full of grace’. As St. Jerome’s and other fathers of the Church point out, by this the angel is acknowledging that Mary has all the graces and that she has them to the fullest. Now, since grace is the opposite of sin, how could one who has committed even the slightest sin be called full of grace? Therefore, Mary has never committed a sin! This is all the more clear by the fact that the Angel substitutes this title ‘full of grace’ to her name for whereas he should have said ‘hail Mary’, he says ‘full of grace’ which
is her true name. Rightly so do we say ‘hail Mary’ in the rosary because ‘Mary’ and ‘Full of Grace’ are synonyms. She alone holds this title amongst the people of God.
 
Hence, Mary is full of Grace. Now if you go to Genesis 3:15, we read that the Lord (understood as the Father) tells the serpent “I shall put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel”. Here I am quoting from the RSV Catholic Edition. Other translations read “She shall crush your head you will bruise her heel”. The distinction between he (Jesus)
and she (Mary) is of no consequence whatsoever due to the enmity between the woman the serpent (the devil). This is the only enmity that God establishes down the ages. This enmity is total, complete and fierce. Where the woman is, there can be no serpent, and where the serpent is, the woman is not.

If therefore, the serpent, the devil who is lie and the father of lie,
who brought sin into the world, if he is in complete total and full
opposition with the woman, it must be that the woman has never had any dealing with him. If she did this enmity would not be completely established. Hence, one has to logically conclude that Mary was never under sin.

Since this prophetic message was given at the dawn of time, thousands and thousands of years before Mary was born, we conclude that Mary was in God’s mind from the beginning, and as so, when he created her, he fulfilled the prophecy he established in time by creating her spotless. Mary is therefore immaculately conceived.

Without making this message unduly long, I would like to attract your attentions to one salient point that is often overlooked: “and she considered in her mind what this salutation might be”.

Mary is smart. In fact, and this may come as a surprise to many, Mary is most intelligent human being that God created. She is more intelligent than Paul, John, Augustin, Thomas Aquinas all put together. There is more: Mary is more intelligent than Newton, Einstein, and all men of science put together.

Why? Because Mary being full of grace and highly favored has had her preternatural intelligence intact. Sin weakens the will and the faculties. Not so with Mary. Furthermore due her Divine Maternity, she was endowed with all necessary graces as to be a fitting mother to the Son of God.

And it is with her mind not her heart, not her feelings or visions or other extraordinary means that Mary sets about to understand. Her reaction is stunning. Whereas I may be on the floor overcome with fear or jumping around the room with joy because an angel has visited me, she does not move, does not utter a sound but in complete control of her faculties considers in her mind what king of salutation this might be". In my daily affairs, how often do I remain recollected when considering
a matter? How often do I think about it alone in the presence of the Holy Spirit rather than “sharing it immediately with others?” Mary’s self control is an indication of her own spiritual life.

taken from www.qorbono.com
 
Marian_Devotee said:
Hi everyone. New poster here.

Just wondering if anyone else has read Montfort’s brilliant work regarding devotion to Our Lady.

theworkofgod.org/Library/Links/Trud_lnk.htm

I am very devoted to the Blessed Mother (Totus Tuus), and I learned a lot while reading this masterpiece.

This is the most well-written piece of literature about Our Lady, and I encourage all (Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims) to take a look at it. 🙂
Click to expand...
Chaldean_Rite said:
Indeed. Its very good, but I prefer St. Alphonsus liguori’s book:

The Glories of Mary
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I find both these writings to be bordering on blasphemy, but hey I am a CHRISTIAN fundamentalist so take it for what it’s worth.
 
myfavoritmartin said:
I find both these writings to be bordering on blasphemy, but hey I am a CHRISTIAN fundamentalist so take it for what it’s worth.
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And your views of Christianity are not found in the Bible, the teaching of the Apostles and their succesors, and Sacred Tradition.

You don’t believe in Confession, a simple one to begin with.

Exactly, you are a late 19th century, material hereitc, Christian fundamentalist.

catholic.com/library/Fundamentalism.asp

catholic.com/library/Fundamentalist_or_Catholic.asp

catholic.com/library/How_to_Talk_with_Fundamentalist.asp

geocities.com/militantis/solascriptura.html
 
Chaldean_Rite said:
And your views of Christianity are not found in the Bible, the teaching of the Apostles and their succesors, and Sacred Tradition.

You don’t believe in Confession, a simple one to begin with.

Exactly, you are a late 19th century, material hereitc, Christian fundamentalist.
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My views of CHRISTianity are what is in the bible.
They are what the original successors of the apostles taught.

Correction, confession between brothers and sisters is both good and scriptural…

If being a bible CHRISTian is being a material heretic in your view then so be it, at least I don’t view Mary as omnipotent and such.
 
Chaldean_Rite said:
Except when it comes to a validly ordained Catholic/Orthodox/Apostolic priest?
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I don’t acknowledge the validity of these priesthoods. Though I accept all born again believers to be a royal priesthood.
 
myfavoritmartin said:
Not according to St. A. Ligouri’s “Glories of Mary” quoted in post 2
catholictradition.org/Mary/glories6.htm
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So you think that saving someone makes you omnipotent? You need a serious reality check.

1 Cor: 9
22 To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak. I became all things to all men, that I might save all.

You do realize that by believing Mary has the power to save people, you just mocked Christ, His Cross, Death, and Ressurection right?

John 14:
12 Otherwise believe for the very works’ sake. Amen, amen I say to you, he that believeth in me, the works that I do, he also shall do; and greater than these shall he do.

Christ, being one, PERSON, offered a perfect Sacrifice and saved all of us. Here in John Gospel, he is saying, we can do greater things than that. O ye of little faith, beleive!

Here is an example of saving someone:

Lets go to
St. Matthew Chapter 9:
9:1. And entering into a boat, he passed over the water and came into his own city.
9:2. And behold they brought to him one sick of the palsy lying in a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man sick of the palsy: Be of good heart, son, thy sins are forgiven thee.

My first question to you reading this is: **How did the man with palsy gain forgivness? ** He did not speak to Jesus, the text does not say that. The text does not glorify this man in anyway, so we know it wasn’t his righteousness (in fact he may have very well be a great sinner) . Any inference you try to apply to the PERSON WHO WAS FORGIVEN is trying to inflate the text to make it say what you want it to say.

The answer is right there in the text.

“And Jesus, seeing THEIR faith…”. Jesus saw the FAITH of the ones who brought him (being the man with palsy) and it was THEIR faith that moved Jesus to forgive!

This is something called, the Communion of Saints.
The spiritual union of all Christians living and the dead, those on earth, in heaven and, in Catholic belief, in purgatory
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So the Blessed Virgin Mary, being the august Virgin, the Mother of God, is in a very special place in the Kingdom of Christ, just as the mother of David was in a very special place in the Davidic kingdom (which the Kingdom of God is the fullfuilment of)

1 Kings 2:20
“There is one small favor I would ask of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.”
“Ask it, my mother,” the King said to her, “for I will not refuse you.”

The Blessed Virgin Mary’s intercessory power is very powerful, in fact, after the adorable human nature of Jesus, it is the most powerful. Blessed are the clients of Mary, for in Her, Jesus was contained, and by Her, all have been saved, since her “YES” to the Holy Spirit, brought forth from her Immaculate womb, Jesus Christ, our Lord and God.

The one gave birth to our Head, Jesus Christ, must, consequently, give birth to the entire Body (Eph, 5:30). Therefore, Mary is the Mother of ALL Christians.
 
myfavoritmartin said:
I don’t acknowledge the validity of these priesthoods. Though I accept all born again believers to be a royal priesthood.
Click to expand...
What is the mark of the “born again” priesthood?

Do they need to be Baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit?

If so, then, yes, you have just adopted long standing Catholic teaching:

**1546 **Christ, high priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church “a kingdom, priests for his God and Father.” The whole community of believers is, as such, priestly. The faithful exercise their baptismal priesthood through their participation, each according to his own vocation, in Christ’s mission as priest, prophet, and king. Through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation the faithful are “consecrated to be . . . a holy priesthood.”

But unfortunately, you guys don’t have the Sacrament of Confirmation 😊
 
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