Mary's Thread

[Brian Millar]

I just wanted to share thoughts and interests about our Blessed Mother Mary.  She has been very influential within my prayer life and I like to pray at her shrine often.   

[farouk]

"For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 2.5

[Brian Millar]

Agreed, and what was your point?

[Bocephus]

Agreed, and what was your point?

shrine?

[Brian Millar]

Yes, shrine, it's a wonderful place to pray at, so peaceful, here is a photo of it.



This is the Catholic section of the forums, topics like this are very near and dear to us.

[Bocephus]

Yes, shrine, it's a wonderful place to pray at, so peaceful, here is a photo of it.



This is the Catholic section of the forums, topics like this are very near and dear to us.

Looks like an idol to me.

[Brian Millar]

Why do you say that?  Can you please elaborate?

[Bocephus]

Why do you say that?  Can you please elaborate?

A picture says a thousand words.

[Brian Millar]

That's not an answer, can you please be specific as to why you think the photo is an idol??  There are many misconceptions Protestants have when it comes to the Catholic faith and vice versa, no need to hide behind accusations without backing them up with at least elaborating upon the stance.

Well, debate mode to the side here, going to share a prayer for those that are interested in including her in their prayer lives:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
That never was it known
that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help,
or sought thy intercession,
was left unaided,
Inspired by this confidence
I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.
To thee do I come,
before thee I stand,
sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen

[Giver]

That's not an answer, can you please be specific as to why you think the photo is an idol??  There are many misconceptions Protestants have when it comes to the Catholic faith and vice versa, no need to hide behind accusations without backing them up with at least elaborating upon the stance.

Well, debate mode to the side here, going to share a prayer for those that are interested in including her in their prayer lives:

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
That never was it known
that anyone who fled to thy protection,
implored thy help,
or sought thy intercession,
was left unaided,
Inspired by this confidence
I fly unto thee,
O Virgin of virgins, my Mother.
To thee do I come,
before thee I stand,
sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen

You really should tell people that you don’t pray to Mary, but you ask Mary to pray with you.  That is what you do isn’t it?
I personally don’t ask the saints to pray with me, but not because I don’t believe in the communion of saints.  I find my relationship with Jesus is close enough that I don’t need anyone to intercede for me.  That is not to say there is anything wrong with asking others to pray with us. 
I would like to share an experience that happened to my late wife.  We just had a baby and the baby was born with Downs Syndrome.  My wife was very sad and everyone was telling her how blessed she was, all were trying keep her and themselves in denial.   Everyone’s well meaning concerns just were making my wife more depressed. 
After everyone left and visiting hours were over, a lady appeared and consoled my wife. Letting her know how hard it was to lose a child.  My wife lost the child she had been hoping for.  The lady shared that she had lost a son so knew how hard it was.
Mary appeared another time to my wife, but that is for another time.  My point is; people build Mary up as some special Christ like figure, and from my wife’s experience Mary is just one of us. 
My wife was very blessed by both visitations.  My wife never really had a mother who loved her, and Jesus once told her that Mary would be her mother.       

[desertknight]

No faithful Catholic confuses our Blessed Mother with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  We are saved only by the grace of God through His Son, Jesus Christ and nothing else.  We do not worship "idols".  Those that say so have no clue as to what the meaning of idolatry is and what it is not.  If we got it wrong, then as Christians, we got it wrong from the Apostles themselves for the very first Christians who were baptized, ordained, and followed the teachings of the original 12 Apostles adorned the catacombs and meeting places of the faithful with holy images.

[banished]

Hey guys, it's getting pretty bad when you can't make a clear distinction between Christian and pagan art.  The sculptures of holy figures in Catholic Churches and Shrines are not graven images they are devotional images.  You know that, so quit trying to cheapen Brian's prayer life with your half-baked remarks.

[TheCatholic]

I just wanted to share thoughts and interests about our Blessed Mother Mary.  She has been very influential within my prayer life and I like to pray at her shrine often.   

Thank you. I have persoanlly felt her intercession in my life, and I know that she prays for us when we ask her to.

[Magnificat]

You really should tell people that you don’t pray to Mary, but you ask Mary to pray with you.  That is what you do isn’t it?
I personally don’t ask the saints to pray with me, but not because I don’t believe in the communion of saints.  I find my relationship with Jesus is close enough that I don’t need anyone to intercede for me.  That is not to say there is anything wrong with asking others to pray with us.  

I think yes and no. Mary is praying with Brian but it really ismore a case of Mary is praying FOR Brian.

This is why at the end of the Hail Mary, we ask her to "Pray for us".

I would like to share an experience that happened to my late wife.  We just had a baby and the baby was born with Downs Syndrome.  My wife was very sad and everyone was telling her how blessed she was, all were trying keep her and themselves in denial.   Everyone’s well meaning concerns just were making my wife more depressed. 
After everyone left and visiting hours were over, a lady appeared and consoled my wife. Letting her know how hard it was to lose a child.  My wife lost the child she had been hoping for.  The lady shared that she had lost a son so knew how hard it was.
Mary appeared another time to my wife, but that is for another time.  My point is; people build Mary up as some special Christ like figure, 

Actually we don't. We don't build Mary as some special Christ like figure. We honor her because she is after all the Mother of God.  No other creature has that priviledge.

and from my wife’s experience Mary is just one of us. 

Yes and no.  Yes she is a creature like one of us but so much more than us because God chose her to be the mother of His Son. God chose her womb to be the vessel through which He will become incarnate.

My wife was very blessed by both visitations.  My wife never really had a mother who loved her, and Jesus once told her that Mary would be her mother. 

And she truly is our Mother. She cares and mothers and prays for those who even do not recognize her as mother. She is mother par excellence because she is the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Magnificat]

A picture says a thousand words.

And what do you think does Brian's picture of Mary's shrine say?