The answer to this is simple: Christ condemns vain repetitions, or heaping up empty phrases. Repetitive prayer, including the use of form prayer, is embraced by Scripture, and practiced by the early Church. Let’s look at repetitive prayer first, and then form prayer.
One of the most vivid examples of this comes from Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39-44):
Carl Bloch, Gethsemane (1805) And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, thy will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words.
So Jesus prayed the same prayer three times in a row. That’s certainly repetitive prayer. But it’s hardly vain repetition, or empty phrases. Jesus was begging the Father intensely. Likewise, we’re invited to beg God for things, and even to nag Him. This invitation comes from Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8):
And he told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man; and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, `Vindicate me against my adversary.’
For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, `Though I neither fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.'”
And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
So the model for continual prayer that Jesus holds up is a woman who asks the exact same thing (`Vindicate me against my adversary’) over and over again, so much that it’s obnoxious.
 |
| Psalm 1, from Florian’s Psalter (c. 1400) |
The idea that the Bible condemns form (or pre-written) prayers is silly. After all, the Book of Psalms is nothing but a set of 150 form prayers that can be prayed on a variety of occasions, and which Christ quotes extensively during His earthly life.
Plus, Jesus leaves us a form prayer of His own. Immediately after Matthew 6:7, in which He denounces vain repetitions, Christ gives us the Our Father (a.k.a. the Lord’s Prayer, Mt. 6:9-13), introducing it, “This, then, is how you should pray…” That’s a form prayer, and one which we’re to pray often.
Plus, the Lord’s Prayer was recognized as a form prayer to be prayed repeatedly by the early Church. The Didache is perhaps the oldest Christian document outside of the Bible, from sometime around the middle to late first century. The oldest portions of the Didache are probably older than the latest portions of the New Testament. It’s something of a Church handbook, explaining the beliefs and practices of Christianity to the newly initiated converts. In Chapter 8, Christians are instructed to pray the Our Father three times a day. In the next chapter, form prayers for the Eucharistic preface are given. Plus, the Didache is describing what’s already going on in church, meaning that we can safely date repetitive praying of the Lord’s Prayer back to the time of the Apostles.
Christ condemns thoughtlessness in prayer, of mindlessly repeating empty words. We shouldn’t do that. But the cure isn’t to throw out all form prayer, or to throw out all repetitive prayer. It’s to pray these prayers with sincerity. Sometimes this is hard, particularly when we’re tired or have a lot on our mind. But we should try our best to do it anyway. Go back to the example of the Garden of Gethsemane. The Apostles were clearly tired, and it’s an understatement to say that Jesus had a lot on His mind. But while the Apostles shunned prayer in favor of sleep, He went ahead and prayed anyway, repeating the same impassioned prayer three times. That makes all the difference.
Update: I’ll be talking about this post tomorrow morning at 8:50 on Son Rise Morning Show. You can listen to it live at that time online, or wait to hear if it gets re-aired on EWTN later in the week.
Divine Mercy chaplet FTW!!!
Luke 18 is a beautiful handbook of prayer. Not only the widow, but also the sinner who repeatedly asks for mercy while the pharisee prays spontaneously, and the blind beggar whose repetitive cries caused others to attempt to silence him.
I’ve also heard it said that the “heathens” would pray by repeat God’s name over and over again with the hopes of controlling him (getting him to do something even if it was against his will).
Certainly Jesus’s simple prayer of asking for God’s will be done illustrates that our prayers should always be directed to what God desires and not what we desire.
@Joe: Yes, the persistence of the widow and especially Jesus was necessary. But how can’t you call 50 Hail Mary’s vain repetition? The widow was in very troubling times and Jesus was fighting off Satan’s attempt to kill Him, the sins of the world were falling on Him, He knew He was about to be tortured, etc. Vain repetitions can’t be the explanation of the widow and Jesus, whereas it is impossible for a vain repetition not to occur during 50 Hail Mary’s. Plus, Jesus worded the three prayers slightly different as do the Scripture citations concerning the Our Father.
@everyone concerning the Hail Mary:
1) Much like the prayer to the infant Jesus, it would take a time machine for the Hail Mary to make any sense due to the fact that her womb is no longer holding Jesus and is no longer able to hold anyone since she is dead.
2) Read my comment to Joe about what Elizabeth was really saying to Mary in his post ‘Jesus Christ, the New Temple’. (my comment on 12/11/2011 at 6:32pm that starts: [On a side note:)
take care
Michael,
So three is okay, but fifty isn’t? I’m not understanding what your argument is here, exactly, or where the cut-off is.
And even if Jesus’ wording was slightly different, Matthew explicitly characterizes it as the same prayer in Mt. 26:44.
I’d prefer to focus specifically on the aspect of whether repetition is bad, rather than whether praying to Mary is bad. Having said that, it looks like I never answered your original comment (probably because you called us Mary-worshipers, and I wanted to wait until I could respond charitably, and then forgot about it).
If I’m understanding your argument there, it was that Elizabeth was rejoicing with Mary about the fact that they were both pregnant. That corrupts the actual passage, in which Elizabeth proclaims (Lk. 1:42-45),
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Elizabeth proclaims four blessings:
1) Mary is blessed among women;
2) Jesus, the fruit of her womb, is blessed;
3) Elizabeth is blessed by being in the presence of Mary, the Mother of our Lord; and
4) Mary is blessed for her faith.
There’s no way of faithfully taking that passage and concluding that Mary’s just a random pregnant woman. Elizabeth is much too clear for that.
As for your new comments, nothing in the Hail Mary even remotely suggests that Jesus is still in Mary’s womb. He remains the Fruit of her womb, though. This is tied to the Eden imagery used throughout the New Testament, and wasn’t a mistake on the part of Elizabeth or St. Luke. That is, Luke includes this blessing for a reason.
I know people ask you this all the time, but where do you get the confidence to declare your own Scriptural reading as if it’s the indisputably true one?
I.X.,
Joe
ALL have fallen short of the Glory of God, There is no one righteous not one. READ YOUR Ten commandments, YOU SHALL NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME, MARY WAS HUMAN A SINNER, FULL OF GRACE YES, BUT WHEN WE ARE SAVED WE ARE GIVEN GRACE, BY HIS MERCY THROUGH FAITH, AND RPENTENCE IT IS OUR FAITH, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST”
I’m in the ER right now with my wife who is about 10 weeks pregnant, and might have a pulmonary embolism…so if anyone wants to see how many Hail Mary’s it takes to be vain and repetitive, please please please go for it.
On it.
Thanks. Ultrasound on legs was negative. Doing a BQ scan soon, worried about radiating the baby.
Daniel, be assured of my prayers, too, and thanks for the update.
I.X.,
Joe
Gethsemane is pretty easily refuted, or at least your characterization. Jesus does not pray the same prayer again and again, but chooses words extemporaneously. (Stick to the Persistent Widow.)
And I wish Protestants would stop ignoring the mysteries of the Rosary when characterizing it as vainly repetitive. For that matter, I’ve prayed the Rosary before without the mysteries, concentrating on each image, and it still didn’t take more than a half hour. But if wishes were horses, we all would eat well.
St. Matthew characterizes it as the same prayer (Mt. 26:44). But I think that objection misses the point, in any case. After all, would Protestants who object to the Rosary on “vain repetitions” ground really be okay with it if we reworded the Hail Marys ever so slightly each time?
@Joe:
1) You know, whether you cite Matthew 26:44 or not, that the first two prayers were slightly different in word. So Scripture had to have been talking about how the subject matter was repeated three times. Not the exact words. So, as I stated, the argument is you say exact words repeatedly in the rosary, which is not from the heart; Jesus and the widow made requests from the heart. [How can you even use those two examples to okay the 50 Hail Mary’s? Just look at your post’s conclusion. You definitely admit vain repetition is a possibility.]
2) I didn’t call you a Mary-worshiper this time around. Do I think offering prayers to ‘Mary’, ‘the angels’, and ‘saints’ are worship? How couldn’t you? But I didn’t say so. I was being very ‘charitable’ compared to some past situations. You know that.
3) I mentioned that the first part of Elizabeth’s joy (“blessed are you among women”) referred to Mary being blessed because she was to carry Jesus.
4) About half the versions going around say, “blessed is the child you will bear”; and about half say, “blessed is the fruit of your womb”. So, I was not out of line, saying Mary was some random pregnant woman. That was taken completely out of context. Or, to be blunt: a lie.
5) As I’ve said before, it is not MY indisputable reading. In short, it’s the Spirit’s showing us all truth. [Don’t you find it interesting that all ‘Protestants’, Orthodox excluded, think the Rosary is vain repetition and prayers to ‘Mary’, ‘the angels’, and ‘saints’ is blasphemy?]
Daniel – prayers for your wife, the baby and you and family.
@everyone:
1) When reciting the rosary, are you in the widow’s position where she is troubled by the enemy and has to come numerous times to the judge? No. Plus, would she have stated fifty times in a row the same request? No, she’d periodically come back with the request.
2) When reciting the rosary, like Jesus, are you troubled because the sins of the world are coming upon you, Satan is attempting to kill you, and you know you’re going to be tortured? No.
That said, what’s your excuse for the repetitive praying? It doesn’t make sense. It’s pagan.
You don’t know what vain means so i’ll put a definition up.
vain (vn)
adj. vain·er, vain·est
Lacking substance or worth: vain talk.
Basically, Jesus says (paraphrase) “When you pray to God or to a saint(in order that they may intercede for you just like any man could do on earth) , pray meaningfully.” Now, the mysteries of the Rosary challenges every catholic who prays the rosary to contemplate the bible passage that goes along with the picture (there are books which have pictures with the mysteries). This isn’t mindless prayer, which I have experienced a lot as a Protestant. This is a very deep and thoughtful prayer that focuses our soul on Jesus Christ (most importantly) through his Mother, Mary. So you can say what you like but guess what? That idiotic Protestant heresy is basically dead as of this day and age. In fact, most Protestant ecclesiastical communities don’t even believe that Jesus is in the Communion. Only the Holy Apostolic Catholic church believes so (and the Orthodox Church. So why are you trolling this site when you should be saving your crappy community?
@Michael:
One day I hope you rest not day and night,saying, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”
I just recently started praying the rosary. I am a revert recently returned to the catholic church. I had never prayed it. when I pray it, I either meditate on there mysteries or focus on the hail mary’s. each time it is heart felt. I find it a deeply moving and spiritual experience… never vain. I once felt like you Michael, as recently as 10 months ago.
i actually just started praying it two or three weeks ago. truly I find it a contemplation and meditation on the life of our Lord Jesus. This form of prayer, a meditative prayer I never experienced as a protestant. it is deeper, than anything I had experienced. Also, honoring the mother of our Lord, calling her blessed like the angel did long ago, is something that for me, causes awe on the miracle of the incarnation. Christmas was much more special too me.
Welcome home, Black Beard. I remember when I first started praying the rosary too, my experieince was like yours- defineitely not vain or repetitive, but a true encounter with God.
I explain the rosary to my younger students this way:
The rosary is like a family photo album. You are sitting on the couch with Mary and she is saying, “Look, here’s me when the angel told me I would bear the Son of God!” And you reflect on that as you pray together. Then she says, “Look, here’s when I went to visit my cousin Elizabeth. We were so excited!” Then you pray together about it. Then she says, “Here’s the day Jesus was born.” And so on and so on. The Rosary is a reflection on the life of Christ, with Mary to pray with us.
How does she pray in death?
Michael,
How do you know people who pray the Rosary aren’t doing so earnestly from their heart like Jesus and the Widow? You don’t.
Also, as Joe mentioned, if we rejiggered a word or two, then the Hail Marys would be okay?
Finally, “As I’ve said before, it is not MY indisputable reading. In short, it’s the Spirit’s showing us all truth. [Don’t you find it interesting that all ‘Protestants’, Orthodox excluded, think the Rosary is vain repetition and prayers to ‘Mary’, ‘the angels’, and ‘saints’ is blasphemy?]”
Don’t you find it interesting that there are more Catholics than Protestants–and that Protestants came 1,500 years after Catholics? Why shouldn’t that mean that the Spirit us showing us the truth, and that Protestants decided to Protest against the truth? Furthermore, as someone mentioned elsewhere, Anglicans and some Lutherans pray the rosary, although they may substitate Hail Marys for the Jesus prayers.
I find your arguments to be a little soft-ball in their theology. I don’t mean that disrespectfully. It just seems you are really reaching and grabbing at straws at many times, and since you aren’t used to playing hard ball, you have to resort to tangental or indirect replies to address the issues due to a weak theological framework.
If I can dovetail off of something that Taylor just said, Wikipedia lists 670 million non-Anglican, non-Restorianist Protestants. They’re spread, of course, over a huge number of denominations, and includes a huge range of opinion about the Rosary (as Cary noted, you’re acting as if Protestantism is a monolith, when it certainly isn’t).
In contrast, Catholicism alone is listed as having 1.2 billion members. Add another 230 million Eastern Orthodox, 82 million Oriental Orthodox. In other words, the number of Christians in Churches that embrace praying to Mary absolutely dwarfs (by more than 2:1) the number of Protestants.
Yet your entirely argument is arguing from numbers, since excluding all of the Catholics and Orthodox (that is, if you ignore 2/3rds of Christianity), you have unanimity. Of course, if you exclude all of the Republican and Democratic votes in 2000, Nader won the election.
If numbers are reflective of the Holy Spirit, we clearly are right. But what it really seems like you’re doing is counting denominations — i.e., using the fact that Protestants who can’t agree on virtually anything else are united in their opposition to Catholic devotional practices as an argument that this must be the working of the Holy Spirit. That’s entirely backwards. The Spirit is the Unifier. Factions and dissents aren’t His marker: Catholicity and Oneness is.
Besides that, the primary reason that Protestants are united on this is that virtually all of them trace their ecclesial heritage to the Reformation, so it’s hardly surprising that rejection of Catholicism is about the only thing that Protestant denominations agree on.
I.X.,
Joe
Daniel,
Used your Revelation 4 example on the radio this morning. Kudos!
I think I’m a little confused with regard to your arguments Michael, not about the Rosary, I think I understand you’re making a prudential argument something like this: “If vain repetition is something we shouldn’t do, and there are while praying a rosary a number of repetative prayers, some of the prayers, whether a Hail Mary, Glory Be, etc. will likely or even definately be merely repetitions unformed by the will? and therefore vain, we ougth not pray this way.” At least that’s the gist of what I understood, correct me if I’m wrong please. But what I am confused about is an impression I got from some of your arguments related to the honor due to Mary. My understanding is that, whether a random woman or not (which I’m convinced she isn’t), Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled everything in the old covenant. He did not sin once against any part of the law, but fulfilled each precept perfectly. But about the fourth commandment of the law, in what way was Jesus bound to fulfill this commandment?
@Michael, if prayer to angels is blasphemy, then how do you explain:
” Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments,hearkening unto the voice of his word.”
Maggie, what a lovely explanation! Totally stealing that… 😉
It appears that Michael’s logic is that if the situation in Scripture doesn’t *exactly* match your own then that passage cannot be used in support for a certain prayer practice.
That’s a pretty limiting way of interpreting Scripture…
I struggle with prayer. I drift off. I have trouble being motivated. I sometimes pray the rosary and ask God to hear my prayer intentions. For instance, when I pray for my mother during the Our Father I think of her problems, then my sister on the first hail Mary, my brother the second, and so on. Usually, by 5 decades (about 60 prayers) my intentions are all included. Also, on sleepless nights filled with anxiety the rosary is very calming.
I remember as a child around 7 saying the rosary in bed because my mother was mentally ill and she often screamed through the night. My intentions at 7 were for her healing. It took about 30 years before my mother experienced total mental health and has for the last 30 years. She is presently 89. I believe my childhood prayers were answered. Bill
@RestlessPilgrim: Yes, the way Scripture says to pray IS the way it should be done.
@Ryan: Your interpretation of my argument could not have been said any better.
@Daniel: If you read all of Psalm 103 you’ll know he was saying for all the Lord’s creation to bless the Lord (Psalm 103:22). The psalmist was just more into detail about himself and the angels. That said, it had nothing to do with praying to the angels. Also, holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty!
@Joe: So maybe there is a ratio of 2:1 of those that pray to Mary and those that don’t. But the point was: Other than Orthodox and Catholics, there is at least an agreement on the prayers to ‘saints’. And that agreement is: no.
@Taylor: Common sense says that at least some of the 50 are going to be nonchalant/worthless, condemning the practice.
@Joe&everyone: I must admit, saying “blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” is not necessarily like saying “blessed are you for being chosen to carry our Lord, and blessed are you for being chosen to carry our Lord” (like I’ve said in a previous comment). In the way I questioned so, I was wrong. Although passionate and sincere, because of my love for Catholics and hatred for Catholicism, I was being obtuse on the subject of Luke 1:42. But I do still stand by the fact that Elizabeth was still rejoicing over the fact that she wasn’t under a curse (Luke 1:25); she was blessed because of obedience to the Torah (Leviticus 26:9); she was rejoicing WITH Mary for both being blessed because of obedience to the Torah; she was also rejoicing with Mary because Mary was blessed and the Lord was, is, and shall be blessed.
Elizabeth’s happiness was due to being filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1 41). She felt humbled and honored that the mother of her Lord (Luke 1 43) had come to visit her.
@Michael…that is the right approach you’ve developed of not attacking the People(Catholics) but the object of discussion,this should definitely not be made personal, though hate is still a strong word.
I would however urge you to exercise caution and lots and lots of it,infact sooooo much of it when talking about someone’s, no sorry, JESUS’ mother, especially the part where you say she was just some random pregnant woman…and she’s dead. The love you feel for your mother(if she’s still alive)I assume is very strong…We were made in God’s image therefore everything good we feel or have,God has it in perfection and in infinity – in perfectio et in infinitum. Love being the first. So how much more do you think Jesus loves his mother????To perfection and in infinity.
I don’t think you’d be amazed if I talked of your mother as just another random pregnant woman who died, or will die.Imagine Jesus standing next to you and looking at you, do you have the guts to call his mother that to his face???
Even if your mother died, you still love her…infact the intensity grows because you begin to acknowledge her memories and legacy…you never miss the water till the well runs dry. Mary is in heaven with her son, who loves her more than you will ever imagine. And Christ calls us to imitate this love at the cross where he tells John, Behold your Mother, Woman behold your son.
Michael
Wonderul, it’s always good to have made an understanding; though i’m still curious about the latter half of my comment.
Michael,
Couldn’t you just as well make the opposite argument? Namely, that other than Protestants, there is at least an agreement on the prayers to Saints. And that agreement is: yes.
In fact, this argument at least has the virtue of speaking for a majority of Christians (which seems like a bare minimum for an argument from unanimity).
I.X.,
Joe
P.S. I appreciate your humility on your last point. I’ll ruminate on it, and maybe address it later.
@Ryan:
1) Jesus obeyed the 5th commandment (your 4th) to a T. He was, is, and shall be sinless. But, to an extent, he was treated differently within the commandment, calling Mary woman and leaving them at twelve for being zealous for the Temple (His Father’s House).
2) I believe Mary is the best example of a woman’s humility and obedience.
Thanks for (2)
Forgive me for being persistent, but what does Luke ch 2 mean when it says, v51 ‘And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart.’
Also, does the use of the word ‘woman’, by Jesus detract at all from Mary’s nature as Jesus’s mother? Is there any passage in scripture wherein Jesus refers to Mary by the title ‘mother’.
Luke also uses that phrase in v19. I do not know the theological perspective but to me they point to the blessed mother narrating what she remembered to the author of the gospel of Luke
Michael does your position about a hail Mary if said non challant can also be applied to hymns. therefore if a protestant sings non challant he would be guilty of repetitive prayer.
also with all due respect, your hate Catholicism love the catholic comment is patronizing. we follow the fullness of the faith. we don’t cherry pick bible verses and create churches.
instead try please try to evangelize to our brethren who have fallen for the heresies Todd Bentley, Benny Hinn and the growing number of heretical church leaders from the reformed side of the body of Christ
While I continue to read all the Responses in this enlightening Post, I MUST hasten to plead with our Protestant Brethren that we do not pray thoughtlessly. And I must mention the most powerful Prayer Jesus has given us in these, our horrible, critical Years and Age in the History of the Survival of mankind. The Divine Mercy Chaplet. He instructed Saint Faustina that all Eucharist Apostles of the Divine Mercy and all Divine Mercy Devotees should pray this Chaplet unceasingly because it has the greatest power to obtain Graces upon Graces and Mercy from God. We pray hourly this Chaplet for the sick, the poor, the abandoned, the sinners the dying, the Holy Souls in Purgatory and the whole world. Jesus promised that anyone who prays this Chaplet with total Trust in His Mercy, and whose prayer is in accordance with God’s Will will be granted whatever they are praying for – for themselves and also, more specifically for others. And obviously, we know the Holy Spirit guides us to pray for that which is in accordance with God’s Will. Let us all pray for our Separated Brethren that one day – soon – they will see the light, understand and respect our Catholic Divine Worship and our centuries-honoured Catholic Prayers. May they come to know one day, just how powerful the Mother of God is and why we VENERATE – not worship – her…”Henceforth all ages shall call me blessed….” She is blessed. She is the most effective Intercessors for us all. She is the Mother of God. Christ’s Saving Blood came from her. Christ’s Body which was Crucified to save us came from her. May all of you be blessed this Year 2012. And let us continue to protect and defend our Holy Catholic Faith
@Mary: Christ’s blood came to this earth to save us because He humbled himself (Philippians 2:5-11), not because of Mary; and Jesus is the most effective intercessor. What you say is all-out blasphemy. Also, who appeared to ‘St.’ Faustina was an unclean spirit, not Christ (2Corinthians 11:14, Galatians 1:8). Much like the one who claimed to be Samuel to Saul (1Samuel 28).
I was an evil wicked sinner (mostly sexual sin) until our Blessed Mother dragged me kicking and screaming to Christ.
Do devils normally drag us to Christ?
Update on my wife: multiple clots, pulmonary embolii, and received confirmation and 1st communion in extremis, thinners will probably work, but she is in a dangerous spot.
Michael you misunderstand what Mary said. Mary participated in human kind’s salvation in a like manner like you participated in your salvation. She said yes, to God. She gave our Savior his humanity. Your acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God and eventual baptism (I am assuming you are baptized)was your participation his God’s unmerited Grace that he bestowed upon humanity. Blessed Mary as the one chosen by God, to carry your Lord and Savior, the God incarnate, deserves much reverence from you. Our Lord honored her. You should at least do the same. He gave her to us on calvary (john 19:26-27) Woman behold your son (michael), and Michael behold your mother
his=in
darn auto-correct
Thanks for the update Daniel. Praying.
Daniel,
What Restless Pilgrim said. Been praying for you guys since Tuesday, and y’all were one of the intentions at my men’s prayer group on Wednesday. I’ll keep praying, and feel free to update at you learn more. God bless!
Michael, I have nothing to respond to your so sad and unfortunate comments. As I have said before, I am a 73-year old Cradle Catholic whom, Michael, you cannot understand. As an Eucharistic Apostle of the Divine Mercy, all I shall do is pray for you.
Michel, for the benefit of our God-beloved Respondents on this Catholic Website, can you tell them how Satan could have dictated this very powerful Prayer – The Divine Mercy Chaplet – imploring Mercy from our Heavenly Father for mankind: “Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins, and those of the whole world. For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have Mercy on us and on the whole world. Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, have mercy on us and on the whole world”….no doubt others would most definitely wish to hear your response. May add, in fulfillment of Jesus Christ’s request – among several others – that a Feast of Divine Mercy be established in the Universal Catholic Church – which He made in 1931 – this Feast of Divine Mercy – celebrated on the First Sunday After Easter, was officially and solemnly promulgated on the 30th of April, 2000 when Mother Church also promoted Blessed Faustina Kowaslka to the Altar of the Catholic Church Saints – the Fist Saint of the Third Millennium.
Daniel,
I third that
In Christ
Cary
daniel, your family is in my prayers
Daniel, I have read about your beloved wife. We shall pray this evening’s Divine Mercy Chaplet with my family for her. And to-morrow onwards, I shall remember her before the Blessed Sacrament at 3.00 O’clock – The Hour of Great Mercy. May Our Holy Mother be with you and your Family and intercede with Her Divine Son for your wife.
Thank you all for the prayers. The doctor said she is temporarily stable if that makes sense. She received the Eucharist again this morning. They think her lung tissue is damaged, but her overall lung function is good.
It’s touch and go, but mostly touch.
I think Catholics are selling us Evangelicals a little bit short on how we feel about Mary. Yes, we don’t venerate her as Catholics do but we do hold her in high esteem. Many songs,hymns of praise have been written about her. She is definitely blessed among women and we thank her for her obedience. She is no ordinary woman. She carried God.
i just get the sense that you think we treat Mary like any other Bible character and that is not so.
WRA,
That’s a relief. I’ve heard a pretty wide range of Protestant beliefs on Mary, but it’s heartening that there are folks like you who do hold her in high esteem. “All generations will call me blessed” means something, after all!
Daniel,
I’m thrilled at the mostly-positive prognosis, and want you to know that every time you comment, it’s a reminder to say a short prayer. So feel free to keep the updates coming!
I.X.,
Joe
@BlackBeard: Mary is not my mother, nor yours. She is Jesus’ earthly mother and his half-siblings mother. That is it. The Lord did not entrust her to the church as its mother. Otherwise He would have told the other believing Mary’s that were at the cross that she was their mother, too.
@Mary: Satan dictated that prayer by having you say: “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world” fifty repetitive times.
@Daniel: ‘Do devils normally drag us to Christ?’ No, but if they see you were seeking the Lord, they’d drag you to their false version of Christ for the sake of endangering your soul. (All differences aside, sorry about your wife. Said a prayer for her.)
@WRA: My fellow Evangelical, you seem to be one who remains so and not one exploring the RCC out of confusion. If I’m right, Glory to God! But that said, I definitely wouldn’t say we “thank her for her obedience”. She can’t hear every individual; she’s not omnipresent. Although it is safe to say that we thank God for her being an example for us as far as obedience and humility are concerned. Also, yes, she is an ordinary woman who was blessed. And also, the hymns you speak of that praise her went too far; and it’s safe to say that even though we don’t know exactly which hymns you’re talking of.
WRA,
This is what I mean. As Michael’s comment shows, there’s a strain of Evangelicalism that treats any honor of Mary as offensive to God. That’s how he’s able to say, “the hymns you speak of that praise her went too far; and it’s safe to say that even though we don’t know exactly which hymns you’re talking of.“
If it weren’t for Luke 1:48’s explicit permission, I’m quite positive that even calling her Blessed would be something we’d get in trouble for from the Anti-Marian police. After all, Blessed is what Elizabeth calls Jesus (Lk. 1:42), and according to this view, Jesus is insanely jealous of His own Mother.
Needless to say, this is a view that we Catholics reject vehemently, and it runs 100% counter to the practice of the early Christians (the same folks who preserved and delivered the Holy Bible).
I.X.,
Joe