Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!wuarchive!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!psuvax1!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: emory!dragon!cms@gatech.edu Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Mary Message-ID: Date: 29 May 90 08:06:06 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Computer Projects Unlimited Lines: 113 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu I'd like to ask all Net.Christians out there a question: How do pray the Rosary or meditate on the mysteries of our redemption? Do you get more out of praying the stations of the Cross in a group or as an individual devotion? Same question for the Rosary? I'll answer a couple myself but I'm geniunely curious how others feel. I often pray the Rosary in silent meditation because I find it easier to concentrate on the mysteries. Furthermore, in most churches, the standard format is to pray the Hail Marys straight, with no intermediate prayers, whereas I prefer the Scriptural Rosary in which I pray a short passage from Scripture (usually the Gospels) before each Hail Mary, followed at the end of the decade by Glory Be, Oh my Jesus (Fatima), and a lovely addition, "Prince Michael the Arch-Angel, protect us; Saint Joseph, pray for us." Admittedly, I sometimes pray the Hail Marys straight so I can concentrate on visualizing the mysteries in my mind; I visualize Christ praying in the Garden, for example, based on numerous pictures and movies I've seen. I tend to imagine him experiencing greater fear, not to downplay anguish, than many pictures. I imagine his hands shaking, spilling his imaginary cup of suffering. At the same time, Scripture readings help me to focus on these images. I can't decide which way I prefer. However, when I pray alone, I can pray as fast or as slow as I want, linger on a mystery if I so desire. Once, for example, when I prayed the beginning three HM's for faith, hope, and love, I lingered on love for about ten HM's by itself! I feel much the same way about the stations of the Cross. I get a lot out of group devotion, but I find individual devotion more satisfying, since I'm able to linger on each mystery as long or as short as I need to complete my own personal prayers. Still, there is a beauty in moving with people along the road to calvary, almost as if we're following in the footsteps of Christ as it actually happened. Being in a group, for me, is crucial to this feeling. As for Fatima: The Angel of Peace gave the three children a lovely prayer: "Pray! Pray a great deal. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs on you. Offer prayers and sacrifices continually to the Most High. Make everything you do a sacrifice, and offer it as an act of reparation for the sins by which God is offended, and as a petition for the conversion of sinners. Bring peace to our country in this way....I am the Guardian Angel of Portugal." The same angel, the Angel of Peace, earlier said to the children, "Fear not. I am the Angel of Peace." Kneeling on the ground in humble obeasance to God, the angel prayed, "O my God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love Thee. I ask pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love Thee." By this prayer, do you believe it's possible for atheists and agnostics to be saved? I'm still struggling with this one as I'm a great believer in the efficacy of prayer. The Rosary, as has often been said, is like a great sword or weapon, a plus-5 Holy Avenger in D&D terms, which the Mother of God uses to cut down heresy and the forces of evil. The Rosary is the most powerful prayer to the King of Kings. I have a friend who had a friend that gave him a Protestant Rosary. I have as yet to discover this elusive creature, although I've seen mysteries which substitute the last two glorious for Second Coming and Final Judgment, and uses a different mantra from the Hail Mary (as I described in an earlier posting). If more Protestants would pray the Rosary, in whatever way they feel most comfortable, praying continually for the conversion of Russia, we may yet succeed in achieving peace. For those Rosary Warriors still in the thick of the battle: Don't give up now! We're almost halfway there! How many Net.Christians out there wear the brown scapular, as I do? Sister Lucia said that all Catholics should wear the brown scapular as part of the Fatima message. It is a holy habit, "Our Lady's livery." As she said to Saint Simon Stock, "Whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire." For me, honoring Mary, in whatever way but especially in the Rosary, is doing exactly what God does when he invited Mary to the Mother of his Son, Jesus Christ; we are doing what God in the Scriptures calls us to do. Martin Luther preached on Mary's feast days and esteemed her as a modela nd example of the life of faith. Martin Luther stated unequivocably, "We are the children of Mary." Today, Catholics and Protestants are examining the role of Mary in the Scriptures and the meaning of devotion to Mary in the modern world. I recommend a book called "Mary in the New Testament," edited by Brown, Donfried, Fitzmyer, and Reumann; it is a collaborative work by Protestant and Catholic scholars. I have another question for Protestants in particular: Catholics believe that Mary is ever-virgin. Some Protestants have said to me, "Protestants don't believe that. We believe she had subsequent children." Now, I don't think that's true. Some Protestants may believe that, but staunch Baptists I know are offended at the very notion that Mary may have had sex and subsequent children. Inansmuch as Protestants often don't have a list of things-you-must-believe-to-be-a-Protestant (as opposed to Christian), what do most Protestants believe on this issue? As I recall, both Luther and Calvin taught the perpetual virginity of Mary. Another question to all Christians: I've found that Mary had a significant impact in the development of my personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Did Mary have a similar impact on you? Mary is mediatrix of all graces in a way that glorifies Jesus Christ as the one Mediator. I invoke her as advocate and mediatrix so that she will lead me to her Son. As Christians, we know that if we rely on merely external practices in our devotion to Mary rather than on a serious commitment to the will of God, our devotion is deficient. On the other hand, *true* devotion to Mary cannot be exaggerated, for true devotion always brings us closer to God and to God's people. As Christians, we believe that showing devotion to Mary is our way of reminding ourselves of the mighty things God has done for us and is still doing for us; or, as Mary herself said, "From this day forward all generations will call me blessed; for the Almighty God has done great things for me, and holy is his name." I am proud to be numbered in the generation that is privileged to call Mary blessed. -- Sincerely, _///_ // SPAWN OF A JEWISH _///_ // _///_ // <`)= _<< CARPENTER _///_ //<`)= _<< <`)= _<< _///_ // \\\ \\ \\ _\\\_ <`)= _<< \\\ \\ \\\ \\ <`)= _<< >IXOYE=('> \\\ \\ \\\ \\_///_ // // /// _///_ // _///_ // emory!dragon!cms <`)= _<< _///_ // <`)= _<< <`)= _<< \\\ \\<`)= _<< \\\ \\ \\\ \\ GO AGAINST THE FLOW! \\\ \\ A Real Live Catholic in Georgia