Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!sdd.hp.com!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: 90babcock@gw.wmich.edu Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: May 25 1991 Medjegorje message(long) Message-ID: Date: 15 Jun 91 05:56:19 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Western Michigan University Lines: 34 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu billy@tcom.stc.co.uk (Billy Khan) writes: >Please explain why you expect Mary to guide you rather than Jesus >speaking directly through your congregation. jabishop@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu (Jonathan A Bishop) writes: > We certainly don't "expect" her to. She appears at the bidding of the > Father and Jesus, not us. I understand your point; Jesus is the intercessor > between humanity and God, not Mary or anyone else. Mary, though, is humaand > cares for her fellow humans. I should like to say that Mary was indeed human. But also that she was and is the first christian. Mary spent thirty years with her Son. Indeed she would know His message better than any. She fed him, nursed him, and taught him. Perhaps it is her gospel to come to the world through apparitions. We must understand that God chose Mary and placed His need in her. God never has need unless He wills it. He chose to need her. What God needs we all need. Mary is the prototype of the Church. She is in her own way the spouse of God. "Honor thy Father and thy Mother." She is for all time The Mother of God. Christians will always be concerned about the life of humanity. The Body of Christ, which is mystical and encompasses anyone who will ever come to the Father, will always struggle until all of its members are free of sin. We all are called to help one another, and death shall not separate us from that sacred duty. We indeed say that Mary may pray for us, that she who is filled and overshadowed by the Holy Ghost does have influence. She has touched the Shekinah! She is one with the will of God. It is the will of Christ that we share in one anothers salvation, that is why we minister. We are temples, we are partakers of the divine plan. We all have certain influences, but we believe Mary to be special in that plan, for she is chosen from all space and time to be The Blessed Virgin, Mother of God. She magnifies the Lord. God will be glorified if we exalt in His masterpiece which is Mary. Jeff Babcock Western Michigan University