on the Marian Mystery--especially for noncatholics

Here’s the first in the promised series on the Orthodoxy.



I’ve been doing some serious apologetics research into Catholicism lately. If you recall, I once blogged about a sermon by Jacob Prasch which had been REALLY hard to write on for me. In it, I had squirmed uncomfortably while he made a case for Catholicism being a) demonic and b) false worship and c)unsalvific, which was pretty dang compelling. I recall feeling convicted after I heard it about going to Catholic mass with my family members once in a while--- even to the point of
refusing to take communion with them. In my brother’s wedding last year, that was a huge deal--- because the bride wanted me to go up and take communion like the rest of the wedding party and I felt hugely guilty doing so. Big stuff. As time has passed, however, I have begun to look at that sermon with new eyes-- and I’m not so sure I agree with it anymore because I don’t think it’s biblical. I think it was easy for me at the time and necessary to accept it at face value, because I didn’t KNOW Christianity apart from Catholicism. But now that I do, I have to disagree with his premises. (more on that another day.)

So basically, in studying the Catechism of the church, I find that I often "bristle" upon reading something dogmatic, only to find as I prayerfully pick it apart and examine it in light of scripture that what it really means isn’t unbiblical at all! It’s a very wierd experience for me because I’ve always just shunned Catholicism since my salvation occured... obviously they couldn’t be right. Now I’m not convinced. Everything from discovering that Pope JPdue (as my friend Amy calls him) pleaded with Catholics worldwide in 98 to be baptized in the Holy Spirit --- wow!--- to the fact that catholics don’t consider noncatholic Christians unsaved--- but, in their own words, "separated brethren!"
Basically I discovered that there are a whole lot of Catholic teachings out there that are COMPLETELY misunderstood by protestants worldwide, and that within the structure of Catholicism (which is under the authority of the current apostle-- the pope) there are many, many, many varieties of structural worship combined with universal elements that are foundationally CHRISTIAN.

The two major beliefs, as I have said before, that I thusfar cannot reconcile with scripture have always been the veneration of Mary (and subsequent belief that she ascended into heaven and was crowned "queen of heaven.") and the idea of transsubstantiation (that Jesus really IS in the bread and wine.)

This blog will deal mainly with the Marian thing, because it’s such a huge topic. Next time around I’ll hit the Eucharist.

I spent the entire day yesterday doing two things: remembering my OWN experiences within a Catholic structure associated with Mary, comparing them to what the Catechism of the Catholic Church actually SAYS about devotion to Mary, and then watching videos and doing research on the current messages brought by Marian apparitions world wide, both "Accepted" and not by the RCC.
See, cause it’s easy to look at CATHOLICS and judge the church as a whole--- but we can’t do that. Just like if mormons were to look at what happened to Ted Haggard and say: "you guys are all hippocrites. Not thanks." We need to look to the root of what people believe and judge THAT, the actual doctrine, not the way it is often lived out.

With regards to Mary, the Compendium of the Catholic Catechism says this:

142. What is the work of the Spirit in Mary?

721-726
744

The Holy Spirit brought to fulfillment in Mary all the waiting and the preparation of the Old Testament for the coming of

Christ. In a singular way he filled her with grace and made her virginity fruitful so that she could give birth to the Son

of God made flesh. He made her the Mother of the "whole Christ", that is, of Jesus the Head and of the Church his body. Mary

was present with the twelve on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit inaugurated the "last days" with the manifestation of the Church.

196. In what sense is the Blessed Virgin Mary the Mother of the Church?

963-964
973

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mother of the Church in the order of grace because she gave birth to Jesus, the Son of God, the Head of the body which is the Church. When he was dying on the cross Jesus gave his mother to his disciple with the words, "Behold your mother" (John 19:27).

197. How does the Virgin Mary help the Church?

965-970
974-975

After the Ascension of her Son, the Virgin Mary aided the beginnings of the Church with her prayers. Even after her Assumption into heaven, she continues to intercede for her children, to be a model of faith and charity for all, and to
exercise over them a salutary influence deriving from the superabundant merits of Christ. The faithful see in Mary an image and an anticipation of the resurrection that awaits them and they invoke her as advocate, helper, benefactress and mediatrix.

198. What kind of devotion is directed to the holy Virgin?

971

It is a singular kind of devotion which differs essentially from the cult of adoration given only to the Most Holy Trinity.

This special veneration directed to Mary finds particular expression in the liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and in Marian prayers such as the holy Rosary which is a compendium of the whole Gospel.

199. In what way is the Blessed Virgin Mary the eschatological icon of the Church?

972

Looking upon Mary, who is completely holy and already glorified in body and soul, the Church contemplates in her what she herself is called to be on earth and what she will be in the homeland of heaven.



Essentially what it says is that Mary is one of two people in the Bible whose example of FAITH was so supreme that their obedience was absolute, we should thus follow in her footsteps, saying to God: "be it done to me exactly as you have said."

It says that she is the Mother of believers because of Christ’s words to his disciple in John 19:27. It says that she will both help and mediate in pointing to Christ (which I initially cringed at, but upon reflection realized that we are ALL called to do this by the Work of the Spirit living in US--- why would she not?) and that she should absolutely not be worshipped but that she (as a Saint who has achieved eternal life) should be called upon to intercede for us with her Son, who has COMPLETED the work He began in her. If we know we will rule and reign with Christ, it isn’t too far of a faith stretch for me to believe that she, clearly a faithful disciple of Christ, is doing just that.

It’s a lot less blasphemous when we actually read what the church teaches--- I, for one, have completely laid to rest in my mind the fear that the Catholic Church teaches actual Marian worship.

Then there’s the ’ever virgin’ thing. The Bible isn’t clear either way--- people assume that Jesus had siblings because the Word says His brothers existed. But what we don’t realize is that this could mean LITERAL brothers or simply relatives--- the aramaic term here is interchangeable and could have meant cousins or what have you. There really isn’t a clear cut answer and I dont think it’s particularly relevant to our salvation either way.

Lastly, there’s the intercessory aspect. Why pray that Mary (or any saint?) intercede when we have DIRECT ACCESS to the throne of God? Well, the answer is simple-- we don’t have to. We need only address our prayers to the Lord through the mediation of His Son, Jesus Christ. However, since we have a whole team of heavenly bretheren up there with whom we are called to fellowship, who are actually WITH Christ in a literal sense, why not ask them to pray too? After all, when I have an issue I need prayer for down here, I am perpetually petitioning my fellow saints here on earth to pray with us!
There is no way to talk to eternally living saints without praying---they are no longer walking the earth-- but that doesn’t mean that they are being ADORED. The idea, which, again, isn’t too far of a stretch, about asking MARY in particular to intercede is the belief that she received her crown and has a calling (is used by God in a particular office) to do so for the church.
Now we’ve all seen, however, those completely devoted followers of Mary who have only her image at their household altar and who pray to her day and night. well, yeah. But again--- that clearly isn’t what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says to do. So we probably shouldn’t be judging Catholics by the actions of the few. (or many, in this case!) In fact, there is where my memories come to play, since I distinctly remember times where we would call out to Saints to help us pray, meditating on their LIVES lived in devotion to Christ to encourage us in our own walks. This is what the rosary is. THe practice of praying on beads, as we’ve established, may be pagan in nature, but the idea of the rosary is a profound meditation on the life of Christ. When I was tempted to say the rosary recently I didn’t realize how profoundly it had affected me until Wayne gave me the OK to meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary without the beads.

For those who aren’t familiar with it, it’s a simple combination of praying specific prayers (our father, hail mary, and
glory bes) while focusing on different aspects of the life of Christ. The beads are there to count and to give you something tactile to do that helps you focus on the meditation. And we know meditation is biblical---- there are numerous scriptures
in the OT where our ForeFathers of the Faith "went out to the field to meditate." The danger inherent in meditation is EMPTYING the mind (thus allowing room for demons to come play) whereas the rosary FILLS the mind with Christ as revealed in His Word.

It was a very powerful experience, in which I drew closer than ever to my Savior as I walked "with" Him through the stages of His life and work. I’m now, more than ever, a firm believer in the importance of the rosary. And so is my husband...although he doesn’t believe we need beads to do that. I just like them because they help me stay focused and feel "set apart" or sacred, because they connect me to sacred space in my heart.

OK, so so far, I’m AOK with what the church ACTUALLY teaches about Mary. Which means Im’ AOK with Catholicism. Which is really strange for me to say after ten years of fighting it because of my devotion to Jesus!

The other half of my day was spent studying modern day apparitions of Mary. As an evangelical Christian, I’ve always been told these visions are demonic. Period. The Saints who experience the visions are simply manifesting, encountering what I’ve often called a powerful principality called "The Queen of Heaven," (see C Peter Wagner’s book on the subject.) Whenever the subject comes up in apologetics, I vehemently fought with Orthodox believers as I attempted to prove they were demonic.

What I found yesterday put me in URGENT need of repentance for having blasphemed a work of the Spirit--- and what is even more surprising is that my ULTRA uncatholic husband agrees completely that the ones I looked at today were works of God.

Scripture is clear that we need to test the spirits against the Word of God, and that only by the Holy Spirit can we declare that Jesus is Lord.

In studying both "accepted" and not-yet-accepted signs and wonders in Egypt, Rwanda, France, and now Bosnia (the four I have been most interested in, but there are many, many more) I have come to the conclusion that Mary has been allowed by God to appear and demonstrate His reality by pointing to Jesus and urging people to pray because the end of time is at hand.
There are more marian apparitions now than ever before--- and at Medjugorje, she appears EVERY DAY.

In each instance, Mary not only gives a message of hope to those who would fall down and repent for sins committed against her God, but implores people to pray and fast continuously for the salvation of those who have not yet accepted Christ
because the end is near. She performs healings and miracles, and offers comfort. She is sometimes witnessed by only a select few, other times by entire crowds of thousands.

Here, she was witnessed by thousands:


Then there is Lourdes Cathedral, where she was seen by Saint Bernadette and gave a great message of hope for mankind if they would only pray and believe in her Son.




And this is Medjugorje---- I can’t WAIT to go there one day. Click the link for more thorough information.

Six visionaries are anxiously awaiting her Blessed arrival every day as thousands of pilgrims from ALL RELIGIONS (more on this later) are saved and believe in Jesus thanks to these miracles. This has been going on for years, and the messages that Mary is bringing to these Visionaries are powerful because they speak DIRECTLY to the topic I’m addressing. Mejdugorje’s Marian apparitions are for PRotesTANTS AND CATHOLICS.... for MUSLIMS and MORMOnS and Hindus and Buddhists-- because when they experience her there, they cannot deny the reality of the Christ she represents...Her messages are literally imploring the human community to answer the call to be children of God and believe in her Son, to repent of their sin, to pray and fast and YEARN for the salvation of the whole world at the hands of our God of justice and mercy, because the end is drawing near. And if she isn’t enough for people, God has been doing other types of miracles there--- for instance causing the sun to act in an incredible way and giving









When I used to read these "messages" I would scoff--- sometimes Mary says to pray, especially the Rosary. "How convenient," I would think, a demon telling people to practice demonic prayer. But I have new eyes to see now that I have spent a day in prayer and fasting, seeking the Word with regards to the obvious signs presented here. God is GLORIFIED in these apparitions and Mary has always been the first to say it: "To HIM be the Glory."

In fact, while imploring people to pray the rosary more, she taught them a new prayer to add to the meditation:
"Dear Jesus, please forgive me of my sins and save me from hell. Draw me close to you and give me comfort in my affliction. You alone are worthy of Praise."


Wayne believes, as I do, that God can use ANYTHING to draw us to him. Woe to us who call a work of God demonic.
As Wayne often says: it’s best, sometimes, to just be quiet.