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Marian apparitions...are they for real or a hoax?

Rhamiel

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well whoever told them that Mary is "not at all a significant figure" is woefully mistaken

Mary is very significant

just like in the history of the USA, George Washington is a very significant person
why we have monuments to him, holidays that celebrate him, books and movies about him, his image is even on our money

but being significant does not mean idolatry
 
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well whoever told them that Mary is "not at all a significant figure" is woefully mistaken

Mary is very significant

just like in the history of the USA, George Washington is a very significant person
why we have monuments to him, holidays that celebrate him, books and movies about him, his image is even on our money

but being significant does not mean idolatry

I also thought the statement was strange, coming form a Catholic priest.

However, I have not yet found any shrines, churches, chapels, or altars dedicated to George Washington, nor have I observed people kneeling before a statue of him, lighting candles to him, and praying prayers to him. If we according the same level of respect ot Mary as we do to George Washington, I doubt anyone would complain.
 
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xTx

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This is interesting. I know a number of Chinese students at a local Catholic university here. They are quite confused because they have had no exposure to Catholicism prior to coming here. After they arrive they are informed that Mary is not at all a significant figure in Catholicism and that Catholics don't worship her.

Fair enough. Last winter I took a trip with them to Boston, Washington, D.C., and New York City. During the course of our trip we visited a number of churches of various denominations because they were curious about the architecture. The Catholic churches included St. Patrick's in New York City. In all of the Catholic churches there were chapels and altars devoted to Mary with people kneeling before them in adoration or attending Marian masses. The focus was most assuredly on Mary. I did not need to say a word to them concerning the Catholic church's actual relationship to Mary. Actions do speak much louder than words.

The first stop I make when I enter the Catholic Church is the grotto - who is in the grotto? Mother Mary woo hoo.

But but but - to those who do not understand - I do not worship her -

I give her due respect. Deep respect.
 
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justinangel

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This is interesting. I know a number of Chinese students at a local Catholic university here. They are quite confused because they have had no exposure to Catholicism prior to coming here. After they arrive they are informed that Mary is not at all a significant figure in Catholicism and that Catholics don't worship her.

Fair enough. Last winter I took a trip with them to Boston, Washington, D.C., and New York City. During the course of our trip we visited a number of churches of various denominations because they were curious about the architecture. The Catholic churches included St. Patrick's in New York City. In all of the Catholic churches there were chapels and altars devoted to Mary with people kneeling before them in adoration or attending Marian masses. The focus was most assuredly on Mary. I did not need to say a word to them concerning the Catholic church's actual relationship to Mary.

Actions do speak much louder than words.

Never judge a book by its cover.

:nono:

PAX
:angel:
 
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yeshuaslavejeff

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it is written. "Yhvh is no respecter of persons",
and
what God calls idolatry is idolatry, even if the world calls it respect.
God knows, and has judged it already, as He knew before the world was created.

'spin' has been around since , well, basically forever... remember "... she gave me the apple"....

guess what !? he didn't get away with it anyways.

and "the angel of light told me".....
nope, doesn't fly with God. (gavel drops). Guilty He says (and He knows if anyone does).

basically, it's not just the respect, but the whole system He looks at. the whole person you might say... that's God's doing.... (good thing! )


oh, op: hoax. look up online the various ways lasers and holograms have been used all over the world. it is scientifically extraordinary but well within the capabilities of a high school or college grad, and the natives don't have a clue.
 
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Galilee63

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You have made an excellent point - one in which I feel in my heart to respond Jonathon.

Firstly, The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God is God The Most High's "Favoured one" - His Blessed Holy Daughter of Whom has been Blessed as Queen of Heaven. Regardless of whether you choose in your earthly will to believe this fact. The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God is our Heavenly Mother - our "Mother" of Whom God has Blessed in His Love and Holiness, this most beautiful special Gift and Blessing for mankind.

God The Most High Blessed The Virgin Mary Mother of God in many Loving Holy Titles, some being "Queen of Mercy" and Blessing The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God with Her Holy intercession now and at the hour of our deaths with Her Son our Lord Jesus Christ.

This interview may assist you (and may not) in realising that The Blessed Virgin Mary loves us all profoundly and intercedes in those of whom have prayed Her Hail Mary Prayer to Mother Mary and Her Holy Rosary and those of whom have The Hail Mary and Holy Rosary prayed for them while sick and dying.

My own personal experience is that I prayed The Holy Rosary to The Blessed Virgin Mary during 2011 for the first time despite being a Catholic and The Blessed Virgin Mary interceded with Jesus to heal me prior to being carted off to hospital. I continued from that day praying Her Holy Rosary to our Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God for so many world causes, family and personal causes, of which ALL have been answered by Jesus/God/The Holy Spirit.

Millions of people around the world of whom have prayed The Holy Rosary and the Hail Mary Prayer to The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God have reported having all of their prayers answered by Jesus/God/The Holy Spirit including many Catholic friends, Family and others I know, whereby The Blessed Virgin Mary has been the Holy Loving Miracle in their lives and families lives, from praying to Her the Holy Rosary. Just recently a person I had known as a Child (it was a family in the neighbourhood I had known and spent a great deal of time as a Child, travelling away with them during holidays etc) was taken into custody as a high profile business person whom had broken the law. I was told by a family member about this person and the lengthy gaol term that this person was facing - a 10-20 year sentence in a maximum security prison. I had not seen this person since childhood.

The Parents loving good people - could not meet more genuine loving people in one's life - in their late 60's were devastated. The sentencing was forthcoming and my heart went out to the parents of this person - of whom had been so kind and good to me growing up, taking me on holidays that I would never have enjoyed.

I included this person and family members including the judge in The Holy Rosary to our Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God.

The family were Catholic and commenced praying for their family member. They asked the Church and others if they could pray to The Blessed Virgin Mary Her Holy Rosary.

This person had a young Family whom depended upon their parent being the sole income provider.

Within months the sentencing in court arrived.

Many people in the community/region expected the worst sentence given a few factors.

This person was sentenced to a minimum sentence of any minor offendor or first offendor including the fact that it would be spent in a low key lax environment with home visits non-supervised on weekends.

Praised be to Thee Dear God our Heavenly Father now and forever, Amen.

May you never have the 'need' to be praying for your own young life - however if you do - ensure that you pray to Jesus and include praying The Holy Rosary to the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God - because I can guarantee (from my own Love and Faith in Jesus and our Blessed Virgin Mary over the years) that our Heavenly Mother Mary will indeed answer your prayers very quickly and in particular if you pray The Holy Rosary daily.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VFE8ToVatI

During all of The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God's Holy messages to mankind during apparitions and speaking to the hearts of people, The Blessed Virgin always requests people to pray Her Holy Rosary, to pray to Jesus focussing on Jesus' bitter Passion, His Sorrowful Stations of His Cross and to pray The Our Father, The Hail Mary's, The Glory Be's and other Prayers that 'both' Jesus Christ our Saviour and the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God have requested the Saints to give to mankind for Prayer and devotion to Jesus/God/The Holy Spirit.

One only need read many of The Blessed Virgin Mary's Holy messages given to Saints Children and other Catholics to realise this fact.

As I posted on another thread - Jesus Christ our Saviour has indeed appeared to many of the Saints (Saint Dominic and Blessed Alan De la Roche and Saint Sister Faustina) with the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus on His own to these Saints and at other times The Blessed Virgin Mary on Her own to these Saints - and these are only a few of the many many Saints throughout the ages.

The Blessed Virgin Mary always encourages as Her primary Holy messages that people open their hearts to Jesus Christ Her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, praying Her Holy Rosary, The Our Father's, The Hail Mary's and Jesus' Divine Mercy Chaplet that Jesus Himself delivered to Saint Faustina during the 1930's for all mankind to pray (not Catholics only) in order to receive Jesus' Divine Mercy at the hour of death; with Jesus' Holy message that if a person/soul just prayed His Chaplet once during their lifetime turning to Him in repentance, then that person/soul could be taken into His Divine Mercy at the hour of death instead of facing the just justice of God's wrath - His Heavenly Father's wrath.

People and many non-Catholics really find it difficult to comprehend The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God's Loving Holy Wisdom, Guidance, Enlightenment and Love that our Heavenly Mother has for each one of us, until one prays Her Holy Rosary, or Hail Mary's, or beseeches Jesus and The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God through prayer and/or someone prays to Jesus and The Blessed Virgin Mary for Her Loving Holy assistance - such as my own Father here does for Family, with the conversions of family members back to Jesus Christ our Saviour.

In closing, if one has genuinely opened up their heart to our Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour focussing on Jesus Himself, Jesus' Life, His bitter Passion, His Sorrowful Stations of His Cross and asked Jesus for His Loving Holy response to the validity of The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God's Holy Role in Heaven and the validity of The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God's Holy appearances here on Earth, with complete Trust in Jesus in one's own heart, then one will undoubtedly receive from Jesus His Loving Holy response.

If one was genuinely interested in learning God's Truth about whether or not one should be praying to The Blessed Virgin Mary with Jesus addressed first in prayers and/or praying to The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God on Her own (for example The Hail Mary) for people of whom are non-Catholic and struggle with their faith in praying The Holy Rosary not being Catholic, then one would not really be needing to post contrary remarks in doubt on these threads.

Therefore, this leads me to a few points to raise of unbelievers and/or doubters of The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God's Holy Roles in Heaven, the Universe and Earth and our Blessed Virgins Holy appearances on earth well before the year 1214.

www.our-lady.webs.com

In the above link (one of thousands) The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God has flowed Her Love, Holy Wisdom, Guidance and Enlightenment from God The Most High through to 'chosen' people/souls here on earth over the ages, most of whom were baptized Catholic and/or prayed as Catholics, the Saints of whom were priests/nuns/sisters, Children of whom were Catholic, and/or a few of whom had fallen away as Catholics, not only calling these latter Catholics back towards Her Son our Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour, however, also, to do God's Holy Will for God and others here on earth for their conversions.

Is it religion that blocks the doubting thomas' hearts from praying to the Blessed Virgin Mary Her Hail Mary and/or Holy Rosary that Jesus Christ our Saviour Himself delivered to mankind through Saint Dominic and The Blessed Alan de la Roche requesting all mankind to pray? Given the Holy Rosary contains the Creed of which is Catholic?

If that has created a barrier - one is able to pray The Hail Mary's to our Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God.

Is it one's own personal faith in our Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour/God/The Holy Spirit living by God's Holy Word alone that blocks one's heart from praying to The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God, loving Her, adoring and respecting our Heavenly Mother Mary?

If the above is creating a block in praying to The Blessed Virgin Mary - then one only need read and decipher correctly The Magnificat and Revelations by Jesus/God The Most High/The Holy Spirit given to mankind.

Satan wants the block every person/soul here on earth 'not' praying The Our Father's, not to pray The Hail Mary's, The Holy Rosary nor The Glory Be to The Father and to The Son and to The Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen", because in so doing, we human beings/our hearts and souls are:

Glorifying God The Most High within The Our Father every time, Glorifying God The Most High in His Loving Holy appointment and Decree appointing His Most Favoured one - His Holy Daughter next to Him in Heaven, beside our Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour, Glorifying His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour and The Holy Spirit - confirming that we indeed individually through the Prayers that God The Most High gave Jesus to give to mankind to pray - Love, Trust, Adore and Glorify Him - which in turn, in Jesus/God's Holy Will - (and I have read and personally received this fact) - that our souls are rewarded at the hour of death by Jesus - praying The Our Father's, The Hail Mary's and The Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to The Holy Spirit including The Holy Rosary that was given by God The Most Himself to Jesus and The Blessed Virgin Mary to Saint Dominic and to Blessed Alan de la Roche during 1214 and 1260 including the apparitions of Jesus and The Blessed Virgin Mary to countless Saints of whom were priests, nuns/sisters and others.

Is it one's own earthly life, hurts and experiences that blocks one's heart and mind from giving The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God Love, Respect and Trust...in Jesus/God The Most High?

After all, it is Jesus/God The Most High of Whom has sent our Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God down to earth with and without Jesus in His Loving Holy Presence and powerful Might.

One only need pray to Jesus Christ our Saviour His Divine Mercy Chaplet or The Our Father Prayers, The Lord is my Shepherd daily/twice daily and The Hail Mary's (25 daily is great), with complete trust in one's own heart in Jesus Christ our Saviour and The Blessed Virgin Mary at the same time, asking Jesus for His Loving Holy Wisdom, Guidance and Enlightenment pertaining to whether or not one should be praying to The Blessed Virgin Mary Her Hail Mary's for causes.

Is it satan that blocks one's heart and soul from trusting sufficiently in our Blessed Virgin Mary?


As Jesus and our Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God stated to Saint Dominic and The Blessed Alan De la Roche:

"The greatest weapon against satan is The Holy Rosary".

Satan cannot abide in our Blessed Virgin Mary nor Her Holy Rosary - for many reasons, one of which is the fact that our Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God has God's Loving Holiness in Her to convert souls/hearts back to Jesus/God/The Holy Spirit through Her Holy Rosary and Hail Mary Prayers.

The more souls/people The Blessed Virgin Mary can convert to Her Son Jesus - the less souls are lost to Jesus/God/The Holy Spirit for eternity.

Jesus/God/The Holy Spirit are able to work through hearts praying The Holy Rosary a great deal easier drawing our hearts closer and closer to Jesus Christ our Saviour until our hearts have completely received Jesus/God/The Holy Spirit.

Once The Holy Rosary and Hail Mary's have been prayed to Jesus and The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God - satan does not stand a chance in blocking souls coming closer to Jesus repenting sins from their hearts in genuine remorse, receiving Jesus into one's own heart, and receiving His Loving Holy Wisdom, Guidance and Enlightenment in indescribable Loving Holy ways with many of whom receive Jesus speaking to their hearts if changes in lives have been made, Consecrating one's heart soul mind and body to Jesus' Sacred Heart and the Blessed Virgin Mary's Immaculate Heart daily with thrice weekly at least fasting (if healthy) and having cut out all the rubbish/junk/media/mediums in the earthly sense, in one's own life, while focussing on Jesus and His bitter Passion and His Sorrowful Stations of His Cross.

If one has genuinely received Jesus into our hearts - receiving Jesus/God/The Holy Spirit's Loving Holy Wisdom - then one would never ever be discouraging people to turn away from our Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God in prayer and/or disbelieving The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God's Loving Holy Appearances/Apparitions here on earth all through God The Most High.

www.our-lady.webs.com

Love and kindest wishes your Sister in Jesus Christ our Saviour

Look at the fruit of them, it proves it cannot truly be Mary, because it either starts people worshipping her or feeds their idol worship of her, something which the true Mary wouldn't condone. The true Mary would try to turn people's eyes toward Jesus and not to herself (John 2:5 for example), like John the Baptist is also a good example of "I must decrease, He must increase".
But instead such events seem to make Mary increase where she's already held high.
 
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Jonathan95

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The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God is our Heavenly Mother - our "Mother" of Whom God has Blessed in His Love and Holiness, this most beautiful special Gift and Blessing for mankind.

No Jesus is the most beautiful and special gift to mankind. The Bible doesn't talk about Mary as the most beautiful or special gift and blessing for mankind. The focus is not on her, even though Jesus came to earth in the flesh through her, the focus is not on her.

Read basic verses like John 3:16, that's the best gift to mankind. It doesn't say "God so loved the world that he let Mary be born and become sinless so His Son could come into the world." because the focus is not on her.
 
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Albion

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No Jesus is the most beautiful and special gift to mankind. The Bible doesn't talk about Mary as the most beautiful or special gift and blessing for mankind. The focus is not on her, even though Jesus came to earth in the flesh through her, the focus is not on her.

Read basic verses like John 3:16, that's the best gift to mankind. It doesn't say "God so loved the world that he let Mary be born and become sinless so His Son could come into the world." because the focus is not on her.

Following up your point, anyone who gives it serious thought and is honest about the matter would have to admit that the New Testament makes almost nothing of Mary. We know she was with Jesus almost the whole of his life, yet almost nothing is said of her and certainly not anything about her being doted upon by Jesus, spoken of by Jesus, or anything else like that.

This doesn't mean she wasn't special for having given birth to Jesus, but it may mean something when people now turn to lionizing her as the center of the universe, queen of heaven, our intercessor with the Father, etc. If all of that were correct, one might have expected Jesus himself to have given her even the honor that most of us give our own mothers.
 
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Following up your point, anyone who gives it serious thought and is honest about the matter would have to admit that the New Testament makes almost nothing of Mary. We know she was with Jesus almost the whole of his life, yet almost nothing is said of her and certainly not anything about her being doted upon by Jesus, spoken of by Jesus, or anything else like that.

This doesn't mean she wasn't special for having given birth to Jesus, but it may mean something when people now turn to lionizing her as the center of the universe, queen of heaven, our intercessor with the Father, etc. If all of that were correct, one might have expected Jesus himself to have given her even the honor that most of us give our own mothers.

In addition, the utter silence concerning Mary following the day of Pentecost is strange in the extreme if, in fact, she was viewed as highly by the Apostles and earlyl saints as many in the Catholic church now place her.
 
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Galilee63

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The descent of the Holy Spirit was not an unexpected event for the apostles. Several centuries before the birth of the Saviour, the Lord God already began to prepare the people for the day of their spiritual rebirth, and foretold through the prophets: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh… For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon dry ground … Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation… A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.”


Preparing to return to His Heavenly Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, on the eve of His crucifixion, dedicates his farewell talk with the apostles to the forthcoming descent of the Holy Spirit. The Lord explains to the disciples that the Comforter – the Holy Spirit – is soon due to come down, in order to finish the accomplishment of the salvation of mankind. “And I will pray the Father, – the Lord says to the apostles, – and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever, – the Spirit of Truth… He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you… He, the Spirit of Truth, Who proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me.”


Preparing to accept the Holy Spirit after the Lord’s ascension to heaven, Christ’s disciples, together with the Holy Virgin Mary, several myrrh-bearing women and other believers (approximately 120 people in all), were in Jerusalem for the Pentecost, waiting in the so-called “Zion chamber.” This was probably the same large room in which took place the Mystic Supper prior to the Lord’s suffering. The apostles and all the others were waiting for the Saviour to send them the promised Comforter, at which time they would become filled with power from above, although they did not know the exact manner of the Holy Spirit’s coming. Since the Lord Jesus Christ had died and had arisen during the course of the Old Testament Passover, the feast of the Pentecost in that year fell on the 50th day of His resurrection.


And so, in the ninth hour of the morning, when the people usually gathered in the temple for sacrifice and prayer, a noise as of a tempest was suddenly heard over the Zion chamber. This noise filled the house in which the apostles were gathered, and at the same time a multitude of fiery tongues appeared over the apostles’ heads and began to descend upon each one of them. These tongues of flame possessed an extraordinary characteristic: they shone, but did not burn. But even more extraordinary were the spiritual qualities which these mysterious tongues of flame endowed. Each person upon whom such a flame descended experienced an onrush of spiritual strength and, simultaneously, indescribable joy and ardor. Each began to feel himself a totally different person: at peace, full of life and fervent love for God. The apostles began to express these inner changes and novel feelings in joyous exclamations and a loud glorification of God. And at this point it was discovered that they were speaking not in their native Jewish tongue, but in other languages that were unknown to them. In this manner the apostles were baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire, as had been prophesied by St. John the Baptist.


Meanwhile, the noise which sounded like a tempest attracted many people to the apostles’ house. Seeing all the people gathering together from everywhere, the apostles went outside with prayers of laudation and glorification of God. Hearing this stream of joyous prayer, the people who had gathered around the house were struck by an inexplicable event: Christ’s disciples, for the most part men of Galilee, all seemingly illiterate, from whom it was impossible to expect knowledge of any other tongue except their native one, suddenly began to speak in different foreign languages, so that no matter how varied was the crowd of people who had come to Jerusalem from different countries, each one heard his own native tongue. But among the crowd there were also cynics who were not ashamed to laugh at the inspired preachers, saying that the apostles had obviously drunk wine at such an early hour. In reality, the power of the Holy Spirit was made manifest at that time not only in various blessed internal changes, but also in the external gift of tongues for the express reason of allowing the apostles to spread the Gospel among different nations more successfully, without having the need to study foreign languages.


Seeing the people’s bewilderment, Apostle Peter stepped forward and preached his first sermon, in which he explained to all those who had gathered there that the descent of the Holy Spirit fulfilled the ancient prophecy of Joel, who had said in the name of God: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also upon the servants and upon the handmaidens in those days will I pour out My spirit; and I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth.” The apostle explained that precisely in this kind of descent of the Holy Spirit was the salvation of mankind to be achieved, and in order to make mankind worthy of the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Messiah – our Lord Jesus Christ – suffered death on the cross and arose from the dead.


This sermon was short and simple, but since it was the Holy Spirit speaking through Peter’s lips, these words penetrated into the hearts of the listeners. Many of them were deeply moved and asked him: “What should we do?” – “Repent, – Apostle Peter replied to them, – and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” And not only will you be forgiven, but you will receive the grace of the Holy Spirit yourselves.

Many of those who came to believe in Christ through Apostle Peter’s words publicly repented of their sins on-the-spot, were baptized.

The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God was Baptized with The Holy Spirit and Fire with Jesus' Disciples together, just as Jesus Christ our Saviour had foretold; thereafter, the Disciples took The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God home.

Love and kindest wishes your Sister in Jesus Christ our Saviour
 
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The descent of the Holy Spirit was not an unexpected event for the apostles. Several centuries before the birth of the Saviour, the Lord God already began to prepare the people for the day of their spiritual rebirth, and foretold through the prophets: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh… For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon dry ground … Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation… A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them.”


Preparing to return to His Heavenly Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, on the eve of His crucifixion, dedicates his farewell talk with the apostles to the forthcoming descent of the Holy Spirit. The Lord explains to the disciples that the Comforter – the Holy Spirit – is soon due to come down, in order to finish the accomplishment of the salvation of mankind. “And I will pray the Father, – the Lord says to the apostles, – and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever, – the Spirit of Truth… He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you… He, the Spirit of Truth, Who proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me.”


Preparing to accept the Holy Spirit after the Lord’s ascension to heaven, Christ’s disciples, together with the Holy Virgin Mary, several myrrh-bearing women and other believers (approximately 120 people in all), were in Jerusalem for the Pentecost, waiting in the so-called “Zion chamber.” This was probably the same large room in which took place the Mystic Supper prior to the Lord’s suffering. The apostles and all the others were waiting for the Saviour to send them the promised Comforter, at which time they would become filled with power from above, although they did not know the exact manner of the Holy Spirit’s coming. Since the Lord Jesus Christ had died and had arisen during the course of the Old Testament Passover, the feast of the Pentecost in that year fell on the 50th day of His resurrection.


And so, in the ninth hour of the morning, when the people usually gathered in the temple for sacrifice and prayer, a noise as of a tempest was suddenly heard over the Zion chamber. This noise filled the house in which the apostles were gathered, and at the same time a multitude of fiery tongues appeared over the apostles’ heads and began to descend upon each one of them. These tongues of flame possessed an extraordinary characteristic: they shone, but did not burn. But even more extraordinary were the spiritual qualities which these mysterious tongues of flame endowed. Each person upon whom such a flame descended experienced an onrush of spiritual strength and, simultaneously, indescribable joy and ardor. Each began to feel himself a totally different person: at peace, full of life and fervent love for God. The apostles began to express these inner changes and novel feelings in joyous exclamations and a loud glorification of God. And at this point it was discovered that they were speaking not in their native Jewish tongue, but in other languages that were unknown to them. In this manner the apostles were baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire, as had been prophesied by St. John the Baptist.


Meanwhile, the noise which sounded like a tempest attracted many people to the apostles’ house. Seeing all the people gathering together from everywhere, the apostles went outside with prayers of laudation and glorification of God. Hearing this stream of joyous prayer, the people who had gathered around the house were struck by an inexplicable event: Christ’s disciples, for the most part men of Galilee, all seemingly illiterate, from whom it was impossible to expect knowledge of any other tongue except their native one, suddenly began to speak in different foreign languages, so that no matter how varied was the crowd of people who had come to Jerusalem from different countries, each one heard his own native tongue. But among the crowd there were also cynics who were not ashamed to laugh at the inspired preachers, saying that the apostles had obviously drunk wine at such an early hour. In reality, the power of the Holy Spirit was made manifest at that time not only in various blessed internal changes, but also in the external gift of tongues for the express reason of allowing the apostles to spread the Gospel among different nations more successfully, without having the need to study foreign languages.


Seeing the people’s bewilderment, Apostle Peter stepped forward and preached his first sermon, in which he explained to all those who had gathered there that the descent of the Holy Spirit fulfilled the ancient prophecy of Joel, who had said in the name of God: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also upon the servants and upon the handmaidens in those days will I pour out My spirit; and I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth.” The apostle explained that precisely in this kind of descent of the Holy Spirit was the salvation of mankind to be achieved, and in order to make mankind worthy of the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Messiah – our Lord Jesus Christ – suffered death on the cross and arose from the dead.


This sermon was short and simple, but since it was the Holy Spirit speaking through Peter’s lips, these words penetrated into the hearts of the listeners. Many of them were deeply moved and asked him: “What should we do?” – “Repent, – Apostle Peter replied to them, – and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” And not only will you be forgiven, but you will receive the grace of the Holy Spirit yourselves.

Many of those who came to believe in Christ through Apostle Peter’s words publicly repented of their sins on-the-spot, were baptized.

The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God was Baptized with The Holy Spirit and Fire with Jesus' Disciples together, just as Jesus Christ our Saviour had foretold; thereafter, the Disciples took The Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God home.

Love and kindest wishes your Sister in Jesus Christ our Saviour

Thank you for the summary of Acts 1 and 2. I do not recall any mention of the Disciples taking Mary home in those chapters. To whose home did she go?
 
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justinangel

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Following up your point, anyone who gives it serious thought and is honest about the matter would have to admit that the New Testament makes almost nothing of Mary.

Anyone who hasn't given it enough thought and is perhaps dishonest about the matter might admit that. Both the Old and the New Testament have much to reveal about Mary in God's plan of salvation. Naturally, if one reads sacred Scripture merely in the literal and historic sense, he will hardly make out anything from the written word of God.

We know she was with Jesus almost the whole of his life, yet almost nothing is said of her and certainly not anything about her being doted upon by Jesus, spoken of by Jesus, or anything else like that.

Jesus did allude to his mother when he said to the woman in the crowd that she was rather blessed for having observed the word of God than for having borne him. It was because of Mary's faith informed by caritas that God became man to redeem and save mankind. Thus all generations shall call her blessed for having believed. In the words of Elizabeth in Luke's gospel: 'Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.'

This doesn't mean she wasn't special for having given birth to Jesus, but it may mean something when people now turn to lionizing her as the center of the universe, queen of heaven, our intercessor with the Father, etc. If all of that were correct, one might have expected Jesus himself to have given her even the honor that most of us give our own mothers.

Of course, Mary had to be special for being the mother of our Lord. At the annunciation the angel hailed her as the woman endowed with the fullness of grace and perfected by it: 'Chaire kecharitomene!' Luke writes in Mary's Hymn of Praise, in allusion to Daughter Zion, her soul 'magnifies the Lord' or 'proclaims His glory.'

Jesus told his apostles that the prerogative of deciding who should sit at his right in the kingdom of heaven rested with his heavenly Father by His preparation (cf. Mk 10:37-40). The OT reveals who that most highly privileged person is because of the honour she is rightly entitled to by Divine favour.


When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand.
1 Kings 2, 19

'I see the assembly of the saints, all zealously gathered together, invited by the holy Mother of God, Mary, ever-virgin . . . We hail you, O Mary Mother of God, venerable treasure of the entire world, inextinguishable lamp, crown of virginity, scepter of orthodoxy, imperishable temple, container of him who cannot be contained . . . Through you, the Holy Trinity is glorified; the precious Cross is celebrated and adored throughout the world; heaven exults, the angels and arechangels rejoice, the demons are put to flight, the devil, the tempter, falls from heaven, the fallen creation is brought back to paradise, all creatures trapped in idolatry come to know of the truth.'
St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily lV [Preached at Ephesus against Nestorius]

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:angel:
 
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xTx

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Anyone who hasn't given it enough thought and is perhaps dishonest about the matter might admit that. Both the Old and the New Testament have much to reveal about Mary in God's plan of salvation. Naturally, if one reads sacred Scripture merely in the literal and historic sense, he will hardly make out anything from the written word of God.



Jesus did allude to his mother when he said to the woman in the crowd that she was rather blessed for having observed the word of God than for having borne him. It was because of Mary's faith informed by caritas that God became man to redeem and save mankind. Thus all generations shall call her blessed for having believed. In the words of Elizabeth in Luke's gospel: 'Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.'



Of course, Mary had to be special for being the mother of our Lord. At the annunciation the angel hailed her as the woman endowed with the fullness of grace and perfected by it: 'Chaire kecharitomene!' Luke writes in Mary's Hymn of Praise, in allusion to Daughter Zion, her soul 'magnifies the Lord' or 'proclaims His glory.'

Jesus told his apostles that the prerogative of deciding who should sit at his right in the kingdom of heaven rested with his heavenly Father by His preparation (cf. Mk 10:37-40). The OT reveals who that most highly privileged person is because of the honour she is rightly entitled to by Divine favour.


When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand.
1 Kings 2, 19

'I see the assembly of the saints, all zealously gathered together, invited by the holy Mother of God, Mary, ever-virgin . . . We hail you, O Mary Mother of God, venerable treasure of the entire world, inextinguishable lamp, crown of virginity, scepter of orthodoxy, imperishable temple, container of him who cannot be contained . . . Through you, the Holy Trinity is glorified; the precious Cross is celebrated and adored throughout the world; heaven exults, the angels and arechangels rejoice, the demons are put to flight, the devil, the tempter, falls from heaven, the fallen creation is brought back to paradise, all creatures trapped in idolatry come to know of the truth.'
St. Cyril of Alexandria, Homily lV [Preached at Ephesus against Nestorius]

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:angel:

To add to this
John 19:27 The Crucifixion
…26When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.

Even when experiencing excruciating pain, Jesus thought about the well being of His Mother. He made sure that she is looked after, after He is gone from the earth (physically).
 
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Albion

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Both the Old and the New Testament have much to reveal about Mary in God's plan of salvation.
You can say that, but you can't back it up. And that wasn't exactly my point anyway.

Jesus did allude to his mother when he said to the woman in the crowd that she was rather blessed for having observed the word of God than for having borne him.
Straining hard to find something to point to, aren't you? Sure, Mary is referred to in Scripture and "alluded" to by Jesus here and there, but considering that you folks are insisting that she is the most important mortal who ever lived, the Mother of all humans, co-redeemer of the universe, Queen of Heaven, dispenser of all graces and the one we should look to for salvation, it can't be denied that the New Testament makes scant mention of her doings or of Jesus interacting with her. A serious debater would not be reluctant to address this fact.
 
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tadoflamb

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All I need to know is that the Sacred Scriptures say that the Blessed Mother says, 'All generations shall call me blessed' but here we are witnessing a generation which doesn't call her 'blessed', but a dead sinner afforded no more favor in the eyes of God than either you or I.

As a side note, I recently learned that the Anglicans have a shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes relatively close to the Roman Catholic shrine. The Anglican Communion has also approved two other Marian apparitions, Our Lady of Walsingham and Our Lady of Yankalilla
 
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Albion

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All I need to know is that the Sacred Scriptures say that the Blessed Mother says, 'All generations shall call me blessed' but here we are witnessing a generation which doesn't call her 'blessed', but a dead sinner afforded no more favor in the eyes of God than either you or I.
That isn't the issue at all. Some people use the word "blessed" when speaking of her--and it certainly isn't all Catholics, not to mention members of other faiths--but that's no way to assess that verse. Then too, it only says that generations "WILL" call her blessed, not that it's some kind of test or command!

How people honor her is the issue, if there is any issue. And it's not so difficult to understand that some devotions may be admirable and others "too much."

When it comes to apparitions in particular, there's no way of knowing for sure if any are genuine, and if so, which ones they are.
 
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