Why so much Mary?

[PaxChristi]

Hello all,


I'm the one who said I wasn't very Marian. I pose 2 questions...


1. Has anybody else heard the thing about Satan appearing as an Angel of Light? Could this be all the sightings of Mary? (Fatima etc.,)

2. Why do we say the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary instead of the Rosary of Jesus Christ or something like that? Just wondering.

Pax Amorque Christi

 

[ZooMom]

1. Has anybody else heard the thing about Satan appearing as an Angel of Light? Could this be all the sightings of Mary? (Fatima etc.,)

It could apply to some, which is why all reported apparitions are painstakingly scrutinized by the Church. It can take years before an apparition is approved, and even when it is, faithful Catholics are not required to believe in it. The only thing 'Church approved' means is that the apparitions message does not contradict the Teaching of the Church.

2. Why do we say the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary instead of the Rosary of Jesus Christ or something like that? Just wondering.

The Rosary is all about Christ. Here is a short, but concise, history of the Rosary... http://www.aoh.com/history/archive/rosary.htm ...

The purpose of the Rosary is to center one's thoughts on Christ, on the Events of His Life, Death, and Resurrection. Just as the words in the closing prayer of the Rosary..."that by meditating on these Sacred Mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may grow to imitate what they contain and obtain what they Promise..." What they contain is Christ, and what they Promise is Eternal Life through Him.

 

[patriarch]

Why so much Mary? Well, the saying is very true that as we think of Mary, Jesus will grow in our hearts.

The Litany of Loretto is itself a very potent concise answer to the question of "Why so much Mary?" All of these titles have their history and their validation in the hearts of believers down the ages.... This really is a relationship you should explore, PaxChristi.

Lee



Lord have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.


God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.


Holy Mary, pray for us
Holy Mother of God, pray for us
Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us
Mother of Christ, pray for us
Mother of divine grace, pray for us
Mother most pure, pray for us
Mother most chaste, pray for us
Mother inviolate, pray for us
Mother undefiled, pray for us
Mother most amiable, pray for us
Mother most admirable, pray for us
Mother of good counsel, pray for us
Mother of our Creator, pray for us
Mother of our Redeemer, pray for us
Virgin most prudent, pray for us
Virgin most venerable, pray for us
Virgin most renowned, pray for us
Virgin most powerful, pray for us
Virgin most merciful, pray for us
Virgin most faithful, pray for us
Mirror of justice, pray for us
Seat of wisdom, pray for us
Cause of our joy, pray for us
Spritual vessel, pray for us
Vessel of honor, pray for us
Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us
Mystical rose, pray for us
Tower of David, pray for us
Tower of ivory, pray for us
House of gold, pray for us
Ark of the covenant, pray for us
Gate of Heaven, pray for us
Morning Star, pray for us
Health of the sick, pray for us
Refuge of sinners, pray for us
Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us
Help of Christians, pray for us
Queen of Angels, pray for us
Queen of Patriarchs, pray for us
Queen of Prophets, pray for us
Queen of Apostles, pray for us
Queen of Martyrs, pray for us
Queen of Confessors, pray for us
Queen of Virgins, pray for us
Queen of all Saints, pray for us
Queen conceived without original sin, pray for us
Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us
Queen of peace, pray for us


Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world: Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world: Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world: Have mercy on us.


Pray for us, most holy Mother of God,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.

O God, whose only begotten Son, by his life, death and resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life, grant, we beseech you, that while meditating of the mysteries of the most holy rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise, through Christ our Lord. Amen.








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[Chili]

Because we love Her? That would be a good enough reason would it not?

How's that for my first post.

 

[jukesk9]

The Rosary is totally about Christ. We're praying with Mary and she's praying for us. How do we Catholics worship? At Mass each week which culminates in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, Jesus Christ. Count how many times Mary is mentioned the next Mass you attend. Off hand, I'm thinking once or twice (I confess to Almighty God.....and I ask Blessed Mary, ever Virgin....to pray for us). And of course the Nicene Creed (born of the Virgin Mary). Marian devotion, in my Parish anyway, seems to be a personal thing. The Rosary is usually prayed before each Saturday Mass (I go to Sunday Mass once a year on Easter so I don't know if it's prayed on Sunday or not) in my Parish. The Rosary is an AWESOME prayer. When you really get into it, it's amazing how you can pray aloud and while closing your eyes, see the mystery and hear the Bible verses accompanying that mystery.

 

[pax]

1. Satan can appear as an angel of light and he has, but Fatima, Guadalupe, and Lourdes have definitely not been an instance of that happening. I don't think Satan prays the Rosary or encourages others to do so as Mary did at Fatima and Lourdes.

2. The Rosary is a Christocentric prayer. The mysteries (The Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Presentation, Finding in the Temple, Agony in the Garden, Scourging at the Pillar, Crowning with thorns, Carrying of the Cross, Death on the Cross, Resurrection, Ascenion, Descent of Holy Spirit, Assumption of the BVM and Coronation of the BVM) are mainly centered around Christ. The Hail Marys give you a length of time to meditate on each mystery. Honoring Mary gives Glory to Christ. She's our mother too.

All the saints are in heaven and pray for us. Mary is one of them. She gave birth to Christ and said yes where Eve said no. Jesus redeemed a fallen race with his blood and his mother had to watch him suffer. That could not have been easy. Mary is never to be given any worship that is reserved for God alone. She doesn't want it. Marian prayer is not idolatry. It is getting to know Christ from the person that knew him the best, his mother.

 

[VOW]

Originally posted by Chili
Because we love Her? That would be a good enough reason would it not?

How's that for my first post.

To Chili:

Works for me! I even shared my Blessings with you!!



Peace be with you,
~VOW

 

[PaxChristi]

Thanks all,
That was sort of bugging me. I just became Christian at a retreat with the church in October. I plan on getting confirmed next Easter, and I have been asking questions a lot lately, and you guys can probably expect a few more...

Like this one

Mirror of justice, pray for us
Seat of wisdom, pray for us
Cause of our joy, pray for us

Who does this refer to? If its to Mary, why does she get these titles? I understand some of the others, but not all of them. Thanks in advance

Pax amorque Christi

 

[patriarch]

From John Cardinal Newman:

Mary is the "Speculum Justitiæ," the Mirror of Justice
{31} HERE first we must consider what is meant by justice, for the word as used by the Church has not that sense which it bears in ordinary English. By "justice" is not meant the virtue of fairness, equity, uprightness in our dealings; but it is a word denoting all virtues at once, a perfect, virtuous state of soul—righteousness, or moral perfection; so that it answers very nearly to what is meant by sanctity. Therefore when our Lady is called the "Mirror of Justice," it is meant to say that she is the Mirror of sanctity, holiness, supernatural goodness.

Next, what is meant by calling her a mirror? A mirror is a surface which reflects, as still water, polished steel, or a looking-glass. What did Mary reflect? She reflected our Lord—but He is infinite Sanctity. She then, as far as a creature could, reflected His Divine sanctity, and therefore she is the Mirror of Sanctity, or, as the Litany says, of Justice.

Do we ask how she came to reflect His Sanctity? {32} —it was by living with Him. We see every day how like people get to each other who live with those they love. When they live with those whom they don't love, as, for instance, the members of a family who quarrel with each other, then the longer they live together the more unlike each other they become; but when they love each other, as husband and wife, parents and children, brothers with brothers or sisters, friends with friends, then in course of time they get surprisingly like each other. All of us perceive this; we are witnesses to it with our own eyes and ears—in the expression of their features, in their voice, in their walk, in their language, even in their handwriting, they become like each other; and so with regard to their minds, as in their opinions, their tastes, their pursuits. And again doubtless in the state of their souls, which we do not see, whether for good or for bad.

Now, consider that Mary loved her Divine Son with an unutterable love; and consider too she had Him all to herself for thirty years. Do we not see that, as she was full of grace before she conceived Him in her womb, she must have had a vast incomprehensible sanctity when she had lived close to God for thirty years?—a sanctity of an angelical order, reflecting back the attributes of God with a fulness and exactness of which no saint upon earth, or hermit, or holy virgin, can even remind us. Truly then she is the Speculum Justitiæ, the Mirror of Divine Perfection.

 

[patriarch]

From Newman:

Mary is the "Sedes Sapientiæ," the Seat of Wisdom

{33} MARY has this title in her Litany, because the Son of God, who is also called in Scripture the Word and Wisdom of God, once dwelt in her, and then, after His birth of her, was carried in her arms and seated in her lap in His first years. Thus, being, as it were, the human throne of Him who reigns in heaven, she is called the Seat of Wisdom. In the poet's words:—

His throne, thy bosom blest,
O Mother undefiled,
That Throne, if aught beneath the skies,
Beseems the sinless Child.

But the possession of her Son lasted beyond His infancy—He was under her rule, as St. Luke tells us, and lived with her in her house, till He went forth to preach—that is, for at least a whole thirty years. And this brings us to a reflection about her, cognate to that which was suggested to us yesterday {34} by the title of "Mirror of Justice." For if such close and continued intimacy with her Son created in her a sanctity inconceivably great, must not also the knowledge which she gained during those many years from His conversation of present, past, and future, have been so large, and so profound, and so diversified, and so thorough, that, though she was a poor woman without human advantages, she must in her knowledge of creation, of the universe, and of history, have excelled the greatest of philosophers, and in her theological knowledge the greatest of theologians, and in her prophetic discernment the most favoured of prophets?

What was the grand theme of conversation between her and her Son but the nature, the attributes, the providence, and the works of Almighty God? Would not our Lord be ever glorifying the Father who sent Him? Would He not unfold to her the solemn eternal decrees, and the purposes and will of God? Would He not from time to time enlighten her in all those points of doctrine which have been first discussed and then settled in the Church from the time of the Apostles till now, and all that shall be till the end,—nay, these, and far more than these? All that is obscure, all that is fragmentary in revelation, would, so far as the knowledge is possible to man, be brought out to her in clearness and simplicity by Him who is the Light of the World.

And so of the events which are to come. God spoke to the Prophets: we have His communications to them in Scripture. But He spoke to them in figure and parable. There was one, viz., Moses, to whom He vouchsafed to speak face to face. "If there be {35} among you a prophet of the Lord," God says, "I will appear to him in a vision, and I will speak to him in a dream. But it is not so with my servant Moses ... For I will speak to him mouth to mouth, and plainly, and not by riddles and figures doth he see the Lord." This was the great privilege of the inspired Lawgiver of the Jews; but how much was it below that of Mary! Moses had the privilege only now and then, from time to time; but Mary for thirty continuous years saw and heard Him, being all through that time face to face with Him, and being able to ask Him any question which she wished explained, and knowing that the answers she received were from the Eternal God, who neither deceives nor can be deceived.

 

[patriarch]

Cause of Our Joy

by Charles M. Mangan


The mere thought of Mary the Mother of God has caused faithful Christians the world over to exult in joy. Why? Because she, the humble maiden of Nazareth, freely and cheerfully accepted her august role in the redemption of men wrought by her Divine Son. Consequently, it is possible for a human person to become holy!
The Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Volume I (New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1992) offers the traditional rationale for why the Ever-Virgin Mother of Christ is venerated under the glorious title of Cause Nostrae Laetitiae ("Cause of our Joy"):


The Church as the Bride of Christ has always found joy in its (her) Bridegroom and returned His love with ever-increasing joy. Since Jesus had come to us through Mary, the Church came gradually to understand that the Blessed Virgin, because of her cooperation in the Incarnation of the Word, is the cause or origin or source of this great joy; the Church has known too that the sorrow brought into the world by Eve's disobedience has been changed into joy by Mary's obedience, and so it began to honor her with the title "cause of our joy." Devotion to our Lady under this title has developed especially in France and Canada (Notre Dame de Liesse).


In the Litany of Loreto, we hail Mary as "the Cause of our Joy," recognizing her submission to the power of the Holy Spirit, resulting in the Second Person of the Most Blessed Trinity coming to earth. Jesus Christ, the God-Man, makes us joyful because of His influence over our destiny. We now have the opportunity to inherit everlasting life, thanks to His unsurpassable Incarnation, His selfless Passion, His agonizing Death, and His jubilant Resurrection. Mary also makes us joyful because we acknowledge how her fiat changed the course of human history. Her "yes" broke the chains of death established by Eve's haughty "no."

Sadly, the word joy, like love or charity, is often misused in modern discourse. Authentic joy (which is one of the Twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit), writes Father John A. Hardon, S.J., in his helpful Modern Catholic Dictionary (Garden City, New York: Doubleday Company, Inc., 1979), is "the feeling aroused by the expectation or possession of some good." This is true spiritual joy, which "is possessed by angels and human beings, and its source is the rational will." One may speak about the joy of baseball or cooking; however, spiritual joy is quite a different reality.

Mary does really cause us joy because through her legacy we hold the expectation of the good which she has won through her fidelity to the inscrutable plan of the Almighty, namely friendship with Christ (for us, now here on earth; for Our Blessed Lady, now in Paradise).

It has been said that real joy is contagious. Mother Teresa of Calcutta has often quipped that she can immediately discern -even without looking - when several members of the Missionaries of Charity are present: the spiritual joy which they experience is tangible. Moreover, that very joy is waiting to be shared. Undoubtedly, the close connection which these pious religious have to the Immaculate Heart of Mary continually inspires them to be consecrated religious striving to imitate the abundant joy found deep in the words and actions of Mary.

To ponder the role of Mary in our redemption leads to astonishment. How good God has been to His people! How trusting Mary was - and remains today - in the Word of the Lord!

The Opening Prayer of the Mass of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Cause of Our Joy, not only asserts the truth of the belief that, indeed, Mary is the cause of our joy but also offers the hope that we - the children of the Mother of Jesus - will benefit from this reality:


Lord, our God, You were pleased to bring joy to the world through the incarnation of Your Son. Grant that we who honor His Mother, the cause of our joy, may always walk in the way of Your commandments with our hearts set on true and lasting joy.



Fr. Charles M. Mangan is a priest of the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.