Mary, an obstacle?

 

Having been raised Catholic, and knowing and believing what Catholics know and believe about Mary, I have never struggled to understand the Church's teachings about Mary, but I know that for some people, these can be a real obstacle. 

The common question is, "Why go to Mary when you can pray directly to Jesus?" or, "Why do you worship Mary?"

Like Blessed Fulton Sheen said . . .

“There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.”

First, let's clear up the second question.

Catholics do not worship Mary. We know she is not God. We do accept that she was conceived without sin and that God prepared her for her special role to be the mother of Jesus.

But the "why pray to Mary" question takes a little more explaining, and the Bible gives us the perfect answer.

At the Wedding at Cana (Gospel of John, Chapter 2) the hosts of the wedding ran into a serious problem--they were running out of wine!

Mary, the mother of Jesus, noticed that their friends had a problem, and she turned to Jesus for help. 

Now there are a lot of things we could say at this point, but let's just stop right there.

Rest a minute on the fact that it was Mary who took the problem to Jesus. 

We know Jesus solved the problem by turning water into wine (his first miracle at Cana), but it was Mary who brought their problem to him.

Similarly, we understand that if we take our worries to Mary, they will reach Jesus through her. She may not have the power that Jesus has, since he is God and she is not, but she is certainly able (as she did at the wedding) to solicit his response.

Now yes, of course, we can go directly to Jesus as well, but Jesus made it pretty clear even in his final words from the cross, that Mary is our mother, and what is a mother's role but to listen and respond to the needs of her children? (Gospel of John 19:27)

The real question is, "Why wouldn't we go to Mary, our Mother?" 

We learn directly from the Bible, and specifically from Jesus himself, that as our mother, Mary is a sound recourse when we are in need.

Mary, an obstacle? 

No, Mary is a gift, from Jesus. 

Pray for peace, joy, and an end to war.

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy 

 

You are Invited!

I hope you will join me on Tuesday, October 20th as I offer a presentation as part of a six-week series exploring prayer at Church of the Holy Family in Grand Blanc. (My sincere apologies for not getting this out in a timely manner, as the series began last week!)

"Each week you will hear a different presenter and explore different styles and traditions of Catholic prayer through weekly talks and personal testimonies. Each session will offer practical inspiration to help you deepen your prayer life, grow in regularity, and draw closer to Christ." 

I am attaching the flyer with details. You may register at hfgb.org for any or all of the presentations, or just walk-in if you are unable to pre-register.

All are welcome! Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Pray for peace, joy, and an end to war.

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy 

 

 

 

Holding on to confidence in God

 

Okay, let's review . . .

The president has promised to give each of us $5,000 if we vote Republican. 

He gave the Chinese president royal treatment, even though we know China is helping Iran, against us, in the war.

He has placed heavy tariffs on countries around the world, even though they are hurting American businessmen and consumers.

He is allowing innocent people to be swooped up, detained, and (sometimes killed) by ICE (the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.)

He has threatened to annihilate an entire people (Iran).  

He is insulting, and isolating us from our global allies.

He is focused on destroying property (The East Wing) you and I own, and is threatening to tear down an important building (The Kennedy Center) if his name is not put on it.

He has elevated people without any relevant experience to positions of influence in our government, and fired experienced people who could offer differing opinions.

He has banned our free press from their First Amendment right to report the truth when it reflects negatively on him.

He has bullied our congressmen and women into submission, causing them to rubber-stamp whatever he wants. 

He's promising peace in the Middle East after our mid-term elections. 

Anticipating the chaos that the November mid-term election results will bring if they do not favor the current administration, I find myself very frustrated.

And yet . . .

Still, I hold on, praying for people to make good and reasonable decisions. But, I also realize that we must be responsible citizens and hold our leaders accountable. We simply must elect moral, intelligent, experienced leaders.

We must speak out against corruption.

We must use our voices to make a difference.

We must vote. 

As children of God, we can be confident that even in the worst of times, in the midst of the mess we have created, our Father remains with us.

We must never lose hope, as God is always victorious over evil. 

Pray for peace, joy, and an end to war.

Janet Cassidy
Email me at:  jmctm2@gmail.com

janetcassidy.com
https://www.facebook.com/reflectionsinfaith/
https://www.youtube.com/@janetcassidy