Archbishop Sheen Today! -- The glorious assumption

Catholic Online (Renew America web site) ^ | August 10, 2004 | Barbara Kralis

[Convert from ECUSA]

" We sat in class 'alphabetically,' that is, according to our last names. My last name, 'Arthur' consigned me to the first row of old wooden desks that ran parallel to the hot water radiators along the windowed wall.

The Blessed Mother stood approximately 5 feet from my face. She was a statue, of course, and she regally stood on top of the metal radiator cover. As 'Queen of Heaven and Earth,' a gold crown lay on her lovely head.

For the next nine months, I looked at her, and she looked at me. That is when I first fell in love. The Blessed Mother captured my heart."

[Convert from ECUSA]

The assumption of our Mother! Whatever differences people in this forum have with each other - I hope everyone can agree that Mary is a wonderful gift and treasure given to us from Jesus. She is His last will and testament - so to speak - to us before He finished His sacrifice on the Cross for all of us. She is the greatest created gift Jesus could give to us poor sinners. And for me personally, she is my mother that He gave to me. She captured my heart and became a delight to me two and a half years before I crossed the Tiber.

[Maeve]

We find unity in Adoration of Our Blessed Lord and in consecration to His Blessed Mother. Those who deny Her, deny Him. Those who deny His Real and True Presence, deny Her as well. But we who struggle in the confusions flung from the claws of satan and the mean lusts of men can find solace, stability, and hope under Her mantle.

The vision of St. John Bosco is true. The Most Blessed Sacrament and Our Most Blessed Mother are the two pillars which, when we are anchored to them, keep us safe from the demon and his minions.

[GirlShortstop]

One of best questions about the misunderstanding of the Catholic love for our Blessed Mother was posed by Archbishop Sheen:  What would you think of one who professed to be a true friend of yours and yet who never spoke to your mother?  That is what our Lord thinks of those who have no veneration to His Virgin Mother.

My mother had a chronic hip problem in her older years, and on the Feast of Assumption, she waded into the surf (it was an abnormally cold Atlantic Ocean on that day, and an overall lousy "beach day"), and said a prayer to our Lady for her intercession.  From that day forward, she never experienced the hip pain again.

The goodness of our Lord... the gifts we really and truly have received in, and through our Blessed Mother!  Pax et bonum.

[Maeve]

Thank you for that excellent post.

[Convert from ECUSA]

Two of the things that stunned me when I first started studying Mary in late 2000/early 2001 were:

1. The long history of great love and devotion to Mary from the start of the Church. All the great Fathers, Doctors and Saints whose writings thrilled this-then-at-the-time Anglican consistently spoke of Mary in terms of greatest love and affection. That carried a lot of weight with me.

2. That in the past 40 years there seems to have been in many parts of the Church, a discarding of Mary as though people were ashamed of her, treating her like she was an unwanted relative at a family reunion. That horrified me! How in the heck could "catholics" toss her aside?! Didn't they ever read Liguori's "The Glories of Mary!?" (one of my all time favorites that I'm currently rereading again)

This-at-the-time-still-Anglican reacted to number 1 with delight and it spurred me on to further study. My reaction to number 2 was to tell Mary and Jesus, "if those so-called 'catholics' don't want her, you tell her she is welcome to come by my house any time she likes, if she won't be ashamed to be in the house of a semi-Catholic-Anglican. I'll be delighted to be a son of hers, and I hope she isn't ashamed to have a son like me." I meant it then, and I mean it even more now as a new Catholic.

My earthly mother was (sadly) a piece of work, and Jesus personally gave His mother to me to be my mother and fill a hole in my life. She is my momma (and I mean that term with the greatest love, affection, and respect); how could I not love her?

When I was asked last spring before my reception to choose a patron saint, for me, there was nobody else but Mary and Joseph. For me it was a no-brainer. Mary and Joseph go together, you can't have one without the other. You should have seen the twinkle in the eye and the smile on my pastor's face when he saw the card where I'd written my choice (he knew in RCIA the story of how I came to love her so much when I was still Anglican)!

Oh, get me started - I can go on when I talk about Mary.

[Maeve]

Even as an Anglican you had a love of Mary sort of hidden but present within that tradition through great lights like Thomas Ken, Jeremy Taylor, Lancelot Andrewes, Pusey, Keble, John Mason Neale. The witness is in the host of Anglican Nativity, Annunciation, and Marian hymns. Even that great Anglican hymn "Ye watchers and ye holy ones" with its stunning verse to Mary "O higher than the Cherubim, more glorious than the Seraphim, lead their praises, Alleluia."

It is a stretch for this Irish Catholic at times, but I know that when England was Our Lady's Dowry, She loved England then and never stopped loving the English people or their decedents even after the Reformation. Her gentle hand guided generations who have found their way back into the Catholic Church, and you are one of those souls cherished by her and guided to safety. Perhaps because of her love for Walsingham, but clearly because of her love for you.

[Maeve]

My earthly mother was (sadly) a piece of work, and Jesus personally gave His mother to me to be my mother and fill a hole in my life. She is my momma (and I mean that term with the greatest love, affection, and respect); how could I not love her?

There is another thing I must say. Your post and your witness to your love of your Mother Mary, our Mother Mary, makes me weep tears of profound joy and love. Thank you for telling your story. It renews my heart.

[Stubborn]

Beautifull reply!
aahhhhh, The Glories of Mary, I have not read that book in some 15 years but it left an everlasting impression on me.
Can you imagine St. Alphonsus' reward?

Please, consider this as "getting you started" if you wish.

[Pyro7480]

Thank you Convert for telling us how Mary assisted your conversion experience. Speaking of Walsingham, I am making a pilgrimage there in the Sept. 6-8 time frame. I will be in England from Sept. 3-10. Sept. 8th is Our Lady's birthday, so I want to be there for that. I probably will leave that area later that day. I can't wait to get there. Besides Walsingham, I plan to go to Brompton Oratory in London on Sunday the 5th for the Traditional Latin Mass, and go to Tyburn (also in London) to see where so many martyrs met their fate.

[Convert from ECUSA]

I'm sure that when it was time for St. Alphonsus to pass from this earth, Mary came herself, escorted by Gabriel and Michael, to personally take that wonderful saint's soul into the presence of Jesus, where I'm even more certain he heard his Master say "Alphonsus, well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master."

I have believed strongly for some time that anyone who is devoted to Mary and loves her will be welcomed into Heaven by Jesus with open arms. None of her children are ever lost.

[Maeve]

When you are in Walsingham, ask at the Slipper Chapel (the English National Catholic Shrine of Our Lady of Wlasingham) about the Carmelites who are there nearby.

In Walsingham there are also an Eastern Orthodox Shrine to Our Lady of Walsingham and the Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham. It is the only Marian apparition site in the world where these three come together to honor the Mother of God and her Divine Son, to honor the Annunciation, to honor the Holy Family of the Holy House. Awesome.

[Pyro7480]

Should I visit the Carmelites?

[Maeve]

If you can, they are a powerhouse of prayer. They prayed for a seemingly impossible intention of mine that came to pass fourfold (my children!). Of course, nothing is impossible with God. But we who believe in the Lord need Him to help our unbelief. And when we need the prayers of others, there are the Carmelites - the Praying Heart of the Church.

[Pyro7480]

The Carmelites in Walsingham prayed for you, or several different Carmels?

[Maeve]

The ones near Walsingham. My husband was stationed in England and we went to Walsingham to beg Our Lady's help. The Carmelites are a just a tiny bit from Little Walsingham (in Langham I think), but they can tell you at the Slipper Chapel how to find them.

[NeoCaveman]

Your writing about our Blessed Mother is very beautiful. Thanks.

[Convert from ECUSA]

Thanks! I have personal reasons for having a special affection for her. She is my momma, given to me by Jesus when He was on the Cross.

At least this posting did not bring out all the Mary-hating, Catholic-hating fundies like the one I posted earlier today (the article on the assumption taken from Christ or Chaos). Shoot on that one, the carpetbaggers have come out faster than Jackson going after Pope at Second Manassas! At least for once it isn't Catholics going after each other with hammer and tongs on a thread. Maybe I did a good deed after all in posting it.

At any rate, thanks for your kind words, and as is sometimes said in the really deep South - God bless y'all real good.

[Salvation]

BTTT of the Feast of the Assumption, 08-15-04!

[Convert from ECUSA]

Thanks. Yesterday was a wonderful day of remembering that she has gone before us not only to model perfect discipleship, but to show us what awaits us when we come Home.

[Salvation]

BTTT, Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, 2005!