Posted on 03/14/2010 12:14:46 PM PDT by NYer
Romano Guardini wrote in his book on the Rosary, “To linger in the domain of Mary is a divinely great thing. One does not ask about the utility of truly noble things, because they have their meaning within themselves. So it is of infinite meaning to draw a deep breath of this purity, to be secure in the peace of this union with God.”
Guardini was speaking of spending time with Mary in praying the Rosary, but David Mills, in his latest book, Discovering Mary, helps us linger in the domain of Mary by opening up to us the riches of divine revelation, both from tradition and Scripture. Mills, a convert from the Episcopal Church, former editor of the Christian journal Touchstone and editor of the 1998 book of essays commemorating the centennial of C.S. Lewis’ birth The Pilgrim’s Guide: C. S. Lewis and the Art of Witness, as well as the author of Knowing the Real Jesus (2001), has written a rock-solid introduction to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and done so with intellectual rigor and an affable tone.
His book begins with an introduction in which he describes how he came to discover the riches of the Church’s teachings on Mary: “I began to see how a sacred vessel is made holy by the sacred thing it carries,” he writes. “I began to feel this in a way I had not before. I found myself developing an experiential understanding of Mary and indeed a Marian devotion. Which surprised me. It surprised me a lot.”
Unfortunately, he notes, he did not learn about Mary from contemporary Catholics, nor in homilies, “even on Marian feast days.” It seems he learned on his own by reading magisterial documents and going back to Scriptures in light of those documents.
This book shares the fruit of that study. Mills examines the life of Mary, Mary in the Bible, Mary in Catholic doctrine, Marian feast days and the names of Mary. He includes an appendix full of references to papal documents and books on Mary.
Most of the book is done in a question-and-answer format, which usually works well, although at times it feels awkward. Would someone really ask, for instance, “What is happening in the liturgy on the Marian feast days?”
But most of the questions are natural. “What is the point of Marian devotion?” Mills asks. It is “to live the Catholic life as well as we can,” he answers. “This means going ever more deeply into the mystery of Christ, to become saintlier, more conformed to his image, by following Mary’s example and by turning to her for help and comfort.”
Next question: “Does devotion to Mary detract from our devotion to Christ?”
“Christians since the beginning of serious Marian devotion have been careful to emphasize Mary’s subordination to her son,” Mills replies. “In fact, they have said it so often that the reader begins to expect it. In the fifth century St. Ambrose put it nicely: ‘Mary was the temple of God, not the god of the temple.’”
David Mills, with the same radical clarity he showed in Knowing the Real Jesus, has written what has to be one of the best, if not the very best, short introductions to Catholic teaching on Mary, the Mother of God. Discovering Mary is ideal for those wanting to know more about her, whether they be skeptics, Protestants, or Catholics who don’t know the Mother of the Church well enough.
Franklin Freeman writes from Saco, Maine.
DISCOVERING MARY
Answers to Questions About the Mother of God
By David Mills
Servant Books, 2009
148 pages, $12.99
To order: servantbooks.org
INDEED.
VERY WELL SAID.
When you make some sacrifice, say 'O Jesus, it is for your love, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.'
What does that even MEAN?
Personally, I can take or leave Perpetual Virginity: no doctrines of the faith depend upon it. Yet I could not positively affirm it, because the scriptures make no affirmation. Likewise, the Immaculate Conception is a tough pill to swallow without scripture to back it up.
Mary, the Church insists, is the “Ever-Virgin”: before, during and after the Birth of Jesus.
Before time began God decreed that the Mother of the Son would continue in her virginity. Therefore, Mary’s virginal state was never altered even while giving birth to the Savior. The term “Virgin Birth” signifies Mary’s virginity during the Birth. (Often, “Virgin Birth” is inaccurately used when discussing Jesus’ conception in the womb of Mary by the Holy Spirit.)
What the Baby Jesus left His chaste Mother’s womb, He did so miraculously without opening it or any part of her body. There were no lesions or ruptures. As light goes through a windowpane without shattering it, so the Messiah departed from Our Lady’s body without changing her virginal state.
Paul Johnson, "A History of Christianity".
pg 77 "It was common for the State or private interest groups to push their nominees into key Church posts, irrespective of their status. St Ambrose was baptized, went through the various clerical ranks and was consecrated bishop of Milan all within eight days."
I've no doubt the mission now will be to discredit the author, but his resume looks pretty good.
“Your line of the prayer can be seen as a classic misdirection. The focus SEEMS TO BE quite kosher. However, it accepts the AUTHORITY of one LESSER THAN GOD in a God-like role.”
Not sure I follow you. This prayer was asked to be prayed. Nobody ordered it to be prayed. And more people say this prayer today than have ever heard about Fatima. Seems suitable to pray, especially if you believe we are in the end times.
“O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of Thy mercy. Amen.”
Don’t UFOs/demons flee from the name of Jesus? Why would such a being want folks to pray this prayer?
Freegards
Then, unknowingly, you reject Christ. I shall pray for you FRiend.
Don’t you have a flying saucer to catch?
It also addresses the doctrine of her being bodily assumed into heaven instead of dying.
From the article:
"the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception ...from the first instant of her existence she was in the state of sanctifying grace and was free from the corrupt nature original sin brings"
Also:
The doctrine of the Assumption says that at the end of her life on earth Mary was assumed, body and soul, into heaven, just as Enoch, Elijah,
The perpetual virginity and Joseph being old are blatantly greco-roman paganism. By being a perpetual virgin and Joseph being to old to have marital relations with Mary she gets to be "the spouse of the Holy Spirit" and God can't be accused of committing adultery. These beliefs developed as Christianity became mainstream in a pagan world.
I also have always failed to understand how her “perpetual virginity” was so “holy”. If so, why didn’t she just remain single rather than dishonor her husband and her marriage vows.
Another thing I mulled around in my head during my Catholic school years.
I didn’t know that the elevated state of virginity was pagan. Hmmm.
Great Post ,Dear sister!
“”You recall the story I’m sure, dear brother in Christ. Mary comes to Jesus, and says (in so many words), “Son, the marriage feast has run out of wine. Go fix the problem.” [Evidently Mary was completely aware of the Nature of her son.]””
The late Blessed Fulton Sheen touches on this beautifully as well
At the Resurrection He gave Himself back to her, to show that while she had gained new children, she had not lost Him. At Cana the prophecy that Simeon had made to her in the temple was confirmed: henceforth, whatever involved her Son would involve her, too; whatever happened to Him would happen to her. If He was destined to go to the Cross, so was she; and if He was now beginning His Public Life, then she would begin a new life too, no longer as just the mother of Jesus, but as the mother of all whom Jesus the Savior would redeem. He called Himself “Son of Man,” a title embracing all humanity; she would be henceforth the “Mother of Men.” Just as she was at His side as He began His Hour, so would she be at His side at its climactic finish. When she took Him away from the temple as a boy of twelve, it was because she sensed that His Hour had not yet come; He obeyed her then and returned to Nazareth with her. Now, He told her that His Hour had not yet come, but she bade Him begin it, and He obeyed. At Cana she gave Him as a Savior to sinners; on the Cross He gave her as a refuge to sinners.
When He suggested that His first miracle wold lead unerringly to His Cross and death, and that she would become henceforth a Mother of Sorrows, she turned at once to the wine steward and said:
Do whatever he tells you. John 2:5
What a magnificent valedictory! She never speaks again in Scripture. Seven times she had spoken in the Scriptures, but now that Christ had shown Himself, like the sun in the full brilliance of His Divinity, Our Lady was willingly overshadowed like the moon, as John later on described her.
Life of Christ by Fulton Sheen
I do reject the notion that the Roman Catholic Church is somehow the only legitimate expression of Christ’s Church.
I stand with you.
Well of course Mary is NOT.
But that ain't Mary that appeared to the children of Fatima, I promise you that.
Unless you believe that there are limits to what Satan will do to deceive. You don't believe that do you?
Great point!
I'm convinced a lot of this extra Biblical stuff is the result of pressure to mainstream Christianity in a pagan world. Once it got started it just kept growing.
Christianity is unique. Our faith is the only faith that has a Savior. We don't need to mainstream anything. We just need to preach Christ Crucified.
Dear fellow Catholics. We must pray ever more fervently for these Neo-Christians who reject the fullness of faith found in His One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
She had to remain chaste because now she was "the spouse of the Holy Spirit".
No, it sure doesn’t.
What "no birth thing?"
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