Posted on 09/03/2014 6:36:07 AM PDT by NKP_Vet
A little six-year-old Protestant boy had often heard his Catholic companions reciting the prayer “Hail Mary.” He liked it so much that he copied it, memorized it and would recite it every day. “Look, Mommy, what a beautiful prayer,” he said to his mother one day.
“Never again say it,” answered the mother. “It is a superstitious prayer of Catholics who adore idols and think Mary a goddess. After all, she is a woman like any other. Come on, take this Bible and read it. It contains everything that we are bound to do and have to do.” From that day on the little boy discontinued his daily “Hail Mary” and gave himself more time to reading the Bible instead. One day, while reading the Gospel, he came across the passage about the Annunciation of the Angel to Our Lady. Full of joy, the little boy ran to his mother and said: “Mommy, I have found the ‘Hail Mary’ in the Bible which says: ‘Hail full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women.’ Why do you call it a superstitious prayer?”
On another occasion he found that beautiful Salutation of St. Elizabeth to the Virgin Mary and the wonderful canticle MAGNIFICAT in which Mary foretold that “the generations would call her blessed.” He said no more about it to his mother but started to recite the “Hail Mary” every day as before. He felt pleasure in addressing those charming words to the Mother of Jesus, our Savior.
When he was fourteen, he one day heard a discussion on Our Lady among the members of his family. Every one said that Mary was a common woman like any other woman. The boy, after listening to their erroneous reasoning could not bear it any longer, and full of indignation, he interrupted them, saying:
“Mary is not like any other children of Adam, stained with sin. No! The Angel called her FULL OF GRACE AND BLESSED AMONGST WOMEN. Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ and consequently Mother of God. There is no higher dignity to which a creature can be raised. The Gospel says that the generations will proclaim her blessed and you are trying to despise her and look down on her. Your spirit is not the spirit of the Gospel or of the Bible which you proclaim to be the foundation of the Christian religion.”
So deep was the impression which the boy’s talk had made that his mother many times cried out sorrowfully: “Oh my God! I fear that this son of mine will one day join the Catholic religion, the religion of Popes!” And indeed, not very long afterwards, having made a serious study of both Protestantism and Catholicism, the boy found the latter to be the only true religion and embraced it and became one of its most ardent apostles.
Some time after his conversion, he met his married sister who rebuked him and said indignantly: “You little know how much I love my children. Should any one of them desire to become a Catholic, I would sooner pierce his heart with a dagger than allow him to embrace the religion of the Popes!”
Her anger and temper were as furious as those of St. Paul before his conversion. However, she would change her ways, just as St. Paul did on his way to Damascus. It so happened that one of her sons fell dangerously ill and the doctors gave up hope of recovery. Her brother then approached her and spoke to her affectionately, saying: “My dear sister, you naturally wish to have your child cured. Very well, then, do what I ask you to do. Follow me, let us pray one ‘Hail Mary’ and promise God that, if your son recovers his health, you would seriously study the Catholic doctrine, and should you come to the conclusion that Catholicism is the only true religion, you would embrace it no matter what the sacrifices may be.”
His sister was somewhat reluctant at the beginning, but as she wished for her son’s recovery, she accepted her brother’s proposal and recited the “Hail Mary” together with him. The next day her son was completely cured. The mother fulfilled her promise and she studied the Catholic doctrine. After long preparation she received Baptism together with her whole family, thanking her brother for being an apostle to her.
The story was related during a sermon given by the Rev. Fr. Tuckwell. “Brethren,” he went on and said, “the boy who became a Catholic and converted his sister to Catholicism dedicated his whole life to the service of God. He is the priest who is speaking to you now! What I am I owe to Our Lady. You, too, my dear brethren, be entirely dedicated also to Our Lady and never let a day pass without saying the beautiful prayer, ‘Hail Mary’, and your Rosary. Ask her to enlighten the minds of Protestants who are separated from the true Church of Christ founded on the Rock (Peter) and ‘against whom the gates of hell shall never prevail.’”
What was it you wanted to know exactly?
What was it you wanted to know exactly?
The truth found in scripture as we have it in the original Greek. Not as is found in the errors of Catholicism. I showed you just one example of the deceit with the deceptive version of the verse Catholics claim Mary is "full of grace". Believe the lie if you wish but expect to be exposed by the word of God.
LOL, yeah OK, I’ll take my chances Thanks.
What, you don’t bow to the wisdom of the Holy Church of the Anonymous Internet Poster?
Nope I’m a rebel like that. :)
It happened with Elijah and Enoch, so why can’t it be a possibility with Mary?
But where do we find a stopping place and say this is the Gospel and a starting place where we can say this is tradition?
I read one article of many that was among the dead sea scrolls that is believed to be about a controversy between Paul and mainly James and it did not sound good for Paul.
It did not mention names but described James( the just and Paul ) so that it would be pretty hard to put any one else in it.
Most people including myself are pleased to just leave the Bible alone and except it for what it says because if we are teaching one thing that is not direct from the Bible we can also teach other things that are not in the Bible even if they be just as true.
I do not believe any one would want to hear any thing which might put Paul`s credibility in question, but it seems to be there.
And I can find enough good and not so good that I see no need to go to tradition.
And you certainly are. I find it interesting that you aren't even sratled that the Catholic version of scripture doesn't math the original Greek. Have you ever asked Jesus to be your personal savior?
See post 54. Someone mentioned that Jesus gave to John the responsibility for the care of Mary at the foot of the cross. However, if He had all those brothers that are claimed, then why did Jesus give the responsibility to John, and not one of His brothers, as I understand was the custom of the time? It doesn’t make sense to me. I was hoping to hear what the poster understood.
The response from another poster was that James had died. I didn’t know that and wanted to read about it. If it’s true that James had died, didn’t the responsibility still fall to one of the others remaining?
It’s interesting to me, because I actually dreamed about this last night, and so when someone else brought it up, I thought I should go ahead and ask. Silly me. I should know better than to query on FR.
Ahhh Yes, You are correct. It most definitely IS the proverbial straw man. For some reason I did not re-read all the way from the beginning. I focused pretty much only on the bottom half of the article.
Thank you.
Of course this will cause this thread well into the 800's.
I just saw the post #30. Where is that in the Bible? It's not. :)
But they’re such bible scholars and linguist! And they’ve been doing this for... years. Probably. Christ’s Church is but a pebble to their rock of holy wisdom.
>>Full of grace.<<
not me brother...i use the NASB and the Greek.
LOL, I’ll take my chances. ;)
Scripture doesn’t say Mary was. It says she was “favored”. It does say Stephen was “ full of grace” but not sinless.
Irenaeus
Consequently, then, Mary the Virgin is found to be obedient, saying, “Behold, 0 Lord, your handmaid; be it done to me according to your word.” Eve . . . who was then still a virgin although she had Adam for a husband — for in paradise they were both naked but were not ashamed; for, having been created only a short time, they had no understanding of the procreation of children . . . having become disobedient [sin], was made the cause of death for herself and for the whole human race; so also Mary, betrothed to a man but nevertheless still a virgin, being obedient [no sin], was made the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race. . . . Thus, the knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. What the virgin Eve had bound in unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosed through faith (Against Heresies 3:22:24 [A.D. 189]).
Just to get the discussion off track a little, remember His name “Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father” makes Jesus God and Father. He is the Father and God became man.
God said in Isaiah that He was the servant. Really cool...
Read chapters 41-43 to grasp the context. The sentence before is crucial to understanding. In 42:1 He talks about His servant, “My chosen one in whom My soul delights.”
Continuing through to 43 God is still talking about His servant and says in verse 10:
“You are My witnesses,” declares the LORD,
And My servant whom I have chosen,
In order that you may know and believe Me,
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
And there will be none after Me.”
Repeat...”And understand that I am He.” New American Standard Version.
As for Mary, she was blessed. Blessed to experience living with God for thirty years. The prophecy of Revelation 12 is interesting. As for the wine, Jesus would not disobey His mom.
I pray to the Father and when talking to Him do not actually think about Jesus and the Father being separate. The Holy Spirit is more like what a Biblical woman should exemplify, especially not speaking. Jesus is the only One we are to worship and Mary would be horrified at what is being done today.
No offense taken nor do i see this as an attack.
I would give these two verses as a reason why I post on these blogs. BTW...i would be doing this if a mormon, muslim, etc were posting/asking questions. You being catholic has nothing to do with it. This just happens to be a formum where we're discussing catholicism.
2 Timothy 4:2
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
1 Peter 3:15
but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.