In one of my earlier mails I had explained how our Lord at Calvary gives us His mother to every individual He loves, telling 'Behold your mother'(See John 19:25 to 27). He gives her to us not as 'the mother of the church' and does not say 'take my mother', but gives her as 'a mother to every single disciple He loves' as the disciple's own mother. Mother Mary is a gift presented to everyone the Lord loves. This shows that He gives her to us out of His love for us (when saying 'to the disciple He loves). When He gives her to us we are in no way worthy to say 'no I do not want your gift', are we?? We accept her as our mother and pray (prayer also means 'talk' or 'communicate')to her. Do we refrain from talking to our own father and mother? Mother Mary is also in no way different from our mother who gave birth to us. In one was she gave birth to our only way to salvation i.e. to Christ Jesus. Like we do not refrain from talking to our parents here on earth we talk to Mother Mary as well. She loves us, and we must love her; that is what a mother/child relationship is all about; love. The Lord did not give her to us just to honour her as a mother. The bible says that when Jesus gave His mother to the disciple He loved 'the disciple took her to his house from that hour'. Mother Mary should thus be in our hearts and homes. The love mother Mary has for her children has never known to fail.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us sinners, Now and at the hour of our death. Amen Regards in Christ, Samji / Dubai >From: Ravi Vaz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >CC: sheril daniel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [JOYnet] my comments on the hail mary of a protestant >Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 22:36:28 -0700 (PDT) > > Hi Joynetters, > >This in response to the mail my dear friend sheril has put across.. >I have to agree with her in some points ...but there are some disagreements >too.. >firstly salvation is gods free gift..his to give to whomever he chooses.. >this salvation is thru jesus alone. >And as sheril pointed out ,mary is our guide on the way to jesus. remember >Don Bosco's statement " To Jesus Through Mary". >Mary has been and still is the best christian evangelist around..just see >the number of peopel who have been led to christ thruogh her.. >As the protestant movement progessed down the years they became down-right >anti catholic just to show that they are different.. >They criticized anything and everything that they found being practised in >the catholic church. >Hence their first target was Devotion to Mary...but this is not the only >thing.. they target the eucahrist, the real presence of jesus in the >eucharist and other such more critical truths. >Since devotion to Mary is a very popular means of practised christianity >among catholics..their targeting of this devotion is maximum and their >criticism tends to be extreme.. >thus the reactions of the catholics to the protestants are also extreme and >lead to publications of stories like these. >i have read of autobiographies of protestants who have come to understand >catholic faith by reading of the scriptures and by their devotion to Mary. >But this story i personally feel is a make believe story.. i dont feel >something like this has happened to this so called fr. tuckwell.. thsi >story sounds too textbookish to be true.. >I dont need to read such stories to believe in the motherly love of mary >for each one of us.. >Cause i know and experience it first hand in my life and so do so many of >our fellow joynetters.. >But for those of us who do not know her due to our upbringing..i do not >condemn or judge .. >i cannot and shouldnot.. >Marthomites are seperated brethren(sorry to use that word but that is >official lingo..) who are not classified as protestants but are part of the >Orthodox churches owing allegiance to the patriach instead of the pope.. >This is teh only major difference between them and the catholic church...So >in terms of belief they are as catholic as any roman catholic. >Even they are targets for attack by protestants and the neo-fundamentalist >christians who have sprung up nowadays.. > I would therfore suggest to sheril and to my other friends who were >offended that they not look at the story but at the arguments posed in the >story.. they are biblical and point to the special role mary plays in our >lives.. >It is upto us to accept her help or not.. >when we close our eyes , we are in darkness but that doesnt mean the day >has turned to night ... >the day still remains day...for others.. >same way ..mary is the mother of christ who is God and on the cross he gave >her to be mother of all his beloved disciples.. >it was when john accepted her and took her to his home that he felt her >presence and personal love as a mother.. >when we accept her as per jesus's command as our mother..we will feel the >personal love she has for us.. > >Love and Prayers > >Ravi >Mumbai > > sheril daniel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: dear friends, >i am very hurt by this story. >i have read it on joynet before. for obvious reasons i find this story very >prejudiced. this person is portrayed as a hero, well and good. and yes, it >is a story promoting intercession thru mother mary. well and good. but what >gives this man the right to condemn the faith of the protestant church? is >he a priest? then he should know that salvation is through our lord Jesus >Christ. i am a marthomite. hence i suppose i would be classified under the >"protestant" group of churches. one "separated from the true church of >christ founded on the rock (Peter) and against whom the gates of hell shall >never prevail" as quoted in the story. I AM SORRY, BUT I REFUSE TO BELIEVE >THAT! as marthomites we believe in salvation through Jesus Christ. He died >for each one of us on the cross. He shed His blood for my sins. He was >whipped for my sicknesses. He suffered so that i would be saved. if this is >the basis of a church (besides catholic church) i don't see why that church >would be "separate! >d" from christ. i don't believe that as a marthomite, i am in any way less >entitled ot the kindom of God than a catholic based on whether i pray to >mary or not. >there are differences in some beliefs, yes. like in our church we do not >intercede thru mother mary. but we do revere her as a holy mother. we do >not think of her as an ordinary woman. no. but where in the bible does it >say that if u don't pray to mther mary you will not go to heaven? see, i'm >not saying one church is right or another is wrong. it is not up to me to >condemn any religion either. Jesus said that true religion is looking after >widows and orphans. the religious culture, the laws of the church, the >ceremonies, the way in which ppl pray, these are not the most important >things. what is most important is whetehr you have accepted Jesus as your >personal saviour or not. everything else is there to lead u to him not to >condemn other churches. even praying to mother mary. is she there to take >the importance or is she there to guide children to Jesus? i like to think >it is the latter. maybe it is difficult for some catholics to accept the >fact that as christians, God is! >not looking at what church one comes from, what background one has, or what >way one prays. He is looking at the heart. do you have Jesus in there or >not. i am not saying that protestants are not always biased against >catholics. we are the generation that has to change all of this bitching >and bickering between both churches. as christians we are one. if that is >not the attitude that u have, then that must change first. i am not a >catholic but the reason why i am in joynet is not because i want to be a >catholic. but it is because i am a young christian who wants fellowship >with other such christians. > >in Jesus > >sheril daniel > >grahamstown, south africa > > > > > >The Hail Mary of a Protestant >(A true story) > >A little six-year-old Protestant boy had often heard his Catholic >companions reciting the prayer "Hail Mary." He like 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 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.'" > > > >_________________________________________________________ >Click below to visit monsterindia.com and review jobs in India or >Abroad >http://monsterindia.rediff.com/jobs > >**************************************************************** >This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. >To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To subscribe to this mailing list, visit >http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet >For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >**************************************************************** >LAUNCH - Your Yahoo! 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