I have enough residual Presbyterian DNA that I confess I am sometimes uneasy with the more exclusively Catholic aspects of the Christian faith. The Infant of Prague, for instance, makes my flesh crawl. But I have no problem with the Immaculate Conception because it makes sense to me that Mary, born in the “regular way,” should always have been free of sin so that her “Yes” to the angel could be completely free and uncompromised.
The woman who gave us the Magnificat deserves our deepest love and reverence.
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One of the things that I sometimes reminded with those who were in the RCIA process and having difficulty with various dogmatic teachings about Mary is that each time the church has made a declaration about who Mary is it has not been so much to glorify her individuallly as it has been to help us understand more deeply who her Son, Jesus Christ is and who he calls us to be.
“Mary, Did You Know?”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfpK6cNPF7Y
Ron 12.08.09 at 7:41 am
There is a wonderful song and video concerning the “Magnificat” celebrating Mary’s “Yes”.
It is called “Holy Is His Name.” I’m sure many of you know the song.
It talks of Mary’s “Yes,” explains her role as co-redemptorist of all, and of her being the most important of the saints. I love the song, sing and play it and never get tired of it. It can be found, seen and listened to at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aYecuDlDYM
It is song # 705 in the 2009 “Breaking Bread” edition of the daily Missal and songbook.
Mary is a great blessing to all women and to all of us. The Word made Flesh was the result of her “Yes, Lord. Let it be done unto me according to you will.”
She is our most Gracious, loving, peaceful, kind and powerful sovereign Queen of Heaven and Earth. Without her there would be no Jesus Christ.
It is only fitting that all women be honoured equally as men since it was through a women that the Word of God became flesh.
It that sounds like a sermon, it was not my intent.
Have a great day, Father Paul and Company,
Ron
Maura,
Well-said. Thank you for the salutary reminder.
Paul
Ron,
Thanks for pointing me to the song on YouTube. I’m on my way over there now to listen to it.
Paul
When I was younger I was leery of “Mary” Catholics for whom Jesus seemed to be part of the supporting cast. Such thoughts made it difficult for me to honor Mary properly. In my advancing age, I am very changed. I honor Mary for her “Yes” and for all that her “Yes” asked of her and all that her “Yes” brought to us.
By the way, my wife and I once attended an English Mass in the church in Prague that holds the Infant of Prague. The Mass was packed. The statue is on the right side of the church about half way from front to back. After Mass there was a massive semi-circle of people around the statue, reaching across the width of the church to the left side. This scene of devotion moved me deeply. I later read about the Infant of Prague and found nothing objectionable. I would like to believe that the experience of seeing the statue brought all these pilgrims closer to God. We had stopped by this church the late afternoon before, and while at that time my faith was almost non-existent, I found myself kneeling before the statue with my heart reaching to the heavens.
I am not trying to talk you out of your crawling flesh. I am just suggesting that there are people who benefit spiritually from this devotion.
Paul, your comments on the Infant of Prague reminded me of an image of the Blessed Mother that I found startling as a child.
My Polish grandmother kept a triptych of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa on the chest of drawers in her bedroom. I remember looking at it any time I could. I was trying to figure out how this related to my “Lovely Lady Dressed in Blue”. She told me the stories surrounding the image and why she loved it. Prior to this I thought Mary only looked one way. While I didn’t get the same warm fuzzy feeling I felt toward my own picture of Mary, I could see she loved her just the same. It’s all what you’re used to.
By the way, my grandmother prayed the rosary anytime she rode in a car. I can’t imagine her surviving in today’s congestion and traffic. The beads would be worn away! (the rosary praying was usually accompanied by nervous murmuring in Polish as we tooled down the road)
M.
Marg,
My father was an old-fashioned doctor who made house calls. He found a rosary device that he could mount on the steering wheel. It didn’t have beads. It had a rotating piece of plastic with something like gears. He could advance from Hail Mary to Hail Mary with his finger, keeping his hands on the steering wheel. I know he wore that device out.
Eric,
Thank you for telling me about your visit to the original Infant of Prague. It was a salutary reminder that just because “it isn’t my cup of tea” doesn’t mean that it lacks real value for other people. I am sure you are right that the Infant did help bring people closer to God and that is a precious grace which I mock at my own peril.
Paul
Marg,
I loved learning about your Polish grandmother – her faith must have been exemplary for you and many others.
Incidentally, do you know why blue got chosen as the Virgin’s color? I was told, but cannot verify, that in ancient days crushing lapis lazuli was the only — and most expensive — way to make a certain shade of blue. Because of its cost, it was considered worthy to use for the Virgin Mary.
Paul
Eric,
Wouldn’t the world be a better place if all drivers were wearing out their rosaries as they drove?
Paul
Maybe, but I don’t think I could pray the rosary and pay sufficient attention to my driving at the same time!