Visitor Response

Your article was a good attempt to clarify a very thorny issue.  However, I think you came up short.  For so many reasons, historical, ecclesial, lack of sound teaching, etc., Mary is a problem.  It isn't all straight in my mind either.  On occasion I ask Mary to present a need to the Lord.  But I feel guilty when I do.  No matter how much I have read, Mary's intercession does take away from Christ.  I know there  was a time in my life and currently in the life of people I know, where there is more confidence, more trust, more hope in Mary's prayer than In Christ.   Mary was "merciful" and Jesus was "hard to please, thank you very much."

That kind of theological baggage is almost impossible to get rid of barring a miracle of grace.  So we have the WORD that says Jesus is our Merciful High Priest, and we have a devotional heritage that often works against that premise.  So in my own life, for my own sanity and, hopefully, spiritual growth, I had to reluctantly leave Mary alone, except on rare occasions.  I did this because, to have recourse to Mary did something way down deep inside that made me have LESS confidence and trust in Jesus.  I felt that whatever it took, I had to have Jesus central and, if it meant lessening my dependence on Mary, then that was the right thing to do.

We have people in our parish that are, for want of a better terms, "Mary
centered."  I think it is a terrible scandal.  If you back them up against a wall, they will say Jesus is first, but everything they say, and promote is "Mary."  We don't need anti-catholics to say anything, often we're our own bad press!

For many years I "tried" to live the DeMontfort consecration, but something (Someone) kept me from giving my heart to it.  It always felt like idolatry to me....though I trusted people who seemed to have a deep spiritual life that they were leading me correctly.  I wish that, in my formative years, they had spoken to me more of Jesus and His love and mercy and His intercession for me at the Right hand of the Father, more than they spoke to me of Mary.

Mary is truly Theotokos.  She is Ever Virgin.  She is Immaculately conceived.  All singular graces of God, not through any merit of her Own.  She prays for us as do all the saints.  She is the Mother of God.  BUT.....my hope and confidence is in Jesus who gave His life for me and sent His Holy Spirit to indwell me.  Mary is a member of the Church, albiet the closest disciple of the Lord, but again, our confidnece should not be in her "intercessory power" but in the kindness, love and mercy of the Lord.

Thank you for letting me express myself.

    After carefully reading your response to the commentary, I think that many of your points were in full agreement with the essay.  As emphasized in the commentary, Jesus is the Mediator between God and man and He should be the central focus in the life of a Christian.  Our ministry to one another IS a way of co-mediation with Jesus as we cooperate with Him in the work of redemption.  This does not take anything away from emphasis on Christ’s Divine Mercy.  In James 5:16, we are told, “... confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful”.  This passage tells us that intercessory prayer should be an integral part of the life of the Church (as is recognized during the celebration of the Liturgy).  The Church’s members on earth and in heaven being united in spirit and truth continue this role of intercession for each other (i.e., the Church militant, the Church suffering, the Church Triumphant), with Christ being the head and central focus of our lives (Heb. 12:1-3).  This in no way means that Jesus has to be calmed down by the saints in order for anyone to be saved, rather it recognizes Christ’s power being active in the lives of the members of His Body, the Church.

     As far as giving honor to Mary, it would be totally improper and indeed sinful to worship the Mother of God.  By honoring Mary with a correct understanding, one honors Christ because she is uniquely united with Him and is not independent of Him.  As you stated in your response, Mary has “...singular graces of God, not through any merit of her own”, they come from God alone.  In the same way that a book is the work of its author, Mary is the handmaid of the Lord, His handmaid, His perfect creature.  Any honor given to a good book is really recognition of the creativity of the author.   In the same way, all honor given to Mary is really a recognition of God’s grace in her life which in turn, strengthens  and affirms our relationship with Jesus our Brother.  Our confidence and assurance in Mary must reflect a complete confidence and assurance in Christ.

     It is true that many devout Catholics speak about Mary until they are blue in the face (no pun intended), but one must consider the nature of honor and worship.  Worship and honor does not just come from the lips, they are from the heart.  Many of the people who I know who are Mary “promoters”, might not speak about Jesus as much as I do or the men of this monastery do.  But I think that they “promote” and give witness to Jesus’ saving power in other ways.  Many of them spend a hours adoring Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, they perform corporal and spiritual works of mercy in honor of Christ (not Mary).  They frequently and reverently receive the sacraments, and they contribute (not just monetarily) generously to their parishes.  They might not have my particular spirituality, but I embrace them because they give due honor to the Lord in a way that is genuinely Christian.

     Seeking the intercession of the saints can be a very important help in our lives, but it is not an absolute requirement.  We must keep in mind (as must all Christians) that Jesus is our only Savior and that it was He who animated the life of Mary and filled her with grace.  For you and other Christians who are trying to understand the role of Mary and all the saints in our lives, it must be remembered that Catholic spirituality can take different forms and can vary or develop during our lives.  DeMontefort spirituality is not for everyone.  There are other ways of expressing Catholic spirituality which express the truths of our faith (sometimes people, especially those who are involved with the formation of others can forget this).  It is up to us (with God’s help) to find which way best suits us as individuals.  Keeping this in mind, I suggest that you read, slowly and prayerfully the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council, Chapter VIII, entitled “Our Lady”.