I was tuned in to a Christian radio station as I was driving to mass yesterday morning. The protestant preacher on the program was talking about idol and icon worship as it exists in the world and in religion. My ears perked up because I was planning on going to St. Elizabeth Seton to see the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima in the evening.
I agreed with the preacher's basic message, which was that we don't need icons when we have given our lives over to Jesus, and the Holy Spirit resides in our hearts. However, the preacher went on to say that people who "pray to" religious icons were in effect in the same league with those who worship rock stars and movie idols! Does anyone out there think he wasn't talking about Catholics?
Think about the millions of Europeans and Latin American Catholics who have a sincere devotion to Our Lady, Mary the Mother of Jesus. Do you honestly believe that they are breaking the second commandment as the preacher specifically suggested? All of them?
I doubt it with all my heart. Even so, as always, let God be the judge.
Catholics don't "pray to" Mary, we ask for her intercession with Jesus. There are volumes of scholarly works available to anyone who wants to research the relevant theology. I encourage you to click on the Fatima link, or any of the other links on the right of the page, to get started. We owe it to the millions of devotees to know our stuff before we criticize.
I visited "the statue" for about two hours last night. I spent most of those two hours in prayer.
I saw hundreds of devotees approach the statue of Our Lady of Fatima, reverently kneeling, asking for her intercession. No trick of the devil here, just good old time religion and a big dose spiritual healing through God.
Your comments are encouraged.
--Jim Crockett
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2 comments:
I am confused. Is Christ not sufficient to act as intersession for us. Is Christ unreachable, does he not understand our prayers? Does he not care? Why do we need another to intercede for us?
Precisely, I don't understand Mary's (or any other profit's) role in the Holy Trinity. It's to my understanding that God created us, Jesus broke the power of the original sin, and the spirit guides us. They are ever-present, consistantly loving/understanding and supportive.
The key here is that it's diverting your focus from the trinity. Frankly I don't think Mary has that kind of power, just like every hero/heroinine in the bible.. she is just like you or me.
It's too easy to get caught up in religion and forget the spiritual..
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