We get used to living in a society that claims to be able to do without God, in which parents do not teach their children how to pray or how to make the sign of the Cross. This inurement to forms of behaviour that are not Christian, that are the easy way, anaesthetise the heart!” He asked the faithful present, “Do your children know how to make the sign of the Cross? Do they know how to pray the Our Father or the Hail Mary?”.The Marian devotion is sad but unsurprising. Still, the blatant emphasis on something so purely external as making the sign of the cross should really be shocking to people who think that the focus of Roman Catholicism is the same as that of Christianity.
And again, on the same day, Francis is reported as saying that people should:
... invoke with particular trust the protection and help of the Virgin Mary, so that she, the first believer in Christ, might accompany us in days of intense and penitential prayer, to allow us to celebrate, purified and renewed in spirit, the great Paschal mystery of her SonMary was not the first believer in Jesus Christ. Recall that Jesus himself said:
John 8:56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.Likewise, in recounting the martyrs, Jesus said:
Luke 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.Similarly, Hebrews recounts the examples of faith in the Old Testament up to Sara and says:
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.But the errors don't stop there. There is no reason to supposed that Mary can provide protection or help. There is no reason to suppose that Mary can accompany us. Furthermore, Mary's permission or help is not needed for us to celebrate the paschal mystery.
-TurretinFan
1 comment:
Peace, i hope all christians reflect on this Quranic verse as it goes perfectly with what this good man is saying:
(7) And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): "O 'Îsa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Did you say unto men: 'Worship me and my Mother as two gods besides Allah?' " He will say: "Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner-self though I do not know what is in Yours; truly, You, only You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden (and unseen).
( سورة المائدة , Al-Maeda, Chapter #5, Verse #116)
Notice how the Quran mentions that Christians worship Jesus and Mary instead of God despite the fact that neither Jesus peace be upon nor his mother peace be upon her would condone such things.
Next verse is also related to your post:
(4) Surely, in disbelief are they who say that Allah is the Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary) . Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): "Who then has the least power against Allah, if He were to destroy the Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), his Mother, and all those who are on the earth together?" And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them. He creates what He wills. And Allah is Able to do all things.
( سورة المائدة , Al-Maeda, Chapter #5, Verse #17)
Prophet Jesus and Mary are unable to go against the will of God, you can only be protected by following their message of pure monotheism. Prophet Jesus is reported to have said in John 4:34: New International Version
"My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."
And Psalms 40:8: "I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart."
And Hebrews 10:7: "Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, my God."
May God guide us to that which He loves and approves of.
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