"Do whatever he tells you"
My new motto is "Keep It Simple". I have a lot of others too but that's for another blog post.
Recently I had a thought. Probably a thought planted by the Holy Spirit and I truly love those!
I am a catholic convert. I wasn't raised in any faith and did not attend church much at all, except the occasional Sunday school bus that came by and honked. I'd climb on board and never really know where I was going to end up. The next time the bus came I'd expect it to end up at the same place as before but it rarely if ever did. I really don't know how many times that happened. I do remember it though. But how dependable are our early childhood memories, really? I do remember attending mass with my grandmother and on one or two occasions with my mom (when she took my grandmother). When I got married and had children is when my real faith journey began. The earlier experiences were important, I'm sure.
To keep the story brief, I eventually found my way home to the catholic church. I say home to the church because I really do believe it's where God called me to be in a faith family. I am catholic at heart. Over the years, however, I have wrestled with some very interesting issues pertaining to faith - catholic and non-catholic. Like many converts to Catholicism, I struggled with the perceived "worship" of Mary (among other things but not nearly as much as this one issue). I still find myself struggling, sometimes obsessing over this issue. I have found that it helps to go to the source (the catechism) to find out what the church really teaches and not take it blindly on what others, catholic and non-catholic, say the church teaches. In the midst of the debate between my catholic friends and my non-catholic friends I have been very uncomfortable. I have not discovered a deep devotion to Mary as many (all) of my catholic friends have but I also cringe at the suggestions made by my non-catholic friends (typical protestant perspective). I do not worship Mary as a divine being nor are we suppose to... I do not pray to Mary first as an intercessor on my behalf as is encouraged by the catholic church. I am a bit uncomfortable declaring "patronage" ... I discovered earlier this year that I am strangely uncomfortable being part of any group that chooses to open and close all events with prayers to Mary rather than to God (not prayers of worship but prayers of intercession, I know, I know). But..... I am equally uncomfortable with the suggestions of others, sublime and not so sublime, of all kinds of other crazy, disrespectful ugly things about the woman that God chose to be the mother of His only son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
This brings me to the place where I am - I do not have a deep devotion to Mary that is demonstrated in my thoughts, actions or prayers. I do, however, have a deep respect and admiration for Mary. With the recent Holy Spirit inspired thought, that affection seems to have grown a bit. That thought? Theology aside, it is very simple. What did Mary do? When an angel appeared to her as a very young, unmarried girl in a culture that would condemn her to death for an unwed pregnancy and declared that she would conceive a child without "knowing a man" and without being married through the Holy Spirit - she said, "Yes." She completely surrendered to the will of God without reservation. Later, at a wedding when she knew her son could replenish the wine that had run out she simply told the servants, "Do whatever he tells you to do." She did not secretly go to him and ask him; she did not have him take care of it and take credit for it; she simply pointed to Jesus and said, "Do whatever he tells you to do." It was never "all about Mary" - she treasured all that she knew in her heart. She points us to her son, Jesus, and says, "Do whatever he tells you." What can
be wrong with that?
Recently I had a thought. Probably a thought planted by the Holy Spirit and I truly love those!
I am a catholic convert. I wasn't raised in any faith and did not attend church much at all, except the occasional Sunday school bus that came by and honked. I'd climb on board and never really know where I was going to end up. The next time the bus came I'd expect it to end up at the same place as before but it rarely if ever did. I really don't know how many times that happened. I do remember it though. But how dependable are our early childhood memories, really? I do remember attending mass with my grandmother and on one or two occasions with my mom (when she took my grandmother). When I got married and had children is when my real faith journey began. The earlier experiences were important, I'm sure.
To keep the story brief, I eventually found my way home to the catholic church. I say home to the church because I really do believe it's where God called me to be in a faith family. I am catholic at heart. Over the years, however, I have wrestled with some very interesting issues pertaining to faith - catholic and non-catholic. Like many converts to Catholicism, I struggled with the perceived "worship" of Mary (among other things but not nearly as much as this one issue). I still find myself struggling, sometimes obsessing over this issue. I have found that it helps to go to the source (the catechism) to find out what the church really teaches and not take it blindly on what others, catholic and non-catholic, say the church teaches. In the midst of the debate between my catholic friends and my non-catholic friends I have been very uncomfortable. I have not discovered a deep devotion to Mary as many (all) of my catholic friends have but I also cringe at the suggestions made by my non-catholic friends (typical protestant perspective). I do not worship Mary as a divine being nor are we suppose to... I do not pray to Mary first as an intercessor on my behalf as is encouraged by the catholic church. I am a bit uncomfortable declaring "patronage" ... I discovered earlier this year that I am strangely uncomfortable being part of any group that chooses to open and close all events with prayers to Mary rather than to God (not prayers of worship but prayers of intercession, I know, I know). But..... I am equally uncomfortable with the suggestions of others, sublime and not so sublime, of all kinds of other crazy, disrespectful ugly things about the woman that God chose to be the mother of His only son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.
This brings me to the place where I am - I do not have a deep devotion to Mary that is demonstrated in my thoughts, actions or prayers. I do, however, have a deep respect and admiration for Mary. With the recent Holy Spirit inspired thought, that affection seems to have grown a bit. That thought? Theology aside, it is very simple. What did Mary do? When an angel appeared to her as a very young, unmarried girl in a culture that would condemn her to death for an unwed pregnancy and declared that she would conceive a child without "knowing a man" and without being married through the Holy Spirit - she said, "Yes." She completely surrendered to the will of God without reservation. Later, at a wedding when she knew her son could replenish the wine that had run out she simply told the servants, "Do whatever he tells you to do." She did not secretly go to him and ask him; she did not have him take care of it and take credit for it; she simply pointed to Jesus and said, "Do whatever he tells you to do." It was never "all about Mary" - she treasured all that she knew in her heart. She points us to her son, Jesus, and says, "Do whatever he tells you." What can
be wrong with that?
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