Yesterday's encounter with the ministers was still on my mind. So I asked my RCIA candidates and catechumenate, what they thought of the ministers' refusal to engage in conversation with me.
Geeesh! If I had said, "Look at the facial expressions of 'Little Bo Peep,' in these paintings. What do you think?" Would the ministers have reacted differently?
They can't even look at Mary?
Come on!
Sigh......
Well, the RCIA candidates who were Protestants, and the one Buddhist, said that "Mary" was the issue. If I had said the woman was Little Bo Peep, the ministers would have responded differently. Mary is the problem.
Sad, very sad.
One of the candidates is a former Protestant who has some sort of mystical relationship with Mary. In fact, he said that Mary told him to go to the Catholic Church. He seems normal; he's your average guy; until you bring up the subject of Mary. He wears a rosary around his neck and also, another rosary is wrapped around his wrist and somehow his middle finger back down to his wrist. He constantly prays the rosary--all day.
Yet, he seems like the average guy. He told me that the ministers won't even entertain thoughts of Mary. They dismiss even thinking about her, like a Christian should dismiss evil thoughts.
I said to him, "You do know that Catholics don't worship Mary?"
Everyone answered in agreement, except for him. He insisted that Mary was right up there with the Trinity because there would be no Son if it weren't for her.
While that's true, there's only one God and that's who Catholics worship. Mary is reverenced, greatly, but not worshiped! I couldn't get him to agree to that. I kind of think he wants to be Catholic because he loves Mary so much, he wants to worship her. As a Protestant he was taught that Catholics worship Mary, and that's the reason he wants to join the Catholic Church. Lord help me explain to him that it's only You Who is God.
Finally, I told him to pray about it. He must continue reading and praying for understanding and wisdom. Me too! I need to find a way to tell this man that Mary is not equal to God. Catholics do not worship Mary.
Geeesh! If I had said, "Look at the facial expressions of 'Little Bo Peep,' in these paintings. What do you think?" Would the ministers have reacted differently?
They can't even look at Mary?
Come on!
Sigh......
Well, the RCIA candidates who were Protestants, and the one Buddhist, said that "Mary" was the issue. If I had said the woman was Little Bo Peep, the ministers would have responded differently. Mary is the problem.
Sad, very sad.
One of the candidates is a former Protestant who has some sort of mystical relationship with Mary. In fact, he said that Mary told him to go to the Catholic Church. He seems normal; he's your average guy; until you bring up the subject of Mary. He wears a rosary around his neck and also, another rosary is wrapped around his wrist and somehow his middle finger back down to his wrist. He constantly prays the rosary--all day.
Yet, he seems like the average guy. He told me that the ministers won't even entertain thoughts of Mary. They dismiss even thinking about her, like a Christian should dismiss evil thoughts.
I said to him, "You do know that Catholics don't worship Mary?"
Everyone answered in agreement, except for him. He insisted that Mary was right up there with the Trinity because there would be no Son if it weren't for her.
While that's true, there's only one God and that's who Catholics worship. Mary is reverenced, greatly, but not worshiped! I couldn't get him to agree to that. I kind of think he wants to be Catholic because he loves Mary so much, he wants to worship her. As a Protestant he was taught that Catholics worship Mary, and that's the reason he wants to join the Catholic Church. Lord help me explain to him that it's only You Who is God.
Finally, I told him to pray about it. He must continue reading and praying for understanding and wisdom. Me too! I need to find a way to tell this man that Mary is not equal to God. Catholics do not worship Mary.
