Sunday, May 17, 2015

Mary intercedes ..

I was chatting to a Protestant minister the other day. I told her I was praying to the Blessed Virgin for her intercession in a particular matter. She smilingly told me she goes direct to God.
I replied 'Oh no, you don't!'
She was startled.
'Didn't you ask me the other day to pray for you; and weren't you praying for those sick people who filled in the 'request for prayers' cards in the chaplain's room? Why do you intercede for others and yet deny this privilege to Mary and the saints? And why ask me to pray for you, why not go direct to God?'
'Don't tell me you go direct to God - because you don't'.

11 comments:

  1. That's the BEST response I've heard to that statement. Hope I can remember it for any future comments from some non-Catholic friend. Thanks.

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  2. Soooooooooooo good!
    Hehe:)
    Great response, I was just thinking the same Micki, hoping I remember that for next time.
    So tell us Father Rambo...what was her response to you saying that??

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  3. Well, Fr Rambo and this chaplain know each other rather well since they have been working together for quite a while, so she took it all in good humour with a tinge of disapproval. I guess Fr Rambo came on so strong (it's not the first time one of the Protestant chaplains have said this to him) that she thought it best to just give him a 'look' and say nothing to rebuff him.

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  4. Curious. Your prayer chain, dear woman, is highly illogical.

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  5. I'm confused by this post.

    Don't we have a choice in who we pray for, or who we pray to?

    I tend to go straight to the Heavenly CEO too!

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  6. MFG, the initial comment from the Protestant chaplain was a rebuke to the Catholic habit of praying through Mary or the saints. The comments which followed simply rebuked the rebuke.

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  7. Excellent response Fr. Rambo.

    MFG: think about it more, and see all the rerferences on the OT about intercessory prayer and relics (Elijah's mantle for example).

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  8. I think the point is that she prays direct to God, and also asks YOU to pray direct to God on her behalf.

    The fact she asked for you to pray does not mean she needed an intermediary, but rather a Christian friend.

    Andrew :o)

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  9. Which begs the questions:

    1. Why did she ask her friend to be an intermediary (intercessor) if she did not need an intermediary?

    2. Why denyy this role to the Blessed Virgin Mary? Can she not intercede for us as our friend?

    In other words, if I can ask my friends to pray for me, why can I not ask Mary, the Mother of Jesus, to pray for me?

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  10. She hopes for something from God and instead of going direct to Him, she ASKS YOU (her friend) to pray to God ON HER BEHALF.
    She sounds like a Catholic, Anonymous.

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  11. Anonymous Andrew, I think you've hit the nail on the head! Sometimes we need a Christian friend, as you say, to pray to God for us, or to help us pray to Him even. And our Blessed Mother is a wonderful Christian friend! who has 'the ear' of Christ more than any other friend we might have! How wonderful to be able to ask her to "pray direct to God on our behalf" :) God thinks of everything!

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