Mary is NOT Catholic

Mary is NOT Catholic.  

She lived as a Jewish woman. What is she now?

Simply put, Mary is everyone's Mother.

But that's a hard one to understand for many or it's toooo "Catholic".

To clear up one confusion. Catholics believe Mary is not God, or a Goddess, she's a heavenly help for us.  Not just any heavenly help, but the Mother of our God help.  She prays (intercedes) for us. Just as I can ask my grandmother in heaven to pray for me, Mary does also.  We believe our loved ones, all the angels and saints still pray for us in heaven if we just ask.

When we talk the context of the family it usually involves a mother, father and child (this is not a post about the changing dynamic of the family). Many Christian denominations talk about God the Father and Jesus the son, and preach on Christians as a faith family.  Where is the Mother?  Oh, she just comes along at Christmas time.  A figurine in a nativity scene.  Some might get excited singing the song "Mary did you know?"  But when else? The beauty of Mary is that she was the ONE who was always there in every step of her Son's life. From his birth, first miracle, ministry, death and resurrection.  She was the perfect disciple.  We can learn so much from her.

The standard Mary statue every good Catholic home should have.

Resale Store Books

One of my favorite things to do is look at movies and books in resale shops.  My husband at one time came across a book called "Peace of Soul" for 10 cents at the Salvation Army.  The author is Servant of God, Fulton J. Sheen.  That's the first book of the Sheen book and DVD library we now have in our home.  We both loved him so much, we named our youngest son, Fulton, after him.

But I can't read most of his books because I'm not smart enough. I'm more of a 'practical' Catholic than a theological one.  I recently went to Goodwill and found a book called "Mother Mary Speaks to Us" by Brad and Sherry Hansen Steiger.  The book was written in 1996 and cost $2.59 (gotta love a bargain)!  Sherry is an ordained minister but doesn't tell which denomination (my point is not Catholic). I think the Blessed Mother chose this book for me to read.

The book reports on the many Marian apparitions (appearances of Mary) reported from people of all different religious and non-religious background.  The authors claim this is the "Age of Mary".  The Catholic Church only recognizes 9 Marian apparitions.  Not because others are not truly of Mary (some can be Satan trying to deceive) but because it's a heavenly phenomenon that is difficult to understand.  From what I know, if the apparition brings you closer to Mary's Son, her purpose has been complete, officially recognized or not.  We named one of our children, Bernadette, because I feel in love with of Our Lady of Lourdes, a Marian apparition.  Saint Bernadette had visions of Mary. Oh, and our oldest is Mary.

Lady Wisdom 

When I think of the Blessed Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) my head hurts.  Who can understand three persons in one God?  I know not all followers of Christ believe this, but Catholics do. I think there was a heresy about this one. As the good Saint Patrick used the shamrock to illustrate three leaves yet one leaf, that's the best way I can wrap my head around it.  After reading the Steiger's book, I had a different view on the Holy Trinity, one of the masculinity and femininity of God.  We have God the Father, the Creator, the Organizer, the 'Structuring principle of the universe'.  Jesus, the Son, the Redeemer, the Savior. Then there's the Holy Spirit.  I always viewed the Holy Spirit as the teacher.  What about the Holy Spirit as wisdom?  Throughout history, wisdom is viewed as a female. In the book of Ecclesiastes, wisdom is called a 'she'.  The Greek Goddess of Wisdom was Athena. The Greek word for wisdom is Sophia. Throughout the Old Testament wisdom is personified as a female, "Lady Wisdom".  So, could the Holy Spirit be a representation of the female of God?  Today's feminists want to call God a 'She'.  God is neither female or male but the representation of both.  What about the Holy Spirit as the feminine aspect of the Trinity?  God, the Father as the male and Jesus, the son as the child.  A family.  The Holy Trinity creates us, saves us, and gives us wisdom. Ok, my head hurts. Enough 'theology'.  Doubt if I would get the Imprimatur seal of approval on this one.

Where does that leave Mary in all this?

She is not in the Holy Trinity but she is carnate wisdom.  She has a special role in heaven and on earth. Just like the Archangel Gabriel, she's a messenger, not the message.  She's a messenger that like a good mother, provides comfort to us.  Catholics have a phrase "To Jesus through Mary". She always points us to her son.

Why has Mary appeared so much in the last century?

The best take away from the book for me was the quote "I am the balance to the male energies".  Think about it.  World War I and II, Vietnam, Korea, Russian Communism, Korean War.  Yes, we have always had wars, but not as much world wide destruction as these.  We need a Mother, a nurturer, soft touch for humanity.  Now there's a social war on the family.  50% divorce rate wreaks havoc on families and the disregard for little lives growing in the womb is not good for mankind.  She told us when she came to the children of Fatima, the last battle will be on the family.

What happens when Mary visits?

Heaven comes to Earth!
She might just have a message of encouragement, warning, prophecy and many times miraculous healings have occurred. Some natural phenomenons have happened like thousands witnessing the 'sun dancing' in Fatima. She asks us to pray (for Catholics especially the Rosary), do penance, do good, sacrifice, love. Once again, she's the messenger, not the message.

Who does she come to?

Mostly those who are open the the spiritual world and common folk. The naive, the innocent, the stupid, the sinners, the psychic, the orthodox, the mystics, the mediums, the new age, non-Christians, atheists, those with open hearts. Why Catholics more than others? Because we honor her, but we are not her only children.

What does she look like?

Mary takes on whatever race she believes you will relate to. Our Lady of Guadalupe looked like an Aztec Goddess, the black Madonna, the white Irish Lady of knock.  She almost always is in white and blue (the color of virginity). Her flower is a rose, some claim to smell roses when she appears.

Fascinating Visions and Messages

I knew the story's of the the visions from Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe, Medjugorje...the big ones. I knew of a woman in southern Indiana that had seen visions and heard of someone in Wisconsin.  All Catholics, but this book encouraged me in what I have been thinking all along, she's for everyone. She comes sometimes just as a presence, no words. Sometimes it's over a course of time, sometimes just once.  I want to share some messages and terms mentioned in the book that spoke to me that are not of the traditional Catholic jargon.

"Call me Woman of All People."

"We are all interconnected. She comes to lead humankind back to the God Light within, Return to love, Love Mother Earth."

Divine Mother energies are called Mary, Christhood, Christ-Conscience, are in each of us.

"The Heavenly Realms are here to assist you, not to find truth for you. You must find it. Your path is between you and God. I do not make such decisions."

"To be all that you as humans were meant to be is the one goal that should always be on your minds, and it is my task to facilitate heart centered thoughts to bring about such changes in humanity."

"Open your heart to receive-and you shall. Ask for me, and I will be with you. Even if you do not see me, you will feel me."

"I am the love of God incarnate and the God in action."

"If you look at the past 200 years of this country of United States you will see the results of the energies of the Divine Mother.  The old thought patterns are disappearing. No longer is it acceptable to believe that one person is better than another because of the color of skin.  More and more people accept the reality that there is a common goal, a common origin, and a common God for all humans."

"Love is what we ask of you."

"If there was true peace on Earth, there would be no need for the establishments. There would be no need for the controls. There would be no need, as was shared by my Son, for the requirement of 10 rules or laws or commandments. Each man would do and say and be what is best for all, for the one commandment that he offered would fulfill within all people the unity to love one another. In that loving is found respect, concern and caring. In that loving is found forgiveness. For in that loving is found the heart of God."

"Your governments, your religions will be found to be standing on ground that is not solid. You will find may things to be brought into light. You will find changes that reflect fear within the hearts of many men.  Let not your hearts be troubled. You know within your being that the Father has a purpose and a path for creation. It is not haphazard. It is not one of chance. Your soul is a part of that purpose. And in this time upon your Earth, your soul is awakening to that which it has known."

Muslims worship Mary under the name Fatima. She appeared in the village of Fatima in 1917 to 3 children. The Mother of All has been called throughout history names such as Isis, Sophia, the Lady, the Mother Diana, Athena and so on.

The native Americans view her as a grandmother creator spirit.

She is the Lady of Light.

I could quote many more passages, but the point I'm trying to make is...

Simply put, Mother Mary's love is for everyone.

This reflection of Mary has spoken to my soul. This book had come to me in a time I needed to increase my devotions to our Blessed Mother.  She is important. In our society we value the woman. We raise her as a creature who has power, control, can be anything and for all.  Our wombs are blessed. We are not men. We are the female part of God, wisdom (not saying that men are not wise).  But why are women so stressed out? We think we can do it all? Have we lost our 'wisdom'?  I believe only can be fully alive when we have the peace in our soul to know why we do it all. We are not for just us or our family, but for the good of humanity.  We can ask for the heavenly help, the Divine Assistance, the Blessed Mother to help us in our earthly pilgrimage.

Women and men, don't get so caught up in this world that you forget all the supernatural around you. Dig deep into yourselves and pull out the God light, Christhood, Grace, beauty in your soul so that this experience on Earth will be a hint of what lies in store for us in heaven.

How do you view Mary?  I know for many Catholic Converts, she's the last teaching that is hard to accept.  It took me awhile to understand and pray the rosary.  My love for Mary is not anywhere close to where it should be. I'm talking to her more intimately now, as I would my own Mom.  I share my concerns for my children, my marriage, our world with her.  I feel peace when we talk.

Do you have the divine light in you?  Make no apologies who you are, but are you really who God wants you to be? or what is safe and acceptable by society?  Is your soul troubled or at ease?

Can you break away from the stigma that Mary is only 'Catholic'?  Can you see her role in humanity? To point us to her son? To seek Lady Wisdom?

I would encourage you to read a few stories on Marian apparations.  This site is incredible.
http://www.divinemysteries.info/

Mother Mary, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.