tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589378.post112359380516154024..comments2023-10-21T05:40:55.660-04:00Comments on man with black hat: David L Alexanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13871706129906941567noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589378.post-1152818955424610412006-07-13T15:29:00.000-04:002006-07-13T15:29:00.000-04:00hi david!discovered your blog through Catholic Lig...hi david!<BR/>discovered your blog through Catholic Light and posted a comment on Lady of All Nations a few minutes back. i like your blog articles and have saved your blogspot in my "favorites" option. God bless, and ... write on!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589378.post-1152818742597131382006-07-13T15:25:00.000-04:002006-07-13T15:25:00.000-04:00i fully agree with the Vatican's stand on the "Our...i fully agree with the Vatican's stand on the "Our Lady of All Nations" as stated in the May 2005 letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. what i understand from it is that a devotion that promotes a faulty Mariology (reflected in its questionable prayer which says Our Blessed Mother "was once Mary") should be discouraged from being spread. this "who once was Mary" phrase smacks of reincarnation and therefore has no place in the Catholic Church. but the problem is, even some of the Philippine bishops to whom the Vatican letter is addressed think it is only the phrase that is objectionable, not the whole prayer nor the devotion itself. thus they continue to support the devotion and even celebrate Mass in honor of "Our Lady of all Nations" apparently unable to realize what confusion this is causing among the faithful. May the Vatican issue a clearer statement on the matter? Should the devotion be discouraged, or is it all right to propagate it as long as that phrase is removed from the prayer? as a serious Catholic i believe that the reported messages of the "Lady of All Nations" be deeply studied, because that "who once was Mary" phrase would not have come from thin air, nor is it a mere phrase. it must be the "fruit" of a whole system of beliefs that may be contradicting what the Church already teaches about Mary. as far as i know, bishops may support and spread only those Marian devotions that have been authenticated by the Church, not these (hundreds of) new ones being popularized by "visionaries". what is wrong with sticking to OUr Lady of Fatima? or Lourdes? Guadalupe? do we just want variety? novelty? are we bored with the "old" persona of Mary that we must entertain "new" Marys--as though Mary were just a rock star like Madonna or Britney Spears who must be reinvented in order to keep her top billboard rating? personally, i believe that instead of spreading more devotions of questionable origin like this one, our priests (and bishops especially)should just encourage the faithful to imitate Mary's virtues. we must grow up and mature in the faith. fine, we have to learn to ask the Blessed Mother for favors but should we get stuck there? what about devoting time to pray with her? enduring suffering with her? being humble and faithful in all situations we find ourselves in in life? being docile and obedient to God's will in spite of the world's allurements? Paging priests and bishops on whose enlightened guidance we lay people rely! thank you, and God bless us all! Mother Mary, we love you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589378.post-1123624421703768002005-08-09T17:53:00.000-04:002005-08-09T17:53:00.000-04:00Recently, I recall seeing a story in the news abou...Recently, I recall seeing a story in the news about some guy in NJ(?) who claims a statue of Jesus, apparently sculpted with closed eyes, popped one open and now peers out at passers-by. Crowds of "the faithful" gather to pray, meditate or simply wait until the other one opens so they'll be able to say they witnessed a miracle.<BR/><BR/>Yawn. Why does God, creator of the universe and everything in it, decide to makes his presence known in a stinking plaster statue, piece of pizza or under some obscure bridge in some nameless city? Hope I don't sound too naive, but if God's reading this post, how about sending a bolt of lightening that strikes an upper abuttment in Yankee Stadium while they're playing the Boston Red Sox, scorching something like "Peace, you idiots" or something to that effect? <BR/>Cheez.Mr. Nixterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02110764325012794952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3589378.post-1123599742316105302005-08-09T11:02:00.000-04:002005-08-09T11:02:00.000-04:00Yes, there is. This one's local, and they have a r...Yes, there is. This one's local, and they have a reputation for suing anybody that says anything bad about them.David L Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13871706129906941567noreply@blogger.com