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Mary Our Mother of Jesus Christ My Messiah and Savior: A Christian Catholic Point of View In Pictures and Images
Mary and Jesus
Books About Mary
Catholic Teachings On Mary, Jesus' Mother
What does the Catholic Church teach about Mary the mother of Christ? Mary is recognized as Jesus’ mother and is an important person throughout the Gospels in the New Testament. Before Christ was born, God chose Mary to be the sacred vessel in which Christ would be born from and he sent an angel in a dream to Mary to announce her being chosen for such a wonderful honor. God most likely chose Mary because she was a good person and had a good heart.
Mary was a virgin when she conceived Christ. This in itself is a true miracle. Mary is regarded as Jesus’ first disciple or follower. She was with him his whole life and she was even there as he hung dying on the cross. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been for her to stand there all those hours watching her son die at the hands of His executioners. This is a woman with great compassion.
Mary is regarded as the church's model of faith and charity. She is recognized as the Queen of the church and is believed to hold special presence in the sight of God. Many Christians pray to Mary and ask her to intervene in their life problems, ask her to watch over them, to be a helper, and they pray that through her, God's grace will prevail.
Praying To Mary
Catholics have reserved special prayers for Mary. The main prayer is titled, “Hail Mary”, and goes as follows:
Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Here are some other prayers to Mary:
“Queen of Heaven” is used during the Easter Season:
(V. is what the priest says; R. is the response of the people):
V. Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
R. The Son whom you merited to bear, alleluia.
V. Has risen as he said, alleluia.
R. Pray to God for us, alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
O God, by the Resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, you brought Joy to the world. Grant that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, his Mother, we may attain the joy of eternal life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
“Hail, Holy Queen”
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy! Hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To you we cry, the children of Eve; to you, we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this land of exile. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy towards us; lead us home at last and show us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!
How To Pray The Rosary
- 1. Make the sign of the cross and while holding the crucifix in hand recite the Apostles Creed: I believe in God the father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead he ascended into Heaven sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit the Holy Catholic Church the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
- 2. On the first bead, recite the Our Father: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
- 3. On the three small beads recite the Hail Mary for an increase of faith, hope and charity: Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen
- 4. Recite the Glory be to the Father: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
- 5. Call to mind the first Mystery and reflect upon it; then recite on the large bead, the Our Father.
- 6. On the 10 small beads recite the Hail Mary, keeping in mind the mystery.
- 7. Recite the Glory be to the Father.
Each of the following decades continues as in the first recall the Mystery, then say the Our Father, the 10 Hail Marys and the Glory be to the Father.
A Prayer To Our Blessed Mother
Take my hand, O Blessed Mother Hold me firmly lest I fall. I grow nervous while walking and humbly on thee call.
Guide me over every crossing, watch me when I'm on the stairs. Let me know that you're beside me, listen to my for fervent prayers.
Bring me to my destination safely along the way, bless my every undertaking and my duties for the day.
And when evening creeps upon me, I'll never fear to be alone. Once again, O Blessed Mother take my hand and lead me home.
A Series On Catholicism
- What Do Catholics Believe?
An overview of the Catholic Faith and the Sacraments in the Church. - How Do I Become Catholic?
Some information on joining the Catholic Faith through the R.C.I.A program. - The Vatican At A Glance
A brief look at the Holy City. - The Best Easter I Ever Had
I think that this Easter weekend has been the best Easter that I can ever remember... - What Are Angels: What Catholics Believe
Angels are found throughout the Bible in both the New and Old Testaments. Many of the main subjects in the Bible were visited by angels and given a message directly from God. - What Is The Holy Spirit: Teachings of the Catholic Church
Since God is omnipotent and all-powerful, He is more complex than humans can understand. Catholics recognize three parts of God; God the Father the God-head, Jesus His son, and the Holy Spirit...
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Comments
Amen JSM. Nice for you to have shared in you hub the favorite Mother of many, the Blessed Virgin Mother, the mother of God in Christ. My love for Mama Mary has brought me closer to Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, and she always reminds me of my own loving mother, who is celebrating her 80th birthday soon. In her kindness and generosity, and in her love for Mama Mary, as it is of course, in her love for Christ Jesus, she has been blessed walking healthy, sharp and strong onward her birthday. Mama Mary's love for us is immense as shown in her many apparitions, always concerned of our faith, as she is always concerned of our love for her son in Jesus, that we may continue to love and remain faithful to him.
Great hub JSM. Godspeed as we KJOH or Keep Jesus in our hearts.
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Hello Fatigmon! The reason you didn't see your comment is because of the way I have Comment settings set up for my Hubs. Comments do not appear until I approve them. With that said, you will now see both your comments! I totally agree with you that Jesus is the Only way. Mary is special because she is Christ's mother. We do not look to Mary for anything other than as an Intercessory to Christ. I know that many non-Catholics don't believe this but that what we profess as Catholics. Thanks for your comments!
JSMatthew~
I must not have submitted my comment as I thought that I had, I don't see it here. Please don't mis-understand what I say here. Anyway, there are many women in the Bible of great importance and certainly Mary is at the top of the list, however, in John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Jesus is saying here that He and He alone is the way. There is no other way to the Father. We must go through Him.
There are many important women in the Bible and Mary is certainly among them. I respect the Catholic faith, many friends are Catholic. It is with respect that I remind people of John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." This tells me that no other will do or be able to intercede but Jesus Christ himself.
You're welcome JS..and I agree with you. Many times, even today, women of the bible were/are invisible. Some names, in the Greek, are feminine, but many pastors will not point it out. I've only heard a few tell their congregation that a name, of importance, is feminine.
I don't know why it's not pointed out? I'm not quite sure what they're afraid of?
Again, I found your take on women very refreshing...
God bless
Terri
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What a great comment Terishere! I appreciate that! Often times woman were "invisible" in biblical times (and still today in some areas). Thanks for the insightful comment!
JSMatthew~
Hi JS, though I do not believe in praying to Mary, what I do find refreshing, is your take on women regarding the church.... For that, I thank you :)
Terri
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Thanks for coming by again whoisbid! Your comments are always quite interesting!
JSMatthew~
I have not been completely honest. I must tell everyone that Mary's root's are from Miriam who loved Moses... Oh it is not good to reveal one's expertise because the fundamentalists like to spoil the mystery of faith
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I am also a "Catholic Schooler" for about have of my education. I wouldn't take it back either. I am so happy that you feel blessed after reading this! I still practice Catholicism but I am very open to other religions and interpretations (sects) of Christianity. I appreciate your comment Zabbella! Thanks!
JSMatthew~
Thank you for this great Hub. I gave me a warm feeling because I grew up in the Catholic Faith and those prayers just blessed me. I attended Catholic School for 3 yrs. Yes, Mary has to be special- her lineage was planned out by God to be Jesus' lineage. I am still Christian, have my Bible study time and go to Christian Assembly Church,I am no longer in the Catholic setting. There are some things that I do miss, again thank you.
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Very good insight moiragallaga! Thanks for your comment.
JSMatthew~
Thanks for sharing this J.S.Matthew. As the only Catholic country in Asia until Timor Leste became a nation, devotion to the Mother Mary is very strong here in the Philippines. I agree with you that for us Catholics we see Mary as a bridge, or as you stated, an intercessory to Christ. Note that in the main prayer to Mother Mary, the Hail Mary, we don't pray to her for our forgiveness but we ask for her to pray for us sinners.
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That's very interesting Vinaya. I would love to see that statue. Thanks for leaving your comment!
JSMatthew~
As Mother Mary is to Christians, the mother of Jesus Christ, the cow to Hindus is the mother of life. To assimilate different cultures and faiths Saint Mary's School in Nepal has constructed a statue of Mary having the features of Hindu Goddess of Wealth.
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Thanks tillsontitan! My mother pointed that out as well! I have to fix it! I appreciate your clarification and comment!
JSMatthew~
Very nice article about our Virgin Mother. Just a point, the Immaculate Conception means that Mary was conceived without original sin. It is often confused with the virginal conception of Jesus. It can be confusing. Praying the rosary brought down Russia and continues to be a powerful prayer. I'm sure Mary is smiling and you.
Its my pleasure..
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Wow, mkrandhawa! I appreciate that very much! Thanks for the awesome comment. That just made my day!
JSMatthew~
I had no words to describe the beauty of this hub all i would say is awesome and well knitted hub.
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Thank you AnnabelbytheSea, I appreciate your comment.
JSMatthew~
Thank you. The Rosary is a greatly powerful prayer. Your heavenly mother will bless you for spreading devotion to it.
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augustine72 Thank you for your comment. This article was designed as a part in a series to briefly explain the beliefs, practices, and traditions of the Catholic Faith.
In regards to Biblical support, I will add that there is none as women were scarcely mentioned in great detail in the Bible.
To me it is common sense that if Christ is God and Mary was His mother, than it would only make sense that she is not ordinary.
Thanks for stopping by.
JSMatthew~
You say "we pray asking for her guidance and intervention as she is an intercessory to Christ" This gives rise to a few questions:
1. How do you know that is okay to ask her guidance and intervention? Do you have biblical support for this?
2. How do you know that Mary is capable of guidance and intervention? Are there Biblical support?
3. How do you know she is the intercessor? Where is the Biblical support?
You said "She is the Mother of God and therefore, can not be just an "ordinary" person." Many were there who were relatives to Jesus Christ. (example John the baptist) Where does it say that being a relative to Jesus (in the physical sense) makes someone special? How does that make it acceptable to pray to Mary.
I would also like to remind that Catholics do pray to Mary. There are prayer books containing prayer to Mary.
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Thank you Cathy! I enjoyed writing this article because I get to share my faith without pushing it on people. Thanks for the link to the website. I appreciate you posting it so that other readers can check it out too. I will check it out myself. I really appreciate your comment. Thanks for stopping by!
JSMatthew~
What a wonderful article. Thank you for taking on the task of explaining to those who do not understand the catholic faith the role of Mary Our Mother, and most of all that our prayers to Mary are to ask her to intercede to her son on our behalf....beautifully done and a call to all lapsed catholics.
Let me add here that there is an online website http://www.comepraytherosary.org where you can join in saying the perpetual rosary through live audio along with people from all over the world. It is fabulous and it encourages one to pray the rosary more frequently.
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whoisbid, I appreciate you reading and leaving a comment. Interesting story about the "Good Samaritan" Nun, although I never recommend chasing people with a baseball bat! Thanks for stopping by!
JSMatthew~
This was nice because I see so many hate videos arguing about this woman called Mary on Youtube. What is wrong with those people? I had an experience where I was in a religious country unable to walk because of an injury and I was crawling on my knees to get somewhere. Everyone saw me but no-one bothered to help me except some woman who was a nun and probably over 80 years old. She carried my bag and supported me. After that, I decided that if anyone is going to attack these women (who like Mary) I will most likely get out my baseball bat and chase them away.
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sweetie1, that you are not Christian but still enjoyed this Hub and left a comment, means a lot to me! I appreciate it. Thanks.
JSMatthew~
Hi Matthew nice hub, since I am not christian so i wont say anything for obvious reasons... i like your hub though.
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Thanks for the heart warming comment Jo_Goldsmith! I am glad I could re-introduce you to the prayers and I am glad that you were touched by this article!
JSMatthew~
Hello J.S. I thought it was cool to find the prayers, I have since forgotten about. The Hail Mary and Apostles Creed, I would say every day for the first few years of understanding the concept of God. They still bring me peace in my spirit. I wanted you to know that even though; I no longer practice the Catholic faith. I was truly touched by your article. Thank you for the gentle nudge.
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SaMcNutt, I appreciate your comment! That's an interesting point that I never realized. Nice work! Thanks for adding to this Hub!
JSMatthew~
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@ Brenda Durham: To answer your question, no, there is no biblical reference suggesting that we pray to Mary. There are some things to consider, however.
The bible and its interpretations should be studied carefully. Many of the "old" laws were abolished with the coming of Christ; He is the New Covenant.
Mary is the chosen Mother to Christ. She is mentioned in the Old Testament in regard the prophecy of the coming of Christ. God had her chosen from the very beginning.
Another point I would like to make is that we do not pray to her as if she is a god; we pray asking for her guidance and intervention as she is an intercessory to Christ.
"Behold, I am the hand-maid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word." (Luke 1:28-38) In Mary's obedience to God and His will, Mary herself became engulfed with the Holy Spirit at the time of conception.
As Catholics, we recognize Mary as the Mother of the Church. She is the Mother of God and therefore, can not be just an "ordinary" person. She holds favor in the eyes of the Lord. With that said, asking her for intercession and help is acceptable. She is not praised, but revered.
JSMatthew~
There is also something I remember discussing with a friend that the reasonMary is considered the Queen of heaven is because of how mother's of kings are viewed in the tradition of Israel. Therefore, the queen of Israel is not the wife of the son, but the mother of the son. It may have to do with the fact that wives could mean many, but a son only had one mother.
Thank you for sharing. As a protestant we often lessen Mary's role and focus solely on Christ, but I think it is important to understand the true relationship and nature of Mary, who like us have to accept Christ on faith.
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Thanks sholland10!
Great Hub! Very well written and very enlightening to those who do not know the precepts of religion. This series of its hubs is really original and creative.
Thanks!
Interesting!
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Thank you, Cogerson. I am trying.
JSMatthew~
You have produced a fascinating and informative hub...voted up....keep up the great work
I would like to ask a question if I may....
Have you ever searched the Bible to find any reference to Mary being able to intervene in life's problems, or any place where Jesus or any prophet or anyone at all says we should pray to her?
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