My beloved son, Dominic, died when he was 35, at the Mayo Clinic 12.16.19. There is NO greater grief than to see your child take their last breath, and to bury their remains. I bought a statue of the Pieta so that I can always look at, remember and take comfort in the fact that Our Lady experienced the exact same sorrow. +JMJ+
One problem with asking Mary to "obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity and the gift of understanding" is that we need to obtain these virtues by our own death and resurrection before we die. Christ, by His death and resurrection and His intercession, is the only one who enables us to obtain them.
Brother, by denying that Mary can obtain an increase of virtue for us is to deny the deep tradition of intercessory prayer. We do not obtain these virtues by our death as they must be in us before our death. They are infused at baptism, and inflamed through Confirmation, and we are to increase them throughout our path through the spiritual life. The saints assistance, especially Mary’s, is to make up for what is lacking in our own. Their prayers and sacrifices are efficacious for us since they are united to Christ and His prayers and sacrifices.
I did say that we obtain the virtues before we die. The prayer does not ask for an increase in the virtues; it asks Mary for the virtues themselves, which flow into us by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit receives them from Jesus and infuses them into us when the Godhead is within us (cf. John 16:13-15). As our High Priest intercessor, Jesus has them from the Father. This all happens within the Godhead and our interaction with the Godhead.
No one has ever denied that the Godhead is the source. But scripture and tradition have always shown us that God works through secondary causes. In this case, He works through the Blessed Mother.
My beloved son, Dominic, died when he was 35, at the Mayo Clinic 12.16.19. There is NO greater grief than to see your child take their last breath, and to bury their remains. I bought a statue of the Pieta so that I can always look at, remember and take comfort in the fact that Our Lady experienced the exact same sorrow. +JMJ+
I’m so sorry for your loss. I will pray for his soul. Thank you for sharing it with us. God bless you.
Thank you so much, Andrew!! +JMJ+
Saint Faustina and the rays of Divine Mercy are relevant to the blood and water.
https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/what-meaning-rays
Diary 299 speaks to the blood and water.
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus, as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You. (89)
Wow! This is so touching and beautiful! Our Lady of Sorrows, Ora pro nobis.
Thank you so much for reading!
One problem with asking Mary to "obtain for me the virtue of fraternal charity and the gift of understanding" is that we need to obtain these virtues by our own death and resurrection before we die. Christ, by His death and resurrection and His intercession, is the only one who enables us to obtain them.
Brother, by denying that Mary can obtain an increase of virtue for us is to deny the deep tradition of intercessory prayer. We do not obtain these virtues by our death as they must be in us before our death. They are infused at baptism, and inflamed through Confirmation, and we are to increase them throughout our path through the spiritual life. The saints assistance, especially Mary’s, is to make up for what is lacking in our own. Their prayers and sacrifices are efficacious for us since they are united to Christ and His prayers and sacrifices.
I did say that we obtain the virtues before we die. The prayer does not ask for an increase in the virtues; it asks Mary for the virtues themselves, which flow into us by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit receives them from Jesus and infuses them into us when the Godhead is within us (cf. John 16:13-15). As our High Priest intercessor, Jesus has them from the Father. This all happens within the Godhead and our interaction with the Godhead.
No one has ever denied that the Godhead is the source. But scripture and tradition have always shown us that God works through secondary causes. In this case, He works through the Blessed Mother.