saints

SEPTEMBER 2015: MONTH OF OUR LADY OF SORROWS

September, the month of Our Lady of Sorrows, remembers the suffering of Mary, Jesus' Mother. There are seven sorrows, seven afflictions that pierced her heart. Catholics commonly reflect upon each and they say daily one Our Father and seven Hail Mary's for each.

• The Prophecy of Simeon. (Luke 2:34–35)
• The Flight into Egypt. (Matthew 2:13)
• The loss of the child Jesus in the Temple. (Luke 2:43–45)
• Mary meets Jesus on the way to Calvary.
• Jesus dies on the cross. (John 19:25)
• The piercing of the side of Jesus, and Mary's receiving the body of Jesus in her arms. (Matthew 27:57–59)
• The body of Jesus is placed in the tomb. (John 19:40–42)

Often Catholics who have devotions to Mary or to the saints are mistakenly understood to be idolaters. Idolatry, the worship of false gods, goes against the first commandment:

“You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:3-6)

As seen in the above passage and throughout history, idol building and worshipping clearly angers God. So what is going on? How can the statues, pictures and prayers to Mary, and the saints be justified? Catholics make the claim that they reserve worship alone for God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, but they allow veneration for Mary, saints, and earthy heroes. From an outside perspective, this does seem hypocritical, or at least somewhat shady. However, by looking at the definitions that the dictionary offers, it is clear that the words “worship” and “veneration” are very distinct from another, and are appropriately applied. more...

While St. Dominic is known for spreading the devotion of the Rosary throughout the world (as we know it in its present form), it would erroneous to solely give him the title of the “Rosary Saint.” So many Saints have illustrated by their words and actions the beauty and depth of the Rosary. In their own generation and environments, they encouraged the fervor for the “Divine Garland of Roses”. In fact, it is because of the countless witnesses of the communion of Saints, that we can have confidence that the Rosary is a powerful tool of healing, conversion, and for discerning God’s Will. There is no greater testimony than how they lived; we can trust their words and we should follow their example. Below is but a sample of thoughts from a selection of the Saints: more...