Theotokos

I've been on a few apologetics sites for a few years now, and one of the constant themes is attacking Mary.  Now, we, Catholics, know you don't agree with the Church.  That is a given, as you are protestants (you protest against His Church at all costs, even your own soul), after all.  However, all Catholic teachings about Mary are actually teachings about her Son, the Son of God.  Why would any Christian reject, say, to the virgin birth, or the title "Mother of God?"  Yet, so-called Christians do.

"It may be objected: 'Our Lord is enough for me. I have no need of her.' But He needed her, whether we do or not. God, Who made the sun, also made the moon. The moon does not take away from the brilliance of the sun. All its light is reflected from the sun. The Blessed Mother reflects her Divine Son; without Him, she is nothing. With Him, she is the Mother of Men." 
 --Bishop Fulton Sheen

Here is a basic outline of the Catholic beliefs about Mary:

1.Mary, like every other person on earth, was saved by the sacrifice of her Son, Jesus Christ.
2. Mary is the Theotokos--the "God bearer."  If you actually believe in Jesus as God the Son, why would you object to this?  That is what we mean when we say the smoother phrase in English--"Mother of God."
Try this: 
Jesus is God. 
Mary is His Mother. 
Mary is the Mother of God. 
It really is that simple.
3.  Mary, through a special grace given her by God as the Theotokos, was sinless all her life.
4.  Mary, also through special grace, was a virgin her whole life.
5.  Mary was her Son's first disciple.
6.  Mary is the Mother of the Church.  She is Jesus' Mother.  We are called the Body of Christ.  She is our mother.

7.  Mary was assumed, that is taken up into heaven, body and soul by God.  We know that Enoch (Genesis 5:24 & Sirach 49:14) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:1-12) were assumed into heaven.  The Church has sacred Tradition that says Mary was assumed bodily, but she also sees the result of Mary's assumption in Revelation 12:1. 
8.  Mary was crowned Queen (Mother) of Heaven.

What the Catholic Church does NOT believe about Mary:

1. She is a goddess.  (She is not worshipped by Catholics.  Honor and worship of God are two separate things).
2. She is equal to Jesus, and therefore is part of the Trinity or quadinity (Yes, some ignorant protestants really believe that we believe that.)
3.  She was perfect.  (Sinless and perfect are not the same).

Some object to Catholics praying TO Mary.  First off, we only pray (old fashioned word for asking--"Pray tell, what time is it?"--English is a very imprecise language) to her to ask for her to pray to us.  She obtains things for us from God by asking, not by any power she has independent of God.  Since she's right there next to Jesus, her Son, don't you think that her prayer would be heard?  Yes, we can and do pray to Jesus directly all the time.  

Second, my God is the God of the Living not the dead.  (Mark 12:27)  All our "friends", for that is what saints are, are enjoying the heavenly vision.  That is the Christian hope, is it not, to be with Jesus eternally alive in Heaven?  So, why would anyone begrudge Mary that privilege also?  That is one thing I cannot fathom.  That Mary is in Heaven, no one calling themselves Christian can or should doubt.  I understand why they would not believe she cares for them, but I, personally, find that a little sad.  I need all the hope I can get.

I'll stop there for now.  Mary is under attack there will be more to come.

Sources:  http://www.fisheaters.com/mary.html
http://www.ascensioncatholic.net/TOPICS/beliefs/mary/MarianDevotions.html

You Don't Want to See Me When I'm Angry

Yesterday, we went to the only second hand bookstore in town. It is the only place in town that sells the paperback series my 13 yo is reading. He begged me for 3 days to go to the shop, and it is too hot out to ride his bike. We went on a quiet Sunday afternoon. I made the mistake of bringing my rambucious 5 yo.

Yes, he is high energy. Yes, he can be loud. Now, really I thought we were going to a book store not a library. I led him to the miniscule kids' section to look at kids books. However, he was not interested in used Elmo or chewed-on alphabet books. He took me on a tour of the "Historical Romance" section, which is like a mini maze. He was a little loud and I shushed him a couple of times. I stopped to see if I could find an author whose books had been adapted to movies I've enjoyed. After about 2 minutes looking at the alphabetically arranged shelves, I could not find her. I heard my 5 yo being lound again. I turned the corner to see him oohing and aahing into the floor fan, and laughing. I've enjoyed that myself, in the past. The sour look on the clerk's (maybe owner, not sure) face, made me shush him again. I picked up a book in the "new" books section that I was interested in and browsed the inside of the cover. Then my son talked into the fan again and I asked him to stop. He trotted over to my 13 yo and talked rather loudly exclaiming over the pictures on the covers in the comic book section. Then the clerk said, shaking his head, "He's gotta go. He's gotta go." While boiling inside, I put the $13 book, that he apparently didn't care to sell to me, back on the shelf, took my son by the hand, and walked out. I started the car because it was 98 degrees out and I wanted to start the AC. I didn't want to disappoint my teenager, so I walked back in, with the car running, and handed him some money. I looked straight into the clerk's face and said, "We won't be back," and walked out.


Really? My 5 yo was what? Disturbing the one other customer in that tiny shop? To offend the homeschooling mother of 5 kids is not a very smart business practice when you're a book store constantly on the brink of bankrupcy is it? For heaven's sake, we were in his precious shop for less than 5 minutes. Apparently, he doesn't actually need business.

Like a Good Neighboor...

No, I'm not writing about an insurance company this time...

I tried to get my teenagers to mow the lawn before noon when it really gets hot.  It was already 94 at 10 AM.  My 15 yo went out about that time to "prove" to his brother that the thick, long back yard could be mowed.  The argument lasting the 20 minutes it took me to go to the hardware store and back for trimmer string.  My oldest mowed the back yard.  By then it was after 1130.  It was now my 13 yo son's turn to mow the front.  First thing he does?  Yell at his brother for putting the lawn mower away.  It took him a full 15 minutes to get the lawn mower around to the front, find a hat, wet the hat, get the mower in just the right starting place, and...start the mower.  It took a while with the 'mulching' push lawn mower to cut the thick, high grass (did I mention we've had more rain this summer than the last three combined?).  He had to stop frequently to let the grass out from under the blades.  Then low and behold, our neighbor Walt came riding by on his lawn mower.  At that moment, I was struggling to restart the mower then realizing it needed gas, sent my son for the gas can.  Walt thought the mower was not working, rode up over the curb, and started circling our lawn.  Not only did he mow the half my son hadn't gotten to yet, but mowed what he had.  It took him all of 20 minutes to mow our whole front yard.  I looks terrific and I can't thank him enough.  It has been a long week and I am weary in body and mind.  It was nice to have just a little help from a good neighbor. 

[16th century Dutch painting called 'The Master of the Good Samaritan' in the Utrecht Museum.  Picture is in the public domain.]

In the System

Today, I had the dubious pleasure of delving into the dark world of our government-run insurance company.  Let me start off with the preface that my oldest has diabetes melitus (for those who don't know that is type 1 or Juvenile Diabetes).  It is (at this time) incurable, but can be managed with daily monitoring and insulin.  He has to see his endocrinologist four times a year, but in our insurance company's infinite wisdom he is still required to get a referral from his "primary care doctor" once a year.  Well, I just got a bill from his endocrinologist because the insurance company did not pay a red cent to him for my son's care.  What is the first thing I do?  I called the doctor's billing office.  I thought I'd check to make sure that they had submitted the bill to the insurance company before I called.  They don't work on Friday.  So, I called the insurance company directly.  Well, the rude person on the other end of the phone felt it her job to talk to me as if I were five and inform me not only was there no referral "in the system" but that I would need to go to his primary care physician and my local insurance company's office to get one.   I said, "Thank you," and hung up the phone before I said something very unchristian.  Well, after trying several local numbers for the insurance company and the medical clinic where my son's primary physician works, I decided to go there and find a real person to talk to.  First I went to the pediatric clinic where my son's doctor works.  The lady who worked there was very helpful but could not see any reason why there was no referral "in the system" but she could not find it either.  I explained that his last primary doctor said he would take care of it, and in my experience with him, he always did what he said he would.  She had another nice lady check to see if a referral had been ordered and put "in the system."  Well....she produced a piece of paper that said that his doctor had put in the referral. 

Next, I need to go to the insurance company's office down the hall.  I went to "referral management" first but she said I need to go to the other office in the next hallway.  I went to that office and she seemed happy enough to help.  She, condescendingly, told me that there was no referral "in the system."  That piece of paper said that a referral was to be put "in the system" but is not proof that is it indeed was put "in the system."  She would do me the favor of putting in an exception request just for the appointment he had over a month ago, because there was no referral "in the system."  She went on to explain how it was my responsibility to make sure that the referral had gone through.  Let get this straight--I took him to his primary doctor like I was told to do--I filled out all the paperwork I was told to--the doctor put in the request, in April mind you--that request somehow did not get "in the system"-- and I was responsible for it not being "in the system" because I didn't notice that I didn't get a piece of paper in the mail that tells me it went through.  Riiiiigggghhhhtttt.  It is all my fault.  So, after controlling my self very well, I went back to the "referral management" office.  The lady there (thanks Jean, if you ever see this) looked "in the system" to see if it was there.  Apparently, someone had tapped on a keyboard somewhere about the referral because there were "notes" on it "in the system."  However, "for some reason" there was no referral "in the system."  So, she said she will put it "in the system" and make sure it is back dated.  I have her number now to make sure it is "in the system" on Tuesday.  Because, after all, it is my responsibility to see that it is "in the system", even though I did everything I was supposed to do.  If that three hours of mental torture is not good for some time in Purgatory, I don't know what is.  Please God, don't make me ever go there again.

Smellin' Good!

We've had a long week of vacation bible school, with all the kids running and jumping and getting all sweaty.  When we got home it was time for a little relaxation.  My five year old sat next to me as we enjoyed a few minutes of television before bed.  Well, he lifted his arm and said, "Smell my arm pit."  I made a face and said, "Ew, I don't want to smell that."  At which, he ran out of the room.  I chuckled and went back to my program.  The next thing I know, he's back and says, "Now, smell."  I could smell the scent of his teenage brother's deodorant waft through the air.  I almost fell off the couch laughing so hard.  Aren't kids wonderful?

Feeling Sorry

Have you ever had one of those days, weeks?  I have.  Yesterday (Wednesday) was just the "topping" on the Sundae that is my life.  Friday, of fourth of July weekend, our van brakes went out.  Well, any plans to go anywhere for the holiday died right there. Our mechanic was already closed for the weekend, and not a rental car in sight.  We limped along on Saturday with or 16 year old second car and went no where.  Sunday, my husband took me out to lunch, as he was leaving town soon and wanted some alone time.  We go out to the car, loaded, by the way with our oldest's camp gear, and low and behold the transmission doesn't work.  So, we walk home. 

Praise God for a loving neighbor--shout out to LANCE!!!  He drove to where our car was and helped my husband put our son's camp gear in the back of his truck.  They came back and Lance handed the keys to his truck to my husband, and said I could drive it to camp.  I pray my son is having the time of his life right now at camp.  It was about an hour and a half round trip, and I immediately returned his truck safe and sound.  Then he and my husband went back to the car, found a not-too-expensive part for the gear shift, and repaired the car.

Monday, the van was repaired.  Not too expensive but still more money than we could afford.  Tuesday, rain.  Our basement flooded yet again.  I have yet to assess the damage.  I tried my best to save all school items from flood or splashing.  Our sump pump gets overwhelmed when there is a deluge.  Now there is also a hole in the floor where water went under the tiles.  I have no idea how we can afford to fix the basement.  We need it water proofed and there has got to be a better solution for the sump.  I am trying my best not to cry about it.  Yes, it is a great house but I am pushing 50 and I can't bail for years to come. 

To top it all off, I went out to the garage to put some towels in the dryer and slipped.  I did the splits I never thought I could do again.  I slammed my right hip into the cement stairs, and twisted my left leg behind me, up the stairs.  It seemed as if I would break like a wishbone but, no, I survived.  I had to sit on the couch with just about everything below my knees packed in ice.  I can walk though so I don't think I broke anything.  Today, my back hurts, I must have wrenched it, and my hip is excruciating--the only thing I didn't ice last night. 

Update...Friday (yesterday, now) the A/C went out while I was out working on VBS materials for Monday.  The first place I called couldn't come out until Monday.  Are you kidding?  No A/C in Oklahoma in July all weekend, really?  I said thank you and hung up.  I called another A/C repair place and got a message machine, I hung up.  The third place, the "Kool Guys", came within an hour.  The technician informed me that they mostly work on commercial buildings that is why he was not on a "house call" at the time.  Praise God!  We now have air conditioning. 

I pray that trouble will leave us alone now. 

I'm on my way to get my oldest.  It rained 3 days/nights this week.  I hope they had lots of alternate indoor activities planned.

"Life is the Only Choice"