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MyCatholicSource.com Newsletter - May, 2017
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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Greetings
* MCS News & Notes
* The Month of May: Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary
* 100 Year Anniversary of Fatima Apparitions: Some Apparition Info. & Prayers
* Resources for Ascension
* Liturgical Feasts in May
* 'Catholic Trivia'
* Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Do You Reject All Marian Apparitions?
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Dear Friend,
Pax vobis! ("Peace be to you!") [Jesus' words to his disciples after the Resurrection (see Lk. 24:36, Jn. 20:19, etc.)]
Greetings & best wishes to you and yours at this most joyous time of year. We hope you had a blessed Easter and will continue to have a blessed Eastertide. This year, Ascension will fall on May 25 and Pentecost will follow in June. Also, Rogation days fall this month on May 22, 23, and 24. [Note: Please see below for links for Ascension resources & Eastertide resources.]
We have been busy here with the server migration and we are hopeful that this newsletter will, at long last, be sent out from the new server. For additional details on the transition, please see below. Also, for those who have prayed for us during the past few months, thank you very much! Your prayers are much appreciated.
We wish all subscribers good health, good weather, and abundant spiritual blessings during this beautiful month of May which is dedicated to our most holy & blessed Mother.
Thank you for being a valued subscriber to our newsletter,
Your Friends at MyCatholicSource.com
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"Then Jesus approached and said to them, 'All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.'" (Mt. 28:18-20)
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MCS News & Notes
* New Server Update: As mentioned previously, we began efforts in early February transition to a new sever. The process was very challenging and took much longer than we originally anticipated. However, if everything goes as planned as of the time of this writing, the migration will now be complete (or nearly complete) and this newsletter will be sent from the new server. Hopefully this new server will be stable & reliable for years to come. And as we also mentioned previously, the new server has new IP numbers and, unfortunately, new IP numbers mean we do not keep our previous email reputation, which tends to mean email delivery issues for a while until we build up a new reputation. To help reduce the chance of delivery issues, please put our e-mail address in your 'trusted senders' list - or use other applicable options your e-mail provider may offer to let them know that our e-mail is wanted. Thank you for your support and prayers during the very challenging transition process.
* New User-Submitted Article: A new ('tearjerker') user-submitted article was added to the site since the last newsletter was prepared. It is entitled 'The Wrong Side of Goodbye / Many Tears Ago: Reflections on Abortion'. It may be found at http://mycatholicsource.com/mcs/ua/user_article-wrong_side_of_goodbye_many_tears-refl_on_abortion.htm . See if you can read it without tears!
* For Eastertide resources, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-easter.htm
* For Fatima resources (incl. prayers, coloring page), please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-fatima.htm
* For fasting / abstinence information for Rogation Days, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/latin_mass_and_tradition/traditional_prayers_and_practices.htm
* Reminder: Our Ninth Annual Rosary Week is scheduled for 10/23/17 - 10/29/17. Please plan to join fellow Catholics in praying the rosary each day that week for the indicated intentions. We hope to have a sign up sheet available shortly.
* Have you completed first five Saturdays devotion? The first five Saturdays devotion, associated with Fatima, is accompanied by the Blessed Virgin Mary's promise to provide all graces necessary for salvation at the hour of one's death. If you haven't yet started this devotion, May is the perfect month to start, especially in this 100th anniversary year. If you have completed this devotion, why not repeat it? For more information concerning this devotion, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/popular_marian_devotions.htm
* Service Delays: Due to medical reasons, please continue to expect some sporadic delays in all correspondence & services (including processing of posts) for the foreseeable future. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for any prayers.
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* Please visit our Notices page for timely news and other important information regarding MyCatholicSource.com - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/notices.htm
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The Month of May: Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary
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"Mary is our sure way to Christ." (Pope St. Pius X)
"After that, [Jesus] saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own." [Jn. 19:27 (DR Trans.)]
"Many souls are in heaven through the prayers of Mary who otherwise would not be there." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"Whenever we speak of Mary or speak to her, let us not forget that she is really our Mother, for through her we received divine life. She gave us Jesus himself, the source of grace." (Pope Pius XII)
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Related Resources...
* Blessed Virgin Mary (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Blessed_Virgin_Mary.htm
* Blessed Virgin Mary (Reflections) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/qt/mary_our_mother_reflections.htm
* Misc. Marian Facts - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/facts.htm
* Marian Scriptural References - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/marian_scriptural_references.htm
* Popular Marian Prayers & Hymns - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/marian_prayers.htm
* Popular Marian Devotions - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/popular_marian_devotions.htm
* Some Reasons to Honor the Blessed Virgin Mary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/reasons_to_honor_mary.htm
* Some Thoughts on the Blessed Virgin Mary - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/thoughts_on_mary.htm
* Marian Feasts - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/marian_feasts.htm
* Marian Apparitions - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/apparitions.htm
* Do Catholics Worship Mary? - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/do_catholics_worship_mary.htm
* Marian Encyclicals - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pd/classic_encyclicals_by_category.htm
* Marian Apologetics - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__Marian.htm
* Mary, Our Mother Section - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/mary_our_mother.htm
* Marian Coloring Pages - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_coloring_activities.htm
* Word Searches (Blessed Virgin Mary) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_word_searches.htm
* Blessed Virgin Mary (Crossword Puzzle) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pca/crossword_puzzle_Mary.html
Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
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"Many and well known are the proofs of her solicitude, manifested from time to time even in a miraculous manner." (Pope Leo XIII)
"We have the Virgin as universal advocate in all things, for she is more powerful in whatever necessity than are the other Saints in particular needs." (Pope Pius XII)
"Let us bless her often, and sing her praises: for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed (Luke I, 48)." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
"Can. 1276 It is good and useful suppliantly to invoke the Servants of God reigning together with Christ and to venerate their relics and images; but before the others, all the faithful shall follow the Blessed Virgin Mary with filial devotion." (1917 Code of Canon Law)
"While Peter has the keys of heaven, Mary has the key to God's heart; while Peter binds and looses, Mary also binds with the chains of love and looses with the gift of pardon. While Peter is the guardian and the minister of indulgences, Mary is the generous and wise treasurer of God's favors. 'He who desires grace and does not have recourse to Mary, desires to fly without wings.' (Dante)" (Pope Pius XII)
"The Lord, the apostles, and the prophets have taught us that we must venerate in the first place the Holy Mother of God, who is above all the heavenly powers. If anyone does not confess that the holy, ever virgin Mary, really and truly the Mother of God, is higher than all creatures visible and invisible, and does not implore with a sincere faith her intercession, given her powerful access to our God born of her, let him be anathema." (Second Council of Nicaea)
"If Mary is the Mother of God, what wonder, then, that God has glorified and will glorify, though all ages, her power of intercession with Him for all men? The Eternal Father has chosen Mary to be the mother of His only Son; the Holy Spirit chose her as His spouse. The Son, who has promised a throne in heaven to the apostles who preached His word, is bound in justice to do more for the Mother who bore Him, the eternal Word. If we believe in honoring our mother, surely He believes in honoring and glorifying His. Now what honors, what prerogatives, should God bestow on her whom He has so favored, and who served Him so devotedly! How should she be honored whom the King of Heaven deigns to honor!... How should Jesus reward the loving Mother who bore Him, nursed Him, saved Him in his infancy from a most cruel death? Is there any honor too high for her whom God himself has so honored? Is there any glory too dazzling for her whom the God of glory has chosen for His dwelling place?" (Muller)
"Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, chose the incomparable Virgin Mary from among all creatures to be His Mother and deigned to be nourished and governed by her. In His infinite goodness He also gave her to us to be our Queen, our Mother and our sure refuge in all our needs. He therefore wishes us to honor her as He honors her and to love her as He loves her... It follows that our devotion to His Holy Mother must be a continuation of His devotion to her. We must be filled with the sentiments of respect, submission and affection which He entertained for her on earth and still entertains in heaven. Mary always held and will hold forever the first place in the Sacred Heart of her Divine Son; she always was and will never cease to be the first object of His love after the Eternal Father; and so He wishes that, next to God, she should be the principal object of our devotion. For this reason, after the veneration we owe to the Divine Majesty of God, we cannot render a greater service to Jesus Christ or do anything more pleasing to Him than to serve and honor His most worthy Mother." ("The Admirable Heart of Mary", St. John Eudes)
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100 Year Anniversary of Fatima Apparitions: Some Apparition Info. & Prayers
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This month marks the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparitions at Fatima. Below is some information concerning this popular 20th century apparition, along with some prayers. For additional information, please see links below.
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- - - FATIMA APPARITIONS / GENERAL INFO. - - -
Location: Fatima, Portugal
Dates: May - October, 1917 A.D.
Witnesses: Apparition was witnessed by three shepherd children [Sr. Lucia (Lucy) dos Santos, Bl. Francisco Marto, and Bl. Jacinta Marto]. The "dance of the sun" was witnessed by tens of thousands (including many who went there as unbelievers and skeptics).
Messages of Apparition Include:
* Call to devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
* Call to prayer and sacrifice ("offer up everything within your power as a sacrifice to the Lord in reparation for the sins by which he is so much offended and of supplication for the conversion of sinners")
* Call to amend one's life and do penance for one's own sins and the sins of others ("Many souls are dammed because there is no one to pray for them.")
* Requested recitation of the daily Rosary for peace
* Predicted that Russia would spread her errors through the world before being converted
* Warning of chastisement ("the Lord our God...is already so much offended")
* Predicted election of Pius XI, the end of the war and the start of a greater war (WWII)
* The children were also shown lost souls in fiery hell (where there is "never an instant's peace or freedom from pain"). Also confirmed Church teaching regarding guardian angels, the Eucharist, and Purgatory.
* Mary also announced that she would request the consecration of Russia
Signs Include:
* "Dance of the Sun"
* Miraculous Drying of Wet Clothes/Land
* Miraculous Cures
* Fulfilled Prophecies
Misc. Quotations:
* "Why doesn't the Lady show Hell to everybody? Then nobody would ever again commit a mortal sin." (Bl. Jacinta)
* "People must amend their lives, ask pardon for their sins and not offend Our Lord any more, for He is already too much offended." (Our Lady of Fatima)
* "The Blessed Mother can no longer restrain the hand of her Divine Son from striking the world with just punishment for its many crimes." (Bl. Jacinta)
* "Certain fashions will be introduced that will offend Our Lord very much." (Bl. Jacinta)
* "More souls go to Hell because of sins of the flesh than for any other reason." (Bl. Jacinta)
* "Tell everybody that God gives graces through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Tell them to ask graces from her, and that the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Ask them to plead for peace from the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for the Lord has confided the peace of the world to her." (Bl. Jacinta)
* "In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph." (Our Lady of Fatima)
Other Notes:
* The Blessed Virgin appeared at Fatima as Our Lady of the Rosary.
* This series of apparitions has been considered by some to be a response to Pope Benedict XV's 1917 request for the Blessed Virgin's intercession in bringing peace to the world.
* The children were told that war is a punishment for sin.
* Apparitions warned of wars, famines, persecution of the Church. Also warned that if her requests weren't heeded, "various nations would be annihilated".
* "Heavenly peace plan" (in addition to the Church's consecration of Russia): Stop offending God with sin; Pray the rosary daily; Offer penance, prayers and sacrifices of reparation+, including the devotion of the first five Saturdays (see http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/popular_marian_devotions.htm ); Consecrate yourself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary; Wear the brown scapular (see http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/the_Blessed_Virgin/scapulars.htm ). [+ Note: On making sacrifices: "Make of everything you can a sacrifice (e.g. mortifications, prayers, tasks, etc.), and offer it to God as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners."]
* The children were given prayers (including the "O my Jesus..." prayer to be said after each decade of the Rosary). Note: See below for Fatima Prayers.
* The apparitions of Our Lady were preceded by angelic apparitions.
- - - FATIMA PRAYERS - - -
Adoration Prayer (Blessed Sacrament): "O most holy Trinity, I adore you. My God, my God, I love you in the Most Blessed Sacrament."
O My Jesus (Rosary Prayer of Fatima) [Said after each decade of the Rosary]: "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of Hell, lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy." (Latin: "Mi Jesu, indulge peccata nostra, conserva nos ab igne inferni, duc omnes ad cœli gloriam, præcipue tua misericordia egentes.") [Source for Latin Version: Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter]
Prayer of Reparation: "O most holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore you profoundly. I offer you the most precious Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for all the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. Through the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners." (Repeat 3 times)
Prayer of the Angel of Fatima: "O my God, I believe, I adore, I trust, and I love you. I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not trust, and do not love you." (Repeat 3 times)
Prayer While Making a Sacrifice: "O my Jesus, this [sacrificial act] is for the love of you, for conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the offenses committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary." (Recited upon making a sacrifice - e.g. suffering something unpleasant, giving up something desired, etc.)
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For more information, please try...
* Marian Apparitions at Fatima (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-fatima.htm
* Apparitions (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-apparitions.htm
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Resources for Ascension
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"Then he led them (out) as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven." (Lk. 24:50-51)
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Related Resources...
* Ascension (Definition) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_basics/catholic_basics_definitions.htm
* Ascension (Prophecies) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pcs/biblical_prophecies_ascension_pentecost.htm
* On Our Lord's Passion, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension (Selections From the Baltimore Catechism, Lesson: 08) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cd/catechism_selections_search_lsn.asp
* Prayer for the Ascension - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pr/prayers_and_hymns_for_certain_occasions_times.htm
* Ascension Thursday / Holy Days of Obligation - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_basics/catholic_basics_holy_days_of_obligation.htm
* Ascension (Coloring Pages) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/catholic_activities/catholic_fun_coloring_activities.htm
* Jesus (Topic Page) - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-Jesus.htm
Looking For Something Else? Try Our Various Indexes For 15,000+ Entries - http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/help.htm
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"So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God." (Mk. 16:19)
"When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, 'Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.'" (Acts 1:9-11)
Prayer for the Ascension: "Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who believe Thine only-begotten Son, our Redeemer, to have this day ascended into heaven, may ourselves dwell in spirit amid heavenly things. Through the same Lord." (Collect)
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Liturgical Feasts in May
The following is a listing of all liturgical feast dates for May as they appear at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/saints/feasts.htm
Note: (T) = Traditional, (N) = New (Novus Ordo)
Reminder: Feasts may be superseded / transferred / etc.
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May 1 - St. Joseph the Workman (T)
May 1 - Sts. Philip & James, apostles (T)
May 1 - St. Joseph the Worker (N)
May 2 - St. Athanasius (T)
May 2 - St. Athanasius (N)
May 3 - Finding of the Holy Cross (T)
May 3 - St. Juvenal (T)
May 3 - Sts. Alexander I (pope), Eventius, Theodulus (T)
May 3 - Sts. Philip & James, apostles (N)
May 4 - St. Monica (T)
May 5 - St. Pius V, pope (T)
May 6 - St. John before the Latin Gate (T)
May 7 - St. Stanislaus of Cracow (T)
May 8 - Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel (T)
May 9 - St. Gregory Nazianzen (T)
May 10 - St. Antoninus (T)
May 10 - Sts. Gordian & Epimachus (T)
May 12 - St. Pancras (T)
May 12 - Sts. Nereus, Achilleus & Domitilla (T)
May 12 - St. Pancras (N)
May 12 - Sts. Nereus & Achilleus (N)
May 13 - St. Robert Bellarmine (T)
May 13 - Our Lady of Fatima (N)
May 14 - St. Boniface (T)
May 14 - St. Matthias, apostle (N)
May 15 - St. John Baptist de la Salle (T)
May 15 - St. Isidore (N)
May 16 - St. Brendan (T)
May 16 - St. John Nepomucene (T)
May 16 - St. Ubaldus of Gubbio (T)
May 17 - St. Pascal Baylon (T)
May 18 - St. Venantius of Camerino (T)
May 18 - St. John I, pope (N)
May 19 - St. Peter Celestine, pope (T)
May 19 - St. Pudentiana (T)
May 20 - St. Bernardine of Siena (T)
May 20 - St. Bernardine of Siena (N)
May 21 - St. Christopher Magallanes & companions (N)
May 22 - St. Rita of Cascia (T)
May 22 - St. Rita of Cascia (N)
May 23 - St. John Baptist de Rossi (T)
May 25 - St. Gregory VII, pope (T)
May 25 - St. Madeleine Sophie Barat (T)
May 25 - St. Urban I, pope (T)
May 25 - St. Bede the Venerable (N)
May 25 - St. Gregory VII, pope (N)
May 25 - St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi (N)
May 26 - St. Eleutherius, pope (T)
May 26 - St. Philip Neri (T)
May 26 - St. Philip Neri (N)
May 27 - St. Bede the Venerable (T)
May 27 - St. John I, pope (T)
May 27 - St. Augustine of Canterbury (N)
May 28 - St. Augustine of Canterbury (T)
May 29 - St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi (T)
May 30 - St. Felix I, pope (T)
May 30 - St. Ferdinand III (T)
May 30 - St. Joan of Arc (T)
May 31 - St. Angela Merici (T)
May 31 - St. Petronilla (T)
May 31 - The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces (T)
May 31 - The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (T)
May 31 - Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (N)
Please Note: Above may exclude moveable feasts. For moveable feasts, see below & try here: http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/pc/latin_mass_and_tradition/traditional_liturgical_calendar.htm . For other feasts, try the MCS Daily Digest each day at http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/cg/mcs_daily_digest.asp
Also...
5/7/17 - Third Sunday after Easter (T) | Fourth Sunday of Easter (N)
5/14/17 - Fourth Sunday after Easter (Cantate Sunday) (T) | Fifth Sunday of Easter (N)
5/21/17 - Fifth Sunday after Easter (T) | Sixth Sunday of Easter (N)
5/22/17 - Rogation Monday (T)
5/23/17 - Rogation Tuesday (T)
5/24/17 - Vigil of the Ascension | Rogation Day (T)
5/25/17 - Ascension of Our Lord [Note: Traditionally, this is a holy day of obligation, but on the Novus Ordo calendar it is often transferred to Sunday in the U.S. For information for your area, contact your parish or diocese.]
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'Catholic Trivia'
1. What does the Codex Amiatinus refer to?
2. What passage in Ezekiel may be compared to the Blessed Virgin Mary's perpetual virginity?
3. What does thaumatúrgus mean?
4. What does 'True Devotion to Mary' refer to?
5. What is Mary's name is Aramaic? Hebrew? Latin?
6. What version of the Bible did the Council of Trent declare as authentic?
7. What popular scapular is well known for cures and conversions, is sometimes called a "pocket scapular" and contains an image of the Blessed Virgin on one side and a picture of Mary's pierced Immaculate Heart on the other side?
8. In the Traditional Latin Mass, what has "the most elaborate of all the chants of the Mass, being the only one sung independently of any action"?
9. According to Sr. Lucy of Fatima, the Blessed Virgin Mary indicated that Lucy's young friend would remain in purgatory until when?
10. What association of lay persons was founded in Dublin and uses Roman military terms?
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Answers:
1. The Codex Amiatinus refers to an old manuscript of the Latin Vulgate.
2. The following passage may be compared to the Blessed Virgin Mary's perpetual virginity: "Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, facing the east; but it was closed. He said to me: This gate is to remain closed; it is not to be opened for anyone to enter by it; since the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered by it, it shall remain closed." (Ezek. 44:1-2)
3. Thaumatúrgus is Latin for miracle worker.
4. 'True Devotion to Mary' may refer to a writing by St. Louis Marie de Montfort which has been called "the greatest single book on the Blessed Virgin Mary ever written." It is said to provide "the key to both sanctity and salvation." The writing discusses the necessity of devotion to Mary as well and the effects and practices of this devotion.
5. Mary in Aramaic is Maryam. Mary in Hebrew is Miryam. Mary in Latin is Maria.
6. In approximately 400 A.D., St. Jerome completed a Latin translation of the Bible called the Latin Vulgate which was used continuously by the Church for nearly 16 centuries. St. Jerome was an accomplished translator who had access to ancient manuscripts which have since perished. In 1546, the Council of Trent declared the Latin Vulgate Bible authentic and stated that no one should "presume or dare to reject it under any pretext whatsoever."
7. The popular "Green Scapular" is well known for cures and conversions, is sometimes called a "pocket scapular" and contains an image of the Blessed Virgin on one side and a picture of Mary's pierced Immaculate Heart on the other side.
8. In the Traditional Latin Mass, the gradual has "the most elaborate of all the chants of the Mass, being the only one sung independently of any action" (Catholic Dictionary)
9. "[S]he will be in Purgatory until the end of the world." (Our Lady of Fatima to Sister Lucy, in response to whether or not Lucy's young friend was in heaven, early 20th century)
10. The Legion of Mary is an association of lay persons which was founded in Dublin in the early 1900's and uses Roman military terms.
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Defending the Faith: "Apologetics Brief" - Do You Reject All Marian Apparitions?
It is good for Catholics to be able to defend their faith against attacks (or even simple questions) from those outside the Church. We therefore hope you may find the following "apologetics brief" helpful.
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Note: Text below is taken from http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/nc/non_catholics__Marian.htm
The following may be used as discussion points when discoursing with those outside the Church (or even among Catholics).
Topic: Do You Reject All Marian Apparitions? [Note: Topic is directed at Protestants]
Consider:
* Do you reject all Marian apparitions because you imagine that Mary is "dead" and can therefore not help persons on earth? How, then, can you explain the following...?
- Jesus conversed with Moses & Elijah even though they were "dead" (see Mt. 17:3, Mk. 9:4, Lk. 9:30)
- Scripture recounts the intercession of deceased Onias & Jeremiah (see 2 Macc. 15:11-16)
- Christ's parable recounts the attempted intercession by a (condemned!) departed man for his brothers (see Lk. 16:27-31)
- He is not God of the dead, but of the living (see Mk. 12:26-27)
- Martyrs are shown alive in heaven, and even await the avenging of their blood (it is clear, therefore, that they know - and care about - what is transpiring on earth) [see Rv. 6:9-11, Rv. 20:4]
* Do you reject Marian apparitions because you think they introduce new doctrine? If so, you should know that true apparitions can never introduce new doctrine. The Catholic Church teaches that there can be no additions to the deposit of faith since the death of the last apostle (St. John). In fact, a sure sign of a false apparition is the attempted introduction of new doctrine!
* Did you know that the first Marian apparition - as witnessed by St. James the Greater - may be traced all the way back to 40 A.D.? Is this really so surprising considering true apparitions, may be traced back even to Scripture? Both the Old & New Testaments contain accounts of angelic apparitions. In the New Testament, the Apostles (Peter, James & John) saw Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration, and we know that St. Paul also conversed directly with Christ after His Ascension.
* Are you aware that various apparitions have left "indisputable proof of their authenticity" (including miraculous images, healings, solar phenomena, etc.) and that some have been accompanied by accurate predictions? Science is at a loss to explain the numerous cures, images, etc.
* Do you reject Marian apparitions because you think they may be "deceiving signs" (cf. Mt. 24:24)? You should know that the Catholic Church also rejects many false apparitions. In fact, only a small number of reported Marian apparitions have been authenticated, and then only after careful study and investigation (the Church knows that the devil can deceive and perform 'great signs', but not true miracles - not to mention the potential for human fraud and deception). Of those apparitions which are approved, the Church never "guarantees" that they are authentic, but rather declares them "worthy of belief." Even so, Church's rulings on the authenticity of apparitions are not considered infallible. The Church is unable to guarantee the authenticity of any apparition with "absolute certainty."
* Are you aware that Catholics are not required to believe in any apparition whatsoever (outside of those indicated in Holy Scripture)? Even if the Church declares an apparition "worthy of belief", no one is bound to believe the apparition is true.
* Are you troubled by a particular 'apparition' (especially a recent one)? You should know that Catholics are also troubled by a number of alleged (and unapproved) apparitions that many zealous Catholics wrongly attempt to promote. One should be careful that the purported approval status of an apparition is the actual approval status of the apparition. Some may attempt to persuade others that the pope or a bishop approves of a certain apparition, whereas this may be untrue. Approval of an apparition would be verifiable in appropriate, authentic, and public written documents authored by those with the proper authority in the Church.
* In any event, persons should not center their faith around an apparition. "Faith rests on divine revelations made through the prophets and apostles and set down in the canonical Scriptures, not on revelations, if there be any, made to other holy teachers." (St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church and "greatest theologian in the history of the Church")
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For more on apparitions, please see http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/tp/topic_page-apparitions.htm
For more apologetics resources, please visit http://www.mycatholicsource.com/mcs/non-catholics.htm
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In Closing...
"O Lord Jesus Christ! I adore you restored to live among the dead, ascending into heaven, and seating yourself at the right hand of your Father: I implore you to make me worthy to follow you there, and to be presented to you." (Prayer of St. Catherine dei Ricci)
"Taking into account the behavior of mankind, only a small part of the human race will be saved." (Sr. Lucy of Fatima)
"Let us live as the Blessed Virgin lived: loving God only, desiring God only, trying to please God only in all that we do." (St. John Vianney)
"Death through Eve, life through Mary." (St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church)
"He who is devout to the Virgin Mother will certainly never be lost." (St. Ignatius of Antioch)
"Mary will assist us if we but call upon her. There is not a single unhappy soul or sinner in the world who calls upon Mary who is left without mercy. Anyone who invokes her will have the wounds of his soul healed." (Archbishop Fulton Sheen)
"Let us in all confidence choose as advocate before God the Immaculate and Most Holy Mother of God, the Virgin Mary... She is our most loving Mother, all mild and merciful she shows herself within reach of every prayer; most kind, she takes to herself all our needs with profound love and tender pity. In heaven as Queen at the right hand of her only Son, clothed in golden raiment and all manner of jewels, there is nothing she cannot obtain from him." (Bl. Pope Pius IX)
"[Mary] is by nature so good and so merciful that inclined to aid spontaneously those who suffer, she is absolutely incapable of refusing her help to those who invoke her." (Pope Benedict XV)
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