Marian Sites: Apologetics and Prayer
Catholic Answers: Mary and the saints
Marian Devotion
To Jesus through Mary
The Rosary Dissected
The Place of Mary in Classical Fundamentalism (part 1)
The Place of Mary in Classical Fundamentalism (part 2)
The Perpetual Virginity of Mary
Mary Mother of God
History of the Rosary
Mary's Assumption: Irrelevant and Irreverent?
Mary, Why Honor Her?
Mary of Cleophas and
Mary as Mediatrix
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Our Lady of Lourdes
Medjugorje Web
The Holy Rosary Page
The History of Fatima
Ave Maria Rosary Page
Consecration in Marriage and Family Site
Marian Apparitions and Prophecies
Apparitions and Eucharistic Miracles
Awaken to Prayer
The Marian Hour
Perhaps the most misunderstood of all Catholic practices is our devotion to the Blessed Virgin. One of the most frequent questions heard from non-Catholics is "Why do Catholics "worship" Mary?" This question immediately informs me that I am dealing with some one who has never heard the truth about Catholicism. This is one of the most common mis-statements used by anti-Catholics... and it is totally false! We do not worship Mary but we do honor and venerate her. Except for her son Jesus, Mary is the holiest of all human beings. She is also the most perfect example we have of a human life lived in complete faith and devotion to God... of course we should honor her! Her "yes" to God brought God Himself, as well as our salvation into this world. Jesus, Himself, gave her to us and to His Church at the foot of the cross when He said "Woman, behold your son" and then to the beloved John he said "behold your mother." Jesus gave Mary to us as our Mother (and Mother of His Church) and he gave us to her as children. This has been understood and believed from the very beginning of the Church. Even the earliest reformers including, Luther and Wesley, had very strong devotions to the our Blessed Mother and held her with the same regard as we Catholics do even today.
I have also come across some Catholic Prohecy/Apparition sites. For hundreds of years Our Blessed Lady has been giving us messages and warnings. The amazing thing is they have been incredibly consistent as well as accurate, but yet, very few people, including Catholics are familiar with them. While the Catholic Church investigates and approves or disapproves of these apparitions it does not require that Catholics believe in them. The main message is that we are on the brink of an unprescendented chastisement of the entire world... unlike anything previously wrought on earth. Our Blessed Mother tells us to lessen the severity we are called to repentence, conversion, penance, fasting and prayer. Most important are prayers for the souls of sinners and non-believers. We need not stockpile food, water, gasoline, guns, generators... etc... just pray, pray and pray some more. If we repent and give ourselves to Jesus we need not fear!
