Br. Jacob Fluech For many non-Catholics and even many Catholics, the way that the Catholic Church honors Mary can seem confusing, weird, or just downright unbiblical. It might seem that, by honoring Mary, we are worshiping her or are taking away from the honor that should be given to God alone. How does the Catholic Church explain its intense devotion to Mary? Well, although on the surface the Bible seems to say very little about her, when we dig deep into Sacred Scripture, we do find Mary, in a profound way, and we can understand the high praise that Catholics give her.
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Deacon Peter Nguyen, IVE In the days before the coming of Christ, the common view held by the Jews concerning the Messiah was that of a social and political savior, someone who would liberate them from their temporal woes and oppressions. He was to fulfill their utopian aspirations of being free from the Romans and live comfortable lives in fame and prosperity. As a result, many Jews settled for the false gods of other nations where it seemed more appealing in fulfilling their hopes. Like the Jews, we may find ourselves seeking an alternative plan of salvation in another “kingdom.” Over the past few months, our society has been troubled by so many different causes such as illness, economic struggles, unnecessary violence and destruction, political tension, etc., and needless to say how these have contributed to our struggles within our hearts as well. For some, it may seem that a solution needs to be applied primarily at the social level. But the answer is much deeper and, sadly, often downplayed Br. Peter Trinko We often find ourselves in situations where we are forced to make a choice or judgement on a situation or event. For example, last year during a competition at the seminary, I found myself as one of three judges trying to determine the winner of an art competition. We had three fantastic entries, a painting of Divine Mercy, a painting of St. John Paul II by the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and a sketch of St. Maximilian Kolbe on a train going to the mission in Japan. Each of the entries had their own strengths and weaknesses, and we struggled to determine a winner.
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