Why the Virgin Mary Matters in Spiritual Life

Why the Virgin Mary Matters in Spiritual Life

By Arthur R Policarpio


Is the Blessed Virgin Mary "necessary" in spiritual life?
For Catholics, the answer is a clear, resounding YES. Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary is an integral part of the Catholic Faith. Together with belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, devotion to the Blessed Virgin is what clearly differentiates the Catholic from non-Catholics.

And yet, should devotion to the Virgin Mary be the exclusive domain of Catholics? Or is this a precious spiritual heritage that Jesus left not just for Catholics - but for everyone, including our non-Catholic brethren?

It is interesting to note that an increasing trend currently is the conversion of so many previously high-profile non-Catholics to the Catholic Faith. Fierce attackers of devotion to the Virgin Mary during their non-Catholic days, these non-Catholic converts, upon converting to Catholicism, ironically end up the fiercest defenders of devotion to the Virgin Mary. In fact, many of these converts attribute their conversion to the intercession of the Virgin Mary.

One such convert is Steve Ray, a prominent Catholic convert who previously tried almost the entire spectrum of various sects - Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Fundamentalist, Evangelical, etc. Eventually, he found true meaning and happiness upon progressively reading book upon book, especially those by early Church fathers.

Interestingly, Steve Ray notes that their decision to enter the Church was on January 1st, the Feast of the great Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Nowadays, Steve Ray spends his time defending the Catholic Faith, through talks, seminars, and even appearances in prominent global channels such as EWTN.

Why the need for the Virgin Mary in our spiritual life?

The answer lies in the example of Jesus. Our Lord Jesus could have come to the world through a multitude of means. He could have come in a cloud of glory, in a blazing chariot. He could have parted the seas, and appeared in the middle of the parted waters in all his glory. Or He could have simply just materialized out of thin air.

And yet, the clear, undeniable fact is that Jesus chose to come to our world through the Virgin Mary. This is a clear fact that simply cannot be denied. Jesus came to our world through Mary. Is it not proper, therefore, for all of us to go to Jesus through the same way - through Mary?

Moreover, Jesus spent 90% of His entire life in the company of Mary - He spent thirty years with Mary in His undocumented "hidden life", then spent His remaining three years with the rest of the world for His public ministry.

Is the Virgin Mary necessary for our spiritual life? Again, the answer lies in Jesus' own example. Mary, solely through the grace of God, was necessary for Jesus' own life on earth - she is the way chosen by God to bring salvation to our world.

We all need Mary in our lives. Not just Catholics, but everyone needs the Virgin in their lives. After all, we all need a mother in our lives. The word "mother" is a wonderful chord that strikes the heart of all human beings. The mother is the human being's first experience of love, life, joy and happiness in this earthly life. Our spiritual mother, the Virgin Mary, is our first experience of love, life, joy, and happiness in our spiritual life.
Get to know our Virgin Mother more. Read up about her, study her - there are many websites that contain free articles about the Virgin Mary. Get to know our Virgin mother more, love her more - and you will see what miracles are in your own life!

Get free articles on the Virgin Mary! Totus Tuus Maria is your complete online resource for well-researched, easy-to-read articles on the Catholic Faith.



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Rosary Beads - Their Recent Rise in Popularity

Rosary Beads - Their Recent Rise in Popularity

By Claire Pascal


Has your mother ever tried relentlessly to get you to pray the rosary? Well David Calvillo of McAllen, Texas used to have just that problem. Like most men today David was tentative to pray to rosary because he had never really seen other men doing it.

All of this doubt David held inside him was gone after just one day. David attended a retreat with nearly 80 other men, and they all prayed the rosary in its entirety together. David really felt great after this and realized what a silly mistake he has been making throughout the years of his life. He had been missing out on doing something wonderful for 49 years of his life.

David has made it his goal to try and help other men realize what they too have been missing out on with the creation of a new group on the internet. David's group goes by the name "Real Men Pray the Rosary".

The rosary consists of 59 beads that form into a shape that looks like a necklace. Each of the beads on the rosary is meant to have a prayer said while you hold the individual bead. 53 of the beads are meant for Hail Marys to be said on them, while the remaining 6 are intended for Our Fathers. While the traditional way of praying the rosary is to actually have a hold on the beads and move from one to the next, some fresh, innovative ways have been emerging as of late with the introduction of new technology.

The iPhone is now famous for its commercials claiming, "There's an app for that". Apple listed 150,000 different applications, or apps, for its iPhone, iPod Touch, and the new iPad. There have been a handful of apps to come out in the past year or so that let users pray the rosary on their Apple products digitally. How does this work? Well, a digital version of the rosary is displayed on the screen while the person using it prays just like they normally would on each bead. The apps let you even move the beads after you are done praying and are ready to move on to the next one.

While saying the rosary has become less popular in recent years, Catholics and Christians alike are trying to find more ways then just technology to revive its use. Different ways of saying it are being introduced and doing different things while saying it are also being brought to the table. Also rosary beads shaped to model footballs, baseballs, and basketballs are now being marketed to try and spark the interest of men and boys. The rosary is supposed to be a way to become closer with Jesus by praying and thinking about his life. Pope Benedict XVI is trying to encourage people to pray the rosary, and is also glad to see the recent increase in its popularity in the last few months stating, "the Rosary is experiencing a new springtime."

Two great signs that the rosary is making a comeback have been brought to attention by a group called Rosary Army, and also by Creed Rosary Manufacturing Company. Rosary Army shows anybody who wants to how make their own rosary out of twine. They also accept volunteers to just make rosaries so that they have some to hand out to individuals who really want them, but cannot afford it. Creed Rosary Manufacturing Company has noted a definite increase in rosary bead sales, and many different religious groups have been ordering the beads to fit custom descriptions that they like.

Some different rosary beads that have been reported have been quite strange, but pretty cool none the less. David Lerma of Mission Texas reportedly has a gigantic rosary that is kept inside a case because it is made from petals of roses. His group that gathers two times a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays is named the Prayer Warriors. They meet at a different members house each time they pray together.

It is great to see the rosary becoming something that is used widely again by members of the Catholic and Christian faith. The falling off of the rosary was not good and hopefully this recent upturn in its popularity keeps on going. If you are interested in learning about David Calvillo's rosary group they are on Facebook. If you search for "Real Men Pray the Rosary" you will come upon their page, which now has 6,000 friends and is growing by the minute.

Claire Pascal is a featured author at the best online store for all your Catholic needs, The Catholic Gift Shop. At the store you will find patron saint medals, Catholic rosaries and rosary beads, Confirmation, Christening, and Baptism gifts for anybody you know. However, The Catholic Gift Shop is not only limited to these items they have much, much more to offer as well. The Catholic Gift Shop is the site to visit for all of your religious needs!



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