All About Mother Mary

[caterpillar-girl]

Do you pray to Mary? What's your experience with her like? Or meron ba at all?

Lately kasi I've been trying to develop a personal relationship with her. I studied in an all girl's school that celebrated her assumption to heaven, from kinder all the way to high school and yet I never, as in never, really had a relationship with her.  For some reason, out of nowhere, or siguro since we just celebrated her birthday recently, naisip ko lang magdasal sa kanya. I have a lot to pray for pero for now I don't want to even think about imploring her intercession. Gusto ko lang magdasal. I don't even know where to begin. I don't even know how to pray the rosary anymore.

What's your experience with her like? If any, that is.

[mariz11]

Ako din I was suddenly inspired to pray to her. Gawa na rin nung nag-se-search ako ng novena prayer biglang lumabas sa search results yung thread ng Novena and found out na madami pa palang novena dedicated to her. There are no rules in praying to her naman sis caterpillar-girl basta call onto her.

I started to pray the Express Memorare kasi maikli lang tapos express prayer nga siya. I can truly attest to it kasi natupad agad yung prayer ko when I first prayed it. 4th day ko today. Petty lang yun pero it means a lot to me:) hopefully yung iba kong prayers masagot na. What's amazing with this prayer kasi is yung story behind it and how it really helped other people such as Mother Theresa... I wanted to pray the 54day novena sana kaya lang alam ko di ko pa kayang panindigan kasi rosary eh. Kinokompleto ko pa materials ko for the prayer saka di ba 4 mysteries na? Di updated ang data bank ko! Ahehe! Pero you know when I started to pray to her ang gaan ng feeling. Yung hope ko nadagdagan kahit na gaano ka-impossible yung prayer ko, alam ko maririnig yung prayers ko at parang nakikipagusap/nagkukuwento/nagsusumbong lang ako sa nanay ko. Knowing na naiintindihan niya yung nararamdaman ko pray ka lang. Ang sarap sa puso

[caterpillar-girl]

Wow express memorare? Parang express lane! I guess the Catholic Church really is keeping up with the times. Thank you for that sis mariz. Like you gusto ko sana mag novena but knowing me, hindi ko matatapos yun. I will probably last 3 days, max. Then that's it. Life will suddenly take over and before I know it, wala na nakalimutan ko nanaman. So I'm just trying to make it as constant as possible. But I think it's worth it so try lang natin. Who knows.

purple_tips, buti ka pa you have a story to share. Ako wala. I do choose to believe what happened to you was divine intervention. I've had similar experiences before, when miracles happened in work, school, in my family life, pero I don't remember Mary specifically in those contexts.

I've been researching on prayer apps. So far I've downloaded zero. Haha. Maybe that's my first petition. Mary teach me how to pray!

A lot of my Born Again Christian friends, actually ALL, think Mary shouldn't be worshipped. And I tell them over and over again, tama ka. She shouldn't. What we do (or try to do at least) isn't worshipping. It's veneration. Anyway mahirap naman iexplain especially when they quote bible stuff and their biblical knowledge is vastly superior to mine. Hehe. But still, inisiip ko, blessed is she among women. Enough for me to want to know her better.

[mariz11]

sis caterpillar-girl yes may ganun nga! Pero syempre depende pa rin kay papa God kung gaano niya kabilis sasagutin prayers mo. Like what I've said petty lang yun kaya siguro sinagot agad Pero totally unexpected.

Sis try mo search yung "Ora et labora" sa google play. Meron siyang Common prayers, Special Times, and prayer to a saint. Mamimili ka na lang english yung app don't worry OR search for mama mary na lang then lalabas ang lahat ng options na pwede ma-download.

With regards sa worshipping we do not worship her. We only worship Lord our God, si Papa Jesus... and the Holy Spirit (since 3persona, di ba? Pero di ako knowledgeable dito so pls explain na rin sa akin anyways... just like the saints we only pray to mama Mary. For me ganun, ha? Kumbaga we ask her intervention to pray for us as well. Knowing her makes me think mas malakas siya kay papa God kasi she's the mother of papa Jesus. haha! Pero that was just me so ayun. We have special respect for her but not to the point that we worship her the way we worship papa God.

sis purple_tips grabe naiyak ako sa story mo! Naalala ko one time I was so down. Papunta ako nun sa St. Jude for the weekly novena. Sa van habang nakatulala ako sa bintana bigla kong nakita yung signage ng "Our Lady of Manaoag". Sabi ko baka may sign siya for me... Then pagdating ko sa St. Jude di ko talaga ine-expect ito. May white rosa sa Image niya! White rose is the sign I asked papa God to determine something kaya lang di pa ako nakakapag-dasal sa knya ulit. Kaya siguro medyo nawawala yung vibe ko. Grabe si God, no? He leads you sa mga pwede mo pagdasalan most specially when you are about to lose hope. And in our case sa mama ng anak niya tayo itinuro (parang kapitbahay lang e haha!)

Just do not lose hope and faith. And whenever you feel like di ka pinapakinggan at nawawalan ka na ng pagasa at pasensya Pray ka lang na bigyan ka pa ng hope and mahabang patience. Ask and you shall receive and believe that you have received it. Sometimes it takes time kasi for them to answer our prayers para daw mas special pag-receive natin and para may lesson din tayong matutunan.

[chiqmom]

I grew up in a family who religiously attend the Perpetual Help Novena. I am also a Bicolana so malapit loob namin to Our Lady of Penafrancia and yung sa Our Lady of Salvation. When I pray for the kids, I asked for Mama Mary's intercession. Yung fact na mother din siya somehow gives me the confidence that she will help me with my prayers.

Sis, you know The Memorare? I find this prayer so powerful.


REMEMBER, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother; to thee do I come; before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.

[alice_alice]

Mga sis can you please share how to pray the Express Memorare? Paano siya? 9 consecutive days mo dadasalin then you start over?

Ako naman mga sis galing din sa exclusive school we pray to Mama Mary too.
Mary help of Christians. Since I was not able to attend a mass nung birthday niya.
Nagoffer ako sa Rosary. I want to learn sana itong Express Memorare.

[mariz11]

chiqmom yes. tapos 9 times mo dadasalin continuous for 9 days. nakakalito magbilang minsan. lalo na yung 24 glory be's! pero ok lang. at least yung mind ko focus sa pag-pray hindi sa ibang bagay na ikasasama lang ng loob ko or magpapa-worry sa akin. I just started last september 9 kasabay ng kay St. Therese... The memorare returned yung kirot sa dibdib ko whenever I pray. I associate it with pain/hurt pero sabi ko ok lang kasi at least nararamdaman ko ulit yung ganung feeling. Tinatalaban na ulit ako ng dasal! It's working! And yes I can feel its power by just looking at my copy parang it's telling me "Magtiwala ka lang masasagot din yan. Pero unti-unti lang. Patience lang. Kasi wala ka nun." haha!

[caterpillar-girl]

I downloaded an app, for the rosary. Free lang for iPhone. It's called Rosary Prayer. Hehe. Straightforward no nonsense. Maganda kasi it contains all the prayers I've forgotten, plus the biblical passage per mystery, and the fruit of mystery you're praying on. So it's nice.

Truthfully I haven't been able to meditate on the mysteries yet. Ahehe. I just find that the repetition in the rosary is really therapeutic. And I find that I love praying for other people. My friend's pregnancy, my mom's birthday, etc. It makes me calm.

Natutuwa ako kasi I've been reading on Marian devotees, and of course sila Tita Cory (tita talaga!), Padre Pio, and Pope John Paul II are all Marian devotees. So it's nice to have something in common with them. 

^purple_tips, I think one other concern that people have when Catholics pray to Mary is that, baka you'll love her more than you love God or Jesus. Which I think isn't true. I think it's the opposite, the more you pray to Mary you develop a better relationship with God, like what your tita said.

[nathanielle]

^Yes, if I remember correctly, they have a special devotion to Our Lady of Fatima.

I try to pray the rosary regularly as well, ever since Mother Mary helped me at a very difficult time in my life.

What I do, on particularly hectic days, I divide the rosary. Meaning I pray one decade while I'm driving, another decade while I'm waiting at the bank, etc. So nakakatapos talaga ako ng rosary araw araw. I'm not sure if that practice is all right, but at least nakakatapos ako ng isang buong rosaryo maski papaano.

[caterpillar-girl]

^I've never thought of that sis nathanielle. Baka nga pwede yun. I pray the rosary in the afternoon, the one hour that I have all to myself before my husband comes home from work.

I find Our Lady of Fatima intriguing too. Especially the secrets. I know they've been revealed already but it's still all shrouded in mystery to me. But I find the story of how Mary appeared to the children really fascinating.

[quinone]

i studied sa catholic school pero kahit na daily halos magpray kami ng rosary there you never get used to the feeling na parang ang tagal/mahaba siya dasalin.

so what i do is use my phone to login sa youtube and pray the rosary with video. ang maganda doon, hindi ko feeling na mahaba siya at the same time sinasabi rin yung mystery ng rosary.

[alice_alice]

Hi mga sis I need help, just to make sure I'm doing the novena right, I started the Express Novena earlier and I just wanted to ask if the intentions I said kanina while be the same for the next 8 days? Since 9 days ko itong ipepray tama ba? Di pwedeng palitan?

[mariz11]

^sis what I do is same petitions for every repetitions, for 9days. Actually same petitions ako for all novena. And then dinadagdagan ko na lang kapag may additional request ako. Besides alam na naman nila kung anong hihilingin mo even before you say it to them

[alice_alice]

Thanks sis! Nagsearch kasi ako sa internet and sometimes conflicting information kasi iba ang versions na nababasa ko sa iba ibang prayer sites pero sabi naman wala namang maling paraan to do the novena.

The express memorare is really a fascinating and very powerful prayer.

[mariz11]

^You're welcome!

I haven't finished an express memorare yet. nasimulan ko lang. Siguro natuliro ako sa dami ng dinadasal ko kaya i finished the other novenas I am praying muna. Thanks for the reminder. Mukhang tinatawag talaga ako to pray it.

Yes sabi nga it is a very powerful prayer. I will pray it kapag nag-start na ulit ako ng 9-day novenas ko para sabay2 din ang tapos.

Ang nababasa ko usually dito is you will repeat it 9x for 9 days. Yan ang sinusunod ko. As long as nasa puso mo naman and talagang naniniwala ka na it will work no matter how you pray it it will work. Sabi nga nasa puso ang himala

Let's continue to pray lang and kapit lang and believe that someday, somehow mabibigay din sa atin yung hinihiling natin. God bless sa atin!

[caterpillar-girl]

sis quinone, I tried praying the rosary using YouTube. Ang galing! I listened to this "interactive" version, meaning may leader who leads the rosary, and then you answer. Designed for participation. Ang ganda! May background music pa hehe. Thank you for the suggestion. It gives a whole new depth to the experience of praying the rosary.  

[mariz11]

^thanks sis! Grabe! Just what I needed right now. Need ko na talaga kausapin si mama Mary at dasalin ang Memorare. Thank you papa God!

[bluish_mommy]

i am also a Marian devotee. i thank GOD for giving us Mary to intercede for us.

[quinone]

baka makatulong sa iba:

Mama Mary left for all Christians Fifteen Promises to those who recite the Holy Rosary; imparted to Saint Dominic and Blessed Alan: http://www.themostholyrosary.com/15promises.htm

[shadow_man]

you can always say multiple intentions in a novena. trust me God's mercy has no limit

Its great that there are still modern women out there who maintain their devotion to the Virgin Mother. As one theologian perfectly stated "fear not to love Mother Mary as much as you can, for you can not love her as much as Jesus did".

Mary was foretold in Genesis as the New Eve. It was because of a woman's (Eve) disobedience that humanity was condemned, yet because of a woman's (Mary) obedience humanity was save by delivering the Messiah to the world.

Mary as the New Ark of the Covenant. If in the old days God ordered His people to give due reverence to the ark of the covenant which carry loaves of bread, how much more for the Ark that will carry His only Begotten Son.

Archangel Gabriel who stands before the throne of the Father, made an unequivocal declaration when he said "Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with you, blessed are you amongst women, for blessed is the fruit of your womb..." Arch Gabriel's declaration is a praise given only to royalties, thus Mary is not an ordinary human, but was chosen from all women, saved before any man, so that she will be spotless and worthy vessel to carry the WORD which was made flesh, the Word that existed before anything else, and from Whom all was created.

Keep strong your devotion to Mary, and she will bring you closer to her Son... Just dont forget that whatever favor she grants you, it was not from her, but from the Father Who wills it, through her powerful intercession.