You shouldn’t have done that
Today is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The Rosary has been a powerful devotion in my own life and was instrumental in the final step of my conversion to Catholicism.
As I recount in my conversion story:
One Sunday I made a decision I still do not understand: I decided to pray the Rosary every day for a week to see if I would receive any illumination in my struggle. I had never prayed a Rosary and was still uncomfortable with Marian devotion, even if intellectually I accepted that Mary had a pivotal role in salvation history. But I had seen many instances of Catholics praying the Rosary – usually in front of an abortion clinic – and there was a peace about them that I could sense, though not describe. I especially remember a night when a pro-abortion protester stood yelling obscenities at my fellow pro-lifer (who, incidentally, would later become my wife). In response she peacefully prayed a Rosary, while my insides were raging. This image still strikes me today.
So one Sunday morning as I sat alone in my dorm room, I picked up a Rosary and a Rosary booklet (both of which my Catholic roommate had the suspicious habit of leaving out on his desk) and knelt at my bed reciting the words. I didn’t feel any different after I was finished, but I had decided to give it a week, so that didn’t bother me. That night, though, I told my roommate about praying the Rosary. His response shocked me. He’d been trying to convert me for two years but all he said was “you shouldn’t have done that.” I thought he must have been kidding but then he said, “you don’t know what you just got yourself into.” Prophetic words.
I prayed (read, actually) the Rosary the next day, and again the next. At the end of that third Rosary, my “week-long” prayer had been answered: I knew that I should become Catholic. After two years of arguments and struggle, it took Mary only three days to show me the path to her son: the Catholic Church.
I highly recommend the Rosary to anyone and everyone; it will change your life as it changed mine.
Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!
The Rosary has long been known as powerful tool for conversion. It’s inspiring to read a story of actual conversion due to it.
If my mom hadn’t given me a Rosary, I don’t know where I would have been….Not Catholic, thats for sure!
What exactly was your inner struggle? What was your background religiously? To avow or credit Mary with Salvation History is a stretch (except for the Virgin Birth). How can a set of beads with scripted prayers be the illumination that brought your “conversion”? Mary is not part of the Gospel — see 1 Peter 1:2 for example or Romans 1:16-17, and countless other references. Her elevation to “Immaculate” is not biblical but traditional — and 1900 years after the fact. Just curious in my comments and given with all due respect.
I find Robert Sprung’s comments very odd. What does “(except for the Virgin Birth)” mean? The Virgin Birth is an essential part of Salvation History – it’s not a parenthesis. Mary’s role was essential. She had to assent to becoming the mother of Our Lord. She brought him up. The Bible goes so far as to say he was subject to her. She was also one of the few sympathisers present at his cruxifixion and was present at the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
Equally odd is “how can a set of beads with scripted prayers be the illumination…?” Surely Robert appreciates that it’s not the beads – it’s the prayers (or rather God’s response to them) that bring about the conversion. Does Robert think “scripted prayers” are invalid? In that case does he think we shouldn’t pray the Lord’s Prayer (one of the prayers of the Rosary)?
He also seems to have very little knowledge about how the Catholic Church defines dogmas. Pope Pius IX didn’t wake up one morning and think “Hey, let’s make a dogma to say Mary is immaculate!” The belief in Mary’s sinlessness developed in the earliest Christian centuries because it is considered to be implicit in the Gospel accounts:
“For on you, O Lord, there is no mark;
neither is there any stain in your Mother.”
St Ephrem the Syrian (c. 306-373)
I think Robert’s questions are legitimate, because I had them all myself at one point!
Robert,
My background religiously was as an Evangelical Protestant within the United Methodist church (follow the link in the article to my conversion story for more details). My inner struggle was that it became clear to me that Christ founded a visible church but none of the churches I was looking into seemed to fit the Scriptural criteria for Christ’s Church. Only in the Catholic Church did I see such a Church.
Catholics do not “credit Mary with Salvation History,” but we do see her as being given a very important role in that history. God has used many, many people – Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, Paul – to bring about the salvation of the world, and all of them were free instruments that could have said “no” to God. But they did not, and as such are important parts of Salvation History. Mary has the greatest role (apart from Christ himself), as her “yes” to God’s plan in her life allowed the Son of God to come into this world as a man.
Remember, a mother is not simply an incubator for a baby – she is a vital part of the formation of the child. Mary is no different. She gave birth to God the Son and she nursed Him and she raised Him. The Incarnation means that God really became man – he did not pretend to be a man, one who did not need an earthly mother. Mary’s role was not an insignificant role that can just be brushed aside as unimportant. The Gospel is the work of Christ in the world, and without Mary’s “yes” to God, that work would have never been possible.
And “How can a set of beads with scripted prayers be the illumination that brought your “conversion”?” Grace, pure and simple.
To understand Mary and her impact in the Church one should turn to the scriptures. No she does not just appear at the birth of our Lord. She appears at many very important points in the scriptures. Some that come to mind are:
1) Annunciation – angel comes to ask her if she will take on the rule of being the mother of the Christ. If Mary were to say no we will not be saved. She is the first to accept Jesus.
2) The Visitation – visits with her cousin Elizabeth and John jumps in Elizabeth’s womb when she hears that the mother of her Lord is present. Christ is present in Mary. She is the first person to be able to say that Jesus is in her. She is the new Arc of the Covenant. She holds the Lord.
3)The Birth of our Lord – Very pregnant Mary msut leave her home, travel many miles, and enter a very busy city. She is forced to have her Child (that she knows is the Son of Man) in a stable. Although she knows she is carrying the greatest gift, she is humble and willing to trust in God.
4) The Presentation in the Temple – She is told that a sword would pierce her heart. Even at a time of joy Mary is brought back to the fact that she will suffer for our Lord.
5) The Finding in the Temple – After looking for Jesus everywhere, Joseph and Mary find Him in the Temple teaching the scholars. Mary and Joseph both know who Jesus is yet they show us that even they did not truly understand how much knowledge Jesus had even as a child. And this story tells us that when you look to find Jesus, you may want to try to look in his Church for Him and not everywhere else.
6) The Miracle of Cana – It is because Mary asks Him that Jesus performs His first miracle. Even though Jesus tells Mary it is not His time she knows that Jesus will do this thing because she asked Him too. She tells the waiters to do as He says. This is why we should ask Mary to ask Jesus for favors. She is His mother. Jesus loves her very very much as any child loves a loving caring mother.
7) The Crucifixion and Death of Christ – Mary stands at the foot of the cross with her sister and Mary Magdalene and John. Jesus gives us Mary as our mother right before he dies. Mary becomes the mother of all of us. Jesus even in death shares what little he has left. He shares with us His mother that he loves so very much.
Mary not in the scriptures? I think you need to look again. She is mostly in the background but I am sure that Our Lady is present through most of it.
Father John Corapi offered the same advice to a non-Catholic. Something to the effect that if you want to become Catholic, say the rosary daily for 30 days. I’m butchering this memory, but I remember seeing him talk about it on one of his shows. It worked for the non-Catholic anyway – he converted. This is also the episode in which Corapi makes the point – obvious now to me – that “Jesus” is at the center of the Hail Mary (literally). I also want to add that “Hail Mary, full of God” comes from God Himself. Gabriel merely relays the message. When we pray the Hail Mary, we are repeating God’s words to Mary. Not the least of which is that she is FULL OF GRACE. Not half-full or a quarter-full, but full of grace, which is why God chose her to bear his Son. She is full of grace because he preserved her from original sin, and this of course, makes her Immaculate (and thus worthy to bear his Son). Death, which comes to us because of original sin, had no claim upon Mary, so guess where she is now? Here’s another Marian point. Look at King Solomon. Who did he appoint to be his Queen? Hmmm, his MOM. Jesus is the King of Heaven and Earth and guess whom he chose to be his queen. THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES PEOPLE! I know I’m preaching mostly to the choir and this is long and rambling as I am breaking for lunch and getting ready to go back to work, but I stumbled across this blog (coincidentally?) and thought I should respond. Thank you for your story, Eric.
Okay, I see the typo, it’s “Full of grace,” not full of God, although one could make the argument…
Okay, back to work now!
Eric, Dave and Ned- such great explanations! I might just copy them the next time I need to explain that -NO- we don’t worship Mary! Sometimes I just joke- do you think it’s a good idea to ignore a Jewish mother when you are trying to get close to her son?
Since Dave brought it up, let’s look at the Wedding Feast at Canna. Jesus does not just perform His 1st miracle. St. John tells us that this is when the apostles believed in Him for the first time! What is going on here? Well, the wine is a symbol of the Holy Spirit for one. Mary says not, they are out of wine, but they have no wine. There was no Holy Spirit poured out through the Old Covenant. She is saying, give them the Holy Spirit. He tells her that she is asking for his death on the cross. She already knows. Then, ask yourself, ‘Who are the bride and groom at this feast?’ It would appear that St. John is telling us through his recounting of this incident, that the Holy Spirit is poured out to us through the mystical marriage of Jesus and Mary. An overabundance of wine (Holy Spirit) at that, around 600 gallons! It is the entire gospel wrapped into one event. It seems that Mary does have a large role in salvation history after all, according to the Gospel at least. See Ignace De La Potterie’s, Mary in the Mystery of the Covenant for more!
Well, Blake, I wouldn’t say marriage of Jesus and Mary; otherwise, I very much like your explanation. Also, we do have to pay attention to the words themselves. Have you guys ever read, “Which Bible Should You Read,” by Thomas A. Nelson? He makes the point that we should be reading translations of the Vulgate, which Jerome wrote on his knees. The literal translation of the Vulgate in English is the Douay-Rheims Bible, which is where you read “full of grace,” and other words and phrases found in the Vulgate but missed in newer translations of the Bible. Nelson’s booklet is very short, very inexpensive, but very profound. After reading it you won’t read the Bible in the same way again.
Reading your “conversion story” and the comments are quite enlightening. Yes, I very much agree that praying the Holy Rosary, with faith and devotion, is our human response to the Divine…We realize that the mysteries of the Holy Rosary is actually salvation story…Next to the Eucharist, the Rosary is the highest prayer we can offer to the Blessed Trinity… I pray more people will come across your blog.
From the example of your “conversion story”, if any non-Catholic desires to become a Catholic, the ROSARY will pave the way. The Blessed Mother will undoubtedly lead him/her to her Son. Simply great!