From:   MX%"ejclimer@mdhost.cse.tek.com"  9-OCT-1997
To:     MX%"nemo@ludens.elte.hu"
Subj:   Re: Mariology

:Dearest Ferenc,

:Please hear another simple story. This one is a story about a
:King, a Queen, a Prince, and their servants in the world. Perhaps
:this story will make clear the role of Mary and the honor bestowed
:upon Her in God's Kingdom on earth and in Heaven. Indeed, no story
:can do justice to the full meaning which resides in God the
:Father, in Jesus His Son, nor in Mary the Bride of the Holy
:Spirit.

So you managed to define your "Mary" as the "Bride of the Holy Spirit"
at the very outset, without any semblance of proof. You declare "Her"
mysterious and unfathomable ab initio. Nice beginning.

:You will notice immediately that the Holy Spirit is absent
:from this simple yet elaborate story. This is but a human story.
:It's purpose is not to teach about the Trinity, but, to explain in
:simple terms something of the relationship between catholics, the
:servants of God, and Mary, the Mother of Jesus. If you can please
:read it within that context, I would be most pleased. May God thus
:bless you.

You too. This includes my wish that God open your eyes to see how much
He had given to you in Christ. In refuting your story, I by no means
disapprove of your serious commitment towards God's abundant mercy.
However, I have to point out to several instances by which your story
(which is undoubtedly a sincere one, coming from true devotion) violates
Christ's unique mediatorship.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

:The simple, yet elaborate story:

:Suppose that their exists a Royal family, consisting of a Father
:who is King, a Mother who is Queen, and a Son who is Prince.

So the "Queen" precedes the Son.

:Suppose again that the King is known to be perfect, and will
:receive no one into his court unless they likewise are perfect.
:Suppose that those who have tried to enter into the King's court
:unprepared have met with severe judgement and rejection and that
:the King is known to be perfect in His judgements. Suppose to that
:the King's Son, the Prince, having been born of noble blood, has
:offerred Himself up as sacrifice, as ransom, for the many
:imperfect servants within the Kingdom, and that all those wishing
:to enter into the King's court might now do so, if only they
:believe in the saving power of the Son's sacrifice. Now suppose
:that the King, having witnessed his Son's sacrifice, chooses to
:bestow honor upon Him, and gives all that He owns into the
:power of the Prince. The King even gives the Prince the power to
:judge all His servants. Suppose too, that since the Prince is of
:royal stock, being the Son of the King and Queen, that He too
:is perfect in his judgements as the King is. Now suppose that
:a servant, knowing full well the extent of his own sinfulness,
:presumes to approach the Prince to enter into the King's court.

Quite faithful picture so far.

:The servant knows too that the Prince is perfect in his love for
:him, as he remembers that the Prince offered up His own life so
:that all servants might enter into the King's court. Now suppose,
:that even knowing this that the servant becomes afraid, unable to
:fully trust in the Prince's love, charity and foregiveness.

It must be out of ignorance that he lacks trust in Christ. "Whoever
comes to me I will by no means cast out." "Whoever calls on the Lord's
name shall be saved." "Whoever sees the Son and believes in Him will
never thirst." "Whoever loses his soul for my sake shall gain it."
"Who confesses Me before the people that one I will also confess
before My Father." "My yoke is useful and my burden light." "I am
the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep."

:The King and the Prince are known to even be able to foregive this
:lack of trust, this lack of faith, but, yet, the servant is unable
:to find the courage to face the King nor even His loving and
:foregiving Prince. The servant, thus imperfect in his own love
:and faith, is overwhelmed with shame, and paralyzed in fear.

Despite Christ's ardent calling: "Come too me, you overburdened and
tired ones, and I will give you rest"? "Learn of me as I am meek and
humble-hearted."

:The servant learns of a another approach to the King and His Son.

And in hiss mind the image of the "Prince" grows even gloomier.

:He learns of the Queen's desire for all servants to enter into
:the King's court. The servant learns that the Queen is perfectly
:patient, kind and compassionate toward all servants, and that the
:Queen has an ear with the King and the Prince.

In the manner of "St" Alphonsus od Liguori, who raked together a
cartload of Mariac statements from ecclesiastical writers, among
them many forged testimonies? His quotation from Bernard of Clairvaux
is, however, genuine: "The prayers of Mary are heard by God just as
if they were commands." An arrant, hideous, nefarious blasphemy.

:The servant learns from his fellows servants that the Queen does
:not judge servants as the King and Prince do, but, that she listens
:to their fears, calms their troubled hearts, fortifies their courage,
:and prepares them thus to accept the foregiveness and mercy of the
:prince.

Do you assert that Christ's judgment excludes His compassion? "We
have not such an High Priest who couldn't be moved to compassion by
our weaknesses, but one who suffered temptation in all respects."

:The servant learns than for thousands of years

It might be a family of quite senile persons by now. "Thousands
of years"? How frightening the Queen must be in such an age!

:the Queen has been a means for millions and millions of servants to
:find their way to the Prince. That the Queen Herself has been known
:to go out into the world seeking lost servants, fearful servants,
:sinful servants, servants overwhelmed with shame, and that she has
:a history of being trustworthy, and compassionate toward all of
:the servants She has encountered, and that She nurses them, She
:builds them up, She blesses them, and prepares them for the day
:when they will choose to enter into the Kings court, to face the
:Prince, and give an accounting of their service to Him.

The main character is the "Queen." The "Prince" is just the dark
background to further emphasize her gooodness! Horrid blasphemy!

:And the servants do so, and in doing so they honor the Queen, they
:remember how she helped them, and they worship the King and the
:Prince, for the King chose such a loving Queen to be the Mother of
:his Prince.

So God is adored because He chose exactly Mary and not someone else.
What is this puerile conjecture good for?

:Indeed, the King chose the most loving servant within his Kingdom
:to be the Mother of His Prince.

No. The adulterous woman was that loved Him the most of all, because
it was her to whom He forgave the most. Moreover, the greatest love
is manifested by that One who gives over His life for His friends.

:And the King, having witnessed the humility and suffering of his
:Queen, having witnessed Her loyalty to Him even during the time
:when the King allowed her Son the Prince to offer himself up as a
:sacrifice for all the lowly servants, the King bestowed a blessing
:upon the Queen,

"Jesus Christ showed His love towards us by havin died for us when we
were still sinners." "Who didn't spare His only Son... how could not
give everything to us with Him"? - This fact do you have to hurl into
oblivion.

:and He sent messengers into the world to announce his blessing upon
:the Queen, for She was indeed Blessed among all the women servants
:of the world. And having been so blessed, the King made Her His Queen
:upon Her entrance into His court.

So that the sacrifice of the Prince should be obliterated by this
"blessing"? Indeed, the "fact" that the Queen was rewarded for her
deeds but the Prince was not (despite what is written: "...He didn't
consider it a prey that He is equal to God, but He emptied Himself...
being obedient until death... Therefore the Father gave Him a name
which is above all names ... so that every tongue confessed that
Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.") betrays that
this conclusion of mine is well-founded.

You advocate a method of Mariac devotion which is based on your
incomplete knowledge about our mighty Mediator. Him do you allege
to be hard-hearted when you resort to the "Queen." His love do you
diminish when you have recourse to Mary. His compassion do you
belittle when you seek hearing with her.

Don't take these words of mine as a malignant offense. I'd like
to prompt you to learn what the Scripture says about Christ. Yes,
He is our Judge. But He is our Saviour as well. Bear in mind how
grievous an offense it is against Him to opt for another mediator,
of whom nothing of this kind is written.