the_rev Posted November 16, 2005 Posted November 16, 2005 The Virgin Mary gaining admirers BY CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS Knight Ridder Newspapers COLUMBIA, S.C. - They're wearing "Mary Is My Homegirl" T-shirts and bracelets, and not all of them are Roman Catholic. Once mainly a devotional figure for Catholics, Mary and her role as a woman of God now are studied by Anglicans and other Christian denominations. "Mary is my friend ... for me, she's the ultimate example of a woman who said yes to God," said Betsy Biega, parish administrator at St. Martin's in the Fields Episcopal Church off Clemson Avenue in Columbia, S.C. In May, leaders of the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches released a study that encouraged members of both churches to regard Mary as a figure of devotion, even though there remains some theological disagreement about aspects of Mary and her role in the church. "Mary Is My Homegirl" T-shirts made by Teenage Millionaire, a California-based clothing company, have become one of the company's biggest sellers nationwide and recently got a mention on "The Gilmore Girls," a humorous TV drama about a mother-daughter relationship. The shirt sports a figure of the Virgin Mary, some made in gold or silver lame on a black background. "In the past, there have been reservations about what some people see as `Mary-olatry,' or seeming to worship Mary," said the Rev. James Lyon, pastor of Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in downtown Columbia. "The new position is that there's nothing wrong with appropriate devotion. The key is to keep in mind that Mary can be seen as someone who points the way toward her son, Jesus Christ." None of this surprises members of the Protestant and Catholic communities who see Mary as an important spiritual figure for today's Christians. "Mary is an intercessor for the people of God, a model of submission and obedience to the will of God for the whole Christian church," Lyon said. Lyon's church recites the rosary, a Mary-related devotional prayer, once a week, and for several years it has taken part in a group recitation of the rosary with members of St. Joseph Catholic Church on Devine Street. "Mary Is My Homegirl" T-shirts can't be found for sale in Columbia stores, but Megan Shealy, manager of St. Francis Catholic Shop in Irmo, S.C., is thinking about ordering them. She wears a "Mary Is My Homegirl" bracelet she found at a Spencer's gift store, and she thinks the items are a great idea for young Catholics and others. "Items like this are becoming a new method of communication for young people who want to share their beliefs," Shealy said. She said a similar bracelet, "Jesus is My Homie," is hard to keep on the shelves at the St. Francis store. Lyon thinks "nothing but good" can come from shirts and other items that allow young Christians to express an interest in Mary. "If a youngster gets excited about what Mary can say to him or her, I think that only helps direct them toward Jesus," he said. Some Protestant churches, especially Episcopal and United Methodist, in recent years have offered Bible studies and classes that focus on the Virgin Mary as a model for Christian women. Biega, who regularly uses the rosary as a means of devotion, thinks more Protestants are becoming interested in learning about Mary because she offers a symbol of what women can become through the love of God. "What attracts women is the need to understand the significance of our mother Mary as the child who said yes to God."
tojo Posted November 17, 2005 Posted November 17, 2005 As I'v ementioned before, my United Methodist roommate prays the rosary with the student group every Tuesday, and says all sorts of Marian prayers (Hail Mary, Hail Holy Queen, Loving Mother of the Redeemer, etc) at other times, like night prayer.
sweetpea316 Posted November 17, 2005 Posted November 17, 2005 Awesome... it's great to hear that others are learning how great she is, including myself!
tojo Posted November 17, 2005 Posted November 17, 2005 It's been almost a year since my first, tentative, not sure if it was really okay prayer for Mary's intercession...... ah the memories..... I believe my first Rosary was on Christmas Day, how appropriate! (I got my first rosary for Christmas last year.)
sweetpea316 Posted November 17, 2005 Posted November 17, 2005 Awww...awesome! I prayed my first rosary earlier this year. Twas great.
tojo Posted November 17, 2005 Posted November 17, 2005 I'm pretty sure I got all mixed up the first time, lol....
tojo Posted November 17, 2005 Posted November 17, 2005 I was surprised to discover a bit earlier tho, that I knew the whole Hail Mary....
scardella Posted November 17, 2005 Posted November 17, 2005 (edited) Hey, keep it up! Me in my 20-something wanna-be-crustiness needs you youngsters to keep me fueled up w/ the fire of youth and blazing desire for holiness! I could use a cane already... in my best grandpappy voice: "When I was your age, we had to carve rosary beads out of sticks with our teeth! Then we had to walk 50 miles uphill both ways through rain, fire and snow just to get it blessed! Then we had to fight off hordes of demons just to say the Sign of the Cross. You youngsters these days just don't know how good you've got it!" Edited November 17, 2005 by scardella
Proud2BCatholic139 Posted November 17, 2005 Posted November 17, 2005 I really don't like the "Mary is my homegirl t-shirts." I guess I do, it depends on how you were them. Especially when people just use crucifixes just as a piece of jewlery. Not really thinking of the meaning behind it. If that makes sense. I just don't like how it is worded.
sweetpea316 Posted November 17, 2005 Posted November 17, 2005 I totally understand. When people wear these things without having any idea about their significance or anything... Kinda bugs me too. Like in Lindsey Lohan's new music video, where she has a rosary and I can't help but wonder if she knows what it even is. But that's another tangent... lol
Proud2BCatholic139 Posted November 17, 2005 Posted November 17, 2005 Ugh!!!!!!! Just reading that just makes me angry.
sweetpea316 Posted November 17, 2005 Posted November 17, 2005 Lol...well then I advise you to never watch the music video, cause it definitely frustrated me.
tojo Posted November 17, 2005 Posted November 17, 2005 [quote name='sweetpea316' date='Nov 17 2005, 12:42 PM']Like in Lindsey Lohan's new music video, where she has a rosary and I can't help but wonder if she knows what it even is. But that's another tangent... lol [right][snapback]792979[/snapback][/right] [/quote] Is Lindsay Lohan (technically) Catholic?
son_of_angels Posted November 17, 2005 Posted November 17, 2005 I wonder, though, when shall we have saints like St. Anthony or St. Simeon the Stylite or St. Benedict again. All these "ecumenical" approaches to popular devotions are great, in that they propose a real hunger on the part of people for the truth of God. But when shall we teach people the steps of humility, self-denial, and solitude. After all, the cross of Christ is not just something to comfort us when we feel bad, but something we must take up, of our own free will, that we may live into the "white martyrdom" envisioned by our earlier ascetic saints. I worry about Christianity becoming too easy, when it is in fact the narrow way.
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