There are many thongs that separate different Christian denominations - it's what makes us a follower of that particular faith. One of the main differences between the Catholic faith and Protestantism is our devotion to and love of Mary. It's one of the main differences (belief wise) that distinguishes our Church. Many followers of other Christian sects will grab hold of this and try to show that we worship Mary, and all the other Saints, which is wrong and should be for reserved for God alone.
Sometimes this person is so blind to Biblical teachings, they will call Our Lady a harlot (or something similar) in their quest to prove that we are wrong. Even if we ARE in fact wrong, that shouldn't mean you can call the Mother of Jesus Christ - God Himself - and be considered a true Christian. Jesus would not be impressed with such a statement, much like you or anyone else would be disgusted if someone referred to your own flesh mother in a similar way!
Almost ten years ago when I found my faith in God after a serious, horrific accident (killing my girlfriend as a result) I started to look into the faith of my upbringing as well as other Christian denominations. Being a cradle-Catholic, it wasn't until that time I realised that only we Catholic's revere Mary. I once thought that the Pope was the head of ALL Christendom: not just the head of Catholicism! After visiting different churches, finding A LOT missing from the way I remembered, I returned fully to my Catholic faith. One of the main reasons was to do with beliefs - one of the main ones being Marian Devotion: I couldn't be a Christian without having Mary in my belief system.
Last year when I was in hospital for an extended period of time (about 2-months) I was getting more involved in my faith after a period of very little spiritual practice. I would wear my Green Scapular everyday, only taking it off when I was stripped to nothing for heart surgery. I was praying every day, going to the hospital chapel for Catholic Mass once or twice a week and the day of my operation was the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima.
Many times, particularly at the moment, I feel like I am letting God down... I then realise I'm thus letting myself down. I need to be more disciplined in my actions, which is my main goal this August whilst I have the house to myself - just me and my four-year-old cat, Nunji.
Last week I wrote how I'm currently reading "The Way" (which is still going on) but I'm also going to start reading, bit-by-bit, pieces from the "Marian Movement of Priests" (MMP) handbook, also known as the Blue Book. I opened it a couple of months ago, and it is a little to early yet for me to write much about it, yet; but it is another book that I will be constantly flipping through for guidance. Just like "The Way", it is numbered throughout which makes looking things a breeze.
When I get more in the swing of life - spiritually - I plan to make consecrate myself to Our Lady. I feel the Holy Spirit working inside me more and more each day as I slowly yet surely change my life in many ways for the better.
Here is a link to a good article I read on "Catholic Exchange" titled "5 Facts to Ignore Before Accusing Catholics of 'Mary Worship'".
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