Hi Brenda,

Thanks for the question.

I believe this is part of the story.

Just as he was shot he was bending over to look and bless a medal of Our Lady of Fatima, which a little girl was wearing. Had he been upright, the bullet would have killed him.

John

Hi Brenda,

You said:

• I'm thinking it was through her intercession, but wouldn't it have been better to say that God stopped the bullet on account of her prayers?

As Catholics we honor those that God honors, not because either the Saint or Our Blessed Mother did something on their own, but because all they do; they do, in and through Jesus; Our Lord and Savior.

You said:

• Also, do Catholics believe in a "spirit of Mary", similar to the Holy Spirit?

No! Catholics do not believe in a "spirit of Mary" in any way similar to the Holy Spirit, who is God. The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity and, though the Blessed Mother is the human spouse of the Holy Spirit, she is totally human. We don't worship Mary.

Catholics do have a great love for Our Blessed Mother for a good reason.

When you share the Gospel with a non-Christian, you are an instrumental means of salvation for them and because you are "In Christ", you are a co-mediator with Jesus called to preach the Gospel to the world. (1 Timothy 2:1-4) This is what He intended us to do.

Read the end of Matthew's Gospel. In the same way, Mary was the instrumental means of salvation for all mankind. Without Mary's "yes" to God the Father, and the angel Gabriel, Jesus could never have become incarnate-God, meaning a man. Nevertheless, neither you nor Mary saved the non-Christian by yourselves, but both of you help in assisting that non-Christian to know and learn about who Jesus is and the Catholic Church He founded.

These verses of Scripture show us several things.

1. That Mary was saved by God.
   
   Sacred Tradition and history tell us this was done in anticipation of the work of Our Lord. She was born immaculate, with no original sin on her soul, in anticipation of the merits of Our Lord's Passion and Death on Calvary.
   
   
2. That all generations would call her blessed.
   

• How many Bible-believing Protestants obey the Scriptures in Luke 1:48 and refer to
  Mary as the Blessed Mother (Mary)?

Note that the Scriptures state and the Church teaches "generations would call her blessed", not divine. Again, Catholics don't worship Mary in any way.

Hope this helps.

Mike

Hi Brenda,

Thanks for the question.

I have never heard the expression "the Spirit of Mary" and despite a little research, I cannot find any reference to this.

Certainly, it is always the Godhead who works any miracle. By its very definition, only God can work a miracle, but Mary (indeed, anyone, including the Saints in Heaven, or the souls in Purgatory) can intercede for us.

Mary's intercession is especially powerful, since she is the closest human to God, as evidenced by her Immaculate Conception.

Terry