To worship Mary would be a grave sin, because worship is reserved for God alone. So why do Catholics pray to Mary and venerate statues of her?
Catholics venerate, or honor, Mary in prayer and song. Some people mistake prayer and veneration for worship, but to Catholics, they aren‘t the same thing. Prayer is simply entering into communication with a holy spirit. Veneration is giving special honor to a saint. Worship is for God alone, and Catholics worship only God through the mass.
Does the Bible Say to Honor Mary?
Critics of Marion devotion say that the Bible doesn’t say to honor Mary, and therefore it shouldn’t be done. However, in Luke’s gospel, Mary’s cousin Elizabeth said “Blessed are you among women” and Mary acknowledges this blessing by saying “all generations shall call me blessed” (Luke 1:48).
Both women realized that Mary was uniquely blessed because she was entrusted with the honor of carrying God-in-human-form, Jesus Christ, in her womb. She alone was chosen for the highest honor in the history of the world. Catholics understand that if she is special enough for God to honor her, then she is certainly special enough for humankind to honor her too.
Why Do Catholics Make Such a Big Deal about Mary?
In a word: Jesus. Catholics make so much of Mary because of her son; the one she conceived, bore, nursed, nurtured, taught, raised, and ultimately suffered for through the unspeakable grief of a mother losing her child. Whereas all the priests, prophets, kings, evangelists, and apostles bore witness to the word, Mary actually bore the Word. This puts her in a class by herself.
How Can Mary Be the Mother of God?
Protestants often object to the Catholic tradition of calling Mary the "Mother of God,” arguing that she is nothing more than the mother of Jesus’ human body. The Church teaches that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine and his two natures cannot be separated. If Mary gave birth to Jesus, she gave birth both parts of him, both the part which is human and the part which is God. Mary gave birth to a divine/human being, one who is completely man and also completely God. Therefore Mary is the "Mother of God."
Why Pray to Mary When You Can Go Directly to Jesus?
All good mothers pray for their children and Mary is no exception. If God is the Father of believers, and Jesus is the brother, then Mary is the spiritual mother of the faithful, and Catholics believe that she is very influential with her son.
Remember, Jesus worked his first miracle at the wedding in Cana (he turned water into wine) at his mother’s request. When Catholics pray to Mary they are asking her to pray to her son on their behalf because according to Tradition (the sacred oral teachings of the Church), her prayers carry a lot of weight with her divine son.
Are There Other Reasons to Honor Mary?
Mary is worth honoring and emulating because she is the ideal example of perfect obedience to God. Knowing that she could be stoned to death for carrying a baby conceived out of wedlock, she still said “yes” to God: “Let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). When she said “yes” to God she demonstrated perfect courage, perfect obedience and perfect faith.
Mary is a pillar of strength. She stands, not swoons, at the base of the cross as her son’s life is ripped away. Mary understands human suffering. Her own life was full of suffering: a problem pregnancy, a difficult delivery in a faraway land, a son who was deemed mentally unstable by his own family and was ultimately killed like a common criminal.
Mary bore her suffering with strength, dignity and perfect faith. For these and countless other reasons Catholics worldwide continue to appreciate and venerate Mary.
The copyright of the article Do Catholics Worship Mary? in Catholic Practices is owned by Francine Morrissette. Permission to republish Do Catholics Worship Mary? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
i dont think this arguement justifies worshoping mary because the same way
that she requested for jesus to turn the water to wine many people asked
him for miracles which he did so if that was the case then we would be
worshiping every single person who jesus did a miracle for.... and yes she
was blessed to be chosen to be the mother of god something we all
acknowledge but that dosent mean pray to her because no where in the bible
does it say pray to mary so that your prayer can be more effective...
Aug 26, 2009 11:05 AM
Guest :
wor·ship (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/worship) –verb (used
with object) 6. to render religious reverence and homage to. 7.
to feel an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing). –verb (used without object) 8. to render religious reverence and
homage, as to a deity. 9. to attend services of divine worship. 10. to feel an adoring reverence or regard. Catholic doctrine might
fall short of calling Mary a god, but she is certainly an object of worship
in Catholic tradition. Even in this article the language used (veneration,
prayer, honor etc.), differ little from the dictionary definition of
worship.
Sep 1, 2009 1:39 AM
Guest :
Guys, somewhere you understand the scripture wrong. Please let us know
the reference in Bible where it is said, "Pray to Mary. And her
prayers carry a lot of weight." Where in Bible Jesus taught you that
way. Dont twist the scripture. We consider Mary blessed. And she is
just a vessel chosen by God to fulfill God's purpose on earth. If u
say u dont worship Mary, why do u bow down before her statue? Wat
difference do u have from other religion? How can u blindly refuse the
commandment of God. I was very much grieved when one non-believer
said, "Catholics are similar to people in our religion" and he
asked me if i can send him a picture of Mary so that he can keep in his
desk and worship her along with all other Gods. Where is your testimony
here with non believers??? Im seriously burdened for u all... Please be wise.. For the second comin of Jesus s very near.
Sep 2, 2009 8:25 AM
Guest :
about influences and weights regarding prayer, it that would be the case,
wouldn't the grace of God be rendered insufficient? Grace, as I understand
it is something that we do not deserve yet it is being given to us
FREELY. in addition, weights and influences are very human
characteristics (similar to partiality). would a holy God then bend His
rules since Mary asked something of Him? would He favor this person since
Mary intervened for him? I am sorry but a lot of people out there are
being misled discreetly and as such, the glory that is attributable to God
alone is not being shared by a created being (Mary).
Sep 17, 2009 11:31 AM
Guest :
im sorry to say this but all of you nonbelievers are very ignorant...it is
clearly explaining the fact of why shes important to us we dont worship
her....when we pray to her we ask her to help us pray to god...just like
how you guys get other people to help you pray for something...it is
ignorant catholics or some who dont know anything that do that and cause it
to look bad on us
Sep 26, 2009 4:02 PM
Guest :
To the guest who asks if God would bend His rules because Mary asked
something of Him, the same question could be asked of anyone who asks God
for something in prayer. Why would St. Paul pray for the Colossians (Col.
1:3) and ask them to pray for him and Timothy (Col. 4:3 if prayer is not
answered?
Oct 2, 2009 7:31 AM
Guest :
It is a fact though that Mary is seen by many Catholics as an object of
worship especially in Latin America. No amount of denial or long
theological explanations can alter that fact. As a Christian I honor and
respect Mary the Mother of Jesus but she concieved by the Holy Spirit and
was not able to manifest this miracle on her own. Ergo, she was the Mother
of Jesus but not the Word of God because he exists past , present and
eternally as per John 1:1-14.
Oct 2, 2009 9:42 AM
Guest :
It's true that there are many cult religions based on Mary, even satanic
cults, voodo cults, and witchcraft-like cults where Mary is the earth
mother. But just because THOSE people "worship" Mary in an unholy
way it doesn't mean that EVERYONE who honors Mary is being sacreligious.
Maybe some Catholics do "worship" Mary and that is really sad,
but the Catholic Church does NOT promote or even tolerate worship of anyone
other than the One-God-as-Holy-Trinity. Worship of Mary is NOT a Catholic
doctrine and the Church is strongly against it.
Oct 4, 2009 5:19 PM
Guest :
I think it is sad that this is actually put here "Why Pray to Mary
When You Can Go Directly to Jesus?" Trying to explain this is just
sad. I love Mary and adore her very much. She was very blessed and no woman
will every suprass her blessing, that she was the mother of Jesus/God. BUT
asking her to pray for your behalf negates what Jesus came for and what the
Holy Spirit was left behind for. There are ONLY THREE - The Father, The Son
and The HOLY SPIRIT....those are the only three that are needed for prayer.
I am a devout Christian and I fail to see how Mary plays a role in prayer
AT ALL. She is very special and will forever be, as a woman I will try to
be like her, but I will never pray for her to intercede for me before
God.
Oct 19, 2009 10:44 AM
Guest :
it is right to love and respect the people before us,becoz they obeyed
God,and God will reward them for all they did in the past for him,and god
will reward us all the work whe do for him to let him known to his people
and world ,god lived in us so that his word will continue,let us not forget
what god did in GENESIS GOING UPWARDS TO PROPHETS until he could'nt stand
living with us,but in all phophets the's noone like jesus,we should stop to
critisize may churches,becoz jesus is the door to father,for all
churches,dnt forget that lts all about GOD,
Oct 26, 2009 5:12 AM
Guest :
hi all, I was having a conversation with my Catholic friend and was
intrigued by how she prays to Mary. I can be considered a new convert to
Christianity and in my short Christian life, I had never known that we
could pray to Mary. I've been taught by my church, as well as from reading
the Bible that I can pray to God, through Jesus, but not anyone else. With all due respect to the person of Mary, as well as Catholics, could
someone please explain (with Biblical references) why I can or I should
pray to someone who has already died? Pardon me, but I thought that Jesus
was the only one mentioned in the Bible who was by the right of God and
always interceding for all the saints? Does that mean that I can pray also
to the Saints? Like Paul, and Peter? Can I pray to people who have passed
away recently too? Would appreciate any help with my questions. Thank
you all very much.
Nov 3, 2009 9:09 AM
Guest :
im baptist, and i just wanted to ask, since the grace of god is free, then
why do u have to pray to mary to have a more weigted request? why dont u
just pray to God? or Jesus?in my book, Mary is a very important figure and
is necessary to the earthly life of Christ, but she has no real authority.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one being. the Father created
Mary, so why would she have ANY authority over her maker?
