Why are so many Christians afraid to pray to the Virgin Mary?

Question

Christ gave us a beautiful gift from the cross upon His dying....one of the seven last words He uttered: "BEHOLD YOUR MOTHER."

I wonder how it makes Him feel to see so many of His followers ignoring His mother's role in our salvation? What was her role? She gave birth to God. She raised God. She watched God suffer and die. She held the body of her Son as He was removed from the cross, and she takes seriously her role as defined by her Son. Not to mention, Christ performed His first miracle at the request of His mother, which is in Scripture.

Do you think Christ is insulted when His own mother is honored? I sure wouldn't be insulted if someone came to me and said, "I love your mother." Would you?

(FYI: "Prayer" is not "Worship" in Catholic Tradition....Mass is Worship, and never will a Mass be said to Mary)

Has anyone read my entire question? I'm noticing a tendency to jump at what's written in bold, without considering anything written as commentary to the question.

Answer 1

Remember that many Protestants have been raised being told that we worship Mary. It's hard to convince them otherwise. I always point out to them that praying to Mary is like asking you mother to pray for you. And you are very right that Jesus listens to his mother. The wedding at Cana is a good example. He even said to her that it was not yet time, but since she told him too, he did. Would Jesus not follow His own commandment? 4.Thou shalt Honor thy mother and father. Of course. As Christians do we not believe that Jesus leads by example? An other point is that the Hail Mary is completely scriptural. The Angel Gabriel said, "Hail Mary, Full of Grace" and Mary's cousin said "Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb." Then the second half of the Hail Mary, "Holy Mary Mother of God Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death." Mary is holy just ask the angel Gabriel, she did give birth to Jesus and she is in heaven so it's OK for us sinners to ask for her prayers. It's no different than my grandmother used to say that her late husband (a baptist preacher) was now in heaven praying for us. Except that Mary was no simple preacher and husband she is God's Mother. Why can't we Catholics speak for ourselves on whether or not we are worshiping Mary?

I forgot too add. Read Luke:1:45-50 Mary knew that should would be honored for generations to come. It's in the Bible over and over.

Answer 2

The bible tells us that there is one mediator between God and man, and that is Jesus Christ. 1Tim 2:5

What Jesus said from the cross had nothing to do with praying to Mary, dear. She is honored as the earthly mother of Jesus (not the erroneously termed "mother of God")...but she does not play a part in redemption. That is through Jesus alone.

Sorry, but the things you believe are taught by the Catholic church...they are not to be found in the bible.

Answer 3

The relationship of God to His people, through The Church of which Jesus The Christ is The Head, is one-on-one and personal. Those of The Christian Faith pray to God and Jesus who is God, and to no other. We do not pray to The Holy Spirit because He indwells us and knows our needs. When we are unable to pray The Holy Spirit is our only other intorcessor who will act for us. God The Father, God The Son, God The Holy Spirit, all are One God... no need for any other, We of the Christian Faith have a direct line to God and He deals with us directly.

Answer 4

Because Mary is not God. The Holy Trinity is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Answer 5

Prayer : A reverent petition made to God, a god, or another object of worship.
The act of making a reverent petition to God, a god, or another object of worship

Exodus 20 2- 6
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3 "You shall have no other gods before me. 4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.


That includes the Human ( who did have a fantastic role in the salvation of man) Mary, Mother of Jesus.

Answer 6

..for one thing because praying to Mary can become a Jesus substutute or a gospel substitue for another... how would she hear you... God loooks on your heart and knows you rthoughts... Mary is not omnicient..

Jesus is the one said by John who pleads with us before the Father in 1 John

Mary was last in the Bible on her knees in the book of acts in the upper room and we should leave her in the same place as the Bible did with her worship and pray to God as an example for us to worship and pray to God

Jesus was telling John to take care of His mother, it was a practical need he was filling
25but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

(notice contrare tot Da Vinci code The disciple who Jesus loved a man, is standing next to the named mary magdalene and not the same... but I digress)

when Jesus addressed Mary, he actually always used the phrase woman, even while in front of the apostles, this was one of the weaknesses of the movie the passion where it could have been more Biblically stronger although it was emotionally powerful

Answer 7

Were not afraid, its just not biblical. Theres only one mediator between god and man and thats jesus christ. Not mary. God deserves all the glory. Nowhere in the bible does it say to worship or pray to marry. Only catholics do that.

Answer 8

I pray to God through His Son, Jesus Christ

Answer 9

Mary is not God nor is she Jesus. Mary does not have the power to answer our prayers or intervene in our daily lives. Just because we don't pray to her does not mean we don't respect the fact that she gave birth to Jesus it just means we're not confused about who we are supposed to pray to and worship. You say prayer is not worship, but do you pray to Buddha or Allah or even to Tom Cruise?

Answer 10

Jesus was talking to John and He said behold your mother. Jesus is the mediator between God and man. Mary was only the mother of Jesus, even she called Jesus her Lord. Mary cant get me to heaven, Mary cant forgive my sins, Mary cant comfort me. I think you honor Mary more than Jesus.