Do people believe Catholics worship Mary?

Question

The first definition of prayer is to pentition, ask. It only later became defined by some as worship. Worship has not always been a definition of prayer.
If a person prays to Mary to pray for them, do you think that is worship.

Answer 1

The Fathers of the Church taught that Mary received a number of distinctive blessings in order to make her a more fitting mother for Christ and the prototypical Christian (follower of Christ). These blessings included her role as the New Eve (corresponding to Christ’s role as the New Adam), her Immaculate Conception, her spiritual motherhood of all Christians, and her Assumption into heaven. These gifts were given to her by God’s grace. She did not earn them, but she possessed them nonetheless.

The key to understanding all these graces is Mary’s role as the New Eve, which the Fathers proclaimed so forcefully. Because she is the New Eve, she, like the New Adam, was born immaculate, just as the First Adam and Eve were created immaculate. Because she is the New Eve, she is mother of the New Humanity (Christians), just as the first Eve was the mother of humanity. And, because she is the New Eve, she shares the fate of the New Adam. Whereas the First Adam and Eve died and went to dust, the New Adam and Eve were lifted up physically into heaven.

Of particular interest in the following quotations from the Fathers are those that speak of Mary’s immaculate nature. We will all one day be rendered immaculate (sinless), but Mary, as the prototypical Christian, received this grace early. God granted her freedom from sin to make her a fitting mother for his Son.

Even before the terms "original sin" and "immaculate conception" had been defined, early passages imply the doctrines. Many works mention that Mary gave birth to Jesus without pain. But pain in childbearing is part of the penalty of original sin (Gen. 3:16). Thus, Mary could not have been under that penalty. By God’s grace, she was immaculate in anticipation of her Son’s redemptive death on the cross. The Church therefore describes Mary as "the most excellent fruit of redemption" (CCC 508).


The Ascension of Isaiah



"[T]he report concerning the child was noised abroad in Bethlehem. Some said, ‘The Virgin Mary has given birth before she was married two months.’ And many said, ‘She has not given birth; the midwife has not gone up to her, and we heard no cries of pain’" (Ascension of Isaiah 11 [A.D. 70]).


The Odes of Solomon



"So the Virgin became a mother with great mercies. And she labored and bore the Son, but without pain, because it did not occur without purpose. And she did not seek a midwife, because he caused her to give life. She bore as a strong man, with will . . . " (Odes of Solomon 19 [A.D. 80]).


Justin Martyr



"[Jesus] became man by the Virgin so that the course which was taken by disobedience in the beginning through the agency of the serpent might be also the very course by which it would be put down. Eve, a virgin and undefiled, conceived the word of the serpent and bore disobedience and death. But the Virgin Mary received faith and joy when the angel Gabriel announced to her the glad tidings that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon her and the power of the Most High would overshadow her, for which reason the Holy One being born of her is the Son of God. And she replied ‘Be it done unto me according to your word’ [Luke 1:38]" (Dialogue with Trypho the Jew 100 [A.D. 155]).

Peace and every blessing!

Answer 2

No. Many think that RC's worship Mary, but they are wrong. People who pray to the Saints don't worship the Saints either. We ask them to pray with us or for us, just as we would ask anyone to pray with or for us. And we pray to God ourself too. The more the better. Whenever 2 or more.. as the saying goes. Sometimes the second person is on the other side.

Answer 3

Because The major way Catholics “venerate” Mary and the saints is by praying to them. But prayer to anyone other than God alone is anti-biblical. Whether Mary and/or the saints are prayed to, or whether they are petitioned for their prayers—neither practice is biblical. Prayer is an act of worship. When we pray to God, we are admitting that we need His help. Directing our prayers to anyone other than God is robbing God of the glory that is His alone. Another way Catholics “venerate” Mary and the saints is by creating statues and images of them. Many Catholics use images of Mary and/or the saints as “good luck charms.” Any cursory reading of the Bible will reveal this practice as blatant idolatry (Exodus 20:4–6; 1 Corinthians 12:1–2; 1 John 5:21). Rubbing rosary beads is idolatry. Lighting candles before a statue or portrayal of a saint is idolatry. Burying a Joseph statue in hopes of selling your home (and countless other Catholic practices) is idolatry. The terminology is not the issue. Whether the practice is described as “worship” or “veneration” or any other term, the problem is the same. Any time we ascribe something that belongs to God to someone else, it is idolatry. The Bible nowhere instructs us to revere, pray to, rely on, or “idolize” anyone other than God. We are to worship God alone. Glory, praise, and honor belong to God alone. Only God is worthy to “receive glory and honor and power” (Revelation 4:11). God alone is worthy to receive our worship, adoration, and praise (Nehemiah 9:6; Revelation 15:4).

Answer 4

Catholics do not worship Mary, we worship God Almighty. Idolatry would mean worshiping Mary instead of God. We dont do that.We ask Mary to pray for us, just as you would ask a family member to pray for you

Answer 5

Channa Leah (above) has it right!

The successors of the so-call "first Pope", Simon Peter (who, by the way, the Bible says had a mother-in-law!) decided over the centuries that Mary, virgin mother of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, was: ". . . conceived free of original sin (a doctrine called the Immaculate Conception) (E.A.,Vol.6, p.27); a perpetual virgin, ". . . after her life on earth she was taken up, body and soul, into heaven (a doctrine known as the Assumption)" (E.A. Vol.6, p.27;Vol.18, p.396) to the point that graven images of her (idols) have been made and venerated; so why wouldn't other Christians believe that many "good" Roman Catholics, worship her?

The only translation of the Bible which I know of that might possibly *not* say that Mary, mother of Jesus, had other children, is the Catholic version! My Bible even names His brothers and sisters!

If Mary's husband, Joseph, *never* had marital relations with his wife, after Jesus was born, both he and the so-called, "Mother of God" would have been in violation of many tenets of Jewish law and *not* worthy of veneration! The author of the encyclopedia entry states that Joseph ". . . provides Jesus with lineage from David . . .", (op cit., Vol.18, pp.394-397) but a more careful study of *all* of the Scriptures (Old and New Testament) reveals that Jesus' blood-lineage from David can actually be traced, more directly, and accurately, through Mary! And, if Mary was conceived "free of original sin", i.e. a virgin birth, Jesus could *not* truly be a blood descendant of the house and lineage of David, except through Mary's human mother! Then we perhaps should be "Marians", instead of "Christians!"

Just as *my* intercessor before God is my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, not Mary, nor a priest, nor any other human! I pray to God, the Father, in Jesus' name!

Answer 6

No it is not worship and I am amazed at all the people who do not think Jesus loved his Mother enough to make her special and they also think that her prayers do not mean anything to him but, they fall all over themselves praying for each other, I guess because they think Jesus will listen to them so much more readily than his own Mother. I pray for people too but, I also go to my Heavenly Mother because this is what Jesus had in mind when he gave her to us. The Mother in the Scriptures (Rebekkah) is the one that prepares the meal for Isaac that he likes the best. Our Mother prepares us with graces the best way (also hasn't it been proved that Mother's milk protects us best from all kinds of diseases and even from allergies?)

Answer 7

I was born, raised, and still a practicing Catholic. I don't worship Mary, saints, or statues. I DO worship the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Catholics pray to Mary and the saints petitioning for their intercession.
To clarify another misunderstanding:
People collect art because it is symbolic and has the potential of stirring the soul. To you it may appear as if we are worshiping a statue or an image but do you really know what is in our hearts?

EDIT: "Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with Thee"
I recognize you as the Mother of God.

"Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus"
God has bestowed you with blessings, especially that of your sinless nature, in order for you to become the mother of our Savior.

"Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death."
As the mother of God, please (a petition) intercede for us now and always.

Hmmm... Sorry, don't see worship there.

Answer 8

We ask Mary to pray for us. Why ask Mary to pray for our sinners. To answer you question no where in the bible does it say that we shoud pray to Mary there we don't. We hold here in high regards just as jesus did with all his saints.

Answer 9

Yes I think it is worship but not all Catholics pray to Mary.

Answer 10

MARY is a familiar figure to most people who know anything about Christianity. The Scriptures relate that Almighty God particularly blessed this young woman by choosing her to be the mother of Jesus. Jesus’ birth was unique in that Mary was a virgin when she conceived him. Certain churches of Christendom have long reserved a special veneration for Mary. In 431 C.E., the Council of Ephesus proclaimed her “Mother of God,” and today many people are taught to pray to her.*

Sincere worshippers know that they must address their prayers to the right person. What does the Bible teach in this regard? Should Christians pray to the Virgin Mary?

“Teach Us How to Pray”
The Gospel account of Luke records that one of Jesus’ disciples requested of him: “Lord, teach us how to pray.” In response, Jesus began: “Whenever you pray, say, ‘Father, let your name be sanctified.’” During his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus likewise instructed his followers to pray: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.”—Luke 11:1, 2; Matthew 6:9.

Please click the attached link for further information.

http://www.watchtower.org/library/g/2005/9/8a/article_01.htm