For Catholics, why do you pray to the Virgin Mary?

Question

I am doing a paper on the Virgin Mary and I am taking a sort of poll on why Catholics pray to her. Also, I would like to know of what you guys think her importance is in the Catholic religion?

Answer 1

We ask the Blessed Virgin for her prayers, just as we would ask any other member of the Communion of Saints to intercede before God for us. Jesus Himself said that "All are alive unto God," so we know she is alive in Heaven with all the other believers who have passed on. Asking her to pray for us is no different than asking a friend or family member to join their prayers with ours.

Besides the obvious fact of consenting to be Jesus' mother, the Virgin Mary is one of the most beautiful role models of all time for Christians. She was brave: she risked her reputation and even her life to bring the Christ Child into the world.

She was humble: she became the wife of a poor carpenter and lived a hidden life caring for her husband and Son. She was kind-hearted and caring: she went to Jesus for help when the wedding couple at Cana were about to be humiliated because the wine was gone.

She was loyal: she stood by the foot of the Cross when her Son had been abandoned by almost all the others who claimed to love Him. She cared for Him from the cradle to the grave, and she stood strong when others failed Him.

And most of all, she was deeply concerned with the things of God: she meditated in her heart about all that had been prophesied of Jesus. Even knowing that a sword of sorrow was going to pierce her heart, she was still able to face what lay ahead of her with grace and courage.

Like I said, she is a beautiful example of Christian womanhood and what it means to truly be a follower of Christ.

Answer 2

I am not Roman Catholic, but I will answer because I am sick to death of people thinking that any type of Catholic 'worships' the BVM. There is a difference between the RC and the Orthodox and Anglican Churches on the role of Mary. In my opinion the Orthodox have the most rational view and most Anglicans follow that as well. The RC church say that Mary is the co-Redeemer with Jesus. Without her Jesus would not be here. They do not pray to her as they do to God or Jesus. They ask for her intersessions, just as I might ask you to pray for me. There is much more and the best site to learn the teaching of the RC church is this site:

http://www.newadvent.com

http://www.newadvent.org/library/docs_jp02rd.htm

Answer 3

Catholics pray to Mary because she will beg Jesus to forgive you...and since she is his mother Jesus might be likely to listen.

For Catholics, Mary is the only female character...and she is the only character that is loving and approchable through out the entire story...

Answer 4

The Hail Mary is just some verses out of the First Chapter of Luke. Along with our faith in God goes reverence for Mary as his mother and her virtue and compassion. Mary is asked to pray for us now and at the hour of our death, nothing more. She is also a symbol of what a woman should be.

Answer 5

I pray to Her because I love Her. She is the Mother of my Lord. She has great power given to Her by God and some of Her important titles in the Catholic church are Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of all graces. Basically we do the same thing that the young couple did at Cana. They approached Her with their problem and She spoke to Her Son and fixed it for them. I approach my Mother Mary with my problems. She speaks to Her Son and I get a quick solution to my problems.

Answer 6

To "Pray" is to "Ask for".

Catholics "Pray" much the way the rest of other Christa ins "Pray" but we include Mary, mother of God and the other Saints in our "Prayers".

A few other Catholic denominations say, "We don't pray to anyone but God" but that's apparently NOT TRUE. I watch the 700 Club, Joel Olstein, and other Christan Ministers and Pastors. They all say, please pray together for " good leaders ... Christs graces ... peace " ... "WE (meaning multiple ppl) ask you in the name of Jesus to heal people with arthritis. Or, "We pray that you accept our offereings in the name of Jesus".

Well, Catholics do the same thing too. We "Pray" for the same stuff that other Ministers and Pastors ask for directly to Jesus. However, Jesus said "that when ever two or more than you gather in my name ..." so what are we supposed to do alone? God teaches us to love our parents. Jesus gave Mary to us through John when he died on the cross. Jesus also is the promise of life everlasting. So if we do not remember the dead then we don't belive in Jesus; so we can remember the Saints and our forefathers with prayers and honor.

Catholics believe that Mary was "Assumed" (mind, body, and soul --- she never died) directly by Jesus. Jesus "Acended" meaning He's God and free to move within the relms ... Mary is "Assumed" meaning she was chosen by God (The Holy Spirit & Father through Immacualate conception through her entire life) to go to heaven. We ALL (Christians) HOPE Jesus will "Assume" us too. When we invoke her into "Prayer" it's like we're asking each other to "Ask" God (The Father, Son, & Holy Spirit too). Since she is sinless (like Jesus for Jesus) and since we believe she was "Assumed" then she's very close to God in heaven.

However this is very similar to when we want to borrow Jesus' car for an evening. We can go to Mary and ask her to hold our hand and give us comfort while we ask our big brother for permission. Mary is comfort, but ultimantly it's Jesus who will give us the keys.

So too when I stand with a fellow living Christain "Praying" it's like getting a bunch of cute kids and asking instead of going it alone. Hey, all Christainity is about fellowship so we don't have to be alone; and we can use the living and the dead to pray with us.

Answer 7

importance-not as important as Jesus.

i think this site might have the best info for you.

http://www.olrl.org/apologetics/statueworship.shtml

basically Mary is a saint, Catholics believe saints intercede on our behalf.

Its not so much praying TO Mary as it is praying THROUGH Mary.

Answer 8

+ Saints +

Catholics share the belief in the Communion of Saints with many other Christians, including the Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopal, and Methodist Churches.

The Communion of Saints is the belief where all saints are intimately related in the Body of Christ, a family. When you die and go to heaven, you do not leave this family.

Everyone in heaven or on their way to heaven are saints. You, me, my deceased grandmother, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Mother Teresa.

As part of this family, you may ask your family and friends here on earth to pray for you. Or you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother in heaven to pray for you.

Prayer to saints is communication, not worship.

+ The Blessed Virgin Mary +

In Luke 1:48, Mary prophesied: "From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed."

A question for Christians who take the Bible literally: Do you call Mary "blessed"? If no, why?

The Hail Mary prayer simply recites Bible passages (the Word of God) and asks Mary to pray for us:

Hail Mary Full of grace, the Lord is with you. (These are the words the angel Gabriel said to Mary, a Bible quote.)

Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. (This is Mary's cousin Elizabeth's greeting, another bible quote.)

Holy Mary, (The angel Gabriel said she was full of grace and Elizabeth said she was blessed.)

Mother of God, (the Bible says Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ, God the Son)

Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. (A simple request to pray for us.)

Amen.

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 9

Honestly, we think of her as our own mother. IT's not praying and worshiping her, but asking for her to intercede on our behalf with God. Kinda like how you butter up your mom to get your dad to extend your curfew.

She is very important, but not as important as God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The Trinity comes before her, but she was the new Ark of the Covenant with God. She carried Jesus, raised him, wiped away his tears when he cried and stayed by his side when he died. Just as she was mother to Jesus, she is mother to the Church. We honor her as we are supposed to do for our own mothers.

Answer 10

Everything about Our Lady points straight back to the Father, Whose faithful daughter she is; to the Son, Whose mother she is; and to the Holy Ghost Who overshadowed her. There is no one in all of History whose relationship with God is as complex, fulfilled, and achingly beautiful as Mary's. She is not only the greatest of Saints, she is our Mother, as Jesus is our Brother and Savior. In honoring her, we honor Him -- and imitate Him, as we are admonished to both honor our parents and imitate Christ, Who loved His Mother. Our relationship with Mary is that of a child to a blessed Mother who was given to us as Jesus gave her to John at the Cross. She is our spiritual Mother (Revelation 12:17 -- And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ), and she wants to pray for us.



Hail, Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.