pray to Mary instead of praying to god?
2007-08-25 08:29:38 · 28 answers · asked by ? 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Daughter, can you please define "YOU PEOPLE"? And what is with the "WTF"? I am one person asking a question that "I" have wondered about.
2007-08-25 08:44:35 · update #1
We worship God, we show reverance to Mary. :) There is a difference.
This might help you understand...
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Customs/rosary/mary_worship.asp
2007-08-25 08:34:18 · answer #1 · answered by AV 6 · 7⤊ 0⤋
They don't! As you would know if you bothered to look into the mattyer through any informed source. Catholics were praying to God for 1,500 years before the plague of denominationalism was unleashed upon the earth, have continued to do ever since, and will do so until the end of time. But Catholics also ask fellow Christians to join us in our prayers to God, by offering their prayers in union with our own, for the intentions we are seeking from God. So do Protestants! The only difference is this ...
Catholics believe the words of Christ "those who follow Me will never die". Protestants apparently reject these words of Christ. Since the saints are still alive, as Jesus said they are, there is no reason to think they will stop praying for us, just as they did on earth. Especially since the Book of Revelation describes the saints before the throne of God presenting to Him bowls of incense that represent our prayers! Yet, when you tell a Protestant that you are asking Mary or some other saint to pray for us, they often respond, "Mary is dead"! Well, they will just have to take that matter up with Jesus, Who said she would never die. In the meantime Catholics will continue to live by the Word of God.
2007-08-25 16:17:51 · answer #2 · answered by PaulCyp 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think it's more like praying to Mary in addition to, rather than instead of, praying to God, probably on the theory that asking Mary to intercede and support their case increases the odds of God favoring them with an answer to their prayers.
2007-08-25 15:33:41 · answer #3 · answered by Cogito Ergo Sum 5 · 6⤊ 0⤋
They do pray to God. They just hold a special place in their heart for Mary. Afterall, she was picked by God to bear his son and the saviour of mankind. Without Mary, there would be no Jesus.
As a matter of fact, the majority of Catholic masses are prayers to God. Other than that, they do communion.
2007-08-25 15:32:55 · answer #4 · answered by Megegie 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
They don't really. At least in the same way they pray to god.... Catholics have a great respect for the role of Mary in the life of Jesus. I find this very encouraging actually since christianity over the few centuries has evolved to vilify and demean women in the faith... treating them as secondary to men.
Though this is significant, it doesn't change the fact that history is history and we are still trying to sort things out but god... simply doesn't exist, so why pray to him in the first place?
2007-08-25 15:34:58 · answer #5 · answered by randomchick 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The body dies, the soul and spirit do not. We are souls/spirits housed in a body. So we just ask Mary to intercede, not pray directly to her. It's like asking a neighbor a favor as it were. FTR not just Catholics pray Marian prayers. Some Anglicans do it too.
2007-08-25 15:41:12 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Praying for Mary's INTERCESSION with our Heavenly Father who chose her out of all the women who have ever lived to be the mother of the son of the Living God or her INTERCESSION with her son, our Redeemer, who could never say no to His mother or the Holy Spirit, her spouse, the cause of her conception is not "praying TO". Neither is it "instead of".
Mary is the Queen of heaven and earth and the mother of all Christ's disciples on earth. She was fully human and without sin which gives her a capacity for love and compassion that is beyond measure. This is why she INTERCEDES relentlessly for her children on earth. She understands the dangers we face in the salvation of our souls and never fails to act on our behalf.
2007-08-25 15:45:38 · answer #7 · answered by Babs 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
because they feel that Mary being the mother of Jesus, he will have some influence more so than they will. So they pray to here as an intercession. Remember the wedding at Cana. She asked him to make more wine. He did not want to expose himself with the miracle but did it for her out of respect. Mary and saints are prayed to as intercessors of prayer. Not to be worshiped.
Rev. TomCat
2007-08-25 15:35:06 · answer #8 · answered by Rev. TomCat 6 · 5⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure why they pray to her. It makes no sense really. Mary is not God. She cannot hear our prayers, neither can the saints. The only one to pray to is Jesus....period!
Don't get me wrong. I think Mary should be "remembered" for what she did for us. Not prayed to and not worshipped. You can show respect without praying to someone. I have respect for lots of important people but I don't pray to them.
2007-08-25 15:57:56 · answer #9 · answered by Debbie K 2 · 1⤊ 3⤋
We do not pray to Mary instead of praying to God.
We continually elevate our minds and hearts to God in prayer.
Occassionally we ask our family and friends here on Earth to pray for us and occassionally we ask our family and friends in heaven to pray for us.
Before Jesus Christ died for our sins and opened the gates of heaven there were no saints in heaven. Therefore there are no Old Testament writings that would mention them.
Very few of the new Christians died before most of the New Testament was written. Therefore there is little in the Bible about asking saints to pray for us.
However the last book of the Bible does talk about the saints in heaven praying.
Revelation 5:8: Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.
Revelation 8:3-4: He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne. The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel.
The Holy Spirit guided the early Church in many things not explained in the Bible including how does the Body of Christ (believers) living on Earth relate to the Body of Christ (saints) living in heaven. We are still one Body.
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, Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II.
As part of this family, you may ask your family and friends living here on earth to pray for you. Or, you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother living in heaven to pray for you.
Prayer to saints in heaven is simple communication, not worship.
Asking others to pray for you whether your loved ones on Earth or your loved ones in heaven is always optional.
For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 946 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p5.htm#946
With love in Christ.
2007-08-25 23:05:17 · answer #10 · answered by imacatholic2 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Catholics pray to both, and jesus, and saints. It is not just Mary!
2007-08-25 15:35:33 · answer #11 · answered by C M 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋