Catholics, Where in the Bible does it say that we are to pray to?

Question

Mary or thru Mary????? Also why is she still refered to as the virgin when she had son's by Joseph after Jesus was born?

I Am NOT a trouble maker. I just want to know the answers to my questions. If you don't know the answer or why you do something all you have to do is say so. If you are following tradition you can say that too.

The Bible does say that Jesus had brothers and we know that only HE was immaculately conceived.
Why aren't any of you addressing why where it says to pray to Mary?

Yes it does say that He had brothers, It say that his mother and brothers were out side and no it doesn't mean the other christians, he had not been crucified yet.

Answer 1

They will answer "dont you ask people to pray for you?"

Of course the people I ask to pray for me, can actually hear me.

Necromancy is a sin, but the catholics practice it. Catholics are not saved, but have a false gospel of works that leads to eternal hell. They do things against Christ every day. They will lie in order to gain advantage just to get you to worship their "pope".

Answer 2

First, the easy part of your question. The Bible does NOT say that Mary had any child other than Jesus. Only the birth of Jesus is recorded for Mary. Furthermore, there are hints in sentence structure that she was not the mother of the brothers referred to in Scripture. For example,

Matthew 13:55
"Isn't this the carpenter's son? Isn't his mother's name Mary, and aren't his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?"

The fact that these people cite Mary at all is interesting. Obviously, they think Jesus is Joseph's son. Why mention Mary at all? In their society, there is no need if he and his brothers share the same parents. By citing Mary, they indicate that Mary was a second wife. Which was not all that unusual -- women died in childbirth with shocking frequency before maternity medicine was invented -- in the 19th century. Church history tells us that Joseph was an older widower, more than likely with kids. So James, Joseph, Jude, and Simon were Joseph's kids, not Mary's. Step-brothers who are older than Jesus. You'll note their ages are not listed -- they can easily be older. If they weren't older, then where were they when Joseph and Mary were searching for Jesus when He was 12? No younger kids in tow!

Furthermore, we have the end of Jesus' life, when He is on the Cross. He gives Mary to John's care. He would not have done this if Mary had other children to take care of her. There would have been no need.

On top of all of that, you have to remember that Joseph and Mary were not 21st Century Christians. They were first century Jews and very devout Jews. When Mary became impregnated by the Holy Spirit, her womb became the Most Holy Place, like in the temple. No priest would dare go near the Most Holy Place without a long ritual of purification. Joseph wasn't a priest -- he would have held Mary's womb in the highest awe. He wasn't going to go anywhere near there -- it wouldn't have been his place. Study up on the Most Holy Place in the Old Testament and you will see how important it was to the Jewish people.

And don't forget -- the Bible does not say that Joseph "lay with" Mary, even though other couples (married and unmarried) are specifically described in this manner. The Bible isn't too shy to say so if it happened.

So all kinds of hints in the Bible that Mary never had any other children and never had sex with Joseph.

Now to your question about praying to Mary or through Mary. See John 2 -- the wedding at Cana. In this situation, somebody told Mary there was a need, and she took that need to Jesus. Initially, He said, "Not yet." But because she asked Him and because she told the servants, "Do whatever He tells you to do," Jesus relented. Obviously, He honors His mother's requests when it is fitting for Him to do so. That's how we know that if we have Mary asking Jesus to help us, He will do so. After all, she's a saint -- she lives with Him in heaven. She cannot ask Him anything that isn't within God's Will.

You see, the saints in heaven are ALIVE. They have received the gift of eternal life promised to us in the Bible (John 3:16 & elsewhere). So because they are ALIVE, they are still members of the Body of Christ. They aren't dead any more. They live. And they are not separated from the Body of Christ because they have been made perfect by the Blood of the Lamb. So we can ask them for prayers because they are still part of this Body -- same as we ask each other for prayers.

Answer 3

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.

Answer 4

In English, the verb "to pray" can mean to worship or to ask. When "praying" to Mary, Catholics use it in the sense of asking her for her prayers. Scripture tells us that the righteous' prayers are more efficacious than others. To get into heaven, one must be righteous. So, asking someone to pray for you in heaven in someone who is righteous.

And we also know that Mary has influence with her son because in the Bible she wanted him to perform a miracle before he wanted to. Yet, he obeyed his mother.

Certainly we can ask others to pray for us -- Jesus in fact tells us to do this.

Can those in Heaven hear our prayers? Certainly! They are not dead. In fact, those in heaven are more alive than those on Earth!

It is illogical to demand Bible verses for everything in the Bible because after all the Bible doesn't tell us what books belongs in it -- Tradition tells us that. So the next time you demand Bible verses, go search for the verse that tells you which books are inspired. If you can find it, then ask away, otherwise you might want to pray why you're demanding something so illogical from those you disagree with while you don't follow the same expectation of yourself.

Answer 5

You are not supposed to ask that question.

Trouble maker.

When early church leaders were confronted with the question about how she could still be a virgin after giving birth to Jesus they answer was " Jesus came out of Marys side so she was still a virgin'

You need to wonder about someone who would say something like that. Was female anatomy actually something they knew that little about, or were they pathological liars who would say anything to prove their point.

Love and blessings Don

Answer 6

Do you people ever use the "search" function on Yahoo Answers? This question has been asked -- and answered -- literally thousands of times.

If you truly want to know what the Church teaches about Mary and the saints, and aren't just looking for amens to your own opinion, here's some reading for you with many Scripture references.
Mary:
http://www.scripturecatholic.com/blessed_virgin_mary.html
Saints -- including veneration and their intercession:
http://www.scripturecatholic.com/saints.html

Answer 7

Luke 1:28 - "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you." These are the words spoken by God and delivered to us by the angel Gabriel (who is a messenger of God). Thus, when Catholics recite this verse while praying the Rosary, they are uttering the words of God.

Luke 1:28 - also, the phrase "full of grace" is translated from the Greek word "kecharitomene." This is a unique title given to Mary, and suggests a perfection of grace from a past event. Mary is not just "highly favored." She has been perfected in grace by God. "Full of grace" is only used to describe one other person - Jesus Christ in John 1:14.

Luke 1:38 - Mary's fiat is "let it be done to me according to thy word." Mary is the perfect model of faith in God, and is worthy of our veneration.

Luke 1:42 - "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus." The phrase "blessed are you among women" really means "you are most blessed of all women." A circumlocution is used because there is no superlative in the Greek language. Note also that Elizabeth praises Mary first, and then Jesus. This is hyperdulia (but not latria which is worship owed to God alone). We too can go through Mary to praise Jesus. Finally, Catholics repeat these divinely inspired words of Elizabeth in the Rosary.

Luke 1:43 - Elizabeth's use of "Mother of my Lord" (in Hebrew, Elizabeth used "Adonai" which means Lord God) is the equivalent of "Holy Mary, Mother of God" which Catholics pray in the Rosary. The formula is simple: Jesus is a divine person, and this person is God. Mary is Jesus' Mother, so Mary is the mother of God (Mary is not just the Mother of Jesus' human nature - mothers are mothers of persons, not natures).

Luke 1:44 - Mary's voice causes John the Baptist to leap for joy in Elizabeth's womb. Luke is teaching us that Mary is our powerful intercessor.

Luke 1:46 - Mary claims that her soul magnifies the Lord. This is a bold statement from a young Jewish girl from Nazareth. Her statement is a strong testimony to her uniqueness. Mary, as our Mother and intercessor, also magnifies our prayers.

Answer 8

Matthew 6:9-15.............Jesus gives us the model prayer and He shows who our prayers should be directed too.........to our Father in heaven.............Yes God........and no one else.

Jesus goes on to say ....John 14:6....“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

So we should pray to God through Jesus our mediator.

Answer 9

It does not, and you are confused.

"What is your religion my son?" inquired the Archbishop of Rheims.
"Pardon, monseigneur," replied Rochebriant; "I am ashamed of it."
"Then why do you not become an atheist?"
"Impossible! I should be ashamed of atheism."
"In that case, monsieur, you should join the Protestants

EDIT: DON H, you obviously NEVER heard of parthogenesis, more study, less venom and ridicule, please...

Answer 10

Where in the bible does it say to watch TV? Where in the bible does it say to consistently bash followers of Christ? Where in the bible does it say that everything is in the bible? No where.