why do the catholics teach about mary?

Question

As a Christian there is not all that much in the bible about Mary....

Answer 1

Why do protestants teach about "rapture" and Bennie Hinn and onion rings when none of those are in the bible.

Answer 2

So sad calling the Mother of God just a woman. The only way Protestantism sinks lower than this is when they threw the corporeal Christ from their worship.

We teach that she did God's will and said yes to become the mother of God. She is the example of obedience and devotion that all Christians should aspire. You say that she is not able to hear our prayers but the Bible does not agree with such heresy. If she is not in heaven hearing our prayers then there is absolutely no hope for any of us to see heaven. She is very much alive and the prayers to her and to other saints rise from the bowls of incense before the throne of God, just as the Bible says. For more information Google the "communion of saints". See more information here:

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-S6YMuFYyaa9ESBoW5DFwEjL_HhqA?p=4

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 3

Pastor Billy says: that is simple because Mary is part of God's salvation story. Mary is the first to hear the good news, she is the mother of God (Jesus) she has a unique "personal relationship" with all three persons of the Holy Trinity, she is hailed by spiritual beings the angels, Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.( Lk) because she is our mother also as Christ shares everything with us.

If you have the courage to really search for answers read the following written by Thomas Aquinas from the 12 century

On the Angelic Salutation http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/STTOMHMY.htm

One writer describes it best, Jesus is the sun and Mary the moon she reflects Christ's glory and guides us to him in light "my soul reflects...". and as Mary told the steward at the wedding of Cana "do whatever he (Christ) tells you."


addendum: for all the anti-Catholics posting to this question, the Trinity doctrine is of Catholic origin if you retain this truth you retain a portion of Catholicism in your division from Catholicism. The Trinity doctrine does not include Mary hence Catholicism does not exalt Mary above God nor does it teach Mary robs from God's glory. In fact from my experiences talking with non-Catholics they talk more on Mary than any Catholic does.

Answer 4

Constantine found that with the Roman Empire being so vast, expansive, and diverse – not everyone would agree to forsake their religious beliefs and instead embrace Christianity. So, Constantine allowed, and even promoted, the “Christianization” of pagan beliefs. Completely pagan and utterly unbiblical beliefs were given new “Christian” identities.
The Cult of Isis, an Egyptian mother-goddess religion, was absorbed into Christianity by replacing Isis with Mary. Many of the titles that were used for Isis, such as “Queen of Heaven,” “Mother of God,” and “theotokos” (God-bearer) were attached to Mary. Mary was given an exalted role in the Christian faith, far beyond what the Bible ascribes to her, in order to attract Isis worshippers to a faith they would not otherwise embrace. Many temples to Isis were, in fact, converted into temples dedicated to Mary. The first clear hints of Catholic Mariology occur in the writings of Origen, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, which happened to be the focal point of Isis worship.

Answer 5

Mary was the mother of Jesus. The Bible does not exalt her above Jesus, but the Catholic faith does. They pray to her, and think that she can hear their prayers, which she can't because she's dead, and we cannot communicate with the dead. She is awaiting resurrection just like all the other righteous people who have died. Jesus is alive, that is the reason we can pray to Him. They place her in an exalted position in Heaven, which she is not. They worship her, which is wrong. They call her the "Queen of Heaven" If you read your Bible, the "Queen of Heaven" isn't Mary, Jesus' mother, but actually Ishtar. (the mother/child cult) People of the Catholic faith are sadly misled in this. Either way, praying to Mary, Jesus' mother, or "Mary, Queen of Heaven" is wrong.
I was at a Catholic wedding last month, and I noticed something in the church. There was a large crucifix at the front of the church, but, I looked at the very top of it, and there was Mary, exalted above the Lord. Then, I looked and saw another huge statue of "Mary" with a crown on her head, holding a child (Queen of Heaven, perhaps?) There was another statue of Jesus, much smaller than the one of Mary, of course. Also, a huge statue of St Peter. Then, on the walls of the church, were the stages of the cross, of course, but written on the walls all the way around were things about Mary. "Holy Mary, mother of God"
"Blessed Mary", and on and on. I felt a little ill, thinking about that, and I wondered what my Lord was thinking, and also, what would his earthly mother think if she could see this for herself? I think she would be horrified to know she was exalted in this way. Anyway, that's what I think about it. God Bless


Giggly Giraffe-- When Jesus said "Behold your mother", He was talking to John because He wanted John to take care of her. Jesus also said "Woman, (not mother, which does not exalt her) behold your son." He was telling Mary that John would be like her son now, in taking care of her. Jesus wasn't referring to Himself, but John.

Answer 6

We are members of the Body of Christ and Mary was Christs Mother so she is our Mother too

Answer 7

Because they make up their own religion as they go along.

They SAY they don't worship her....but.....

"If you want to see what a person's real priorities are, then watch what they do when their life, or the life of a loved one, is in danger. When Pope John Paul II was shot, while the ambulance was rushing him to the hospital, the Pope was not praying to God or calling on the name of Jesus. He kept saying, over and over: "Mary, my mother!" Polish pilgrims placed a picture of Our Lady of Czestochowa on the throne where the Pope normally sat. People gathered around the picture. Vatican loudspeakers broadcasted the prayers of the rosary. When the Pope recovered, he gave Mary all the glory for saving his life, and he made a pilgrimage to Fatima to publicly thank her."

Answer 8

Well, this was actually a maneuver the Catholic church initiated in order to convert the Pagan worshippers that still existed in Europe at the time. Most of them were Goddess worshippers, and were simply unwilling to convert to a faith that placed a male deity as the supreme force.

In fact, many early Catholics in those regions worshipped Mary as a goddess, and she was the focal point of their faith.

Answer 9

The Blessed Virgin Mary is important to Catholics because the Bible says she is important to God.

+ Mary is the handmaid of the Lord (Luke 1:38), a servant of God just like us.

+ Mary is the first Christian. All other Christians follow her on the road of faith. She is the model for all of us because she actively cooperated with the Will of God by saying "Yes" to God in the plan of salvation.

+ Mary is the model of faith. Mary's faith never wavered throughout Jesus' life, even while watching him die on the cross when most of the Apostles ran away.

+ Mary is full of grace. The angel Gabriel called her, "Full of grace" and said, "The Lord is with you." She is full of grace at that moment; the Lord is with her at that moment, before she says "yes" to the angel's question. Catholics believe the state of grace was with her since her Immaculate Conception. God prepared her for her later role as the mother of Jesus.

+ Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ, of God the Son.

+ Mary is a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, a tabernacle. The angel Gabriel says to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow." (Luke 1:35)

+ God praised Mary through His messenger, the angel Gabriel, "Rejoice, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you." If God and his angels praise Mary, shouldn't we?

+ Jesus honored Mary. Jesus kept the Commandments and did not sin. Jesus fulfilled the Commandment to honor both his father and his mother. WWJD? What would Jesus do? Jesus would and did honor Mary, his mother.

+ The Holy Spirit inspired praises of Mary. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women," and "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." (Luke 1:41-45)

+ The Scriptures tell of Mary's place with Jesus. Mary gives birth to Jesus, presents him to the shepherds, to the wise men, to God in the Temple. She lived with him for many years in Nazareth, intercedes with Jesus in Cana, suffers with him at the foot of the Cross, and prays to him with the apostles in the Upper Room.

+ Mary was a prophet. "Behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me." (Luke 1:48-49) As Christians who believe the Bible, we must call Mary "blessed."

+ Mary is our Mother too. While he was on the Cross, Jesus said to his beloved disciple (who represents all Christians), "this is your mother." (John 19:27)

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.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 484 and following: http://www.nccbuscc.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt2art3p2.htm

With love in Christ.

Answer 10

you are probably reading the king james version of the bible. and king james was a woman hater. if you cannot think of the mother of God as important than you are in big doo doo.