why do catholics pray to mary.?

Answer 1

+ 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 +

"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28)

"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb" (Luke 1:42).

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

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 2673 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt4sect1chpt2art2.htm

A question for Christians who take the Bible literally: Do you call Mary "blessed"? If not, why?

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 2

They pray through her because they are deceived by the ancient pagan tradition that was mixed into Christianity.

"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5)

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." -- John 14:6

"But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." -2 Corinthians 11:33

Christ is our only advocate.
Christ is our only mediator.
Christ is our only intercessor.

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 3

Catholics pray to Mary because she holds a special place in Jesus' heart. So much so that he interceded on her behalf to have her body brought to heaven with him so it would not be corrupted by decay. Because of Jesus' love for his mother, Catholics believe that He will take into account what she asks. That's what they taught me anyway.

Answer 4

for lollipop
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5)


if you read the text in the greek and know anything about the greek used you will find the author had the option of using the greek for "one" or "the only "one". the author used the greek word that did not exclude all others, while jesus is the main source of intercession the bible is laced with references to jesus sharing in his ministry, jesus is not selfish as many christians present him to be, and whom more could share in his ministry than his mother,the first christian, the blessed mother?

Answer 5

We ask all members of theMystical Body of Christ to pray with and for us to,in,with and by Christ in the Holy Spirit to the Father.
Mary ,Mother of God the Word Incarnate, is our sister in the Body and our mother in the family of those adopted by the Blood of Christ.;so, we should ask her prayers
We believe that this does not obscure Christ or sideline Him but does the opposite.
Every good son would want his good mother praised ,honored and fellowshiped with.

Answer 6

Goddess worship is not ancient history. It is going on today. It is practiced in Wicca and a variety of modern pagan religions. (Wicca is a religion based on witchcraft. It involves goddess worship, rituals and spells.)

The credibility of goddess worship has been increased through its acceptance by university professors and its incorporation into textbooks. Wiccan doctrines are being promoted in publicly funded, accredited colleges and universities. Nursing school textbooks are overtly promoting goddess worship, including textbooks written by the National League for Nursing (an accrediting agency for nursing schools).

The following table compares the Mary of Roman Catholic theology and religious practice with the Biblical portrayal of Mary and with the goddess which is worshipped by Wiccans and modern pagans. My information about Wicca comes from the book Wicca: Satan's Little White Lie by Bill Schnoebelen (who was the high priest of a Wiccan coven before he became a Christian), the World Book, the on-line version of The Encyclopedia Brittanica, and numerous web sites.

BIBLICAL MARY

CATHOLIC MARY

THE GODDESS




Humble and obedient. Calls herself “the handmaid of the Lord.”

The Pope officially gave Mary the title “Queen of Heaven” and established a feast day honoring Mary, Queen of Heaven.

Wiccans call their goddess the “Queen of Heaven”.




Knew she needed a savior: “And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” (Luke 1:47)

“Immaculate Conception” (Mary was conceived sinless, without original sin) and “All-Holy” (Mary lived a sinless life).

Goddesses don't need salvation. They make the rules.




Normal wife and mother who had other children.

“Perpetual Virginity” (Jesus' brothers and sisters are considered to be cousins).

Goddesses don't have human children.




No biblical evidence that Mary didn't die like a normal person.

“Glorious Assumption” (Mary was bodily taken up into Heaven).

Goddesses don't die.




Jesus told John to take Mary into his home and take care of her as if she was his own mother.

Catholics are the adopted children of Mary. “Woman behold your son” (John 19:26) is taken to apply literally to every Catholic.

Witches are the adopted, “hidden children” of the Queen of Heaven.




Normal woman.

Sometimes pictured standing on a crescent moon, wearing a crown or with a circle of stars around her head.

Moon goddess.




Normal woman.

Supernatural (apparitions accompanied by miracles and healings).

Supernatural.




Points people to Jesus. Mary said, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” (John 2:5)

Can make Jesus do things. A full page newspaper ad showing Mary and Jesus says, “He hasn't denied her anything in 2,000 years. What would you have her ask Him?” This is not official Catholic doctrine but it is a widespread attitude which is encouraged by pious literature.

Points to herself.



Wants to be worshipped.





Knew that she needed a savior. (Luke 1:47)

Apparitions of “Mary” have promised that if people wear certain objects (such as a Scapular or Miraculous Medal) or say certain prayers then they are guaranteed to go to Heaven. The Catholic Church has not officially approved of these practices, but it has also not discouraged them.

Invoked to make supernatural things happen through witchcraft (the use of special objects and special verbal formulas).



Goddesses don't need a savior.







Goddess worship has infiltrated main-line Christian denominations. In November 1993, a Re‑Imagining Conference was held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Most of the 2,000 participants were women. This ecumenical church conference was sponsored by and attended by members of over a dozen denominations, including Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Catholics, Lutherans and Methodists. They prayed to Sophia, the goddess of Wisdom, calling her their Creator. They did rituals for this goddess, including a communion service where bread and wine were replaced by milk and honey. They openly rejected the doctrines of the incarnation and the atonement. This conference was repeated in 1996, 1998 and 2000.

There are Wiccan web sites with web pages devoted to individual goddesses. The Virgin Mary is included among the goddesses of the following web sites: The Spiral Goddess Grove, The White Moon, and Goddess 2000. They consider Mary to be the “Divine Feminine” and say that for centuries, many people have “blended” their ancient goddesses with Mary.

Answer 7

Orthodox Catholics simply do not worship Mary as God -- and it gets a little tiring being accused of worshipping Mary as God when you don't.
It amounts to being called a liar and is quite rude.
We Catholics would be the ones to know Whom we consider God and whom we don't.
I love my biological Mother, too, but don't mistake her for the Lord!
I honor her, keep in touch with her, look after her, celebrate her special days, would get mad if someone were to insult her -- and I do the same for Jesus's Mother.
My love for my Mother doesn't mean I don't love my Father, too.

It just strikes me as evil, this not uncommon attempt to diminish Mary's status and the unceasing accusations against Catholics of trying to raise her status to that of God's. There's something very sinister and ugly in it, and I find it offensive.
We Catholics take great care in pointing out that "worship" in the sense of latria is GOD'S alone -- even to the point of having separate terms for the honor and adoration due to God as opposed to the honor and veneration of the Saints -- including His greatest Saint, Mary.
They are:


latria: the honor due to God alone
dulia: the honor due to human creatures worthy of respect
hyperdulia: the honor due to Mary as God's greatest creation and our Queen Mother



When we love Christ, does that prevent us from loving each other? No! Love is infinite because God, Who is Love, is infinite! We can love and adore Jesus, love and venerate Mary, love the other Saints, and love each other without depriving anyone (or Anyone) of anything.
How many children can you have without running out of love? How many friends?
What we "spend" in love is replaced many times over; love for Christ can only bring the fruits of more love to give.

To love Mary takes nothing at all from Christ, but honors our Blessed Lord by Whose grace she is who she is: His greatest creation, the greatest of Saints, the Queen of Heaven, the Immaculate Conception, the spotless Virgin, the Ark of the Covenant, the New Eve, the mother of God, and the mother of Israel -- our mother who wants nothing more for us than to pray for us and show us her Son.


...And ask yourself why the heck we'd lie about not worshipping Mary as some sort of divine being if we actually did. Do you think we are ashamed? Afraid of what you might think? Do you think that we actually do worship Mary but don't tell converts until some secret ceremony held after they've been in the Church a few years and can be trusted?
I mean, really! Satanists have no qualms telling people they worship Satan, pagans have no problem informing the world that they worship the earth, Hindus are not uneager to reveal that they chant to Krishna -- but Catholics are "afraid" to "admit" whom they consider God?
Please! We are not afraid to tell you we believe in Purgatory, indulgences, the Communion of Saints, the efficacy of piously using sacramentals, the true grace of the Sacraments, the infallibility of the Pope when he uses his Extraordinary or Universal Magisterium, etc.
Trust me; if we thought Mary is a godess, we'd let you know.

As the obedient, infinitely holy Son of God, the Lord Jesus was a very firm believer in the commandment to honor one's father and mother. Now, what most people don't know about that commandment is that in Hebrew it literally reads, "Glorify your father and mother."We are to bring glory to our parents, and that includes not only our earthly, physical mother but our heavenly, spiritual mother as well. We are to imitate Christ, and just as he brought glory to his mother, we are to bring glory to her as well.

St. Luke's gospel (1:48) - "Behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed."


Her soul magnifies the Lord (Luke 1:46-55)!

Answer 8

Mary doesn't pray for ANYONE, as seen here:

Mary DOESN'T pray for ANYONE! That is the job of the Holy Spirit, as we see in:


Romans 8:25-27 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society


25But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

Answer 9

I don't think they pray to her directly in lieu of God.

Answer 10

INTERCESSORY PRAYER OF THE SAINTS
http://scripturecatholic.com/saints.html

The Blessed Mother is as human as you or I.....but of course is in Heaven now. The first chapter of John tells us that:

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

and then:

Joh 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

That is to say that Jesus is God. Now, it was the Will of God the Father that His only begotten Son come down to Earth and take on flesh and sacrifice His body on the cross for man's sins. The Blessed Mother provided the flesh. Therefore, she is the 'Mother of God.....Jesus".

Now, Jesus is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. (1Tim 6:15; Rev 17:14; Rev 19:16). As Jesus is the King, His Mother is then the QUEEN MOTHER.

Now, the purpose of the Queen Mother in the Davidic Kingdoms (Jesus is a decendant of David) is to plead for the people of Israel before the king. That is, the Queen Mother is the ADVOCATE for the people. Why because men have a difficult time turning down their mothers. Do you remember the Jesus could not turn down the Blessed Mother in her request at the wedding feast at Cana (See the 2nd chapter of John)?

Consider the following:

"…Then Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king stood up to meet her and paid her homage. Then he sat down upon his throne, and a throne was provided for the king's mother, who sat at his right. "There is one small favor I would ask of you," she said. "Do not refuse me." "Ask it, my mother," the king said to her, "for I will not refuse you…". (Cf. I Kings 2:19-20)

The Blessed Mother of God is the fairest daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son and the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. She has a relationship with the Holy Trinity unlike any other creature. Her role as Advocate for the children of God is unlike any other creature’s as well.

Dr. Miravalle described it this way: "In the great Davidic kingdoms of the Old Testament, the mother of the king traditionally held the office of the "Queen Mother" (or "Gebirah" in Hebrew, literally meaning "the Great Lady", (Cf. 1Ki 2:11,19). The principal role of the Queen Mother was to serve as advocate or intercessor on behalf of the people of Israel to her son the King.

"In the New Testament, with the announcement of the new and eternal King and Kingdom of God (Cf. Lk. 1:32-33), so too humanity receives a new Queen Mother, as principal advocate for the people of God in presenting their needs to Jesus Christ, the King of kings. .Her advocacy is clearly manifest at Cana, interceding on behalf of those without physical wine, but ultimately for the spiritual and Eucharistic wine of her Son (Jn.2:1-10). At Calvary, the Crucified King presents his Mother and Queen to the world as gift to all in his Kingdom (Jn. 19:27). And in Revelation, the new Queen Mother in the universal and everlasting Kingdom of Christ is crowned with twelve stars (Rev. 12:1), as she, in battle array, continues her life and death advocacy for humanity against the spiritual warring of the Dragon-Adversary.”

NOW.......we know that the term "Israel refers to "THE PEOPLE OF GOD". Since we Christians have accepted Jesus, we are the NEW ISRAEL. (See 1Pet 2:9-10; Gal 4:28-31; Gal 6:14-16; Mat 21:43).

THEREFORE, Catholics pray to the Blessed Mother to plead for our petitions and prayers before her Son, Jesus, on our behalf. She is VERY INFLUENCIAL WITH JESUS. Consider Catholic pray the "Hail Mary":

"Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, PRAY FOR US SINNERS NOW AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH. Amen."

As you can see, we pray to her begging her to plead with her Son (who is God) to answer our prayers. No, she is not a goddess.....and we are not to worship her as one....that is forbidden.

I suggest that you re-read what I have posted here and also read the references to the Holy Bible.


Blessed Mary why honor her?
http://home.inreach.com/bstanley/honr.htm

Veneration of the Blessed Mother of God.
http://home.inreach.com/bstanley/ven.htm

Scripture Alone? Is Half the Story Sufficient?
http://www.call2holiness.org/ScriptureAlone/ScriptureAlone.htm