Catholics Do Not Worship Mary Continued...?

Question

Okay, so that I hear you correctly...Catholics Venerate Mary and the Saints? Did I read that correctly?

Well, I looked up venerate:
"[Origin: 1615–25; < L venerātus, ptp. of venerārī to solicit the goodwill of (a god), worship, revere, v. deriv. of vener-, s. of venus, presumably in its original sense “desire”;" --

"To regard with respect, reverence, or heartfelt deference."--American Heritage Dictionary

"regard with feelings of respect and reverence; consider hallowed or exalted or be in awe of;" ---WordNet

To me, it doesn't sound like venerate is any better. Veneration also carries the idea of worship as well. Again, Catholics will not call Mary God, but they do indeed solicit her for help. And it also appears that Catholics consider Mary to be hallowed or exalted and the do stand, kneel, or bow in awe of her.

Please correct me if I am wrong...

Answer 1

No correction needed. You're not wrong.

Answer 2

Born Again Catholic has said it very well.

I reiterate...you, as another human being, cannot know the heart of a person. I was told by a Baptist minister that when I kneel down to put presents under the Christmas tree, I am worshiping the tree.

Someone who did not know the customs of Christmas, watching from the outside as we place presents under the tree...may indeed think we were honoring or worshiping the tree. The same thing happens when non-Catholics watch Catholics and make assumptions about things they do not know about.

It's good that you ask, but as Born Again Catholic points out, English is a poor language compared to others because it is limited.

Answer 3

Catholics believe Mary as the Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church, Mother of Perpetual Help, and Mother of us all.

Catholics do not worship Mary because, Mary is not God. Did the Angel worship Mary when he said, "Hail!! full of grace"? Did Elizabeth worship Mary when she said, "blessed are you among women"?

If a person hug, kneel, talk, or kiss a picture of a dead loved one is that person worshipping?? People even bow down to a queen!!

Answer 4

Well, you're wrong. You asked.

If you have a problem with intercession of the saints, you're going to have a problem with Mary regardless. But just for the sake of the argument, let's table that part of it and confine this to defining terms as you have begun with the dictionaries.

Unfortunately, English isn't the best language in which to explain how the honor and veneration given to Mary is entirely different from worship and adoration which are due only to God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

"As the terminology of Christian theology developed, the Greek term latria came to be used to refer to the honor that is due to God alone, and the term dulia came to refer to the honor that is due to human beings, especially those who lived and died in God’s friendship—in other words, the saints. Scripture indicates that honor is due to these individuals (Matt. 10:41b). A special term was coined to refer to the special honor given to the Virgin Mary, who bore Jesus—God in the flesh—in her womb. This term, hyperdulia (huper [more than]+ dulia = "beyond dulia"), indicates that the honor due to her as Christ’s own Mother is more than the dulia given to other saints. It is greater in degree, but still of the same kind. However, since Mary is a finite creature, the honor she is due is fundamentally different in kind from the latria owed to the infinite Creator." (quoted from "Catholic Answers")

In English, however, these very important distinctions do not exist. Therefore, we are left with the term "worship" to imply latria and other terms such as veneration to imperfectly distinguish the other two.

As far as what it "appears to be" when a Catholic is observed kneeling in prayer before a statue ... do be careful about making assumptions. You do not know what is in the heart of that person. Just because it "looks like" worship does not make it so.

Answer 5

Read the Catholic catechism and other primary sources instead of consulting a secular dictionary.

Of course we are in awe of the Blessed Virgin. She was a very holy woman singled out by God for a very special purpose. What an honor! That's why Gabriel told her "Blessed are you among all women."

And of course we respect her. She perfectly fulfilled her role in Christ's salvific mission and also suffered much during His passion and death.

Even an angel from heaven greeted her thus: "HAIL thou full of grace!"

Pax Vobiscum+

Answer 6

Try consulting a Catholic Theological Dictionary for a better definition of veneration.

The word is theological that ordinary dictionaries do not do justice.

Go to primary sources, not secondary that are polluted. That's what intelligent researchers do.

Be intelligent. Don't believe in hearsay; go to primary sources; i.e., Catholic sources.

Answer 7

.

So, what is the invocation .....Hail Mary Mother of God..........


Catechism #969 "This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfilment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation .... Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix."

Catechism # 971 "All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.

If you read your catechism, you would be a real Catholic instead of a pseudo-Catholic..............why not be Protestant and submit to the Word of God?

.

Answer 8

I revere my grandmother and my mother but I do not worship them.

+ 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, 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

+ 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 9

who told them to ask marry for help?
because jesus said:"i am the way,the truth and the life. no one can go to my father but thorugh me?

didn't he say that.

did you at one point hear one of jesus's people go to mary for help.did she heal the sick.
my friend all she did was to deliver us the king from god to worship.

Answer 10

You are on the right path, my friend.