Why do Catholics pray to Mary and is it Biblical?

Answer 1

Catholic AnswerOf course Catholic pray to Mary, and yes, it is Biblical. Below is a full explanation of all of that. But the short answer is that "pray" as "worship" do not mean the same things to contemporary protestants and evangelicals as the English language as always used those terms. Protestants and Evangelicals would probably be more comfortable with the word "invocation of saints" as this is just a facet of the Communion of Saints that we all profess in the Creed each Sunday. Suffice it to say, that for Catholics, prayer and worship DO NOT MEAN "adoration" that is due to God alone. For a more complete explanation, read on:

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Catholics pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary because Jesus gave her to all of us as our mother when he hung on the cross through the disciple, John. The "type" of the Blessed Virgin Mary was foreshadowed in the Old Testament in the "Queen Mother". Read 1 Kings 1:19. The Queen in the Kingdom of Israel was always mother of the King. She petitioned him for intervention and he acceded to her requests. Everything in the New Testament is foreshadowed in the Old Testament. We see this played out at Jesus' first miracle which was done at the request of His mother.

from Radio Replies, by Fathers Rumble and Carty, 1942

1408 Why pray to Mary at all?

Because God wills that we should do so, and because such prayers to her are of the utmost value. God often wills to give certain favors only on condition that we go to some secondary agent. Sodom was to be spared through the intercession of Abraham; Naaman, the leper, was to be cured only through the waters of the Jordan. Now Mary is, and must ever remain, the mother of Christ. She still has a mother's rights and privileges, and is able to obtain for us many graces. But let us view things reasonably. If I desire to pray, I can certainly pray to God directly. Yet would you blame me, if, at times, I were to ask my own earthly mother to pray for me also? Such a request is really a prayer to her that she may intercede for me with God. Certainly, if I met the mother of Christ on earth, I would ask her to pray for me, and she would do so. And in her more perfect state with Christ in heaven she is not less able to help me.

1411. It is unscriptural to attribute power to Mary.

That is a very unscriptural statement. At His mother's request Jesus changed water into wine at Cana, though He had said, "My time is not yet come." St. James tells us that the "prayer of a just man availeth much. (James V., 16) How much more the prayer of Mary!

1412. Does the Bible sanction such prayers to Mary?

Yes. All through the Bible you will find God conferring favors through the prayers of others. In the Old Testament we read of the prayers of Abraham, Moses, and of the various prophets. In the New Testament, St. James tells us to "pray for one another," in the text I have just quoted. If we must always pray directly to God and may not ask the prayers of others, why did St. Paul write to the Thessalonians, "Pray for us that we may be delivered from importunate and evil men?" (2 Thess. III,., 2.) Why did he not ask that directly of God, instead of asking the prayers of the Thessalonians? Or would you be more scriptural than the New Testament itself?

from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

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 fulfillment 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." (Lumen Gentium 62)

970 "Mary's function as mother of men in no way obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power. But the Blessed Virgin's salutary influence on men . . . flows forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ, rests on his mediation, depends entirely on it, and draws all its power from it." (Lumen Gentium 60) "No creature could ever be counted along with the Incarnate Word and Redeemer; but just as the priesthood of Christ is shared in various ways both by his ministers and the faithful, and as the one goodness of God is radiated in different ways among his creatures, so also the unique mediation of the Redeemer does not exclude but rather gives rise to a manifold cooperation which is but a sharing in this one source." (Lumen Gentium 62)

975 "We believe that the Holy Mother of God, the new Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in heaven to exercise her maternal role on behalf of the members of Christ" (Paul VI, Credo of the People of God § 15).

AnswerYou can find this answer in the catechism of the Catholic Faith. Catholics do NOT pray to Mary. They ask Mary to pray FOR them. Just like anyone would ask anyone to pray for them.

The catholics regard Marry as the only holiest human being who lived on this earth and in which God came to dwell and revealed Himself to the rest of human beings. Because the most Holy Lord Jesus, the saviour of the world was born by Marry, weaned by Marry, the catholics regard Marry as the only channel to connect themselves to The Holy God, for God Himself used Marry as a channel to come into this world. For this reason, the catholics made Marry as their intercessor to reach Lord Jesus who is more holier than Marry His human mother. Although, Lord Jesus said He is the way; John 14:6, the catholics see themselves as sinners and feel worthless to be in the presence or connect themselves to The Holy God through Lord Jesus, they decided to use Marry as their mediator to Lord Jesus and Lord Jesus to His Father.

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Catholic AnswerFirst of all you must understand that the word "prayer" means supplication or beseech, entreat or implore as in the English use, "pray, be careful." It is not meant as the adoration that is only due to God. Second, the Blessed Virgin Mary is now with God, and she is the mediatrix through which all grace came to the world. In other words, Our Blessed Lord came into the world because of her saying "yes" to God. Mary only says one thing to us, as she says in the Gospel "Do whatever He tells you." (St. John's Gospel 2:5). Finally we honor her just as her Son, Our Blessed Lord did, "and He was obedient unto them." (St. Luke 2:51), and in obedience to Our Lord's command from the cross, "Behold thy mother." (St. John's Gospel 19:27), Our Blessed Lord speaking to St. John.

from

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

2674 Mary gave her consent in faith at the Annunciation and maintained it without hesitation at the foot of the Cross. Ever since, her motherhood has extended to the brothers and sisters of her Son "who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and difficulties." (Lumen Gentium 62) Jesus, the only mediator, is the way of our prayer; Mary, his mother and ours, is wholly transparent to him: she "shows the way" (hodigitria), and is herself "the Sign" of the way, according to the traditional iconography of East and West.

2675

Beginning with Mary's unique cooperation with the working of the Holy Spirit, the Churches developed their prayer to the holy Mother of God, centering it on the person of Christ manifested in his mysteries. In countless hymns and antiphons expressing this prayer, two movements usually alternate with one another: the first "magnifies" the Lord for the "great things" he did for his lowly servant and through her for all human beings; (Cf. Lk1:46-55 the second entrusts the supplications and praises of the children of God to the Mother of Jesus, because she now knows the humanity which, in her, the Son of God espoused.

AnswerYes, as a Catholic myself i know that we sometimes pray to the virgin Mary. We say the hail Mary. AnswerWe pray to Virgin Mary because she is the Mother of Jesus Christ. God chose her to be the Mother of his only Son.

Mother Mary was without Sin and she obeyed God in all possible manner.

Prayers to Mother Mary are always answered through Jesus Christ. As a Son cannot deny his mother.

There are more churches build in the honor of Mother Mary than Jesus Christ.

Catholics believe in life after death. Those who have lived good lives and died in the faith of Christ will, as the Bible tells us, share in his resurrection.

While we live together on earth as Christians, we are in communion, or unity, with one another. But that communion doesn't end when one of us dies. We believe that Christians in heaven, the saints, remain in communion with those of us on earth.

So, just as we might ask a friend or family member to pray for us, we can approach a saint with our prayers, too.

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.

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.

REGARDING INTERCESSORY PRAYER TO MARY

Everyone knows the story of Jesus' first miracle at the wedding feast of Cana where Jesus turned water into wine (John 2:1-12). However, let's focus on why he did it. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." [And] Jesus said to her, "Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come." Note what happens next. His mother said to the servers, "Do whatever he tells you"… (She did not respond to his question, but turned to the servers.) As Paul Harvey would say, "you know the rest of the story" … or do we? So why did he do it? Answer: because his mother asked im to! Who better than Jesus to obey the Fourth Commandment. Don't forget that Jesus, although he is one Divine person, had two natures - human and divine. Would Jesus say no to his mother on Earth? Of course not. Would he say "no" to his mother in heaven? What do you think? Since Mary is our mother, too - John 19:27: "Behold your mother" - and the greatest saint, why wouldn't we seek her powerful intercession?

Hebrews 7:25 (King James Version)25 Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.

CATHOLIC ANSWER

First of all, Catholics do not worship Mary, and in truth it is against the teachings of the Catholic faith, and has never been taught. Mary worship is what is called a "straw man fallacy", a known lie created by anti-Catholics to produce an unarguable attack against ignorant Catholics. It is irrefutable knowledge that the Catholic Church does not teach, nor condone Worship of Mary, for Worship is only reserved for God. It is impossible for a Catholic to defend an attack that we don't believe in the first place, thus a "straw man fallacy". We can only agree with anti-Catholics that Worship is for God and God alone and the Catholic Church teaches such.

The mentality that prayer is only reserved for worship is also an anti-Catholic lie. Prayer can also be identified as a petition, or humble request, not related to worship. This mentality of intercessory prayer stems back long before any anti-Catholic reformation, and the honoring of the saints, such as St. Augustine and Mary has existed in history thousands of years before any protestant reformation came into existence.

Secondly, Mary, among all the saints, IS held in greatest esteem. In relation to Jesus though, Mary is drop of water compared to an ocean, and bears no honor save that which has been given her by God. As is for all people that exist, all that is honorable or worthy of praise has as its root God and God alone. That does not mean that we are not to show honor to those that God has honored. As God has commanded, "Honor your mother and father." Honor does not equate to worship as many anti-Catholics like to push when honor of Mary and the saints is presented. As we can dishonor and attack Christ by attacking and dishonoring the body of Christ the church, so too we can honor Christ and give him praise when we honor and build up the body of Christ. "Whatever you do to the least of your brothers and sisters, you do to me."

Obviously, first and foremost Catholics, the Orthodox Christians, Anglicans, and most other Christians, all pray to God. When one says he is praying to Mary, another saint, or cousin Lucille for that matter, he has to be understood in the sense that he asked Mary, the other Saint, or cousin Lucille to pray to God on his behalf. This means that one asks Mary, another saint or Lucille to add their prayers to one's own--petitioning God, praising God, thanking God, or asking God's forgiveness.

If you think asking someone else to pray for you is the same as praying to whomever you asked to pray on your behalf, then you might legitimately say, "I prayed to Mary/the other saint/Lucille." If what you actually did was not ask for prayers, but somehow adored Mary/the other saint/Lucille, then you are seriously misguided. And no, Catholics don't pray to anybody but God, though the often ask other Christians, living and dead, to pray for them. There is a big difference between the two practices.

Catholics pray to Mary because she is the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of God (Jesus Christ); and she is the Advocate of the people of Earth before God. We pray to her asking her to pray to God for us and ask him for mercy for us.