Does God want us to pray to Mary?

Answer 1

Of course Christians believe in the Blessed Virgin, that's how they got Jesus.

Answer 2

== Jesus taught His disciples to pray 'Our Father who art in heaven....'. There is no evidence that Jesus wanted His followers to pray to Mary. Jesus taught His followers to follow His own example and pray to their Father in heaven. If Mary had such a role, or was to have such a role for Christians, He would certainly have made this plain.

Mary herself, at the Wedding at Cana stated 'do whatever He tells you.' Mary thus acknowledged Jesus' superiority and submitted to Him, which is one of her characteristics worthy of emulation. Praying to Mary herself thus actually contradicts these words of Mary.

In fact The Bible specifically contradicts and denies the validity of such prayers since 'there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.' Mary, though a Godly and wonderful person to be admired, as indeed are many others, can have no role in receiving prayers since she is not a mediator.

== Like many Christian holy customs, prayers and objects, such as the Creed and the Bible (in fact, Marian devotion was established before the Biblical canon was even formally established or assembled), devotion to Mary grew organically out of the basic beliefs outlined by Christ in regard to the Christian religion. What must be understood is that praying to Mary is to address her as an intercessor with Her Son and to glorify God through what He worked in her and through her. The early Christians venerated Mary, adorning the catacombs with her image and other forms of art and prayer. Her name was inserted into both the Western and Eastern liturgies within the first centuries and St. Ambrose in the fourth century made a proper treatise cataloguing Marian belief that was well received by the Christian Church, showing its contents were familiar and in line with Christian belief. Why did the Christians do this?

Reason for Marian devotion, besides the practical evidence throughout history, can be gleaned from the Bible. The first part of the "Hail Mary" is taken directly from scripture and thus in the early centuries was known as "the angelic salutation" (a name since relegated to the "Angelus" prayer):

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women" (Luke 1:28) and "blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus" (Luke 1:42). This salutation, first said by an angel, has thus been known as part of revelation since the beginning of Christianity and what's more, unless Christ Himself communicated this history to his apostles and they to Luke, the source of this early information is from Mary herself. Add to the above Mary's prophetic assertion that "Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed". Indeed the Christian Church has done that in every generation, repeating the angelic salutation to glorify God by recognizing His handmaid, Mary. If the Bible is inspired, it is evident Christ wanted His mother recognized and revered by all Christians throughout time, and this already within moments of her entering His work of salvation.

Further reasons why Christian prayers and devotions developed around Mary include her influence with her Son, Jesus. It was through her intercession that Christ preformed His first miracle at Cana, thereby effectively beginning His ministry even when He Himself told her that it was not yet His time (St. John 2:1-11). It was Mary alone who displayed heroic virtue by always believing in the mission of her Son as well as His divinity and prophecy; she alone did not return to the tomb on the third day, evidence of her belief in His words that He would no longer be there for He would be risen - at this point in time she was the only person on earth to have retained the Faith. The Gospel never records her rebuking or arguing with the authorities or the guards, nor complaining of her Son's treatment, as she understood and believed in the work of redemption and thus freely offered her Son and offered and united her sufferings with him, as the prophet Simeon foretold (St. Luke 2:35). Many exegetes see Christ's giving of Mary to John while He was on the cross as a formal act of Christ giving Mary to all mankind due to the formal speech He used, referring to Mary as "Woman" invoking the image of Eve (Mary is called the "New Eve" as Christ is the "New Adam") and calling John, "son", a filial and familial relationship that all Catholics maintain to this day in regard to Mary.

For the above reasons and many more, devotion to Mary has developed into a variety of prayers and devotions in order to venerate her name and accomplishments and thus glorify God through her - as the Bible foretold would happen - and to ask for her intercession, she who could move Christ Himself to begin His ministry. Catholics, for instance, believe that Jesus does want His faithful to so honor His mother, not only because of a Biblical prophecy, but because of her deeds, fidelity and because she was His mother, specially selected to participate in the redemption of mankind. As well, Christ loves His mother with the intimate love of a Son for a mother, and thus requests made through her, as seen at Cana, will be granted and surely those that love the mother will be loved by the Son.

Answer 3

The vast majority of non-Catholics would say a resounding 'no'. There is quite a controversy over the exact role of Mary. Many Catholics venerate Mary as the 'Mother of God' and pray to Mary as an intercessor for us. Some regard her as much less important, merely regarding her as another saint and no more. However, there are some in Catholicism who are campaigning to make her 'co-redemptrix' along with Jesus Christ, in other words, elevating her to a god.

However, whatever the role Mary has or does not have, the majority of Christians and, within that number, the vast majority of Protestants, believe that Jesus Christ is our only mediator and advocate, and therefore prayer to Mary is not only unnecessary, but contrary to the teachings of scripture.

Answer 4

The Nicene Creed states all the basic beliefs of Christianity, including a belief in the Virgin Mary. All who call themselves Christian must believe in the Virgin Mary. Different sects put greater or lessor emphasis on her, however.

Answer 5

I only know that Catholics pray to Mary, the other kinds of Christianity don't. they don't pray to the Virgin Mary because they don't belive that she was a virgin.

Answer 6

Of course Christians believe in the Blessed Virgin, that's how they got Jesus.