What are devotion to Mary and veneration of saints and angels?

Answer 1

Although devotion, or adoration, is a lengthy subject, it can be summarized under four distinct headings:

A. Civil - based on natural, created excellence

B. Religious

1. latria: adoration given to God alone
2. dulia: veneration given to saints and angels
3. hyperdulia: veneration given because of some unique supernatural but created excellence, as, e.g., to our Blessed Lady.

Latria, dulia and hyperdulia may each be further distinguished as either relative or absolute. These distinctions will be discussed further down.

In the simplest sense, devotion or adoration is giving testimony of another's exellence, dignity, or superiority. For example, a Baseball crowd will rise to its feet when the President of the United States enters the ball park; an enthusiastic crowd in St. Peter's will fill the basilica with applause as the Pope makes his way down the middle aisle. A gentleman will rise to his feet and offer a chair to a lady when she approaches the table, and so on.

In all of these examples, it is the interior act of reverence that defines the act as adoration or devotion. Simply performing, or "going through" the exterior motions mechanically and without the proper interior disposition is not considered devotion or adoration.

When we acknowledge an excellence or dignity present in a person, we also express devotion or veneration by trying to emulate the same excellence and dignity in our own lives. As St. Paul says, "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you." (1 Cor 11:1-2)

If civil reverence, dulia and hyperdulia are due to man on account of his created dignity and being made in the image of God (cf. Gn 1:26-27), it becomes clear that latriapre-eminently is owed to God alone, for his excellence and superiority are uncreated and supreme.

A Note on Images and Statues

Performing acts of veneration before sacred pictures, icons, medals, statues, etc. often raises friendly questions in the minds of our contemporary Protestant brothers and sisters. Their reasonable, innocent curiosity should be welcomed, as it is starkly contrasted with unfriendly voices from the pages of history - from the iconoclasts of the seventh century, through the early Protestant innovators of the sixteenth century, to the Nazi and atheistic Communist image-breakers of the twentieth century, there have always been vociferous voices condemning Catholic religious practices.

The theological positions of these vociferous groups, however, often contradict their own everyday lives. For example, what man does not treasure a photo of his loved ones? What state or country does not honor its famous dead with statues and memorials? These are images and relics, revered by men, not for being what they are made of (paper, stone, marble, etc.) but for the sake of those whom they represent.

These items - pictures, statues, or even the bones of a saint himself (relics) - are sense perceptible mementos that inspire us to imitate in our lives the dignity, virtue and excellent qualities in the people they represent.

This brings us to the distinction between what is called relative adoration and absolute adoration. Relative adoration is given to an image on account of its relation or connection to the person it represents. Absolute adoration is given to the person himself or herself; e.g. I relatively adore a photo of my wife because it is a keepsake and memento of dignity, excellence and virtue. I absolutely adore my wife in and of herself because she embodies that very dignity, excellence and virtue in her life. I absolutely adore her because I wish to emulate her dignity, excellence and virtue in my life.

Or, as the actor Jack Nicholson says in the film As Good As It Gets, "You make me want to be a better man." His on screen character was honoring actress Helen Hunt's character with absolute adoration.

We can make the distinction between relative latria and absolute latria as well.

For example, the historical True Cross to which Christ was nailed is venerated not because of the wood and carpentry that formed it. Rather, it is venerated with relative latriabecause of its special relation and contact with Christ, who is God (cf. Jn 1:14); i.e. I venerate the True Cross with relative latria because it prompts me to further adore the Crucified One with absolute latria, Whose perfect dignity and excellence I wish to emulate in my life.

Similarly, modern crucifixes and images are true representations of the Crucified One. So they are honored with relative latria not because of the gold, silver, jewels or artistic beauty they display. Rather, they are venerated because of Christ Whom they call to mind. They are venerated with relative latria because they call and prompt us further to venerate Christ Himself with absolute latria.

Or again, I honor the Eucharist with absolute latria not because of the outward appearances of bread and wine that remain after transubstantiation, but because of Christ Whom the bread and wine have actually become (cf. Mt 26:26-28; Mk 14:22-25; Lk 22:19-20; Jn 6:51, 55; 1 Cor 11:23-29).

All of this can be said of dulia and hyperdulia as well. Images of saints and angels are venerated with relative dulia, while the very saints and angels themselves are honored with absolute dulia. Images of Our Blessed Lady are venerated with relative hyperdulia, while Our Blessed Lady herself is venerated with absolute hyperdulia.

REFERENCES

Donlan, T. Cunningham, F. Rock, A. Christ, and His Sacraments, (Dubuque, Iowa: The Priory Press, 1958.)

p.s. cmvaughan here. Sorry, I wasn't logged in when answering this one. Feel free to drop me a line if you have any questions.