Why would you pray to Mary?

Answer 1

Because the Bible states the only way to the father is thru the son. It does not say to pray to her anywhere in scriptures. It says she will be called blessed by woman.

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Catholic AnswerThere is a little confusion with the question. Christians have always prayed to Our Blessed Lady. The first bit of confusion is with your use of the word "Christian" when I think you mean protestant.

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According to the Catholic Church, Catholic is the only type of Christianity. Those who are not in communion with her but are validly baptized are Christians to the extent that they believe the Nicene Creed in its traditional interpretation, and attempt to live that life.

Christianity is the belief in Jesus Christ, which involves living the life that He is asking you to live, and believing in Him. As Jesus Christ only established one Church, and He was very specific about that, and that one Church is both His Body, and His Bride. That One Church is the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. All other ecclesial communities who call themselves "Christian Churches" are heretical to one extent or another. They have redefined terms such as "Christianity" in order to mean other things which would include themselves in "Christianity". This is an error.

The ecumenical movement, contrary to what many believe has only one purpose, and that is to return all of those who profess belief in Jesus Christ back to the true Church. The current state of affairs, which has involved redefining language, re-writing history, and redefining Jesus, Himself, has got to stop. To deny that the Catholic Church is the only "Christian" Church is, to some extent, to deny Jesus Christ, and attempt to redefine Him as something other than what He was.

For a complete discussion and understanding of the issue, please read the book: Salvation Outside the Church? By Rev. Peter M.J. Stravinskas which discusses all the issues as addressed by the Popes and the Ecumenical Council, this contains the entire text of Dominus Iesus. Here is a quote about Dominus Iesusthat is contained in the book:

... I was attending a meeting of a diocesan ecumenical commission, whose entire agenda on that occasion had been dedicated to a discussion of Dominus Iesus, in an effort to calm ecumenical fears and to assuage feelings of hurt and anger. . . an Assemblies of God minister. Allow me to paraphrase his summation: "As I read the document, it says two things. First, that Jesus Christ is the way to salvation for the entire human race. I believe that completely, and I thought every other Christian did, too. Second, that the Catholic Church believes that it is the unique means of putting the human race into contact with Christ and His saving Gospel. I do not believe that, which is why I am not a Catholic. And if a Catholic does not believe that, I don't know why he's still a Catholic."

Secondly, protestants always respected and loved the Blessed Virgin. Martin Luther, himself promoted devotion to her, as well as Calvin. It is only recently (in the past hundred years or so) as protestants have splintered more and more, getting further from the Church that many have turned on devotion to Mary.

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To understand why Christians pray to Mary, 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.

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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. Lk 1:46-55 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.

Protestants in rejecting the guidance of the Church have lost their devotion to Our Blessed Lord's Mother. This is a sure and certain sign that they have lost any vestige of Christianity which they once retained.

Answer 2

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Roman 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.

Answer 3

Because there is no Biblical authority for assuming the divinity of Mary, nor of her intercessionary powers.

The creation of saints and other intercessionary objects is considered idolatry, contrary to Biblical teachings, and the result of the Pagan and corrupt Papal influences.