Do Catholics pray to Mary?

[Where]

Hello,

Do Catholics pray to Mary? If so, why?
Thanks
-Where

 

[stivvy]

Sure, we talk to Mary and St. Joseph and St. David and St. Stephen and St George and St. Lucy and St. Christopher and St. Ambrose and St. Catherine and St. Daniel and St. Teresa and St. Veronica and St. Helen and St. Isabel oh and St. Elizabeth, etc...

Not to mention Angel Gabriel and Michael too........

We talk to them because they are family and we love them and they love us. Why do you talk to others you love? I always though family communication was normal. Now I am confused...

 

[sweetMelody]

yes, She is our Mother and we love her, and she can help us.

 

[Where]

But they are dead.

 

[Where]

I am confused. Is there a doctrinal statement or something in the Bible that says something about praying to them? Do you pray to them just like you pray to God?

 

[stivvy]

But they are dead.

Jesus would disagree with you. He says they are Alive and more alive than you or I. They have just be taken from this world and their everlasting souls are Alive in Heaven, before the Holy Throne. They are Home!!

 

[Where]

I just don't understand why you pray to them I guess. How do you know they help you and things like that?

 

[stivvy]

I just don't understand why you pray to them I guess. How do you know they help you and things like that?

I don't understand why you wouldn't. If you admit they are alive and they are part of the Christian Family, then why do you think you Heavenely Father would shut them off from you? Why do you think you can't turn to them as you would your earthly family? I believe in a relationship with God and the rest of the family in more realistic ways rather than a closed door policy that when others are taken from here they are punished by not knowing us any longer. God, I believe, has an open door policy to build the family. Would a loving Father not allow brothers and sisters from showing love back and forth.

You might have been brought up not understanding this and not being educated in it, but it is real and the love is there for your taking. Faith in this relationship is all that is required. If you submit your heart to those who love you and pray for your brothers and sisters in God to fill your life with their spirit of holiness, you will be moved by it. If you choose not to, then you will not.

Just as you did with the Father, turn your faith to your family too. Worst case scenario, you are trying to show your love to your Christian brothers and sisters and God won't fault you for that. Best case scerario, you are in with your older brothers and sisters and your life is blessed by the Father for loving them too.

 

[SecretOfFatima]

Let me copy and paste from an older post that previously answered this question very well. See below.

Originally Posted by Gods Revenger

I know you guys are tired of all the anti-catholic/Mary threads, but I must ask this one question. Afterwards, I won't ask again.

First off, if someone would be willing to briefly explain to me exactly why you pray through (HA, notice I didn't say TO) Mary, that'd be great.

These are my thougts: God sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins so we can be free and have eternal life. THe blood of Jesus Christ is what cleanses us every time we sin.

## Of course, so let's start here.

Lots of things are done for us, or given to us, which are not Christ Himself - such as the Bible. Christ is our great & All-sufficient High Priest - His offering is all-sufficient & ever-perfect. Our prayers are not; we are sinners; we fall constantly - yet He commands us to pray, even teaching us how to. Yet how needless that is - for surely He, Who is God, & is the Father's Beloved Son in Whom He delights, knows the Will of His Father perfectly. So it would make sense if only He, but never we, prayed to His Father. We are utterly unqualified to do so - yet it is our privilege, even our duty, to do so.

Again, why are sinful, unholy, unclean, frail, ignorant, blind men made the ministers of the Gospel ? How foolish this seems - for the Holy Spirit could in an instant convert all nations to Himself by His Almighty & All-gracious convincing Power, without perverting or distorting or weakening the Gospel as we so easily & so readily do. Yet that is what God does - He takes a roundabout route (or what looks like one) to do His works.

And so on - the same applies to the Bible, to the Church, to the sacraments, etc. And it is in this context, I think, that the BVM & the Church on earth's attitude & practice regarding her can be seen. Devotion to her is not something isolated - it is part of a much larger pattern, perhaps of several patterns. In the present pattern she is an example of a created means & being which God does not in principle need at all (God needs no creatures at all - none of us), but through which He is pleased to work none the less

Why does God work through creatures ? ISTM, that He does so in order to honour His Son. Everything created - & the NT says this - everything created, exists through & for Jesus Christ. To this there are no exceptions of any kind whatever. If ever there was a rock-solid certain fact, it is this - every thing that has existed, does exist, will, or could or can or may or might exist, does so to the Glory & Honour of Jesus Christ. There is no other reason for anything to exist at all; that includes every other.

And this includes all in the Church - all the saints on earth, & in heaven; so it includes Mary. Mary exists for no other purpose than to bring glory to Jesus Christ. And the NT shows us how she did so.

And she is not suffered to be idle - the saints do not loll at ease, doing nothing, like Sybarites. They love in Heaven far more perfectly than they did on earth, for they see God face to face, as He is. And love is not idle, nor selfish, nor self-absorbed, but it is fruitful in good works, & pours itself out for the benefit of others, & is readier to seek the good of others than they are to ask for good things.

This is at least a part of the love of the Saints in heaven for those who are not yet "made perfect" - & it comes from no source but God. Nothing in any creature, not Mary, not the holiest of angels or the least molecule, could exist or remain in being without God: the Providence of God in universal, & ever-active. And His activity is exercised through His saints in Heaven, every bit as truly as through those on earth.

BTW - there is no implication that the work of Christ in His saints in any way makes Him remote from us - Mary is not an obstacle we must negotiate in order to come to Him, any more than the Bible is; no Saint is - we are united with the Saints in Heaven by the Spirit of Christ, Who gives Christ's Life to His Body. And no one ever thought the Holy Spirit was an obstacle to Christ. And as the Bible is not, why must Mary or any other Saint be ? Those whom He has renewed are not obstacles to Christ, because they are "in" Christ - & so are we on earth. That's one reason of several that death does not divide us - quite apart from the fact that He has abolished it, His Love is stronger than death.

The acts of Christ are the acts of God - & the acts of God are acts of mighty power, wholly good, excellent in every way, acts which never fail to have their effects. This being so, the saving work of God on the Cross is is a work which has effects. It is a mighty work, a work of omnipotent power, and it it has effects on behalf of those whom He redeems. And the Blessed in Heaven are among those redeemed, they are among the "redeemed of the LORD" indicated in the OT. And what is true of them as a group, is true of them as individuals - of whom Mary is one. They are some of the trophies won by Christ, the proofs of His victory.

It is in the knowledge of these things, & other ones, that the Church recommends love & veneration of the Blessed in Heaven, & especially of Mary, the Mother of God. All these arguments come from the NT - none of them in any way subtracts anything from the Unique & Infinite Dignity of Jesus Christ: it would be appalling if anything were to do that.

Hope that helps ##

Jesus was tempted but never fell into that temptation/sin. He was perfectly sinless. And living a holy and righteous life is ony possible by faith in Him.

So with that in mind, what good does it go to pray through Mary when she's not the one who died for us nor is our salvation even based or possible through her? We cannot be holy, righteous and blameless by her, either. Nor can she clean us up every time we sin.

It only makes sense to me that Jesus is the only intercessor we need since He is our ticket to eternal life and that He was the only one that satisfied God once and for all.

Please help me understand. Thank you. And I PROMISE not to bring this up ever again.
​

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[Foundthelight]

Mary is the mother of God and as such has a special relationship with him. We do not pray to her, or any Saint, exactly as we would to God. We do, however, ask them to intercede for us with Christ. This is no different than asking for the prayers of your friends, family, and congregation when in need. We know from the mouth of Jesus that the dead still care for us in this life. Just look at the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man.

 

[Where]

Why would we pray to or through Mary if she is not deity? Mary is no more deity than dead aunt Sally. Where are we scripturally commanded to use her or pray to her or any other dead people? I could tell you it makes sense for me to pray to the cloud god and you would think that is silly. Give me support for this reasoning please.

 

[Foundthelight]

Why would we pray to or through Mary if she is not deity? Mary is no more deity than dead aunt Sally. Where are we scripturally commanded to use her or pray to her or any other dead people? I could tell you it makes sense for me to pray to the cloud god and you would think that is silly. Give me support for this reasoning please.

We have given you support. Go back and read the answers.

You are allowed to ask sincere questions. This question seems more like debate which is not allowed.

Now that I got that off my chest, you are right, Mary is not God. She is also not dead. She is alive in Heaven as are all those who departed this world in Christ. She is a most powerful intercessor with God the Son. There are a multitude of well documented miracles which back this up.

I strongly recommend the book "The World's First Love", by Fulton J. Sheen.

 

[Foundthelight]

In addition, We are not commanded to pray to Mary and the Saints for intercession. We do so because we want to.

 

[CardinalSin]

In addition, We are not commanded to pray to Mary and the Saints for intercession. We do so because we want to.

Anyway, you get more answered prayers when you go to the Blessed Mother of God and that's my personal experience.

 

[stivvy]

Our faith comes to us from scripture and tradition and faith. There is no place in scripture that talks about the Trinity yet we believe. I tis stated in scripture about Mary that "All generations shall call me blessed". Meaning we are called to love her beyond the love we normally convey upon others. "Blessed" is a very powerful title.

Also, it states that her "soul magnifies the Lord" which shows her close relationship with the Lord. These things are not spoken of by too many in scripture. I think you confuse prayer with worship. Am I correct?

 

[ZooMom]

Why would we pray to or through Mary if she is not deity? Mary is no more deity than aunt Sally.

Catholics do not believe that Mary is a deity. We know who God is. God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Where are we scripturally commanded to use her or pray to her or any other de@d people?

Listen closely...read very slow...the Saints in Heaven...are...not...de@d. If they ARE ...what is the hope of our faith? To be de@d?

I could tell you it makes sense for me to pray to the cloud god and you would think that is silly. Give me support for this reasoning please.

These are yes and no questions...

Do you believe in Christ's promise that whosoever believes in Him shall not die but have everlasting life? Yes or no.

Do you believe that Christ's Body is ONE, that is is whole, and that as believers WE are the Mystical Body of Christ. Yes or no.

Do you believe the Scriptures that say we are to pray for one another constantly, intercede for one another always? James 5:16, Eph 6:18 for example. Yes or no.





The Scriptures never command us to speak to de@d people. We do not. We petition our brothers and sisters in the Faith who have received their reward, who are perfected in the Presence of God, to add their prayers to ours.


Peace be with you.

 

[ShannonMcCatholic]

Okay-- my kiddos know that dad might be less inclined to allow something, and sometimes come to me asking if I might plead their case before their dad. Whatever my husband's decsision, I will absolutely uphold and honor and enforce that decision---however, as a woman my heart is dipositioned differently towards my children than myhusband. We both love them dearly--but my relationship is primarily one as nurturer-his is primarily one of provider and enforcer...sometimes it takes me advocating on behalf of my children's requests to sway my husband's opinion.

ALso, anyone who is married will tell you that when you get maried you don't just have a relationship with your spouse--but rather your spouses entire family. If you have a good relationship with his mother, things are likely to go much, much smoother in your marriage- than if you have no relationship with his mother.

HUmanity is a reflection of God--the relationship of husband and wife in marriage is a reflection of the relationship of the Trinity. And while Mary is not Father, SOn , or Holy SPirit--she is the Mother of God and so stands in special, unique relationship to the Trinity.

 

[PetersKeys]

I am confused. Is there a doctrinal statement or something in the Bible that says something about praying to them? Do you pray to them just like you pray to God?

Yes, but the heretic reformers took that book out that says it(Macabees)

But we also have the book of revelation that talks about the prayers of the saints. Martin Luther forgot to remove that one, lol(oh wait he did but his church thought that was too rash).

No, you don't pray to them like you pray to God. That would be idolism. Sadly most protestants are too bullheaded to realize the difference.

Does anyone smell a troll in this OP?

Don't you just love these "Name it and Claim it" posts.

Where does it say Trinity in the bible. Where does it say in the bible what books should be in the canon?

Our Church wants it bible back we canonized. You've butchered it too much .

 

[ShannonMcCatholic]

Does anyone smell a troll in this OP?

?

Way to assume the best about someone

 

[Foundthelight]

Yes, but the heretic reformers took that book out that says it(Macabees)

But we also have the book of revelation that talks about the prayers of the saints. Martin Luther forgot to remove that one, lol(oh wait he did but his church thought that was too rash).

No, you don't pray to them like you pray to God. That would be idolism. Sadly most protestants are too bullheaded to realize the difference.

Does anyone smell a troll in this OP?

Don't you just love these "Name it and Claim it" posts.

Where does it say Trinity in the bible. Where does it say in the bible what books should be in the canon?

Our Church wants it bible back we canonized. You've butchered it too much .

Do I sense a lack of Charity in this answer?