Most of us who are Catholics eventually get asked, “Why do you Catholics worship Mary?” More often than not the question is not a real question it is a rhetorical question. For a few of you who might not know what is meant by the expression “rhetorical question,” it refers to a “question” whose purpose is not to seek an answer, but, rather, to make a (usually hostile) point. For example the expression “Who do you think you are!?” is in the form of a question but it does not seek an answer. Instead it is meant as a rebuke. And so it usually is when we Catholics get asked the “question” Why do you worship Mary?” we’re usually aware that it is not a sincere question seeking a sincere answer. However, for those cases where an answer really is sought I might propose the following approach:
“Well, of course we don’t worship Mary since that would be a terrible sin. Worship belongs to God alone. We DO honor her though. Afterall, she is Jesus’ mother. But let me ask you a question. Why in your church, do you NOT honor Mary at all? Doesn’t scripture say Every generation will call [Mary] blessed because God who is mighty has done great things for [her]? (Luke 1:48-49) It seems to me that we Catholics are fulfilling scripture but that in your denomination you are not fulfilling or following it. So why don’t you honor her at all? Why don’t you call her blessed as the Bible says?”
Now stop there and wait for an answer. Don’t keep going. Just stop and wait. Have them answer for a change. We Catholics are always on the defensive, always in answer mode. But we ought to ask a few questions too. And try to avoid a merely rhetorical or hostile tone. Try to allow this question to be genuine, respectful, one meant to provoke thought. It is possible that many Protestants have never been asked this question or pondered an answer. Now it is also possible that your interlocutor will try to change the subject or evade an answer by piling on about Catholics but just repeat the question respectfully and ask for an answer. Remember your point is not to argue, be hostile or win an argument. Your point is to provoke thought and get a real answer. And even if the conversation ends badly or with no answer, you’ve planted a seed, a question that they will ponder even if they don’t admit it. Jesus often asked questions to proke thought and conversion. I will be doing a post on this next week.
A final thought on Mary. Another way to explain out devotion and love for Mary is that we are imitating Jesus. We love, honor, respect and entrust ourselves to her care because Jesus did all these things and we want to be just like Jesus. Consider that the very Son of God, dwelled in Mary’s womb, nursed at her breasts, was held in her arms, sat on her lap and entrusted himself to her care. Our Lord could have chosen to enter our world in other ways. Perhaps He could simply have entered the world as a full grown man. The fact is that He freely chose Mary to be his mother and he was truly her Son. As her son he loved and honored her as any good son must and as her son he entrusted himself to her care. All of this serves to highlight Mary’s dignity and to show us how devotion to her is in perfect imitation of Jesus himself.
What more need we say: Jesus our Lord and God honors and loves Mary, and his very scriptures sing her praises; so too His Angel Gabriel and countless saints. When we honor Mary we imitate the very Son of God and fulfill Holy Scripture. Certainly our Lord is pleased that we love and honor his mother.
Here’s a little viseo I recently put together. The Music is from the Daughters of St Paul, “I Am Thine” from the Handmaiden of the Lord Album:
I’m a protestant and….I fully agree with this article. We use the same credo, and I pray that we all may be one church. And as protestant we honor Mary as mother of Jesus and we lover her. The difference between us is that protestants do not pray to Mary. Everybody can go to Jesus directly, so why shall we pray to her?
What is prayer but a conversation with the divine?
Hans,
We don’t pray “to” Mary, we ask her to pray “for” us. I could ask you to pray for me. Why can’t I ask the Mother of God to pray for me?
“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death”.
Amen.
Certainly we all can pray to Jesus directly. I do this and I also ask Mary for her intercession. Why? When I pray to Jesus, I am praying in that moment in time and as a sinner. When I ask Mary’s intercession, she asks the Lord for me, as His mother, and prays to Him incessantly. It is in much the same spirit as when Mary asked for Jesus’ help at the marriage feast in Cana when they ran out of wine. He would not refuse His Mother’s request. Jesus gave her to us at the foot of the Cross and has sent her to us numerous times in Apparitions around the world. How can we ignore her special place in our lives. Even the Archangel Gabriel said unto Her, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Luke 1:28.” We do not worship Mary, but honor her in her rightful place as our intercessor while we are on earth. Read the message of Fatima, and other Marian Apparitions. She is today’s messenger from God. Open your heart to her and you will feel God’s love even more. May God bless you!
The best example I can think of that conveys why Catholics pray through Mary to Jesus:
1. Just like when you know a close friend of someone very important, let’s say the President of the United States. If you wanted to get to the Commander in Chief, if you really wanted to ask for something, I know he’s got more important things to do, and I know you’re just little ol’ you, but you really want to get to this President, you just have one small favor to ask, and it is completely within his job description to grant this small favor to you, but for some reason your letters are not being answered and you’ve even had the opportunity to shake his hand and ask him about it and he didn’t give you an answer. If you wanted an answer, you would go to this mutual friend, this friend that you know who is close to the President, and this close friend who has the ear of the President would certainly get an answer. Who would never take advantage of this opportunity? Certainly you can go directly to the President, but why should he listen?
We know Mary, we know she is like us in every way, a human being. We know that Mary is Blessed. We see the beautiful exchange in the Gospel of John where Mary is made the beloved apostle’s mother, and how this scene represents the beautiful fruitfulness of the spousal gift of the cross, Jesus hanging on the cross gives Mary as mother to the beloved apostle, the love of Jesus for his Church bears fruit in the beloved apostle through Mary who brought us Jesus. So we, like the beloved apostle, can take Mary as mother. So not only do we know Mary, but she is our mother! We can certainly ask our mother to do something for us, she would not deny us. And Mary has the ear of Jesus. Look at the wedding feast of Cana in the Gospel of John, Jesus said it was not his time yet, but Mary has Jesus’ ear. And when Mary tells the servants to do everything he says, Jesus does not deny her. So we, who are adopted by Mary, can ask our mother in confidence to intercede for us to Jesus her son. Jesus will listen to Mary. Sometimes we are not in a position to ask Jesus for anything, sometimes we are weak and sinful, and Mary can stand in the apparent “gap” between us and God.
Hans, I am just a Catholic layperson. Do you ever ask another person to pray for you? Also, look at the Wedding Feast at Cana. When they ran out wine, they turned to Mary. Jesus was right there too. So why did they go to Mary? Mary took the request straight to Jesus. The servers followed Jesus’ instructions perfectly. Then they had the best wine. And this was the first miracle of Jesus’ public ministry and it lead him straight to the cross. SO in God’s divine plan He started the redemptive mission of Jesus with the intercession of Mary.
There are lots smarted people than me. But that is how I look at it. and if Mary was good enough for Jesus, she is good enough for me.
Have you ever asked anyone to pray for you or a family member when they were sick or in trouble? Have you ever prayed for anyone who is sick and dying of ,say cancer. This is exactly what Catholics do with Mary? I quote, “Holy Mary Mother of GOD pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death amen”. We believe in praying for each other and asking for prayers of our Saints and especially Mary the Mother of Jesus.
Because of the Communion of Saints, which does not cease with Earthly death. What Catholics do when they pray to Mary is more like praying THROUGH Mary rather than praying to her as an end in itself-we’re asking for her intercession, not for her to answer our prayer. Only God has the power to do that-we simply ask Mary to pray for us, like you would ask anyone else to pray for you-though, keep in mind, as you agreed, she has a special place in the Heart of Jesus.
To add a quick point to the comments already raised regarding praying to Mary as an intercessor (just as one would when they ask someone else to pray for them) and not praying TO Mary directly per se… one needs to also go back and look in the Old Testament. During the times of the Old Testament the Kings had many wives – so there was no ‘Queen’. As a result, there are examples of individuals asking for favour of the King through his mother. Asking for Mary to intercede is a continuation of the tradition established in the days of the Old Testament. Jesus is our King and Mary is His Mother.
When Catholics pray (meaning ask) Mary to pray for us, it is under the same exact understanding of asking a Christian friend to pray for you. We believe that anyone who is in friendship of God can pray for you.
I give honor to Mary because I believe that I am commanded to in John 19:26-27
Hans, we go directly to Jesus, too, especially in the Eucharist which is Jesus, Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity. We pray to Him always. Just as I ask friends, especially those whom I know are people of prayer, to pray for me and my family and my concerns, I ask the saints and especially, Mary, Jesus’ Own Mother, to pray for me and my concerns, too. We can do that because God is the God of the Living.
God answers prayers, but it sure helps to have two or 3 gathered together to pray for our needs, just as Our Lord said, and how much more when one of those is His Mother. AnneG in NC
Wow – I had a vocab lesson as well! “Interlocutor” – great word. Thanks Msgr.
the more i have realized the role of mary in my life, she’s a mother to me
We catholics do not worship to Mary but we venerate and honour her. She is a co redemptrix. Her role in the salvific redempton is three fold 1. The Archangel Gabriel was sent to Mary to get her cosent to be the mother of Jesus. 2.It was she who brought Jesus in the most learned way so that He could question and answer the old religious leaders in the synogogue. 3.She saw to it that her only son was crucified. 4. She kept united all the disciples together till the penticost and the Assumption of our Lord. It is she who make apparitions in many places in the world. There fore it is obligatory on the part of all chritians to venerate her at any cost ” Hail Mary full of Grace ” is a salutation by Gabriel is a real proof why we venerate her.
Re: Praying with Mary
There is the spoke-and-hub model of the Chrisitan faith, where we each have an individual and personal one-on-one relationship with Jesus. Here, one can indeed pray directly to Jesus, totally unconnected from anyone else.
And then there is the drop of water in the ocean model, where each individual is diffused into the whole, such that each person’s relationship with Jesus is both singular AND communal. Here, one prays, not merely in isolation, but in communion with THE ENTIRETY of the Church, which includes ALL of the faithful, both here on earth AND those in heaven. Here, it is right and just and proper and preferable to invite the saints in heaven to join us in prayer, especially the one person in heaven who was closest, and still is closest, to Jesus by reason of her being His mother.
Besides, if we are one with Him, then His mother is our mother. And it is only fitting that we should love her as He loves her. Fully, totally, completely, as any good and faithful son does.
More on intercessory prayer, Marian and otherwise —
It occurs to me that, just as, when you approach her, Mary always directs us to her Son (“do whatever He tells you”), so too did Jesus in the Gospel, whenever one approached Him, He always directed people to the Father. Indeed, He explicitly tells people to pray, not to Him, but pray to our Father in heaven. Thus, any prayers to Jesus are directed by Him to the Father.
Well, why not pray directly to the Father then? Actually, Catholics do. And I understand that we pray the Our Father (“the Lord’s Prayer”) far more than do our everyday Protestant brothers and sisters.
If praying with Mary and the saints, asking them to pray for us to Jesus, rather than praying directly to Jesus is wrong, it stands to reason — by that logic — that praying to Jesus is also wrong, rather than praying directly to the Father.
Of course, such reasoning is silly. It is all good and proper to ask Mary and the saints to pray for us, just as it is good and proper to pray to Jesus, as well as the Father, not to mention the Holy Spirit.
This is the new means of evagelization. This is not only an educational matter but entertaining discussion as well. Duc in altum.
Hail Mary full of grace the lord is with you, blessed are you among wemen and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus. Holy Mary the mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death amen. i did’nt pray to mary but i have just asked her to pray for me like she did at the WEDDING AT CANA. people didnt go directly to jesus but went through Mary.
I’ve been Catholic all my life and it wasn’t till just recently I took up the holy bible and started reading the books of the gospels and the letters. I know I’m far from understanding everything I should regarding the faith. However when I read your posting and the comments to it I thought to myself It wasn’t a bad idea to type down mine too. after all I think we’re here to learn. first let me tell it isn’t easy for me to communicate this comment for I was instructed from childhood to always honor virgin Mary and I fear I don’t want to insult God and her in any way. however I express this because I need to know. my comment is rather a question could you show me where in the holy bible it says she is our advocate and intercessor? I ask this because I can see other people in the gospels asking Jesus to do things on other person’s behalf like a mom who asked him for her daughter and those who asked him to help Simon’s mother in law. anyway this is the first time I think I am really interested in knowing better and I think this is the right place to ask. thank you
Actually, as a student of language, I feel compelled to note that the word “worship” has more than one sense. In Cranmer’s wedding liturgy, there is the phrase “With this ring, I thee wed; with my body, I thee worship.” A judge is (was) called “Your Worship” in Britain. The song ‘Daily, Daily Sing to Mary’ has in some versions the line “All her feasts, her actions worship / With the heart’s devotion true.” This book, “English Past and Present” (p. 135) explains some of the previous use of the word:
{http://books.google.com/books?id=tU54RITlLqoC&pg=PA135&lpg=PA135&dq=%22with+my+body+I+thee+worship%22&source=bl&ots=bEWqNFfb9C&sig=iw1lNtvaajBWQDJfjAkOx3NfXOE&hl=en&ei=6a3oStfRGIewMO7AlakI&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CCcQ6AEwCDgK#v=onepage&q=%22with%20my%20body%20I%20thee%20worship%22&f=false}
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Armand Ram,
I don’t have a full explanation, but I would like to offer one example that shows more than meets the eye about God’s dealing with us through Our Lady.
The second mystery of the Rosary, found in the beginning of St. Luke’s Gospel, is the Visitation of Our Lady to St. Elizabeth. There are only two visible actors in the lovely paintings of this scene, but there are really several more than that. (one number for each actor, below)
1. St. Gabriel the Angel told Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was in her sixth month with child.
2. Mary “in haste ran to the hills” to help her. She had said her FIAT (“Let it be done unto me”), so:
3. Jesus was also physically present, very small, within her. She brought Him to the house of
4. St. Elizabeth, who joyfully greeted Our Lady: “How has it happened that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” St. Elizabeth was enlightened to this fact at the moment when…
5. St. John the Baptist, in the womb of St. Elizabeth, leapt for joy. According to Sacred Tradition, at this moment, before he was born, St. John was sanctified–cleansed from original sin–by the action of Our Lord, present in the womb of Mary. This sanctification is in the same “genre” of Mary’s being conceived without original sin or our own cleansing from original sin at our baptism.
So God sent St. Gabriel to Mary with a dual mission–besides telling her about the Incarnation, Gabriel informed her of Elizabeth’s state. Mary wanted to help, so she ran to Elizabeth, bringing with her Jesus. She brought him there–He acted. His *physical* presence on the scene was totally due to the action of Mary.
Veneration to any people does not come from demand but it is commanded. Mary deserves our veneration . Even at one moment Jesus himself said ” who is my mother ” the one who obeys the will of god is my mother and brother and sister Where in the bible one finds that a Holy Mass has to be said or sung? It is only after 6 centuries the church made it obligatory to attend tha Mass once a week we catholics have two things to follow 1 the bible and 2. the church. The first is meant” to” us and the second is”for” us Even an odinary man must be respected . Then why not Mary
Mariam, that’s exactly what I am afraid to say but can’t help it either that God deals with us through our Lady. be patient towards me that I can try to explain myself. I mean besides our Lady being in touch with the people in her lifetime I don’t still see where the apostles second the teaching that God deals with us through her. Honestly, up till now I can’t see in scriptures God is appointing her between us and Jesus. all I see in the bible is Jesus between us and him in heaven. there is no doubt at all in me that she was a blessing to the people while she was on the earth. alI I want to know is the part in the bible that says she is between us and God now. thank you
just a few days ago I ran into these words of Jesus in the gospel of john chapter 14 line 14 f you aske me anything in my name I will do it. what I see here is we can ask him directly and he’ll do it. that’s what I mean that I don’t still see anyone else besides Jesus in between god and us. but I’ll keep on reading and asking
Jesus is our mediator . But it was Mary who kept all the fearing and forsaking disciples together all the ten days till the penticost and till the assumption of our Lord. To day it is all saints day .Saints were people who lived on the earht with all infirmities and made themseles pure to attain glory by doing the will of god like Mother Teresa of Kolkata. Have we ever seen god sending a messenger to get a mowan’s permission to bear the saviour?.Mary took a firm decision to the will of god eventough she was betrothed to Joseph From the birth upto the death of Jesus Mary saw to it that her son performed thre will of god starting from the wedding ceremoney of cana. According to John there are many things which were not written on the book lest the whole world would not contain it Mary ‘s apparitions testify that in Lourdes Guadaluppe Fatima Velankanni etc By all standards she stands unquestionable
kulandairaj,
I can see in the book of acts the apostles, Mary and the other people gathered together for prayer; but I don’t see the writer even suggesting Mary as the uniting factor of the disciples then or thereafter. regarding the wedding where she intervened what can I tell you. I see other people besides her asking Jesus to do something on someone else’s behalf and with the same positive answers from the lord. in other words by what I’ve read so far I see that her request was as well received as other people’s and by this I understand that as long as we live on earth we can ask him and he will do. on the other hand I haven’t read in new testament of Mary asking on our behalf in heaven.
kulandairaj once again this is not easy for me to express. it’s just that I want to be honest to myself as far as my conscience goes. thank you
Re Mary’s presence, it is not necessarily argued that she is the uniting factor. However, the mention of her is not without significance either. What do you think that significance might be? What the Holy Spirit mentioned this to us? Rather than me lecturing to you what I think, perhap Armand, I invite you to answer the question for yourself. I ask only this, do not simply dismiss it as insignificant. Nothing hte scriptures is insignificant. So in that light I invite you to answer, what does this mean?
Also, a similar request regarding the other passage. By the way I was just un Cana of yeasterday (I am here i nthe holy land)! Now, the stories of others who ask things of Jesus and get it are significant, no? So again, I ask you, what is significant of this sotry of Mary and Jesus? What is the Holy Spirit teaching you? What is the significnace of Mary’s response to Jesus and her instruction to the stewards? etc. I invite you to pray and consider the significance of these questions.
Kulandairaj,
Another way we think of Mary is as the perfect disciple, that she teaches us what it means to say “yes” to Jesus and to be faithful to all that Jesus asks of us. Mary has a pride of place as the woman who bore Christ to the world and so as mother of Jesus, she is mother of the Church, in this role, she acts as intercessor on our behalf. We rely on Mary to help us grow closer to our Lord.
Msgr Charles’ rejoinder to the questions to be answered by Armond Ram is quite true .If Marywas to be rejected by Jesus He would not have handed over her to John at the foot of the cross saying ” Behold this is your mother “.John and the other disiples accepted that and they might have taken care of Her from the day the Lord was interened. As the Msgr rightly says no word is unnnessarily written in the bible . There is a lot of corroboration inthe bible Jesus himself told that he would be beneath the earh three days and nights Did he really was there for three days and three nights?. No it is only an allegory or a metaphor Mary was foretold in the book of Genesis 3:12that she would crush the serpent which will try to hit man. Mary and Her intercession is needed for man just like our need for the prayer support of man when we are in distress
Charles Pope,
what I can learn from Mary’s intercession at the wedding in Cana is that anyone of us can ask Him to do something on someone’s behalf and if it’s in right with him he will do it… thank you for trying to help me understand. maybe I am a stubborn person who would like to read direct words from either the Lord Jesus or the apostles saying Mary is my intercessor. If those words are there I’m sure in the Lord I’ll find them so I’ll keep on looking and asking. God be with you.
Go deeper, Armand. Christian Tradition for 2000 years has seen more at work here. There are rich layers. Yours is not incorrect, it just seems according to me and 2000 years of Tradition, a little less rich. Why Mary, why not the couple? Why Mary, not the Steward? Why Mary not one of the other disciples? Why Mary not John Smith who just came from the wine supply and was told “we’re out.” If you are wainting for an “ipsisimus verba Jesus” (exact words of Christ) which say “go to Mary” then a lot of things are going to be lacking in your faith. For example the word “Trinity” never left Jesus’ lips. Jesus never said to the apostles “write a book” nor did he say to us “Read the Gospels” Neither did the apostles say any of these things. Neither did the apostles or Jesus say, “No longer Saturday for Church now Susnday” I would argue that all these things, including Mary’s intercession come from the Apostolic Tradition but it looks like for you if it’s not in the book in written form you’re not convinced. OK but just realize a LOT of Christian doctrine isn’t spelled outthe way you insist. The Church wrestled with scripture and came to understand its deeper meaning and hence we have developed the doctrin of the Trinity etc. I invite you to a far richer world!
as I said in the beginning just recently did I start taking bigger interest in the catholic faith I was inculcated with from childhood. in this part of my life (47) this is the first time I seriously search for answers right from the bible because I wanted to know where my religion came from. and I as I’ve already said too I can’t see either the lord Jesus or the apostles bestowing the kind of honor we are taught to give to Mary. I am a Latin American and really start to wonder about this and other things related to the veneration on Mary. Now you say it has to do with 2000 years of tradition. wouldn’t it be possible that some part of tradition couldn’t get it quite right and per chance it needs some modification more according to what was said through the writers of the bible?
Certainly purification is always necessary, not in the Catholic doctrine of Mary but in the practice of individual Catholics from time to time. There have been some pious notions that individuals can adopt that are either supersticious or excessive. But Catholic doctrine on Mary has always been very sober, biblical, and theologially based.
Armand Ram, Luke says ” from now on all people will call me blessed” in the Magnificat. Then why do you hesitate to call Her “blessed ” Even Martin Luther did not deny the holiness of Mary and her intercession.He believed what the present day Catholic believes . It is only the spiritual ignorant or the heard hearted people who want mud slinging on hte catholic church says hat Ma ry is not tobe venerated. Even Luther denied Mary having children apart from Jesus. As Msgr. Charles says that doctrinally there is no compromise, Some enthusisasts may differ . But the catholic doctrine is as strong as a rock
Dear Monsg. Pope , Peace of chirist It is more than a fortnight since the moderation is kept pending on the topic “Mary”. I know that you had been to the Holy Land and by this time you might have returned to your headquarters Please start moderation . It is good going .My prayers and greetings to all a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR 2010
kulandairaj, on nov 2 you wrote …Mary was foretold in the book of Genesis 3:12that she would crush the serpent… but what I read was …And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel genesis 3:15. what I understand is what it actually says… he shall bruise … can we see? it’s he not she. I’ve noticed how many times Mary is often pictured as stepping on a snake. that’s what I see in many paintings and sculptures down here and really the bible does not show her that way. we all should pay closer attention to what we read, hear, or meditate… now regarding martin luther’s beliefs or for that matter any other person all I want to know and see is the words of God that back up any of their claims without the least doubt. the reason why I say this is that any one of us can be deceived sooner or later. that’s on the bible too. and I know it first hand because I’ve been deceived in so many things… it’s been only through reading the bible that I’ve been realizing lots of errors and bad things in myself but thanks God He has had answers for each one of them.
Armand Ram All records are not available in the Bile. One thing is certain, that is the church came first and the bible came second. The bible is only a mini record of what had had happened some three thousand years ago .You know that the written form of the bible came only around 1200 B:C:The genesis happenings were passed onto generations by verbal communication and oral method as practised elwhere in the world Therfore one need not abide by the facts available only in the bible . There are traditions and customs.What about the great thologians like Christodom Thomas Aquinas Saint Teresa of child Jesus Ignatius of loyola who accepted what the present day catholics believe. Pleas ponder
kulaindaraj,
if traditions and customs contradict the word of God we have to decide which to keep. remember what the Lord Jesus said about traditions of men voiding the word of God in mark chapter 7? I’ve already started reading John Chrysostom and found several misinterpretations regarding Israel. so how could I believe what he says when he is clearly contradiciting the law the prophets the gospels and the letters? It’ time for us to read think and speak by ourselves after all the very bible instructs us to meditate and be absorbed in the things it has so that we have a better understanding. actually I had never realized the treasure we have in the scriptures. I lost almost all of my life paying attention to other sources plus spending my life in satisfying my selfish appetites. now that I turn the bible pages I find the perfect mirror to my person’s conditions and the proper measures to get clean and learn how to be faithful to our Lord. I have read other theologians’ works at least partially and have found tons of contradictions whereas between the writings of the Prophets and those of the Gospels I see there is perfect agreement. Sure I’ll keep on consulting as many theological works as possible but I realize I should take the holy scriptures as the basis for any true doctrine.
Armand Ram.humble salutations.Regarding old testament prophesies ther are two types 1. prophesies full of blessings and 2. prophesies full of curses.Jesus did not fulfill the curses but only the blessings For example Luke 4-14-16 The spirit of the lord is upon me etc.He stopped with the year of the lord and he did not go beyond in the Isaiah ,for the next sentence is a curse.Threfore one need not adhere to the old. for jesus fullfilled the entire wishes of the ‘abba’ the Father .It may be because of a feminine of the godhood our church might have given over emphasis on Mary, but her role in the salvation is always there Happy christmas and new year 2010
kulandairaj,
yes I’ve been noticing many prophecies prior to our Lord coming have been fulfilled and many others have not. yet I don’t think that’s the point in this sort of dialogue we have. the original point is getting scripturally evidence as to whether Mary is what my Catholic religion taught me from childhood and up till now I honestly tell you none of your well intentioned answers satisfy me. the problem is I’m encountering the same or even worse explanations from many priests and writers. for instance when I read Jesus saying woman behold your son… behold your mother it is easy for me to relate that with other episodes and teachings of the apostles like the fact that Jesus brothers did not believe in him till after the resurrection so he entrusted his mother to one of his disciples. also taking into account it was quite clear in the Lord’s mind his family was those who heard the Father and did his will along with the apotles’ teachings that we are to behave as brothers appealing to older men and women as father/mothers and the younger women as sisters.
anyway, this adventure of discovering the scriptures has been more exciting, instructive and beneficial than anything. good bye
Dear Armand Ram,
I totally understand your questions and your concerns. I was raised in the Catholic faith until I became a born again Christian at the age of thirteen. I have been an Evangelical ever since, but I must say my heart has been being drawn back to the Chatholic faith. Not so much because I believe in all the teachings, but because of the reverence and adoration for God. The Protostent churches are many and some let to much of the world in just to fill the seats. I believe all things must be tested by the word of God. Romans 12: 2 Do Not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will.
I do believe Mary should be honored and used as a model of giving oneself to God in obedience. Unfortunately there are those in the Chatholic faith who take things to far as some Protostents do in their traditions. I have wittnessed Chatholics, mostly in Mexico, Spain and Haiti that will lay their sick children at the statue of Mary and ask her to heal them. They are not asking her to pray to Jesus for them or even praying in Jesus’ name they are praying to her as a demi- god. That is wrong on many levels, but their wrong action should not be a scar on all Chatholics. The priests and deacons of the parish should be held accountable for allowing it to take place. There are many things that I feel you are on the right track about, but continue to ask the Holy Spirit for guidence and wisdom as you study the powerful word of God. God bless you brother!
Mat 15:21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
Mat 15:22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, [thou] Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
Mat 15:23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
Mat 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Mat 15:25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
Mat 15:26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast [it] to dogs.
Mat 15:27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
Mat 15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great [is] thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.