Important Questions on "Veneration" Vs "Worship"

[Ginger2]

Well…thank you for posting this…but I wonder why you did not bother to post also the response …

Because I was showing why Protestants are uncomfortable with Mary veneration. Should I use another’s word’s, which are mere speculation, to defend what I think is inappropriate?

Maybe in the abortion thread, I should follow all my objections with opposing claims from those who support abortion on demand?

The response you repeated was someone’s rationalizing, imo. S/he was suggesting what someone else might have been thinking when he plagarized the words of the Psalms.
There was no reference to the Saint, explaining why he wrote what he wrote. Merely speculation about what he might or might not have been thinking.

In deed, it is my opinion, he should have been focusing on God, but instead he read those words and thought of Mary!!!

It is further **my opinion **that explaination falls short in that if a suiter were to take a peom that was written for his first love and replace her name with mine, I would not be flattered, but insulted.

You can imagine a poem by a man to a woman he loves, which says -

How could I ever live without you, -]Susan/-] Ginger? You’re my sun, moon and stars, -]Susan/-] Ginger!

God is my first love. To take the praise and worship intended for God alone, and give it with another, is just unsettling for me, regardless of the intent. And I really cannot see how this is worship for God, but the exact same writing is only veneration for Mary.

If you want to pray to Mary, that is your choice, but my preference is to pray directly to God as in the example Jesus gave with the Lord’s Prayer.

I hope this has helped you understand why we are not comfortable praying Marian prayers. We just feel the line between veneration and worship is blurred.

 

[Cavaradossi]

Verses please.

Only Jesus saves. There is no other name under heaven by which men are saved. Only Jesus!

So, any one who physically heals another can claim they saved the person’s immortal soul?

I believe there were 10 lepers who were healed and only one came back to thank Jesus. I don’t remember Jesus stating that all ten were saved, simply because they were healed.
The Apostles were given power to preach the Word. Their gifts of healing and such were to witness they were truly sent from God.

Yes it is.

You’re not getting the point though. When people ask to be saved, they are not always asking for eternal salvation. Jesus tells the sick that they are saved after he heals them not because they have obtained eternal salvation but because they are saved from sickness. Asking to be saved from some sort of calamity through the prayers of some saint is not the same as asking that saint to save your soul. I do agree, however, that taking the entire psalter and replacing God with “our Lady” is rather strange if not entirely wrong.

 

[Ginger2]

You’re not getting the point though. When people ask to be saved, they are not always asking for eternal salvation. Jesus tells the sick that they are saved after he heals them not because they have obtained eternal salvation but because they are saved from sickness. Asking to be saved from some sort of calamity through the prayers of some saint is not the same as asking that saint to save your soul. I do agree, however, that taking the entire psalter and replacing God with “our Lady” is rather strange if not entirely wrong.

Okay, I se what you are saying. Yes the Apostles saved people’s physical lives.

 

[Cavaradossi]

Catholics do sing hymns to Mary. I was at a Resurrection Sunday service and the first song was about Mary, but never mentioned Jesus. Truthfully, I was offended. I don’t remember singing songs about Mary when I was a child…actually, the only one I do remember was, “This is my body, given for your freedom. This is my blood which was shed for all of mankind. Take all and eat til the day of my return….”

Anyway, I noticed the song for two reasons. I thought it was inappropriate to sing a song to Mary first, (they sang about Jesus in the next song) and I thought it odd that it didn’t mention Jesus.

So, I think other Catholics would disagree about singing being worship.

Although I am not Catholic, I think I might chime in here with a bit of an Orthodox perspective. Hymns to the Virgin Mary are quite an old liturgical custom. In the Orthodox Church, they have what are called ‘Theotokia’, which are hymns sung to the Virgin Mary. They typically center on Mary’s role in the mystery of the incarnation (the title ‘Theotokos’, from which Theotokion is derived means, ‘She who gave birth to God’). For example, here is a typical theotokion which is sung during weekday matins:

Beholding a wonder of wonders in thee, o full of grace, creation rejoiceth; for Thou didst conceive without seed and gavest birth ineffably unto Him upon Whom the orders of angels cannot gaze. Entreat Him in behalf of our souls.

Would you find anything wrong with a hymn like that which points clearly to the incarnation of Christ?

 

[FabiusMaximus]

I think you might be more comfortable with the Orthodox veneration of Mary precisely because most “devotions” to her in the East trend to be services like the paraklesis and the akathist hymn, which are typically pretty hard to misconstrue.

And I think that’s a good thing. The last thing that is needed in a service is to allow for such confusion. I don’t know, perhaps I’m overly scrupulous, or I haven’t attended enough Orthodox liturgies, but I’ve never met an Orthodox who made me uncomfortable with regards to venerating Mary. It just seemed all blatantly, obviously, and clearly tied to Christ. Not that I’ve seen a Mass disturb me in that fashion (indeed I love the Mass like I love the Divine Liturgy), just comments from individual Roman Catholics. I don’t think my doubts are unjustified, though.

Perhaps, but all of this “pray for the conversion of Russia” stuff smacks of the idea that the Orthodox are on the same level as heathens. I guess I wouldn’t have as much of a problem with it if it weren’t for the fact that such words are attributed to an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Fatima in general (especially the timely convenience of the release of the second secret and the controversy surrounding the third secret) just disturbs me, as do quite a few other 20th century Marian apparitions. Why do the apparitions always have to be so full of messages from the Virgin Mary? It’s like the Virgin Mary has become some sort of cosmic soothsayer, and I just find it highly improper.

I’m not really too comfortable with the whole apparition craze either. I do believe that God can send saints to people to bring some kind of message or private revelation (of course I don’t mean a scriptural one), but the whole Fatíma thing unnerves me. That being said, at least the Roman Catholic Church hasn’t come out fully and officially mandating belief in these apparitions.

Perhaps with regards to Russia she was more speaking with regards to the Bolshevik Revolution which had just devastated the country, and not with regards to Orthodoxy?

@CEM5
I am fully aware of the Immaculate Conception, of the title Mother of God, of Mediatrix, Intercessor, etc. I’ve stated on various occasions (you may not know, but I’m just reiterating) that I do not have a problem with any of these phrases/titles/concepts.

However, I simply do not understand the focus on the “Immaculate Heart” of Mary - what is this referring to? How does this point to the Son and not to herself? I don’t see how if you consecrate an entire country to Mary (Soviet Russia, 1952, by the Pope), that points to her Son. Or if her Immaculate Heart “triumphs”, it’s an obvious reference to Jesus. I’m not suggesting she isn’t the ideal conception what it means to be a Christian, nor do I suggest that she is “equal” with me or anything like that. However, I’m confused when I see a huge amount of devotions bestowed upon Mary almost to the exclusion or marginalization of Jesus.

Pope Pius XII wrote:*
“Just as a few years ago We consecrated the entire human race to the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, so today We consecrate and in a most special manner We entrust all the peoples of Russia to this Immaculate Heart…”*

I don’t understand this.

 

[Marybeloved]

The response you repeated was someone’s rationalizing, imo. S/he was suggesting what someone else might have been thinking when he plagarized the words of the Psalms.

There was no reference to the Saint, explaining why he wrote what he wrote. Merely speculation about what he might or might not have been thinking.

Hello Ginger,

-Aren’t you the one speculating on what St. Bonaventure meant with those words by assuming that he meant to give worship to Mary?

-St. Bonaventure is a Catholic Saint- His faith was Catholicism, our own faith- We don’t need a commentary written by him to know that he was not giving worship to Mary, he was not making her the Savior of his soul, and was not crediting her with his creation or sustenance of his being.

What I gave there was not "speculations"** but an interpretation of the prayer that is based on and informed by my Catholic faith and belief which is the exact same faith and belief of the author of the poem/prayer we are discussing! It seems that you’re implying that it was actually meant as worship by interpreting it per your own protestant beliefs rather than his (the author’s) faith and beliefs, which is a strange way of interpreting any person’s work indeed.

In deed, it is my opinion, he should have been focusing on God, but instead he read those words and thought of Mary!!!

More speculations! Who told you that St. Bonaventure read those words and thought of Mary instead of God? He crafted a prayer and devotion to our Lady after the style and poetry of the Psalms- Who says he was not praying his psalms regularly to God?

It is further **my opinion **that explaination falls short in that if a suiter were to take a peom that was written for his first love and replace her name with mine, I would not be flattered, but insulted.

I suppose you don’t represent all women, though and that this is simply a matter of taste. Others may consider the appropriateness of the words to them and therefore the choice of the poem, rather than “originality” in creating a poem, in their reactions to a loved one’s gesture.

God is my first love.

As he is Catholics’ and certainly St. Bonaventure’s first love too.

To take the praise and worship intended for God alone, and give it with another, is just unsettling for me, regardless of the intent.

Again, this is your interpretation of St. Bonaventure’s style and intentions- It’s simply not true.

And I really cannot see how this is worship for God, but the exact same writing is only veneration for Mary.

Precisely because one is to God and another to Mary, it changes the meaning in the heart and mind of Catholics completely! Which is why you’re insisting on calling a Catholic view speculations because you don’t see that as soon as we’re talking about Mary, the words and their meaning gain an entirely different meaning per our faith and our understanding of Mary’s place in our faith- Which is infinitely different from the place of God.

If you want to pray to Mary, that is your choice, but my preference is to pray directly to God as in the example Jesus gave with the Lord’s Prayer.

We understand protestant preferences- It doesn’t make others wrong, though.

I hope this has helped you understand why we are not comfortable praying Marian prayers. We just feel the line between veneration and worship is blurred.

Fair enough. But that line is clear in Catholic faith and understanding, so we are perfectly fine venerating Our Lady, the Angels and the Saints.

 

[TimothyH]

However, I’d like to have some clarification from Catholics on these phrases:

“Praised be Jesus and Mary…”
“Praised be the Eucharistic hearts of Jesus and Mary…”

Mary is the Mediatrix of all Grace. That is an established, orthodox doctrine of the Catholic Church. All grace comes to you - you personally - from Jesus Christ, through the hands of Mary.

Every conversion of every sinner happens because Mary distributes the grace won by her son Jesus Christ to that sinner according to her will, which is perfectly united to her Son’s will. Every drop of sanctifying grace which comes to anyone when they confess in the confessional comes through the hands of Mary according to her will, which is perfectly untied to her Son’s will. Every grace because of every prayer, every help from Jesus, comes to us through the hands of Mary. Every salvation of every soul, won by her Son Jesus on the cross, is handed to her by Jesus and distributed to us from Her hands.

Why would we not praise Her whom God deemed worthy of not only bringing himself into creation in the flesh, but worthy of brining his grace nto creation continuously? And such priase returns the way it came, through her hands to the author of grace, her son, Jesus.

When we praise Mary, we praise Jesus, because just as she bring’s Jesus’ grace to us, she brings our praise to him. The idea of Mary as Mediatrix of all Grace is orthodox teaching of the Church.

Regarding Mary’s Eucharistic Heart, Mary made Jesus present in time and space and the Eucharist is Jesus. The Eucharist - Jesus - is not present without Mary. The turning of bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus is an action of the Holy Spirit, but Christ is born into the world through Mary and that does not ever cease to be true.

-Tim-

 

[Miriam1947]

Every conversion of every sinner happens because Mary distributes the grace won by her son Jesus Christ to that sinner according to her will, which is perfectly united to her Son’s will. Every drop of sanctifying grace which comes to anyone when they confess in the confessional comes through the hands of Mary according to her will, which is perfectly untied to her Son’s will. Every grace because of every prayer, every help from Jesus, comes to us through the hands of Mary. Every salvation of every soul, won by her Son Jesus on the cross, is handed to her by Jesus and distributed to us from Her hands.

HUH?

It is by the Grace of God through the Holy Spirit that we are converted.

 

[Ginger2]

Although I am not Catholic, I think I might chime in here with a bit of an Orthodox perspective. Hymns to the Virgin Mary are quite an old liturgical custom. In the Orthodox Church, they have what are called ‘Theotokia’, which are hymns sung to the Virgin Mary. They typically center on Mary’s role in the mystery of the incarnation (the title ‘Theotokos’, from which Theotokion is derived means, ‘She who gave birth to God’). For example, here is a typical theotokion which is sung during weekday matins:

Would you find anything wrong with a hymn like that which points clearly to the incarnation of Christ?

I personally don’t see anything wrong with singing about Mary, anyway. My comment about the song sung at the service, was that it was all about Mary and never even mentioned the name Jesus. The next song was about Jesus, but it just seemed out of place and order.

We sing songs about Mary in Protestant churches, too. We also sing songs about Moses and David. The songs are not praising or venerating anyone, but telling the Bible stories.

It is the difference in the way Catholics handle these things. For example, when we see Catholics bow down in front of a statue of Mary, we cringe. The Apostles and angels, corrected men from bowing in front of them saying not to do that.

We can’t read your minds to know what your true intent is, and the Scriptures say we are to avoid even the appearance of wrong-doing. That is why it is questionable behavior in our view.

 

[Marybeloved]

And I think that’s a good thing. The last thing that is needed in a service is to allow for such confusion. I don’t know, perhaps I’m overly scrupulous, or I haven’t attended enough Orthodox liturgies, but I’ve never met an Orthodox who made me uncomfortable with regards to venerating Mary. It just seemed all blatantly, obviously, and clearly tied to Christ. Not that I’ve seen a Mass disturb me in that fashion (indeed I love the Mass like I love the Divine Liturgy), just comments from individual Roman Catholics. I don’t think my doubts are unjustified, though.

Perhaps you just need a good orthodox Catholic book to explain our Lady’s place in Catholicism.

I’m not really too comfortable with the whole apparition craze either. I do believe that God can send saints to people to bring some kind of message or private revelation (of course I don’t mean a scriptural one), but the whole Fatíma thing unnerves me. That being said, at least the Roman Catholic Church hasn’t come out fully and officially mandating belief in these apparitions.

There’s absolutely no obligation to believe in any private revelation, only the public revelation that constitutes Catholic faith- Even if such a private revelation is formally recognized by the Church.

Perhaps with regards to Russia she was more speaking with regards to the Bolshevik Revolution which had just devastated the country, and not with regards to Orthodoxy?

There’s absolutely no doubt about it as far as Catholics are conscerned- I’ve actually never heard of the connection to Orthodoxy as heathens before this thread. Atheistic dictatorial Communism was considered what you’d call the ant-Christ in Catholicism until the fall of the Soviet Union-That’s no secret. Russia was the enemy in as far as its persecution of Christianity and imposition of atheism- That’s also no secret.

Pope Pius XII wrote:*
“Just as a few years ago We consecrated the entire human race to the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, so today We consecrate and in a most special manner We entrust all the peoples of Russia to this Immaculate Heart…”*

I don’t understand this.

Let me give you an Orthodox parallel since you seem to understand Marian veneration best from their approach:

Forasmuch as thou art a well-spring of tenderness, O Theotokos, make us worthy of compassion; Look upon a sinful people; Manifest thy power as ever, for hoping on thee we cry aloud unto thee: Hail! as once did Gabriel, Chief Captain of the Bodiless Powers.

Dedication to Mary is a kind of entrustment, a confidence in her ability to help in a way that no other can due to her closeness to her son. It’s true that she’s a Saint, but she’s no ordinary saint, her place is very unique, and so her venerations tend to be much more pronounced than others- but it’s still veneration- nothing else!

 

[Marybeloved]

HUH?

It is by the Grace of God through the Holy Spirit that we are converted.

You’re right! Perhaps what Timothy is talking about (can’t speak for him, but if I’m wrong, he’ll correct me) is the Catholic devotion of looking at Mary as a channel through which all grace was transmitted- How? Through her fiat and co-operation, the source of grace entered the world and resided in her womb. Catholics believe that every good thing that ever happened to anyone happened by the grace of Christ and was contained in him as Christ, so that by Mary’s Yes, it can be said that all graces and good things came to the world. Someone spoke of Catholic lingo? Perhaps Catholics should learn to speak in “the common tongue” .

 

[Ginger2]

Hello Ginger,

-Aren’t you the one speculating on what St. Bonaventure meant …

I didn’t say what he meant, I said what it looks like. I said he plagarized the Psalms - which is obvious! I am a writer. If he did that to my writings I could easily sue and win! I did not say what his intent was, only the appearance the psalters present to the Protestant reader.

-St. Bonaventure is a Catholic Saint- His faith was Catholicism, our own faith- We don’t need a commentary written by him to know [his intent]

I beg to differ. You assume. You do not know. An example of this is a few years ago when a Catholic on this site said one does not need Jesus to get to heaven. I objected and was immediately accused of deliberately lying because they all thought they knew what he meant. So I asked questions to force him to state his specific meaning and soon the other Catholics were helping me correct his error.

So, you are assuming that because he is Catholic, he is always right. But Catholics are human, too. And you do not know, but can only assume his intent is honorable and appropriate.

I can take your word for it that your intent is only “veneration”. I will still say it looks inappropriate and therefore I would not do it because I don’t want to give even the appearance of wrong doing. I do not want to give God’s enemies reason to accuse me, as the Bible warns us about this.

That’s my Protestant view and you are free to disagree. I am not claiming what you are doing, only that the impression can be misunderstood and that is why I frown upon such practices.

Ginger

 

[TimothyH]

HUH?

It is by the Grace of God through the Holy Spirit that we are converted.

Yes, the grace of conversion is an action of the Holy Spirit. But it comes through the hands of Mary.

Mary is the Mediatrix of all Grace. That has been taught by Popes Leo XII, Pius X, Pius XI, Pius XII, John XXIII, etc. Mary’s title of Mediatrix of All Grace is an orthodox teaching of the Church which has only started to be questioned very recently in the history of Christendom through the influences of non-Catholic forms of Christianty.

Leo XIII, Encyclical, Adiutricem populi, Sept 5, 1895, *** 28, 1895, 130: "For thereupon, by divine plan, she so began to watch over the Church, so to be near and to favor us as a Mother, that she who had been the minister (administra) of the mystery of human redemption, was equally the minister (administra) of the grace to be given from it for all time, practically immeasurable power being given to her."

***Pius XI, Apostolic Letter, Galliam, Ecclesiae filiam, March 2, 1922, AAS 14, 1922 186: "She, the Virgin Mother, [is] the treasurer [sequestra] of all graces *with God."

12) Benedict XV, Encyclical, Fausto appetente die, June 29, 1921, AAS 13, 1921, 334: "For he [St. Dominic] knew well that Mary… has such influence with her divine Son, that He confers whatever of graces He confers on humans, does so always with her as minister and decision-maker [administra et arbitra]."

Vatican II, Lumen gentium §§61-62: "… in suffering with Him as He died on the cross, she cooperated in the work of the Savior, in an altogether singular way, by obedience, faith, hope, and burning love, to restore supernatural life to souls. As a result she is our Mother in the order of grace. This motherhood of Mary in the economy of grace lasts without interruption, from the consent which she gave in faith at the annunciation, and which she unhesitatingly bore with under the cross, even to the perpetual consummation of all the elect.. For after being assumed into heaven, she has not put aside this saving function, but by her manifold intercession, she continues to win the gifts of eternal salvation for us. By her motherly love, she takes care of the brothers of her Son who are still in pilgrimage and in dangers and difficulties, until they be led through to the happy fatherland. For this reason, the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adiutrix, and Mediatrix. This however it to be so understood that it takes nothing away, or adds nothing to the dignity and efficacy of Christ the one Mediator. For no creature can ever be put on the same level with the Incarnate Word and Redeemer… ."

This list could take up many pages of posts.

-Tim-

 

[TimothyH]

You’re right! Perhaps what Timothy is talking about (can’t speak for him, but if I’m wrong, he’ll correct me) is the Catholic devotion of looking at Mary as a channel through which all grace was transmitted- How? Through her fiat and co-operation, the source of grace entered the world and resided in her womb. Catholics believe that every good thing that ever happened to anyone happened by the grace of Christ and was contained in him as Christ, so that by Mary’s Yes, it can be said that all graces and good things came to the world. Someone spoke of Catholic lingo? Perhaps Catholics should learn to speak in “the common tongue” .

Mary is the Mother of Jesus and so is the Mother of Grace Himself. But that motherhood did not stop after the annunciation, after the incarnation, after the advent of Christ in the manger, at the crucifixtion, after the ressurection, or ascension of Christ or assumption of Mary. Mary is still the mother of Grace Himself to this day and will be to the end of time.

Yes, grace came (past tense) into the world through Mary. The Church has taught that grace continues to come into the world through Mary. Any grace you have, comes to you - you personally - through the hands of Jesus Christ’s mother and your mother, Mary.

This is an orthodox teaching of the church and widespread questioning of this teaching is a modern phenomena.

Why would we not praise her and devote ourselve entirely to her?

-Tim-

 

[Marybeloved]

            *

Originally Posted by Ginger2
%between%
I didn’t say what he meant, I said what it looks like. I said he plagarized the Psalms - which is obvious! I am a writer. If he did that to my writings I could easily sue and win! I did not say what his intent was, only the appearance the psalters present to the Protestant reader

I know though that plagiarism refers to illegally “borrowing” intellectual property w/out the rightful owner’s permission; It does not apply to work that’s thousands of years old and have no identifiable owner- So your employment of the term here is puzzling and also quite misplaced. Besides, I said nothing of your use of the term in my post, and St. Bonaventure’s use of the Psalms in composing his Psalter is not disputed by anyone as far as I can tell. And though you insist that you don’t speak of his intent, your outright dismissal of a catholic view of this catholic devotion which disagrees with the presumption of worship, indicates otherwise.*

-St. Bonaventure is a Catholic Saint- His faith was Catholicism, our own faith- We don’t need a commentary written by him to know [his intent]

I beg to differ. You assume. You do not know. An example of this is a few years ago when a Catholic on this site said one does not need Jesus to get to heaven. I objected and was immediately accused of deliberately lying because they all thought they knew what he meant. So I asked questions to force him to state his specific meaning and soon the other Catholics were helping me correct his error.

So, you are assuming that because he is Catholic, he is always right. But Catholics are human, too. And you do not know, but can only assume his intent is honorable and appropriate.

*Ok, Ginger, but with all due respect, we are not talking about some random anonymous poster on an internet discussion forum- We are talking about a Catholic Saint- A man whose works, teachings, doctrines, life and practices have been scrutinized and studied by many qualified persons (for centuries) and been found to not contain evil or heresies against the Catholic faith.

-So our interpretation of his works through the lens of Catholic faith, belief, understanding and practice is very well grounded. It’s not at all like an interpretation of the same through protestant “eyes” and a protestant understanding (totally alien to the author) or the interpretation of someone from another non-catholic world-view.

I can take your word for it that your intent is only “veneration”. I will still say it looks inappropriate and therefore I would not do it because I don’t want to give even the appearance of wrong doing. I do not want to give God’s enemies reason to accuse me, as the Bible warns us about this.

That’s perfectly legitimate- But you should know that the only “enemies” Catholics usually encounter over this devotion are protestants .

That’s my Protestant view and you are free to disagree. I am not claiming what you are doing, only that the impression can be misunderstood and that is why I frown upon such practices.

That’s OK.

Catholics consider the benefits of honoring the Mother of God and the loss of not honoring her and consider that it’s good far outweighs any “risks” that can be explained to any honest inquirer-. Of course, we can disagree about that.

Peace!

 

[pablope]

Catholics do sing hymns to Mary.

But it is not worship for Catholics, in the protestant sense.

I was at a Resurrection Sunday service and the first song was about Mary, but never mentioned Jesus. Truthfully, I was offended. I don’t remember singing songs about Mary when I was a child…actually, the only one I do remember was, "This is my body, given for your freedom. This is my blood which was shed for all of mankind. Take all and eat til the day of my return…

 

[Ginger2]

It is written in the Bible, in one of the gospels, where Jesus said the first shall be last and the last shall be first…we, by that order of songs, we are following a biblical model.

 

[CHRIS_GEGERE]

JESUS IS OUR LIFE:

1 Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” -Jesus, in John 14.

SWEETNESS:

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. -Paul, in Ephesians 5:2.

AND OUR HOPE:

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,

2 To Timothy, a true son in the faith:

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord… -Paul, in 1 Timothy 1.

JESUS IS THE MEDIATOR OF ALL DIVINE GRACES:

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. -Gospel of John, chapter 1.

5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time… -Paul, in 1 Timothy 2.

JESUS IS OUR GRACIOUS ADVOCATE:

1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. - 1 John 2.

18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. -Paul, in Hebrews 2.

14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. -Paul, in Hebrews 4.

25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. -Paul, in Hebrews 7.

In the Gospel of John, chapter 17, Jesus prays to the Father for us. 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

To HIM do we cry (?)

And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” -Matthew 20:30.

Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, “You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. -John 7:28.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” -Jesus. Matthew 11:28-30.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” -Jesus. John 6:37.

To HIM do we pray (?)

“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” -Jesus. John 14:13-14.

“And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” -Jesus. John 16:23-28.

1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time, 7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. -Paul, in 1 Timothy 2.

1 John 5:10-15. John. 10 “He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God: has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us everlasting life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have everlasting life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have everlasting life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”