Is the Salve Regina heretical?

[romanmurphy]

I am very interested in Catholicism but one thing that still prevents me is the Catholic view of Blessed Mary. It is very clear from Scripture that only through Jesus can one come to the Father and that he is the truth, life, and the way. I have read apologetics on the catholic defense that praying to Mary is just asking for intersession and not worship yet sometimes I feel that is lip service. If you read the Salve Regina there is in the beginning calling Mary “our life, our sweetness, and our hope”. IS not our hope in Jesus? Is not our life Jesus? Jesus says outright that HE is the life.

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

Referring to Mary as our life, our sweetness and our hope is an example of hyperbole. Hyperbole is defined as an “obvious and intentional exaggeration” or “an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as ‘to wait an eternity.’”

We honor her with such extravagance because the greater honor the Father bestowed on her by calling her to be the channel through which His Son would become man. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.