Is this wrong to do?

[Immacolata]

Hello, all; I have a question that occurred to me the other day. After Mass ends, and the priest leaves to greet the leaving congregation, I genuflect, leave the pew, and walk to the front of the nave. On the left side of the nave, there is a statue of Our Lady; as I walk in front of the statue, I look up to the face of Our Lady and pray petition prayers (the prayers I have said so far have been for myself and for my mother, who asked me to pray for her). After I finish saying my petition, I say a Hail Mary, genuflect in front of the tabernacle, and leave the nave.

What I was wondering is — is this wrong? I am not praying to the statue, but rather using the statue as a reminder of Our Lady. In a similar vein, I bought an Our Lady of Grace statue yesterday and plan to use it in my prayer area (a home “shrine”, if you will, including the statue, silk lilies and artificial roses, a Crucifix, along with prayers cards of Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of the Rosary, the Divine Praises, the Holy Family, and St. Mary Magdalene). When using it in my prayer area, I kissed and held the statue’s hands, as if they were actually the hands of Our Lady. Was this wrong of me to do? Again, I am not praying to the statue, or worshiping it, but rather using it as a reminder of Our Lady.

Thank you for any answer, and God bless — and if this is in the wrong forum, I apologize; I contemplated which forum would be suited to this question and thought Spirituality.

 

[mommyof4]

I don’t see anything wrong with what you are doing. As you said yourself, you are not “worshiping” the statue, just using it as a reminder as to whom you are speaking.

 

[CEM5]

Hello, all; I have a question that occurred to me the other day. After Mass ends, and the priest leaves to greet the leaving congregation, I genuflect, leave the pew, and walk to the front of the nave. On the left side of the nave, there is a statue of Our Lady; as I walk in front of the statue, I look up to the face of Our Lady and pray petition prayers (the prayers I have said so far have been for myself and for my mother, who asked me to pray for her). After I finish saying my petition, I say a Hail Mary, genuflect in front of the tabernacle, and leave the nave.

What I was wondering is — is this wrong? I am not praying to the statue, but rather using the statue as a reminder of Our Lady. In a similar vein, I bought an Our Lady of Grace statue yesterday and plan to use it in my prayer area (a home “shrine”, if you will, including the statue, silk lilies and artificial roses, a Crucifix, along with prayers cards of Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of the Rosary, the Divine Praises, the Holy Family, and St. Mary Magdalene). When using it in my prayer area, I kissed and held the statue’s hands, as if they were actually the hands of Our Lady. Was this wrong of me to do? Again, I am not praying to the statue, or worshiping it, but rather using it as a reminder of Our Lady.

Thank you for any answer, and God bless — and if this is in the wrong forum, I apologize; I contemplated which forum would be suited to this question and thought Spirituality.

I could be wrong, but I don’t believe we are supposed to genuflect towards anything except the Tabernacle where the true presence of the Lord is (Where the extra Eucharists are - the Real Body and Blood of our Lord). This is acknowleding His Real Presence on earth. Satues are not real, just reminders/representations of our heavenly Saints, so we do not genuflect.

Kneeling down and praying is not doing anything wrong though.

 

[Immacolata]

I could be wrong, but I don’t believe we are supposed to genuflect towards anything except the Tabernacle where the true presence of the Lord is (Where the extra Eucharists are - the Real Body and Blood of our Lord). This is acknowleding His Real Presence on earth. Satues are not real, just reminders/representations of our heavenly Saints, so we do not genuflect.

Kneeling down and praying is not doing anything wrong though.

In my post, I said that after I finished praying in front of the statue, I genuflected in front of the Tabernacle.

I don’t see anything wrong with what you are doing. As you said yourself, you are not “worshiping” the statue, just using it as a reminder as to whom you are speaking.

Thank you both for your responses!

 

[CEM5]

In my post, I said that after I finished praying in front of the statue, I genuflected in front of the Tabernacle.

Thank you both for your responses!

Oops! Sorry! Missed that part. Long day at work! Tired eyes…Thanks!

 

[Immacolata]

Oops! Sorry! Missed that part. Long day at work! Tired eyes…Thanks!

I can understand! I find myself, when I am tired, saying that I am “tried.”

Thank you again for your response!

 

[fred_conty]

St. Catherine Laboure was about 9 when she lost her mother. She went to the room of the house where the statue of Mary was kept. She took the statue, held it in her arms close to her little body, and said something on this order,“I’ve lost my mother Mary, now you will be my mother.”

I think we can understand this, it is just human nature in an expression of love.

Just a warm story.

 

[MaeganFlinchum1]

It doesnt sound like your doing anything wrong…but if it bothers you just stop.

 

[IesuMariaIoseph]

So long as you understand that the statue is an aid in prayer and not the object of devotion then you are fine. Also respecting the statue so long as the aforementioned distinction is maintained does in fact honor the personage which is being represented only. Do remember that in the tabernacle God is truly present and you can as such address it directly.

 

[Holly3278]

Hello, all; I have a question that occurred to me the other day. After Mass ends, and the priest leaves to greet the leaving congregation, I genuflect, leave the pew, and walk to the front of the nave. On the left side of the nave, there is a statue of Our Lady; as I walk in front of the statue, I look up to the face of Our Lady and pray petition prayers (the prayers I have said so far have been for myself and for my mother, who asked me to pray for her). After I finish saying my petition, I say a Hail Mary, genuflect in front of the tabernacle, and leave the nave.

What I was wondering is — is this wrong? I am not praying to the statue, but rather using the statue as a reminder of Our Lady. In a similar vein, I bought an Our Lady of Grace statue yesterday and plan to use it in my prayer area (a home “shrine”, if you will, including the statue, silk lilies and artificial roses, a Crucifix, along with prayers cards of Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of the Rosary, the Divine Praises, the Holy Family, and St. Mary Magdalene). When using it in my prayer area, I kissed and held the statue’s hands, as if they were actually the hands of Our Lady. Was this wrong of me to do? Again, I am not praying to the statue, or worshiping it, but rather using it as a reminder of Our Lady.

Thank you for any answer, and God bless — and if this is in the wrong forum, I apologize; I contemplated which forum would be suited to this question and thought Spirituality.

No, you’re not doing anything wrong. By the way, I have also been struggling with this same issue lately. I am a convert from Protestantism and I think that is why I have this struggle sometimes. Are you also a convert?

 

[Immacolata]

It doesnt sound like your doing anything wrong…but if it bothers you just stop.

It does not bother me, I was just wondering if I was doing anything improperly.

No, you’re not doing anything wrong. By the way, I have also been struggling with this same issue lately. I am a convert from Protestantism and I think that is why I have this struggle sometimes. Are you also a convert?

No, I am a cradle Catholic.

So long as you understand that the statue is an aid in prayer and not the object of devotion then you are fine. Also respecting the statue so long as the aforementioned distinction is maintained does in fact honor the personage which is being represented only. Do remember that in the tabernacle God is truly present and you can as such address it directly.

Indeed, that is what I do; I consider the statue of Our Lady (both the one in the nave and the one in my home) as a reminder of her, however not actually her; to be used as an aid in prayer. As well, I have seen a few, after Mass has ended, go to the Tabernacle and pray there, or simply genuflect for a period of time. I may start doing so as well.

Thank you all for your responses.