Hi Dots__,
The role of Mary in the Church is the role that God has given her, namely that of being associated closely with our salvation. Jesus could have appeared on earth without any intermediary. He chose Mary to be His Mother and He relied upon her acceptance of that role : : “Let it be done to me according to your word”. This is why we say that Mary is our mediatrix, the one through whom all graces come. God did not have to give her that role but he did, and we honor His will and His mother. When we honor Mary, we fulfil a prophecy of the Bible, in Luke 1 : “All generations shall call me blessed.”
Going on with Mary’s role, we see that on the occasion of the presentation in the temple, Simeon makes a close association between Jesus’ life and passion and His Mother : “A sword shall pierce your heart.” At Cana, before He turns the water into wine, Jesus says that his hour (the beginning of His walk to Calvary) has not yet come. Yet, through Mary’s intercession, he “changes his mind” and does begin His mission This is a powerful passage that shows how central Mary’s role in our salvation is.And the Gospels again confirm this role when they speak of Mary STANDING by the cross.
Finally, at the coming of the Holy Spirit, related in Acts, the presence of Mary with the apostles is emphasized. Thus she is present at all the important phases of our salvation, including the very founding of the Church. Thus God shows us that devotion to Mary is a central figure in our salvation. We must accept and honor this role by honoring Mary as God has done.
Prayer to the saints in general is another question altogether. In the beginning of the Church, the martyrs were honored and their intercession was requested. We see this in the prayers of the Canon of the Mass, whose origin is very ancient. If we can pray for others while on earth, there is no reason that we could not pray for them while in heaven. This applies even better to the saints, whose intercession as close friends of God is even more valued. Approaching God directly may sometimes be intimidating. Praying God through the saints may allow us to pray with more confidence.
Finally we must emphasize that Christ is our only mediator before God. Whether we pray directly or through the saints, all graces come through us through Christ, whose passion earned us forgiveness of sins, filial adoption and a place in heaven, as well as all graces that come with this.
Does this answer your questions?
Verbum
