Our Relationship with Mary

[Justin_Mary]

I really like the doctrine that she is our Mother (“son, behold your Mother”), but I’m unsure how to mentally and spiritually consider Mary my Mother, to venerate her, to pray to her for intercession, as I said without the feeling like I’m getting too close to worship. I’ve also heard it said that Mary can provide comfort, and while it is comforting to know that our Mother prays on our behalf, I’m uncertain how she can supernaturally provide us anything on our temporal plane, since I was under the impression that God alone is capable of doing that.

Good question.

For me, it helps to think of the Church as Mother Church. Of course we (the Church militant) make up the Body of Christ. But the Church is also our Mother.

Respect her, trust her, love her, defend her, honor her, obey her.

Pray with her, in her, through her, & for her. The Mass, the Rosary, the LOTH, adoration, reconciliation. She will lead you to her son.

 

[Justin_Mary]

I become confused when I see writings that indicate she herself contains power, ability, or attributes that are reserved for God.

Put that thinking away. God did not spare us His son. What would He reserve for Himself? We are kings, priests, & prophets in Christ, through Christ. Mary is no different. She is the fairest of us, the first.

She is what God wants you to be. & just like he can & will work through you, heal through you, save through you, He can & will (& has) done so through Mary.

 

[FiveLinden]

I have a very elderly Catholic friend who explained to me that she absolutely agrees that it is possible and right to seek the intercession of saints but that she can’t see the point. She says she goes ‘straight to the top’.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

While there is nothing wrong with “going straight to the top”, many of us like to have our heavenly friends help us. It’s like having a big family. Many of us also find it helpful to see how a holy fellow human handled some challenging situation that parallels something in our own lives.

Most of us will go straight to the top AND ask some saints for intercession too. Covering all the bases.