Practicing Catholics Only, Please: Mary Worship

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I do not give divine honors to Mary. I do give her the greatest possible veneration that a creature can receive. But this veneration is different in essence as well as in magnitude from the divine honor that is due to God alone.
 
No…I don’t worship Mary, according to the connotation of idolatry. But the etmyology of the word, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary(see below) is derived from Middle English word ‘worshipe’, proceeding from the Old English word ‘weorthshipe’:
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English worshipe worthiness, respect, reverence paid to a divine being, from Old English weorthscipe worthiness, respect, from weorth worthy, worth + *-scipe *-ship
1 chiefly *British *: a person of importance – used as a title for various officials (as magistrates and some mayors)
2 : reverence offered a divine being or supernatural power; also : an act of expressing such reverence
3 : a form of religious practice with its creed and ritual
4 : extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem
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I think Catholics understand “worship” the same way Protestants do (see definition #2, above). I understand how some of our separated brethren could come to this misconception of Catholicism concerning Mary’s role in the Faith. But, Mary is the ark of the New Covenant, who, by the grace of God, carried and raised the Lord, introduced Him to his ministry at Cana. Her importance is indisputably Biblical. Heck, even the angel of Gabriel honored her, in Luke 1:28, as he heralded her role, as I like to think, as the sky that brings forth the new Dawn for humanity.

So, technically, Mary, the Mother of God, is absolutely worthy of respect as she is a person of importance to her beloved son, Jesus, and therefore deserves the respect from his “sheep.” But, I do not ‘worship’ Mary. My worship is for the Lord alone.👍

I’ve been a Catholic all of my life, but, at times, I’ve been shaken. I’ve faltered. There were several years when I avoided the Blessed Sacrament, avoided the Mass, and lived my life as I wanted. But, something inside me craved something more, and I was only able to find any satisfaction in the Mass. I really don’t know why, but the Church Christ left us with makes absolute sense to me. I get it, or, better yet, it gets me!:amen:
 
I’ve been a Catholic for - hang on, let me check the calendar - 5 days now 😉

I don’t worship Mary, I have never worshipped Mary, and I’ve never believed that Catholics worship Mary.

At one time, I believed that Catholic theology offered far too much honor to the Blessed Mother, but I no longer believe that. What the Church actually teaches about Mary is quite accurate, not to mention thoroughly scriptural (scroll down to the talk entitled “Mary and the Bible.” While you’re at it, download and listen to 'em all).%between%
 
djrakowski said:
I’ve been a Catholic for - hang on, let me check the calendar - 5 days now 😉

I don’t worship Mary, I have never worshipped Mary, and I’ve never believed that Catholics worship Mary.

At one time, I believed that Catholic theology offered far too much honor to the Blessed Mother, but I no longer believe that. What the Church actually teaches about Mary is quite accurate, not to mention thoroughly scriptural (scroll down to the talk entitled “Mary and the Bible.” While you’re at it, download and listen to 'em all).%between%
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Minor hijack…
Welcome home! 👍
Ok back to the scheduled broadcast…
 
Malachi4U said:
I’ll make this quick, CATHOLICS WORSHIP BLESSED MARY! Get over it already.
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Although you claim to be Catholic, you clearly have no clue what the Church really teaches. If you, as a Catholic, are worshiping Mary, then you are in violation of the First Commandment. You need to see a priest as soon as possible for confession and instruction on Mary’s place in Church teaching.
 
Absolutely not
Born and bred Catholic, efectively lapsed for many years time - been practicing again over 20 years
 
Malachi4U is correct in pointing out the finer points concerning the use of Catholic terminology. Although I completely agree with his explanation, I generally speak in Protestant terminology first when speaking with non-Catholic Christians about Mary. It is only later that I will discuss the differences in terminology.

When asked the question by a person that is fishing for a violation of worship practices, I usually answer “no” to the question in this poll. If the question is posed as an attempt to find an equivalency between the honor paid to Mary vs. the worship given to God, I must answer “no” in order to preclude any misunderstandings. Most non-Catholics and former Catholics that fail to make distinctions have a very shallow and misinformed view of not only Catholic teaching but also of scripture.

In practice human beings honor one another on many levels. Personally, I think that sports fans honor their sports heroes much more than Catholics honor Mary and the Saints. I have met many non-Catholic Christians that have no problem with their sports fanaticism (i.e. fanship/worship) including such things as the various sports “Hall of Fame”, yet they get totally wigged out at the thought of honoring the heavenly saints that can be properly called our “human spiritual heroes in Christ.”

The whole argument against Catholic thought and practice is absurd.
 
“Christ Mother and Ours” Father Oscar Lukefahr, C.M.
Code: 
  This is the Catholic vision of life, drawn from the teaching and life of Jesus Christ. Mary's place in it is both essential and unique. She stands precisely at the focal point of human history. She was one of those who lived before Christ and hoped for The Messiah. She was the first person to accept Jesus Christ in faith and to welcome him into human existence. Because Jesus was miraculously concieved in Mary's womb by God's power, she is the only person through whom Jesus Christ is related to us and to the rest of the human race.

  God chose Mary, therefore, for the most important role in history after that of Jesus. Her obedience to God and her dedication to Jesus set her above all others. It is true, of course, that Mary could not have become the Mother of Christ without The Incarnation, and without Mary's faithful obedience, Christ would not have entered or history as he did. So the first reason Catholics honor Mary is that she played the most important plan in God's plan to bring Jesus Christ into the world. (C 484-511).
 
I’ve heard Kimberly Hahn explain this very well. She talked about the idea that many Protestants worship God by singing songs and praying alone, but as Catholics our worship of God is done in the sacrifice of the altar–the Eucharist. When it’s put that way, it seems very clear. We would NEVER worship Mary on the altar!!!
 
Non-Catholics who believe that we worship the Blessed Virgin Mary, very deep down, are lying to themselves. And they know this.
 
St Louis de Monfort’s “True Devotion to Mary” is a wonderful book and can be helpful in understanding Marian devotion (he is a doctor of the church). It has a very high Mariology though. He goes to great pains at the begining to explain that Mary is a creature, that everything we ascribe to her comes from Christ her son. She is truely “full of grace” but that grace is not her own it comes entirely from her Son. Also, she could not merit the grace of salvation any more than we could so she could truely say “my spirit rejoices in God my saviour”.

But she is closer to her Son than anyone else ever born and has a special role in salvation and the Church. She is a type of the Church as we will be in eternity; spotless, holy, and completely united to the Spouse. As the Queen of Heaven she dispenses the graces her Son has won for us completely united in will with the Holy Trinity.

In many ways this is beyond us and it is easy for some to think we worship her as "pseudo"divine, but we do not. I hope this helps. 😃
 
HailMary said:
Non-Catholics who believe that we worship the Blessed Virgin Mary, very deep down, are lying to themselves. And they know this.
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I agree with you I have always believed this, their argument with this is so irrational.
 
Mary is the most perfect creature created by God. We don’t worship creatures, only God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
That’s how I answer the accusation.
 
No. I don’t worship Mary. I do give her honor and respect as Catholic.
 
Pax said:
In practice human beings honor one another on many levels. Personally, I think that sports fans honor their sports heroes much more than Catholics honor Mary and the Saints. I have met many non-Catholic Christians that have no problem with their sports fanaticism (i.e. fanship/worship) including such things as the various sports “Hall of Fame”, yet they get totally wigged out at the thought of honoring the heavenly saints that can be properly called our “human spiritual heroes in Christ.”

The whole argument against Catholic thought and practice is absurd.
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I totally agree with you!👍
 
I LOVE my heavenly Mother! And she led me to her Son, Whom I ADORE!

Ave Maria!
 
I think that if some Protestants actually didn’t take the fact of Mary having the Infinite God in her womb so lightly they would see devotion to her as a good thing and not worship.

The fact of the matter is that Mary had God in her womb. She had to be sinless. The very God was to be in her womb for nine months.

I think that there is a significance in the angel’s Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. If some of them didn’t take this too lightly they wouldn’t think that devotion to Mary is a bad thing. Mary is the woman in who God chose to give his Son to the world. If we take this too lighly, she just seems like a mother.

Mother of who?

She isn’t just a mother…she is the Mother of God. She is the Queen of Heaven(hence the hail in hail Mary). Now she is not equal to God in any manner. But we must keep in mind that angels are higher and more intellegent beings than humans. An angel said Hail Mary.

Also Mary in her canticle said “all generations shall call me blessed.” It is only a fufillment of Scripture to call her blessed.
 
To be honest I think I should be raying for her intercession more than what I do
 
Nearly 40 replies and not one mention of latria, dulia, and hyperdulia?

I’m amazed.
 
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