Prayers to Mary

[Fair_Lady]

I would not want to approach God’s judgement seat if my devotion had been to Mary.

I would not want to approach God’s judgement seat and hear Jesus say, “I gave you MY Mother to be YOUR Mother, but you have rejected and ignored Her all your life.”

Jesus never said for us to go to Mary, but He did say:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28

…“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
John 7:37,38

I will always to to God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit…we all must choose whom we will go to.

 

[Fair_Lady]

Please discontinue side-stepping and provide the Scripture passage I requested.

Your last paragraph appears to be nothing but a rationalization of a pre-formed idea. The reason this thread is dying is because you don’t answer questions, you don’t provide appropriate Scripture passages - what you do is side-step, avoid the issue, skirt the issue, and ignore what others post until they get fed up and leave.

What I am observing here is that scripture is not being considered seriously. There has been so much indoctrination from sources outside scripture that scripture means little or nothing. In fact what has been taught by the early church fathers (after biblical times) is being taken as truth over and above scripture. I’ve given numerous scriptural references that tell us to do. The Bible doesn’t give us a list of “not to’s” insofar as “Thou shalt not pray to Mary” because it tells us to pray to God. In other words, we need to obey what the Bible tells us to do. That leaves no room for prayer to other beings in heaven or hell. I truly fear for the soul of anyone who prays to or practices the devotion to Mary that I am seeing.

 

[AmbroseSJ]

crazzeto:

I suggest you read exerps of “The Second Eve” posted on Google books. It was written by Bishop John Henry Newman, a former Anglican Bishop who converted to the Catholic faith and is now on his way to Saint Hood.

Just an FYI, John Henry Newman (1801-1890) was an Anglican Priest before becoming a Catholic Priest. He was elevated directly to Cardinal by Pope Leo XIII in 1879. Pope Benedict XVI is expected to Beatify John Henry Newman (possibly during his upcoming trip to England.)

 

[crazzeto]

What I am observing here is that scripture is not being considered seriously. There has been so much indoctrination from sources outside scripture that scripture means little or nothing. In fact what has been taught by the early church fathers (after biblical times) is being taken as truth over and above scripture. I’ve given numerous scriptural references that tell us to do. The Bible doesn’t give us a list of “not to’s” insofar as “Thou shalt not pray to Mary” because it tells us to pray to God. In other words, we need to obey what the Bible tells us to do. That leaves no room for prayer to other beings in heaven or hell. I truly fear for the soul of anyone who prays to or practices the devotion to Mary that I am seeing.

I really don’t find this post to be fair at all, and certainly not accurate.

 

[Indyann]

I would not want to approach God’s judgement seat and hear Jesus say, “I gave you MY Mother to be YOUR Mother, but you have rejected and ignored Her all your life.”

Jesus never said for us to go to Mary, but He did say:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28

…“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
John 7:37,38

I will always to to God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit…we all must choose whom we will go to.

Why must we choose either/or? Why do Protestants tend to see most issues as either/or, rather than both/and?

Of course, Catholics pray directly to the Holy Trinity. But we wish to take advantage of EVERY aid in getting to heaven that Christ has provided us. That is why The Catholic Church teachs the fullness of the faith, not just a portion.

Christ was devoted to His Mother, He honored her, He loved Her.

If we want to imitate Christ, should we do any less?

 

[crazzeto]

I wounder what Fair Laidy thinks of the following three scripture verses, and how they apply to intercessary prayer:

drbo.org/chapter/62003.htm

16 All scripture, inspired of God, is profitable to teach, to reprove, to correct, to instruct in justice,

drbo.org/chapter/20042.htm

7 And after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Themanite: My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends, because you have not spoken the thing that is right before me, as my servant Job hath. 8 Take unto you therefore seven oxen, and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer for yourselves a holocaust: and my servant Job shall pray for you: his face I will accept, that folly be not imputed to you: for you have not spoken right things before me, as my servant Job hath.

drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=66&ch=5&l=16&f=s#x

Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.

One more point for Fair Lady to ponder, and I’d be interested to read her thoughts. Has she ever prayed for anyone other than her self? If she has, then how does she justify this behaviour, which directly contradicts her own strict biblical interpetation

 

[SugarMagnolia]

I haven’t read through each and every post here, so forgive me if I repeat something that’s already been said. In fact, I’d be surprised if no one has brought up ths point yet.

However, the Catholic Church does not rely on scripture alone; she relies on scripture and tradition. Here’s a brief explanation:

*Protestants claim the Bible is the only rule of faith, meaning that it contains all of the material one needs for theology and that this material is sufficiently clear that one does not need apostolic tradition or the Church’s magisterium (teaching authority) to help one understand it. In the Protestant view, the whole of Christian truth is found within the Bible’s pages. Anything extraneous to the Bible is simply non-authoritative, unnecessary, or wrong—and may well hinder one in coming to God.

Catholics, on the other hand, recognize that the Bible does not endorse this view and that, in fact, it is repudiated in Scripture. The true “rule of faith”—as expressed in the Bible itself—is Scripture plus apostolic tradition, as manifested in the living teaching authority of the Catholic Church, to which were entrusted the oral teachings of Jesus and the apostles, along with the authority to interpret Scripture correctly. *

more at catholic.com/library/Scripture_and_Tradition.asp

Fair Lady, if I understand your argument correctly, you are looking at scripture and finding nothing you believe supports Marian Devotion. However, Catholics do not rely on scripture alone and that would seem to put the matter to rest. You may argue that Catholicism is itself wrong; that would be another sort of discussion. But the answer to the question of why Catholics pray to Mary is that Catholics are Catholics and that is a part of our tradition. Protestants may share most of our scripture, but not our tradition which is why Protestants do not share our devotion to Mary.

 

[LittleSoldier]

soundofgrace.com/piper82/040982.htm

This is the correct meaning of the passage.

edit: if you want to prove me wrong, then show me what is wrong said in that article, and I would preferably wish you back up with Scripture, but if you want, you can quote other sources as well

I’m sorry but I have no idea what you are trying to say here.

 

[LittleSoldier]

What I am observing here is that scripture is not being considered seriously. There has been so much indoctrination from sources outside scripture that scripture means little or nothing. In fact what has been taught by the early church fathers (after biblical times) is being taken as truth over and above scripture. I’ve given numerous scriptural references that tell us to do. The Bible doesn’t give us a list of “not to’s” insofar as “Thou shalt not pray to Mary” because it tells us to pray to God. In other words, we need to obey what the Bible tells us to do. That leaves no room for prayer to other beings in heaven or hell. I truly fear for the soul of anyone who prays to or practices the devotion to Mary that I am seeing.

Indoctrination?? Who is indoctrinating??

Honestly, you can fear for my soul all you want and it will be a waste of time. I am Catholic and I am Catholic by choice. Nobody forced me to become a Catholic and even as a Catholic I am not forced to pray to Mary.

See, this is what I suspected all along. This thread isn’t about the wording of prayers to Mary - this thread is about praying to Mary, period.

What I would like from you is a Scripture passage that states that everything we must do is in the Bible. I would also like a Scripture passage that states which books belong in the Bible.

Oh, and I would also like you to tell me who is indoctrinating.

 

[LittleSoldier]

*And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

"This, then, is how you should pray:
" ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’ For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.* Matthew 6:7-15

1. 
   *]Jesus does not tell us to pray to Abraham.
   *]Jesus does not tell us to pray to Moses.
   *]Jesus does not tell us to pray to Elijah, who was taken up to heaven, and thus is alive.
   *]Jesus does not tell us to pray to Enoch, who, like Elijah, is supposed to be alive in Heaven.
   *]Jesus did not tell us to pray to angels.
   *]Jesus not the apostles told us to pray to anyone except our Father, which is in heaven.
   *]etc.
   
   Jesus does not tell us to pray to people that were supposed to be alive, but you are telling us to pray to saints that are supposed to be alive, but aren’t.* He is telling us to pray to God directly, because that is one of the reasons He made peace between God and us: so we might build a relationship with Him, not His creations*.

1. 
   I appreciate your posting of the Lord’s Prayer, but it isn’t necessary. We use that prayer in the Catholic Church. We say it at every Mass and we say it in every Rosary.
   
   Are you saying that the only prayer we should use is the Lord’s Prayer? It seems to me that you are saying exactly that. I just want to make sure that is what you mean.
   
   I am very confused by your statement that “saints are supposed to be alive, but aren’t.” Please explain this in more detail and provide Scripture passages (or if you have provided them already I apologize and request the post number).
   
   I am also requesting Scripture passages for each of the statements you made regarding Jesus not telling us to pray to people (and angels) you have named, for example Abraham.
   
   Please cite book, chapter and verse for each person in your list. Please cite book, chapter, and verse to show that Jesus does not tell us to pray to angels.
   
   Please explain what you mean by “Jesus not the apostles told us to pray to anyone except our Father, which is in heaven.” Are you saying that Jesus told us to pray to anyone except our Father? That doesn’t make sense to me.
   
   Please cite the Scripture passage where it states that Jesus is “telling us to pray to God directly, because that is one of the reasons He made peace between God and us: so we might build a relationship with Him, not His creations.” Please provide book, chapter, and verse.
   

   Did I say that? But if it contradicts the Bible, then you mustn’t.

   No, you didn’t say it. I wanted to know what you thought. You are correct in that any teaching should not contradict the Bible.
   
   I’ll have to reply to the rest of your post later - I am running very short on time. Sorry.
   
   Oh, and God bless you too!!

 

[LittleSoldier]

You can know if it was guided by the Holy Spirit if you can find anywhere in the Bible that:

1. We should pray to Mary.
2. That we should offer ourselves entirely to Mary.

This is what the Bible tells us that we should do:

We are to call upon God:

“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3

“And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” Psalm 50:15

“Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer… In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.” Psalm 86:6, 7

“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.” Psalm 91:15

“But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble.” Psalm 37:39

“O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.” Isaiah 33:2

“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22

“Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:17

“The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” Psalm 145:18

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6

So we see from scripture that it is God who hears our prayers. He hasn’t given that ability to anyone else in heaven or He would have told us. Is He not good enough? Why would we go against Him and offer ourselves entirely to someone else? If we offer ourselves entirely to Mary, what is there left to offer to God? Nothing. Praying to Mary and the saints started in someone’s overactive imagination. I would not want to approach God’s judgement seat if my devotion had been to Mary.

Of course God hears our prayers!! God is omniscient. But none of those Scripture passages you provided has any relevance to praying to Mary. Where does it say in the Bible that we are not supposed to pray to Mary??

If you say that it isn’t there because the Bible doesn’t have a list of “do nots”, you are incorrect because there are the Ten Commandments. That is definitely a list of “do nots.”

When you state that “praying to Mary and the saints started in someone’s overactive imagination” are you referring to the teachings of the Catholic Church??

 

[LittleSoldier]

I really don’t find this post to be fair at all, and certainly not accurate.

I find the last part of that post to be uncharitable.

 

[LittleSoldier]

I wounder what Fair Laidy thinks of the following three scripture verses, and how they apply to intercessary prayer:

drbo.org/chapter/62003.htm

drbo.org/chapter/20042.htm

drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=66&ch=5&l=16&f=s#x

One more point for Fair Lady to ponder, and I’d be interested to read her thoughts. Has she ever prayed for anyone other than her self? If she has, then how does she justify this behaviour, which directly contradicts her own strict biblical interpetation

In Post #123, Fair Lady stated that she would pray for me:

“LittleSoldier, I truly am sorry that you are going through such trials. I will pray for you, that you will experience comfort and blessings from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

I do appreciate her prayers for me, but I see the contradiction between her actions and what is stated in the Bible. I would be very interested in seeing her comments on what you have stated and the Scripture you have quoted.

 

[LittleSoldier]

What I am observing here is that scripture is not being considered seriously. There has been so much indoctrination from sources outside scripture that scripture means little or nothing. In fact what has been taught by the early church fathers (after biblical times) is being taken as truth over and above scripture. I’ve given numerous scriptural references that tell us to do. The Bible doesn’t give us a list of “not to’s” insofar as “Thou shalt not pray to Mary” because it tells us to pray to God. In other words, we need to obey what the Bible tells us to do. That leaves no room for prayer to other beings in heaven or hell. I truly fear for the soul of anyone who prays to or practices the devotion to Mary that I am seeing.

Are you admitting that the Bible does not state that we should not pray to Mary? If so, why are you so upset with this Catholic practice?? Of course we need to do what the Bible tells us to do. But please post the Scripture passage which states that we are to do only what the Bible states that we are to do.

 

[Fair_Lady]

I wounder what Fair Laidy thinks of the following three scripture verses, and how they apply to intercessary prayer:

drbo.org/chapter/62003.htm

I’m all for intercessory prayer. I’m just not for praying to someone other than God.

drbo.org/chapter/20042.htm

The comment attached to that scripture reads: “16 “All scripture,”… Every part of divine scripture is certainly profitable for all these ends. But, if we would have the whole rule of Christian faith and practice, we must not be content with those Scriptures, which Timothy knew from his infancy, that is, with the Old Testament alone: nor yet with the New Testament, without taking along with it the traditions of the apostles, and the interpretation of the church, to which the apostles delivered both the book, and the true meaning of it.”

I’ve bolded what I see as a huge problem. Here we are being told not to be content with what God has provided to us - His word?! That is a license to come up with traditions, beliefs and practises suitable to mens’ imaginations and whatever suits their fancy. It’s no wonder that so many religious practices have their roots outside of scripture!

drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=66&ch=5&l=16&f=s#x

I’m not sure what your point is here…God said that Job would pray for someone else. But whom wouldJob prayed to? God Himself.

One more point for Fair Lady to ponder, and I’d be interested to read her thoughts. Has she ever prayed for anyone other than her self? If she has, then how does she justify this behaviour, which directly contradicts her own strict biblical interpetation

I have prayed for many people other than me. We are suppose to pray for others. The issue is who do we pray to? I pray to God and I believe it is wrong to pray to anyone but God.

Let’s look at it this way.
The Bible tells us to pray to God. Therefore, in obedience to the word of God, I will pray to _____________.

For me, I will fill the blank in with “God”. But what I’m understanding from many here is that they would fill in the blank with “God, Mary, St. Joseph, etc., etc., etc.”

 

[LittleSoldier]

What a wrong image of God! As if God is a proud dictator who is so above His creatures that He wouldn’t allow anyone anywhere close to His glory. That is so contrary to Jesus. By humbling Himself to take the form of man, Jesus already shared His glory with all humanity, and in particular His Blessed Mother.

If God will not share His glory with anyone, why do christians believe they will be glorified in heaven?

God shares His glory with all those who love Him and follow Him. He gives us His glory in the form of grace. Why anyone would think that God is a selfish God is beyond me.

 

[AmbroseSJ]

Fair Lady:

I have prayed for many people other than me. We are suppose to pray for others. The issue is who do we pray to? I pray to God and I believe it is wrong to pray to anyone but God.

Let’s look at it this way.
The Bible tells us to pray to God. Therefore, in obedience to the word of God, I will pray to _____________.

For me, I will fill the blank in with “God”. But what I’m understanding from many here is that they would fill in the blank with “God, Mary, St. Joseph, etc., etc., etc.”

You are blind as to the meaning of your own statements. You say you DO pray (to God) for other people, right? Now try hard to look at this objectively…

You apparently think that your prayers for somebody else do some good, right?..

It is most Biblical to read that one person prays to God for another, right?..

If your prayers (or somebody else’s prayers) are doing some good (are heard by God with good effect)…Now try and stay with me here…Imagine how much aid the prayers of God’s Holy Saints, with him in person, now in Heaven, would do people.

Do you deny that the prayers of Holy Saints in Heaven, in God’s very presence, are effective in helping us?

If you do not deny it, then… How is it possible to think that praying to those Holy Saints in Heaven for their intercessory help, are not effective, and good for us?

Didn’t St. Peter cure the Lame man at the temple door? The lame man asked St. Peter for help. See??? St. Peter, interceded for the lame man in the name of Jesus Christ, and OH what power that prayer had! Are you saying that the lame man did not pray to God himself? No. Of course not. He prayed to God himself, that is why he was always at the door of the temple. But he needed the intercession of Peter, as he found out!

It wasn’t Peter that cured the lame man, but Jesus Christ that did, with the intercession of St. Peter!

 

[regression]

You are blind as to the meaning of your own statements. You say you DO pray (to God) for other people, right? Now try hard to look at this objectively…

You apparently think that your prayers for somebody else do some good, right?..

It is most Biblical to read that one person prays to God for another, right?..

If your prayers (or somebody else’s prayers) are doing some good (are heard by God with good effect)…Now try and stay with me here…Imagine how much aid the prayers of God’s Holy Saints, with him in person, now in Heaven, would do people.

Do you deny that the prayers of Holy Saints in Heaven, in God’s very presence, are effective in helping us?

If you do not deny it, then… How is it possible to think that praying to those Holy Saints in Heaven for their intercessory help, are not effective, and good for us?

Didn’t St. Peter cure the Lame man at the temple door? The lame man asked St. Peter for help. See??? St. Peter, interceded for the lame man in the name of Jesus Christ, and OH what power that prayer had! Are you saying that the lame man did not pray to God himself? No. Of course not. He prayed to God himself, that is why he was always at the door of the temple. But he needed the intercession of Peter, as he found out!

It wasn’t Peter that cured the lame man, but Jesus Christ that did, with the intercession of St. Peter!

I have been following this thread to the best of my ability. A couple points I see:

1. Fair Lady does not object to people praying to Jesus for other people. She objects to us asking Saints / Mary in heaven to pray for us because she does not believe they can hear us. Fair Lady, please correct me if I am wrong.
2. The term “praying to” does not always equal worship. It can mean worship or asking for something. Hopefully we can all agree on this point. If not, please look up the word pray in the dictionary:
   merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pray

So, I believe the appropriate point to discuss is not whether or not we can pray for each other, but can the Saints / Mary in heaven hear our prayers in order to pray for us.

 

[crazzeto]

I’m all for intercessory prayer. I’m just not for praying to someone other than God.

Mary is our intercessor, we talk to her by praying to her through Christ, her will being perfectly aligned to Gods, if our prayer intention is pleasing to God she will pray for us. You really can’t make any argument against praying to Mary with out it being an argument against you praying for Little Solider.

The comment attached to that scripture reads: “16 “All scripture,”… Every part of divine scripture is certainly profitable for all these ends. But, if we would have the whole rule of Christian faith and practice, we must not be content with those Scriptures, which Timothy knew from his infancy, that is, with the Old Testament alone: nor yet with the New Testament, without taking along with it the traditions of the apostles, and the interpretation of the church, to which the apostles delivered both the book, and the true meaning of it.”

I’ve bolded what I see as a huge problem. Here we are being told not to be content with what God has provided to us - His word?! That is a license to come up with traditions, beliefs and practises suitable to mens’ imaginations and whatever suits their fancy. It’s no wonder that so many religious practices have their roots outside of scripture!

I find your dodge of what I was getting at interesting, do you or do you not except the entirty of scripture as being divinly inspired?

Now since you are going on a tangent regarding the word of God, here is some more scripture for you to potificate on:

drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=60&ch=2&l=14&f=s#x

Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle.

drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=50&ch=21&l=25&f=s#x

But there are also many other things which Jesus did; which, if they were written every one, the world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the books that should be written.

drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=50&ch=20&l=30&f=s#x

Many other signs also did Jesus in the sight of his disciples, which are not written in this book.

drbo.org/chapter/59002.htm

Therefore, we also give thanks to God without ceasing: because, that when you had received of us the word of the hearing of God, you received it not as the word of men, but (as it is indeed) the word of God, who worketh in you that have believed.

Are you so sure, that the only existing word of God found is in the Bible?

I’m not sure what your point is here…God said that Job would pray for someone else. But whom wouldJob prayed to? God Himself.

I have prayed for many people other than me. We are suppose to pray for others. The issue is who do we pray to? I pray to God and I believe it is wrong to pray to anyone but God.

Let’s look at it this way.
The Bible tells us to pray to God. Therefore, in obedience to the word of God, I will pray to _____________.

For me, I will fill the blank in with “God”. But what I’m understanding from many here is that they would fill in the blank with “God, Mary, St. Joseph, etc., etc., etc.”

You’re trying to argue against intercessory prayer, I’m not sure if you’re entirly aware of this yet. I’m glad you at the very least accept intercessorary pray, though I’m a little confounded as to why you think someone stops being able to pray for you when they die, have you not read:

drbo.org/cgi-bin/d?b=drb&bk=52&ch=8&l=35&f=s#x

35 Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation? or distress? or famine? or nakedness? or danger? or persecution? or the sword?

36 (As it is written: For thy sake we are put to death all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.) 37 But in all these things we overcome, because of him that hath loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor might, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now lastly, I wonder. Did you get a chance to read Cardnel Newman’s “The Second Eve” which I liked to off google books? It’s very relivent to this discussion not only because it discusses Mary’s role in the economy of salvation, but actually discusses it from the point of view of the earliest christians. He quotes those very Martyrs who so many thousands of years ago gave their lives in the Roman Coliseum. Are you at all curious exaction what faith it was that they gave their lives for?

 

[Des]

I’m all for intercessory prayer. I’m just not for praying to someone other than God.

Asking (Praying) for intercessory prayers is the same thing. This has been explained many times over. You’ve surrounded yourself by a wall where it seems you’ve willed yourself against trying to understand.

The comment attached to that scripture reads: “16 “All scripture,”… Every part of divine scripture is certainly profitable for all these ends. But, if we would have the whole rule of Christian faith and practice, we must not be content with those Scriptures, which Timothy knew from his infancy, that is, with the Old Testament alone: nor yet with the New Testament, without taking along with it the traditions of the apostles, and the interpretation of the church, to which the apostles delivered both the book, and the true meaning of it.”

I’ve bolded what I see as a huge problem. Here we are being told not to be content with what God has provided to us - His word?!

It’s simply saying to not be content with the Written Word alone but need the Oral Word (Traditions of the Apostles) as well. You are teaching error to suggest otherwise.

That is a license to come up with traditions, beliefs and practises suitable to mens’ imaginations and whatever suits their fancy.

So long as you stick to the teachings of the Church, you will not be mislead. Only outside will such a thing be dangerous.

It’s no wonder that so many religious practices have their roots outside of scripture!

Each time you incorrectly interpret Scripture, you create your own traditions. That’s not what Christ intended.

I have prayed for many people other than me. We are suppose to pray for others. The issue is who do we pray to? I pray to God and I believe it is wrong to pray to anyone but God.

We Pray (Ask) everyone who belongs to the Body of Christ to Pray (Ask) to God for help with our everyday needs.

The Bible tells us to pray to God. Therefore, in obedience to the word of God, I will pray to _____________.

As we do. But nowhere does any verse ever imply to Pray to God ONLY either. You’re making up your own doctrines now and preaching error to the faithful.

For me, I will fill the blank in with “God”. But what I’m understanding from many here is that they would fill in the blank with “God, Mary, St. Joseph, etc., etc., etc.”

Correct. However God receives the final Prayer.