What's the best way to explain the veneration of Mary to a Protestant?

  • Thread starter Thread starter jatkins29
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

jatkins29

Guest
I converted to Catholicism in 2008 and ever since my Protestant family accuses me of worshiping Mary which I know is not true. Given that we have so many references and devotions to Mary, what’s the best way of explaining that it is honor and not worship. My family keeps saying there’s only one mediator every time I mention I pray the Rosary or ask Mary to pray for me. I want to defend my faith, but do so in a way that they understand.

Thanks!

Jeremy
 
My usual defense of praying to saints: You ask people here on Earth to pray for you, right? What’s so different about asking someone in Heaven?
 
I use the one mentioned above, as well as “Mom. would you please ask Dad…?”

If Mom thought what I was asking for was reasonable, she would ask Dad.

If she asked Dad, I had a 99.9% chance of getting whatever it was I asked for.

If Mom wasn’t behind it, The odds of getting it were almost nil.

Remember, Jesus honored his Mother by performing his first miracle, at her request.
 
the way I explained praying to/asking Mary to pray for me was this:

Mary is like the person who takes your food order at a fast food restaurant. they just take down the order and send it to the cook. So, Mary is taking our Prayers TO GOD (who in this analogy is the “Cook”). Evidently, it helped him understand as he did eventually convert.

So, we are just asking these special friends of God to pray for us, we aren’t worshiping them…we are just asking them to pray for us or pray with us.
 
Razanir said:
My usual defense of praying to saints: You ask people here on Earth to pray for you, right? What’s so different about asking someone in Heaven?
Click to expand...
This is what I tried to explain to them but they break out the “one mediator scripture” still.
 
jatkins29 said:
I converted to Catholicism in 2008 and ever since my Protestant family accuses me of worshiping Mary which I know is not true. Given that we have so many references and devotions to Mary, what’s the best way of explaining that it is honor and not worship. My family keeps saying there’s only one mediator every time I mention I pray the Rosary or ask Mary to pray for me. I want to defend my faith, but do so in a way that they understand.

Thanks!

Jeremy
Click to expand...
Jeremy,
From the view of this Lutheran, I believe the biggest issue is often one of semantics. American protestants generally do not understand Latria, Dulia, Dyperdulia. These are not in the vocabulary, and explaining them might be just as difficult.

To protestants who do not understand, I encourage that we do not need to understand in order to take our Catholic siblings’ word for it. Catholics say they do not worship Mary and the saints. Believe what they say because they have no reason to be dishonest. And, from Luther’s commentary on the eighth commandment:
The Eighth Commandment.
Click to expand...
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Click to expand...
What does this mean?–Answer.
Click to expand...
We should fear and love God that we may not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame our neighbor, but defend him, [think and] speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.
Click to expand...
Jon
 
Remember how King Solomon always ruled with his mother, Bathsheba, by his side? Why wouldn’t that apply to the King of Kings? Back then, if you wanted something from the king, you went to his mother because she would know when and how to ask him among other things. Same thing goes for Jesus. Jesus will not refuse His Mother. 🙂
 
First we need to put the verse they are quoting , as well as the practice of praying to Mary, into perspective for them.

The verse they are referring to is:

“For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity–the man Christ Jesus.” 1st Tim 2:5

However 4 verses before that Paul says:

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone–” 1st Tim 2:1

By saying Jesus is the only mediator between God and man refers to the fact that Jesus is the only one is fully human and fully God. So only he can mediate on our part directly with the Father to reconcile our sinful nature. He does this through direct intercession for us, as well by virtue of the sacrifice at Calvery. As Jesus says; “No one comes to the Father accept through me”

But in verse 2:1 Paul says we should pray for each other. And protestants would never say to anyone how asked them for prayer.“No. you go to Jesus yourself. Don’t put me between you and God. There is only one mediator between God and man and that’s Jesus.”

They recognize that praying for another does not violate the unique mediation Jesus has on our part with the Father. So we ask Mary and the saints, who are human beings as well as alive members of Christ’s Church, to pray for us. just as they would ask each other. Also we do not believe Mary goes to the father, but to Jesus with our requests.
 
Scriptural support for why we ask Mary’s intercession,

Jesus HIMSELF demonstrated His approval of Mary’s intercession, but accepting it, and responding to it:

In scripture we see the first example of Mary’s intercession
She was in the presence of God Incarnate, the Lord Jesus, and He not only accepted it,
but he acceded to her request and grant the first recorded miracle of Jesus,
even though He had protested that it was not yet time for signs, miracles.

Therefore we have Jesus own approval of His Mother as intercessor for others in need.
Therefore we ask her prayers, just as you would ask the prayer of another person, except that Mary was so good that the Angel called her blessed. Luke 1
It wasn’t even a matter of life or death, just possible loss of face of the hosts, of the wedding feast of Cana.

John 2 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine
" 1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Woman,[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
11What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him." [John 2:1-11]

Who can argue with Jesus who responded to His mother’s faith and intercession for others in need?!
 
jatkins29 said:
I converted to Catholicism in 2008 and ever since my Protestant family accuses me of worshiping Mary which I know is not true. Given that we have so many references and devotions to Mary, what’s the best way of explaining that it is honor and not worship. My family keeps saying there’s only one mediator every time I mention I pray the Rosary or ask Mary to pray for me. I want to defend my faith, but do so in a way that they understand.

Thanks!

Jeremy
Click to expand...
If we are the Body of Christ and Mary is the Mother of Christ then she is our Mother as well. Why would one not venerate the mother of God? The problem is that they confuse veneration with adoration. Just explain the difference.
 
jatkins29 said:
I converted to Catholicism in 2008 and ever since my Protestant family accuses me of worshiping Mary which I know is not true. Given that we have so many references and devotions to Mary, what’s the best way of explaining that it is honor and not worship. My family keeps saying there’s only one mediator every time I mention I pray the Rosary or ask Mary to pray for me. I want to defend my faith, but do so in a way that they understand.

Thanks!

Jeremy
Click to expand...
That your family says there is one mediator in response to asking Mary for intercession speaks of a complete misunderstanding on their part of Marian devotion. That’s problem number one. 😦 Do review all the other posts, becaus I shy away of saying there is a “best way” to explain this, as different people do better with different explanations. There’s no one “silver bullet” that works for everyone.

Sometimes I try to help someone understand by making similar comparisons to something they already do and endorse. For example, I might say, since Jesus is your only mediator, you don’t need Matthew, Mark, Luke, Isaiah, or any other Scriptural author, correct? Of course, they must support those human authors, and any devotion they’ve given to Scripture, if they believe Scripture to be the word of God. When they do, now you might have something to work with, for you have established that devotion to the work of a human whom is not Jesus can indeed lead you to Jesus.
 
My own view is that Jesus recognised the sacrifice and love that His mother Mary bestowed on Him when she conceived Him through the Immaculate Conception.
He also recognised Mary and Joseph for the security and solitude that they provided for Him as part of the family unit.

As well as praying to Mary, I think if we prayed to Joseph that he too could intercede for us with Jesus.

Jesus would never deny either of his earthly parents, I think.
 
jatkins29 said:
I converted to Catholicism in 2008 and ever since my Protestant family accuses me of worshiping Mary which I know is not true. Given that we have so many references and devotions to Mary, what’s the best way of explaining that it is honor and not worship. My family keeps saying there’s only one mediator every time I mention I pray the Rosary or ask Mary to pray for me. I want to defend my faith, but do so in a way that they understand.

Thanks!

Jeremy
Click to expand...
From the story of Scott Hahn… friend of mine who had heard I was thinking about the Catholic Church called up one day and said: “Do you worship Mary like those Catholics do?” I said, “They don’t worship Mary; they honor Mary.” “Well, what’s the difference?” I said, “Let me explain. When Christ accepted the call from His Father to become a man, He accepted the responsibility to obey the law, the moral law which is summarized in the Ten Commandments. There’s a commandment which reads, ‘Honor your father and mother.’” I said, “Chris, in the original Hebrew, that word “honor,” kaboda, that Hebrew word means to glorify, to bestow whatever glory and honor you have upon your father and mother. Christ fulfilled that law more perfectly than any human by bestowing His glory upon His heavenly Father and by taking His own divine glory and honoring His Mother with it. All we do in the rosary, Chris, is to imitate Christ who honors His Mother with His own glory. We honor her with Christ’s glory.”

zuserver2.star.ucl.ac.uk/~vgg/rc/aplgtc/hahn/m1/sctcnv.html
 
The short and sweet explanation I’ve given is, we’re supposed to live a Christ-like life, correct? Jesus loved his mother, so I do, too. I love her like she is my own, because she is. I personally love my earthly mother in a differnet and deeper way than any other human being. Jesus must have felt those deep feelings for her, too. He loves her, respects her and honors her, then so do I.
 
jatkins29 said:
This is what I tried to explain to them but they break out the “one mediator scripture” still.
Click to expand...
hope this ‘‘diagram’’ helps you:

GOD
I
JESUS (mediator)
I
MARY/saints (interceder/s)
I
MANKIND (sinners)
 
“Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces” until you can explain this one, you’ll have a tough time convincing them.
 
ChurchSoldier said:
“Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces” until you can explain this one, you’ll have a tough time convincing them.
Click to expand...
Mary gave birth to grace personified, the holy vessel God chose from all time to deliver His Son to the world. Unless someone understands that is a foundation of mediatrix of all graces, the doctrine cannot be grasped.
 
Ask non-Catholic Christians, do they truly believe the words of Christ to His people? If so, great! And we Catholics honour the saints who strove to act upon the words of Our Lord, especially Mary, the Blessed Virgin, who is an example of Christ’s promise. Again, the Beatitudes:

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Mary had no pretension about who she was, and hers is the kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Mary was recorded to have lost her son twice; once, in the Temple, and another time on the Cross. Both times, she mourned, both times, she was comforted by Jesus Christ.

Blessed are the meek,
for they shall possess the earth.

Mary is a powerful intercessor precisely because she is completely submissive to God’s will. She enabled Jesus to perform the first miracle through her devotion to her Son, and continues to perform miracles through God’s grace.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they shall be satisfied.

Mary’s words in the Magnificat suggests she was a woman who sought virtuous deeds, and because it was so important to her, God gave her the most important mission any of his creatures would ever have: bringing the Messiah into the world!

Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.

This one’s difficult, because the blessings adorned upon Mary aren’t expounded upon in the Bible, and neither are her acts of mercy. However, the Immaculate Conception was one of the ultimate acts of divine mercy conferred upon an individual, and we do have faith that she never sought vengeance for Christ’s suffering and the suffering of his followers. She did what Jesus asked, and forgave others to the best of her ability.

Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.

Well, Mary saw and continues to see God quite often, doesn’t she? In fact, the persons of the Holy Trinity have acted upon her in the most unique and glorious ways: she was conceived of the Holy Spirit, birthed the Son, was baptized in the womb and assumed into Heaven body and soul by the power of God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called sons of God.

This is what we do: we venerate Mary as the supreme daughter of God due to her Christian virtue. It almost seems like Jesus requires us to venerate those who strive to do His will!

Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Not only did she suffer her Son’s death, she continues to be the target of anti-Catholic hate. With that much ridicule, can she be anything but the Queen of Heaven?
 
I think many here have already covered why veneration of Mary is not the same as worship.

Too many non-Catholics who think we worship Mary do not seem to** listening **to how Catholics pray to her. This would be crux. As Jesus always reiterated about listening.

For example Catholics NEVER say “Have Mercy On Us” to Mary nor " I ask this in Mary’s name" nor "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and of Mary :eek:

What we do say is “Pray for Us” or “Pray for us and with us”.

I once told my brother in law (former Catholic and now non-denominational Christian) , “A Catholic priest through powers vested in him can forgive the Penitent who comes for confession” BUT if you think we worship Mary, keep this in mind…" we can never ask her and she has NO power **WHATSOVER **to Forgive Sins, but a Priest CAN!"

He has no words:D

MJ
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top