Why is Mary worshipped?

[Bruised_Reed]

Welcome to the forums christ is lord

Okay, this is going to be fun .

Well, BTW, my extended family is Catholic however my mother strayed due to hurts she believed was caused by her “religion”. So here I am trying to make sense of it all.

Back to the subject. The reason I believe that Catholics worship Mary is because of the word Worship. Worship comes from the Latin/Greek Wor. Wor means to Worth. To put your worth into something. In other words the Lord gave me this revelation. Picture that you have all of your worth in a bag of Gold. If you place all of your worth on something other than God himself … such as on His creation then your are worshipping an idol.

Your are imposing your definition of worship on to the Catholic Church. We define our worship as the Mass, the center of which is Jesus in the Eucharist. Catholics worship God alone.

Mary seems to be exhalted in what I see of the Catholic Religion… I mean I see pictures of Mary or “Mother of Grace” etc more than I see Jesus himself. Which of cours everyone loves Mary, who wouldn’t. But when she herself had denied Jesus. Why is she so holy? I just feel that she has become an idol. I feel that Catholics may be a little mislead. Trust me I really just want to know the TRUTH (Jesus is the Truth), as we all do, and these are just questions I had. Thanks for your replies!

The bolded boggles my mind. When did Mary deny Jesus?

Since you seem to have concerns about Catholics honor of Mary perhaps images of her probably “jump out” more than images of Jesus. Keep in mind every cross or crucifix is a symbol of Jesus and what he did for us. Even though I havn’t made a complete count in my church and home I know there are many more items that call to mind Jesus than Mary or the saints. Mary herself points to Jesus.

 

[mariroseu]

Catholics do not worship Mary. You are mistaken.

Study the Catholic faith and then we can talk.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

You can’t be serious.

The OP came in with a little bit of anti-Catholic rhetoric that he recently read or heard at church, and he begins by baiting us with the title of the thread and a scripture verse.

When a few folks respond, he gleefully responds, “This is going to be fun!”

This is not a genuine inquiry from someone who wants to learn what Catholics really believe…this is the approach of someone who thinks he has enough “ammo” in his bandolier to take us on.

I say, “Let his re-education begin!”

Did anyone else note the post before “This is going to be fun!”?

I didn’t know Catholics worship Mary? Did someone forget to send me the memo.

God Bless,
Michael

It seems to me the OP was just responding in kind. The first few posts pretty much just denied the OP’s assertion and showed we were game but did not answer the question.

have been watching with interest, see this person who has the affrontery to claim the name of the Lord as his screen name has not been back, not that I expected it. He’s a drive-by, if he was interested he would have read the references given and come back with more questions. If he was sincere, he would have answered the challenge to his preposterous claim that Mary denied Jesus. He is neither interested nor sincere, but pity him and pray for him as he clings so strongly to his delusions that he cannot grasp for the truth. bye bye CTL.

Give the OP time. Most people don’t live on this forum.

 

[Todd_Easton]

As the other posters have stated Mary is not worshiped but Mary is indeed held in high esteem by Catholics, second only to the triune God, because of the singularly important role she played in salvation history.

To put it simply, God made salvation contingent on the incarnation of his divine Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and God made the incarnation of his divine Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, contingent on Mary’s obedience to His will. (Luke 1:28-38)

In even simpler, logical terms: No Jesus; no salvation. + No Mary; no Jesus. => No Mary; no salvation.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the immediate cause of our salvation and Mary is the remote cause of our salvation.

The fall of mankind came through the disobedience of one man and one woman, Adam and Eve; the salvation of mankind came through the obedience of one man and one woman, Jesus Christ and Mary. And, Jesus Christ and Mary are honored accordingly but with essentially different forms of honor: Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, is honored with divine honor (adoration); Mary is honored with the highest of all human honors (veneration).

Because Mary played such a singularly important role in salvation history in life, it is believed (at least by me) that God has rewarded her obedience by granting her a singularly important privilege in the afterlife, that of being the most powerful Christian in heaven, the Christian in heaven whose prayers to the triune God are the most efficacious and, consequently, the Christian in heaven whose prayers are often requested by Christians on earth.

 

[JesuXPIPassio]

Jesus also said that we should cut out our eyes if they cause us to sin.

It’s understood that He wasn’t talking literally. Same thing with your quote below. Thus far, I only heard of one poor guy who took it all literally and mutilated himself. But generally, people know and understand the difference.

32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”
33"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.

34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

 

[JesuXPIPassio]

Did anybody else notice that the original poster came out strongly arguing in the beginning, and gave one more post, but since then he hasn’t posted anything?

More hit and run from people who argue out of nonsense. He’s silent because he can’t justify any of what he said.

This should be a lesson to all people who criticise the Church without putting in any effort to understand. If only all of those critics had the opportunity for genuine dialogue instead of the ignorant, acrimonious garbage that they spew out against us, they would learn to shut up when they don’t know what they’re talking about. Quit coming in so arrogantly as if it’s your fate to “correct” the wrongs you see in the Church.

 

[djamu]

Did anybody else notice that the original poster came out strongly arguing in the beginning, and gave one more post, but since then he hasn’t posted anything?

More hit and run from people who argue out of nonsense. He’s silent because he can’t justify any of what he said.

I do that all the time, hit and run threads. I still read them, just don’t reply cause I’m to lazy to.

I don’t worship Mary, she is not a deity. Instead she is like a stepping stone to God. She’s willing to help bring peeps closer to God.

 

[Giovanni]

Okay, this is going to be fun .

Well, BTW, my extended family is Catholic however my mother strayed due to hurts she believed was caused by her “religion”. So here I am trying to make sense of it all.

Back to the subject. The reason I believe that Catholics worship Mary is because of the word Worship. Worship comes from the Latin/Greek Wor. Wor means to Worth. To put your worth into something. In other words the Lord gave me this revelation. Picture that you have all of your worth in a bag of Gold. If you place all of your worth on something other than God himself … such as on His creation then your are worshipping an idol.

Mary seems to be exhalted in what I see of the Catholic Religion… I mean I see pictures of Mary or “Mother of Grace” etc more than I see Jesus himself. Which of cours everyone loves Mary, who wouldn’t. But when she herself had denied Jesus. Why is she so holy? I just feel that she has become an idol. I feel that Catholics may be a little mislead. Trust me I really just want to know the TRUTH (Jesus is the Truth), as we all do, and these are just questions I had. Thanks for your replies!

I did not read all the replies, but saying that Mary denied her son, can someone tell me when she denied Him.

If this doesn’t top it all , I just want to scream, but no one will hear me.

 

[mommyof4]

Since we all got smacked in the face with a hit and run, how about if we just stop replying to this tread until the OP returns and either asks some intelligent questions, or refutes what we wrote?

 

[thistle]

Since we all got smacked in the face with a hit and run, how about if we just stop replying to this tread until the OP returns and either asks some intelligent questions, or refutes what we wrote?

So its okay for you to make such comments but you condemn me and others as being catty!! Very interesting!!

 

[mommyof4]

My appologies.

 

[maggieodae]

I didn’t know Catholics worship Mary? Did someone forget to send me the memo.

God Bless,
Michael

Someone must have forgot to send it to all Catholic’s. Imagine that… 2000 years and we NEVER have done that. Goodness, the jonny come latelys of the last 500 years sure know how to re-write church history don’t they.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

I did not read all the replies, but saying that Mary denied her son, can someone tell me when she denied Him.

If this doesn’t top it all , I just want to scream, but no one will hear me.

I really want to know how the OP or whoever said it first came to that conclusion.

We’ve all heard that Catholics worship Mary a bazillion times but Mary denying her Son? Never heard that before. Methinks the OP thought he/she could lob something like that without being called on it. I imagine all anti-Catholic charges seem equally indefensable to someone who hates the church.

 

[Eireann]

32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”
33"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.

34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

According to the Douay Rheims.

48 **“Who is my mother?”… This was not spoken by way of slighting his mother, but to show that we are never to suffer ourselves to be taken from the service of God, by any inordinate affection to our earthly parents: and that which our Lord chiefly regarded in his mother, was her doing the will of his Father in heaven. It may also further allude to the reprobation of the Jews, his carnal kindred, and the election of the Gentiles. **

It could also point to this verse.

Luke 9:59** But he said to another: Follow me. And he said: Lord, suffer me first to go, and to bury my father.**

9:59 Jesus said to him: No man putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

 

[JesuXPIPassio]

This reminds me of a couple things I saw Evangelical preachers do when we had our last Conclave.

On Larry King, one jerk said that he saw nothing of Jesus in our ceremonies. He made no attempt to understand the cultures and traditions that we have. Just because he doesn’t have it in his life, it doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

Then some other Evangelical preacher who put was criticising how we still prayed for John Paul after he died. The preacher complained, if someone is in heaven, praying won’t do anything. It’s stupid – he made no attempt to understand our concept of death and purgatory.

See, that’s exactly it. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, shut up.

If you want real dialogue, we’re here, but if you’re just gonna spout out untrue, blind-sighted lies, grow up. Fight like an adult.

Only stupid people settle for the five second sound byte.

Only stupid people won’t shut up when they don’t know what they’re talking about.

Only stupid people attack the Catholic Church like this.

Meanwhile there are other, way smarter Evangelicals who make an attempt to understand. They don’t just come in on their high horses believing their way is the only way. Look at Billy Graham. That’s why Graham is so respected while other Evangelics will be forgotten.

The original poster should come back and answer us. We answered him.

I know I’m getting hostile here, but I don’t care about that when it comes to people who act like that. I don’t have any patience for this anymore.

I really want to know how the OP or whoever said it first came to that conclusion.

We’ve all heard that Catholics worship Mary a bazillion times but Mary denying her Son? Never heard that before. Methinks the OP thought he/she could lob something like that without being called on it. I imagine all anti-Catholic charges seem equally indefensable to someone who hates the church.

 

[Eireann]

But when she herself had denied Jesus.

When ?

 

[maggieodae]

When ?

Yeah! When was that for heaven sake. Someone is really stretching scripture to smear Mary on that one. Sure makes one wonder how they treat their own mothers doesn’t it.

Gospel of Luke (1:46-55).

My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm:
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever.

 

[valient_Lucy]

A simple question to answer, for a change.

Mary isn’t worshipped.

 

[Cranch]

… The reason I believe that Catholics worship Mary is because of the word Worship. Worship comes from the Latin/Greek Wor. Wor means to Worth. To put your worth into something. In other words the Lord gave me this revelation. Picture that you have all of your worth in a bag of Gold. If you place all of your worth on something other than God himself … such as on His creation then your are worshipping an idol.

I don’t know how much Latin or Greek you know, so we may not delve too deeply into etymology. However, since you have cited a derivation of the word “worship,” I think a more robust study is in order.

First, your citation isn’t entirely correct as the word “worship” is of Old to Middle English origin. It is a contraction beginning prior to 900 AD. It derives from the words: weorth, wurth; werd (G wert), verthr, wairths. To the best of my knowledge, “wor” has no direct derivitive from the Greek or the Latin.

“Worship” in the Greek is directly translated: λατρεύω, προσκυνώ, λατρεία (latrevo, proskyno, latreia). This is exactly the linguistic and theological meaning that the Catholic Church uses in reference to the Holy Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. “Latria”, as it is often referenced in Catholic theology (see St. Augustine, St. Jerome, and Aquinas), is the highest form of adoration and sacrifice offered to God alone.

Latria is distinguished in the Latin from “dulia” and “hyperdulia” which refer to the honor of godly creatures such as the saints and the Blessed Mother. For instance, St. Elizabeth exhibits “hyperdulia” as she proclaims to the Blessed Mother, “Blest are you among women.” In doing so, she recognizes the glory of God’s perfect design in bringing forth the Savior and she honors the godly obedience of the Blessed Mother in the Father’s divine plan . In contrast, the Blessed Mother exhibits “latria” as she exclaims, “My being proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit finds joy in God my savior.”

“Worship,” from the English derivation, does not and has never referred to God alone. This is precisely, why we have historical terms of respect such as “your worship” and “your honor.” No one using these terms in English would be confusing a king, a prince, a judge or a clergyman with God.

There are many other aspects to explore with the Latin terminology of the concept of “worship,” but none is particularly relevant in this discussion.

Hope that helps some. God Bless.

From what I’ve seen of your posts, JaneFrances, you seem always to be polite, just as you were here, but I have to say you have illustrated the old adage “don’t bring a knife to a gunfight.” Great job!

 

[Giovanna]

You are completely wrong. We
We get so many of these, quite frankly, stupid threads…
GOT IT???

No; you want to know what’s stupid? Turning away an inquirer’s question about the faith, and being totally uncharitable toward your neighbor.

You should be ashamed of yourself.