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graciesings
Guest
Why do Catholics pray to Mary? Why not pray straight to God?
Thank you for your time,
Confused Protestant teen.
Thank you for your time,
Confused Protestant teen.
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pablope
Guest
Praying for others…have you been asked to pray for someone in need of prayers…and did you comply?
And when you did pray for that someone’s request…what were you doing? And why did that person requesting prayers not just go directly to God? Why did that person ask for prayers from you and others?
When Catholics pray to Mary and the saints…because they are in heaven…and are alive in God…this is the same as asking for their prayers…it is called intercessory prayer.
Eph. 3:14-15- we are all one family (“Catholic”) in heaven and on earth, united together, as children of the Father, through Jesus Christ. Our brothers and sisters who have gone to heaven before us are not a different family. We are one and the same family. This is why, in the Apostles Creed, we profess a belief in the “communion of saints.” There cannot be a “communion” if there is no union. Loving beings, whether on earth or in heaven, are concerned for other beings, and this concern is reflected spiritually through prayers for one another.
1Tim 2:1-2 - because Jesus Christ is the one mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5), many Protestants deny the Catholic belief that the saints on earth and in heaven can mediate on our behalf. But before Paul’s teaching about Jesus as the “one mediator,” Paul urges supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people. Paul is thus appealing for mediation from others besides Christ, the one mediator. Why?
1 Tim 2:3 - because this subordinate mediation is good and acceptable to God our Savior. Because God is our Father and we are His children, God invites us to participate in Christ’s role as mediator.
1 Tim. 2:5 - therefore, although Jesus Christ is the sole mediator between God and man, there are many intercessors (subordinate mediators).
scripturecatholic.com/saints.html
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chimo
Guest
Praying to Mary is asking her for her help. No man is an island and no christian is an island as well. There is strength when we seek help from others. If we only prayed to God we might only act as individuals and no one would know what the other needs are. When we act together and act as a communion there is power there. Remember the words when two or three are gathered together in My Name. Catholics and Orthodox as do the Eastern Catholics see in the Holy Mother of God a person who has the greatest relationship ever with the Almighty. It is natural and good to access this person and to ask for her help and prayers. It is also the same to ask people within your communion to pray for your intentions. Mary and the Church act in the same manner. Since Mary and the Church comprises what the Communion is then it is to your benefit to ask for their help and prayers. You are not alone. There is a communion of believers you can call upon.
Read Psalm 44 (45 in the Hebrew numbering) which halfway through the Psalm describes Mary in her fullness and vocation. She is called by God to forget her own people (that is her Jewish family) so she can enter into relationship with all others. Mary would be called to be the Mother of this new family (Christians). The Psalmist describes her as a Queen. The King in this Psalm is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Queen from antiquity was never the King’s wife but his mother. It was natural that Jesus has this Queen as His Mother. Later on in the Psalm we read about the nations addressing her with titles and thanking her for accepting the role which God called her into. All nations shall call me blessed is the answer to the end of the Psalm. All of this is pointing to Mary. She is the image of the Church in perfection and the one we can go to whenever we need of her help and prayers for strength and graces.
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mikeeh
Guest
When God closes a door, Mary opens a window.
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LilyM
Guest
Jesus came to us through her, why should we not go back to Him
through her as well?
through her as well?
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chero23
Guest
Remind yourself of Jesus first miracle, it was through Mary’s interceding. Mary is the mother of God, God obeyed and still does to this day obeys her mother. Just like Jesus listened to her mother on the wedding at Cana, whenever we ask her for help with our heart in on our hands, she goes and asks her son to help us out.
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SaintPatrick333
Guest
No Mary, No Jesus.
Know Mary, Know Jesus.
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mab23
Guest
scripture reasons - click this link
scripturecatholic.com/saints.html
what the early church fathers wrote about this subject click this link
staycatholic.com/ecf_intercession.htm
hope this helps
scripturecatholic.com/saints.html
what the early church fathers wrote about this subject click this link
staycatholic.com/ecf_intercession.htm
hope this helps
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Michael_Allen
Guest
Hi graciesings
Pretty much as above, I believe we’re very much a community with God, praying with and for each other (which is why our Lord taught us to pray “Our Father” and “My Father”, and we’re told our prayers for others can be effective, e.g. 1 John 5:16). Secondly I believe the Catholic Christian faith shows real faith that death is not a barrier to this community of prayer, as shown in imagery by the petition of the saints under the alter in Rev 6:9-10 and the elders offering up the prayers of the saints in Rev 5:8.
This is, of course, in addition to prayer directly to God. But praying to God does not mean you can’t ask others for their prayers as well.
For me, it’s all about community
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Goya
Guest
Not to make light of your inquiry, but here is a nice little story of a Marian ‘apparition’ of sorts, not particularly authoratative, but from someone you’ve probably heard of, and who has some general street cred:
Sir Paul McCartney/the Beatles
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JM3
Guest
Actually, he’s talking about a dream he had of his mother, not the Blessed Virgin.Not to make light of your inquiry, but here is a nice little story of a Marian ‘apparition’ of sorts, not particularly authoratative, but from someone you’ve probably heard of, and who has some general street cred:
Sir Paul McCartney/the Beatles
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Goya
Guest
Doh!
You just ruined the song for me. I was told long ago it was about the BVM, and never really bothered to verify. I suppose I should have, when I googled for the lyrics before posting. Oh well.
Thanks for the correction. I suppose–though I’ll never be able to appreciate the song the same again.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.
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Della
Guest
Well, actually, we don’t pray “straight to God” we pray to the Father through Christ, Our Lord–just to give you some perspective on the whole prayer thing.
In the Old Testament, God set up intercessors with the people–Moses and Aaron and the Levitical priesthood. So, even the Israelites didn’t pray “striaght to God” without an offering or intermediary. They certainly addressed God directly, but they offered prayers through the priests. Jesus told the man cleansed of leperosy to “go show yourself to the priests” to offer the sacrifice of thanks. So, Jesus fully approved of intermediaries who don’t stand in the way but stand for us before God.
Jesus is our mediator between us and God who satisfied God’s justice by redeeming us on the cross. So, we do not pray to God except through Christ, you see.
Jesus told us that the dead are not dead but alive in God. This means that believers who die in the state of grace are in heaven with God. We Catholics call this the Communion of Saints. All believers, whether with God in heaven or alive on earth are part of the Body of Christ. We cannot be separated by death because death has no hold on Christ. So, we ask those in heaven, including Mary, to pray for us because their prayers are pure of self interest and always in line with God’s will. In this way we know our prayer are being offered in the right way–without selfish motives and for the right things.
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JM3
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Scottgun
Guest
As James says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Since I’m not very righteous and Mary is, I want her and every saint better than me (which is all of them) praying on my behalf.
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teachccd
Guest
I know that Mary is a tough concept in a Protestant’s mind. You have been led by those who are removed from the Catholic Church and so praying to the saints would seem very foreign to you. Many Protestants that come into the Catholic Church still find it hard to shake the teachings against praying to Mary. When we pray to the saints we pray “with” them. The word “to pray” has a double meaning. In reference to the saints it means “to ask” coming from the old English and is still used in the legal system. When we pray to God we give ourselves to Him in adoration. This is not done with the saints. The saints, of which Mary is the highest since she was given the greatest honor from God, are a part of our prayer group just like you have here on earth. Many say that the saints can’t hear us. Well I say that no where does it say that but it does say that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. Death never separates the vine from the branches. In fact people who have gone before us are more alive in Christ than we are.
This is a huge topic and there is a lot that I could go over but just know that our traditions are different regarding Mary and the saints and that you are in good company. But with those that I have had the opportunity to spend some time they can see where the Catholic Church is coming from in our understanding of Mary in the life of the Church. Thank you for coming here and asking this question. It was very kind of you to hear our reasoning for what we believe. Remember that Mary only reflects the light from her Son. Just like the moon reflects the light of the sun. Everything that the Catholic Church holds for Mary is held for her by her Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ.
I hope that you find something here that will cause you to ask more questions and to come back. God bless you now and always…teachccd
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teachccd
Guest
This is a scriptural account whereby Mary was asked by someone for help and she went to her Son. Only God performs miracles but through the intercession of those who ask (pray) for the help. In this case it was Mary. Great example taken from Scripture. The only objection would be whether or not Mary can hear us. The bible says in Revelation 5:8 that the bowls of incense represent the prayers of the saints and are being brought to the throne of God. Prayers of what saints? Those in heaven do not need prayers so those prayer are from us. Anyway, just thought I’d throw my two cents in here since you hit the nail on the head here.
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Goya
Guest
Here’s a perspective that I believe may help–it is St. Thomas Aquinas’ Catechism:
cin.org/users/james/ebooks/master/aquinas/apray-hm.htm
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.
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MatthewOlson
Guest
I actually wrote a blog post about this yesterday.
answeringprotestants.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/yes-we-ask-the-saints-to-pray-for-us/
The post is about saints in general, not Mary specifically, but it still applies.
I hope it helps.
answeringprotestants.wordpress.com/2013/03/07/yes-we-ask-the-saints-to-pray-for-us/
The post is about saints in general, not Mary specifically, but it still applies.
I hope it helps.
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Cat_Herder
Guest
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