worship or honor

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Hi, I need help with this problem. What is worship that is to be given to God only and what is honor that can be given to others?

It seems that the church has elevated Mary the Blessed Mother of our Lord to God-hood. People in the church are worshipping her rather then honoring her.

What are the acts of worship that is to be given to God only?

Prayer in the bible was alway directed to God.
If prayer is an act of worship given to God why does the church teach and incourage us to pray to the saints? Jesus taught us to pray to the Father in His name. He also taught use to keep on praying to God and not give up.

Please respond as soon as possible! Thank you
 
Please review the following Questions and Answers from the Baltimore Catechism:

315. Q. What is the first Commandment?
A. The first Commandment is: I am the Lord thy God: thou shalt not have strange gods before Me.

318. Q. How may the first Commandment be broken?
A. The first Commandment may be broken by giving to a creature the honor which belongs to God alone; by false worship; and by attributing to a creature a perfection which belongs to God alone.

331. Q. Does the first Commandment forbid the honoring of the saints?
A. The first Commandment does not forbid the honoring of the saints, but rather approves of it; because by honoring the saints, who are the chosen friends of God, we honor God Himself.

332. Q. Does the first Commandment forbid us to pray to the saints?
A. The first Commandment does not forbid us to pray to the saints.

333. Q. What do we mean by praying to the saints?
A. By praying to the saints we mean the asking of their help and prayers.

334. Q. How do we know that the saints hear us?
A. We know that the saints hear us, because they are with God, who makes our prayers known to them.

335. Q. Why do we believe that the saints will help us?
A. We believe that the saints will help us because both they and we are members of the same Church. and they love us as their brethren.

336. Q. How are the saints and we members of the same Church?
A. The saints and we are members of the same Church, because the Church in heaven and the Church on earth are one and the same Church, and all its members are in communion with one another.

338. Q. What does the communion of saints mean?
A. The communion of saints means the union which exists between the members of the Church on earth with one another, and with the blessed in heaven and with the suffering souls in purgatory.

339. Q. What benefits are derived from the communion of saints?
A. The following benefits are derived from the communion of saints:–the faithful on earth assist one another by their prayers and good works, and they are aided by the intercession of the saints in heaven, while both the saints in heaven and the faithful on earth help the souls in purgatory.

340. Q. Does the first Commandment forbid us to honor relics?
A. The first Commandment does not forbid us to honor relics, because relics are the bodies of the saints, or objects directly connected with them or with our Lord.

341. Q. Does the first Commandment forbid the making of images?
A. The first Commandment does forbid the making of images if they are made to be adored as gods, but it does not forbid the making of them to put us in mind of Jesus Christ, His Blessed Mother, and the saints.

342. Q. Is it right to show respect to the pictures and images of Christ and His saints?
A. It is right to show respect to the pictures and images of Christ and His saints, because they are the representations and memorials of them.

343. Q. Is it allowed to pray to the crucifix or to the images and relics of the saints?
A. It is not allowed to pray to the crucifix or images and relics of the saints, for they have no life, nor power to help us, nor sense to hear us.

344. Q. Why do we pray before the crucifix and the images and relics of the saints?
A. We pray before the crucifix and images and relics of the saints because they enliven our devotion by exciting pious affections and desires, and by reminding us of Christ and of the saints, that we may imitate their virtues.
 
I am very active is Catholic circles and know one one that elevated Mary to God.:ehh:
 
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rayne89:
I am very active is Catholic circles and know one one that elevated Mary to God.:ehh:
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as long as you don’t broadbrush all catholic’s by the one you know, it shouldn’t be a factor… i have been catholic all my life, and was always taught worship is for God only… but we do honor our parents, saints, and those deserving such honor… don’'t be too quick though to assume someone else’s honor/veneration is worship… it may just be your perception…did this person tell you that they put Mary on the same level?
 
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rayne89:
I am very active is Catholic circles and know one one that elevated Mary to God.:ehh:
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Would you care to describe this?
 
I’m sorry guys I meant to put I know no one that elevated Mary to God. Typo -oops!:o
 
Christian Worship

The word worship (Saxon weorthscipe, “honour”; from worth, meaning “value”, “dignity”, “price”, and the termination, ship; Lat. cultus) in its most general sense is homage paid to a person or a thing. In this sense we may speak of hero-worship, worship of the emperor, of demons, of the angels, even of relics, and especially of the Cross. This article will deal with Christian worship according to the following definition: homage paid to God, to Jesus Christ, to His saints, to the beings or even to the objects which have a special relation to God.

There are several degrees of this worship:
  • if it is addressed directly to God, it is superior, absolute, supreme worship, or worship of adoration, or, according to the consecrated theological term, a worship of latria. This sovereign worship is due to God alone; addressed to a creature it would become idolatry.
  • When worship is addressed only indirectly to God, that is, when its object is the veneration of martyrs, of angels, or of saints, it is a subordinate worship dependent on the first, and relative, in so far as it honours the creatures of God for their peculiar relations with Him; it is designated by theologians as the worship of dulia, a term denoting servitude, and implying, when used to signify our worship of distinguished servants of God, that their service to Him is their title to our veneration (cf. Chollet, loc. cit., col. 2407, and Bouquillon, Tractatus de virtute religionis, I, Bruges, 1880, 22 sq.).
  • As the Blessed Virgin has a separate and absolutely supereminent rank among the saints, the worship paid to her is called hyperdulia (for the meaning and history of these terms see Suicer, Thesaurus ecclesiasticus, 1728). In accordance with these principles it will readily be understood that a certain worship may be offered even to inanimate objects, such as the relics of a martyr, the Cross of Christ, the Crown of Thorns, or even the statue or picture of a saint. There is here no confusion or danger of idolatry, for this worship is subordinate or dependent. The relic of the saint is venerated because of the link which unites it with the person who is adored or venerated; while the statue or picture is regarded as having a conventional relation to a person who has a right to our homage – as being a symbol which reminds us of that person (see Vacant, Diet de théol. cath., s.v. Adoration, and authors cited in bibliography; also ADORATION; IDOLATRY; IMAGES, DEVOTION TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
 
Interior worship is to be distinguished from exterior worship. the former is not manifested by external acts, but consists in internal adoration; but when this inner sentiment is expressed by words or actions, prostration, genuflexion, the sign of the cross, or any other gesture, it becomes exterior worship. Again worship is private or public; the former, which may be an act of external worship, is performed unseen by men or seen by only a few; the second is official worship rendered by men assembled for a religious end and forming a religious society properly so called. This is not the place to show that Christian worship is a worship at once interior and exterior, public and private. It should be interior, otherwise it would be mere comedy, a purely pharisaical worship such as Christ condemned when He told His disciples that they should worship in spirit and the truth. But it should not be purely interior worship, as Sabatier, with certain Protestants and most Deists, maintains (Sabatier, Esquisse d’une philosophie de la religion, 1908, 5); for man is not a pure spirit but composed of body and soul, and he should adore God not only in his soul but also in his body. This is the justification of all external manifestations of worship – genuflexion, prostration, kneeling, standing, the sign of the cross, the lifting-up or imposition of hands. Furthermore, on the same principle it will readily be understood that, in rendering homage to God man may have recourse to animate or inanimate creatures (sacrifice of animals, incense, lights, flowers, etc.). Neither is it difficult to prove that, since man is a social being, his worship should be public and in common with others. Worship in private or even individual worship in public, is not sufficient. Society as such should also render to God the honour due to Him. Furthermore, it is natural that men who believe in the same God and experience towards Him the same sentiments of adoration, gratitude, and love should assemble to praise and thank Him.
 
In Christianity the worship offered to God has a special character which profoundly differentiates it from Jewish worship, for it is the worship of the Trinity, God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. The worship of the Jews is directed to God, one, omnipotent, magnificent, sovereign, King of kings, Lord of lords, God of gods, but without distinction of persons. Prayer is addressed to Him as the living God, the Lord God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, or simply to the Lord our God. The formula, to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, remains in use among Christians, but ordinarily God is conceived of by Christians under other titles and with another form. In the worship which Christ paid to God He shows Him to us as the Father. He adores Him as His Father: “I confess to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth” (Matt., xi. 25; cf. Luke, x, 21); “Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee: remove this chalice from me” (Mark, xiv, 36); “Father, sanctify me . . . Father glorify me . . . Just Father” (John, xvii). Already He seems to claim for Himself a worship of adoration equal to what he gives the Father: “If two of you shall consent upon earth, concerning anything whatsoever they shall ask, it shall be done to them by my Father who is in heaven. For where there are two or three gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt., xviii, 19, 20). The Apostles and even those who were not His disciples prayed to Him during His life-time: “Lord, if it be thou, bid me to come to thee upon the waters” (Matt., xiv, 28); “Lord, save us, we perish” (Matt., viii, 25); “Lord, if thou wilt, thous canst make me clean” (Matt., viii, 2; cf. Mark, i, 40; Luke, v, 12); “Have mercy on me, O Lord . . . But she came and adored him, saying: Lord, help me” (Matt., xv, 22; 25), etc. :blessyou:
 
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mjordan:
It seems that the church has elevated Mary the Blessed Mother of our Lord to God-hood. People in the church are worshipping her rather then honoring her.
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Can you cite any Church documents to prove that the Church has “elevated” Mary to Godhood? In the absence of any proof, It is therefore untrue.
Prayer in the bible was alway directed to God.
If prayer is an act of worship given to God why does the church teach and incourage us to pray to the saints? Jesus taught us to pray to the Father in His name. He also taught use to keep on praying to God and not give up.
Click to expand...
But the saints in turn offer our prayers to God, which means all prayers ultimately go to God Himself. All prayers therefore are still directed to God. The saints are not really recipients but merely intercede on our behalf, and because of their merits and sanctity, they are in this sense very close to God Himself, and can therefore help us, by praying along with us to God. Yet, they don’t take our prayers and by their own power grant the petitions. It is still God and only Him who truly gives and bestows.

Gerry 🙂
 
Pray, according to the bible, is Worship to God how can I pray to anyone else? Pray is the lifting up of your heart, mind and spirit to
God. Am I worng?
 
mayra hart:
The word worship (Saxon weorthscipe, “honour”; from worth, meaning “value”, “dignity”, “price”, and the termination, ship; Lat. cultus) in its most general sense is homage paid to a person or a thing.
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I had heard this explanation many times, but it really sank into me a few weeks ago when I began to read the old stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

In Book 7, Chapter 2 of Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur Sir Lancelot defended a man called Beaumains who was being mocked. Sir Lancelot warned the mockers that he believed time would prove that Beaumains was a good man (“he shall prove a man of great worship.”) The editor of my copy of the book (Douglas W. Swiggett) commented on this phrase:

“The term worship, occurring frequently, deserves attention. We have here very nearly the original meaning of worth-ship. Later, worship comes to mean the adoration accorded one of worthship, its present meaning. In Malory we may take it as nearly synonymous with *worth *or worthiness.”

Source: Selections from Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte Darthur (edited by Douglas W. Swiggett)(N.Y. Macmillan Company 1925).
 
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mjordan:
Pray, according to the bible, is Worship to God how can I pray to anyone else? Pray is the lifting up of your heart, mind and spirit to
God. Am I worng?
Click to expand...
To pray means to ask. We are asking the saints to pray for us and to help us when we pray to them. All our prayers are to God himself, it is God who makes them available to the saints.

The last line of the Hail Mary is “Pray for us. Amen” The last line of the Confiteor is “Pray for us to the Lord our God. Amen”

It is the same as asking your friend or neighbor to help you or to pray for you but the saints are your brothers and sisters in Heaven with God.
 
Saints are merely the messengers of our prayers and petitions. God Himself grants it, being the source of all graces.

Gerry 🙂
 
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