Praying to Mary
Being the feast of the Queenship of Mary, it is very appropriate to talk about why praying to the saints is not sinful but a very good thing. Listen, I know if your a protestant how hard it is to go beyond your radar of thinking, and actually accept the possibility that praying to the saints is ok. First of all, Protestants will many times point to 1 Timothy 2:5-6 which states: "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, the testimony to which was borne at the proper time." Protestants will tell you that since the Bible says here that there is only mediator between God and man (Jesus) then praying to the saints is wrong since that would be turning the saints into mediators. But what are we Catholics doing when we pray to the saints? Are we asking that they reveal to us when our lives will come to an end? Do we want to know if we will become rich and famous? NO! When we pray to the saints we are simply asking our triumphant brothers and sisters to PRAY for us here on earth. Now tell me of a single protestant that will tell you asking someone else to pray for you is wrong! Let's look at the very beginning of the chapter in 1 Timothy we were just looking at. It says in verses 1-2, "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way."
You see, St. Paul is asking that we Christians pray for other men. That's called intercession, and that is the same thing that Catholics do when praying to the saints. We are asking for their intercessions.
"BUT THEY'RE DEAD! And we can't pray to dead people!" is what protestants will say. First of all, I always like to remind people that our God is the God of the living and not of the dead. The souls in Heaven are anything but dead. But I will not ignore your argument. Deuteronomy 18:10-14 says: "There shall not be found among you any one who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, any one who practices divination, a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord; and because of these abominable practices the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations, which you are about to dispossess, give heed to soothsayers and to diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you so to do."
These practices that the Lord is forbidding is such as communicating with the dead for information about stuff like 'should I use these lotto numbers tomorrow?'. (Ok, bad example, but I hope you get the point!) We do not try to talk to those who have passed from this earth, but we ask that they pray for us. Why? What is the point? Because God is pleased to have his saints offer up prayers to him. For more information on this you can post questions in the comment box, or you can go to Catholic Answers website. Queen of Heaven pray for us!
4 comments:
This Protestant then says, where is it written in Scripture that Mary is the Queen of Heaven?
Or that Heaven has a queen?
Anonymous,
Thanks for leaving a comment! If you would open your Bible to Revelation 12 you will read: "And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child and she cried out in her pangs of birth, in anguish for delivery..."
Notice the word "crown" implying royalty. It seems apparent that that this verse if referring to Mary the Mother of Jesus. If you continue reading the chapter you will see that clarified. Now, I think we can agree that Jesus is The Great King and Lord (Philippians 2:11). Mary, being His mother, would therefore make her the "queen-mother". You can see how this is Biblically accurate as you read about "queen-mothers" throughout the Old Testament. (1 Kings 2:19-25, Jeremiah 13:18,20)
It was common for the mother of the King to be the queen and not the wife as is common when we think of royalty. I would like to refer you to this great article that goes into further detail.
http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1998/9812fea2.asp
(Copy and paste that into your address bar.)
If you like we can discuss this further. Again, Catholics do NOT worship Mary. The Church would see that as idolatry and violating the first commandment. I hope that helps a little! Count on my prayers.
God Bless!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHah that doesnt prove anything. Mary is not the Queen mother. Revealtions is about the end of the world, the Birth pains are the things that take place during the ending time. Catholics need to stop mis inturrepting scripture, and use the Holy spirit as your guide. and ALL the SAINTS ARE TO BUSY PRAISING GOD ON HIS THRONE IN HEAVEN! THEY ARENT GONNA BE PRAYING FOR US, REMEMBER THERE NOT OMNIPRESENT LIKE GOD!
Who says the Saints are not omnipresent, for
“through the knowledge of him who has called us by his own proper glory and virtue. By whom he has given us most great and precious promises: that by these you may be made partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world.” (2 Peter 1:3-4)
By Jesus’ virtues and graces we may be made sharers in the Divine Nature.
That is what it says. Through the graces and virtues that Jesus brings us …we may share in God’s Divine Nature. What does that mean? Walking through walls? Yes. Walking on water? Yes. Being in two places at once? Yes. Levitation? Yes. Seeing into peoples hearts and knowing their thoughts? Yes. Multiplying food? Yes. Healing diseases and raising dead? Yes. Restoring sight to the blind, making the lame walk? Yes. Speaking with the language of angles? Yes. All that and soooooo much more!
How can I say this? Because I know it has already happened. The apostles did some of it. The saints we pray through did some of these things. Some things I’ve personally seen happen. Some things I’ve done myself. And there is so much more. These are things that have happened while people still lived on Earth. In Heaven we will do so much more. Things we can’t even imagine.
In Heaven will we become like God, not God Himself, no. But who can say what parts of God's divine nature we will have? Being able to hear what people are saying on Earth? Do you REALLY think that is one of God's more power abilities, and He just simply won't share that one? God in the Bible is so much more than that!
The Saints in Heaven are our brothers and sisters. They are a family! Our Family! God is their Father, and He is Our Father. (I hope you believe that!) What kind of father tells one part of His family to not listen to another part of his family? My Bible says that God knows how to give better than any earthly father knows how to give. My Heavenly Father knows how to join a family in union. You can keep your idea of some God who is egotistic and needs my worship, like he's not perfect enough without it. My Holy Father doesn’t need my worship, He delights in my participation of the family practice of loving Him, AND loving my brothers and sisters, just like Jesus said, "Love the Lord with all your heart mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself." God didn’t add that second command because it would breed nice worshipers, it was cause He made us all brothers and sisters. If you think Heaven will be all of us just around God in a circle worshiping Him, you need to read more of the Bible. Where does the banquet fit in? The mansion and rooms? All the parables that relate to Heaven? Where does the concept of ‘Father’ fit in us standing around worshipping?
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