ranked list of cookbooks sold::
Aug 1, 2006 But if there's anything more I can do for you, just let me know . party treats 187 Around the Roman table 188 Joy of cooking. cook as they are to eat 252 The new making of a cook : the art, .. and making merry 624 Christmas with Mary Engelbreit : here comes Santa Claus 625 Joy of cooking.
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I've observed this scene nearly every time I've visited a Roman Catholic Church in the USA.
I observed several praying to Mary, at the Mission Church located in San Gabriel when I was there in March.
Those praying were mostly Hispanics, not Muslims.
The San Gabriel Mission is located in Southern California about five miles or so south of Pasadena.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/10/2...
Pastor Art
I don't believe they have ever denied that. What's your point?
Born and raised Catholic. It's something that was always strange to me also. You may be confusing that they are praying in front of the statue of Mary, but that may or may not mean that they are praying to her. Some Catholics do believe that praying and asking the saints to intercede on their behalves works, but I personally have always believed in going to the source.
It would be akin to asking a friend to help pray for you also.
You seem like a smart fellow, Art...although you don't sound like one sometimes...
Are you referring to ONLY "Roman" Catholics?
Anyway...that aside....the Orthodox Church, the Anglican Churches, Martin Luther, John Calvin and even Ulrich Zwingli himself agreed that Mary was the ever-virgin, Theotokos.
YOUR stale ideas did not appear on the Christian scene until 1,600 years of TRUE Christianity was on the planet...ONCE delivered unto the saints.
Obviously you are completely ignorant of the fact that for two thousand years the Church has preserved the memory of the Virgin Mary. as the prototype of all Christians -- the model of what we are to become in Christ. Mary was truly pure and unconditionally obedient to God. The tradition of the Church holds that Mary remained a virgin all her life.
While lifelong celibacy is not a model for all Christians to follow, Mary's spiritual purity, her wholehearted devotion to God, is certainly to be emulated. Mary is also our model in that she was the first person to receive Jesus Christ. As Mary bore Christ in her womb physically, all Christians now have the privilege of bearing God within them spiritually. By God's grace and mercy we are purified and empowered to become like Him.
The honour we give to Mary also signifies our view of who Jesus is. From early times the Church has called her Mother of God (Gr. Theotokos, lit. God-Bearer), a title which implies that her Son is both fully man and fully God. As His mother, Mary was the source of Jesus' human nature; yet, the One she bore in her womb was also the eternal God.
Nursing in the Civil War::
Nov 1, 2004 It's difficult to answer the question "How were they viewed", Maher, Mary D. To Bind Up the Wounds: Catholic Sister Nurses in the U.S. Civil War. It was denied her. While appealing her case through bureaucratic channels, . Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you. pafalafa-ga
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Strategic alliances between big companies and non ::
Apr 9, 2003 AVMA president (1996-1997), Dr. Mary Beth Leininger told attendees. .. Professor of Medicine, Allergy & Immunology Frank Mitchell, DO, MPH, .. Marcel Roberfroid, Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium Dr. Hugh A. Sampson, . wildlife, and plants, and the habitat on which they depend.
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Therefore, because of her character and especially because of her role in God's plan of salvation, Christians appropriately honour Mary as the first among the saints. The archangel Gabriel initiated this honour in his address to her:
"Rejoice, highly favoured one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" (Luke 1:28).
This salutation clearly indicates that God Himself had chosen to honour Mary. Her favoured status was confirmed when she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was then six months pregnant with John the Baptist. Elizabeth greeted Mary with these words:
"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:42, 43).
And Mary herself, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, predicted the honour that would be paid her throughout history:
"For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed" (Luke 1;48).
In obedience to God's clear intention, therefore, the Orthodox Church honours Mary in Icons, hymns, and special Feast days.
Pastor Art, you said, "Unfortunately those in Lutheran Churches only follow what Luther said"--but that is not true, and you know it. Did Luther write the Augsburg Confession or the Defense of the Augsburg Confession? The Formula of Concord?
Furthermore, if you were raised Lutheran you should know full well that there are three major Lutheran denominations in the US and that the ELCA, which is the one providing abortions, hardly qualifies as a Lutheran denomination at all. If you were raised Lutheran and yet provide such bad information about us, why should anyone trust what you're saying about Catholics?
This was part of a question I asked. And now I'll use it as an answer to your question.
Orthodox Catholics simply do not worship Mary as God -- and it gets a little tiring being accused of worshipping Mary as God when you don't.
It amounts to being called a liar and is quite rude.
We Catholics would be the ones to know Whom we consider God and whom we don't.
I love my biological Mother, too, but don't mistake her for the Lord!
I honor her, keep in touch with her, look after her, celebrate her special days, would get mad if someone were to insult her -- and I do the same for Jesus's Mother.
My love for my Mother doesn't mean I don't love my Father, too.
It just strikes me as evil, this not uncommon attempt to diminish Mary's status and the unceasing accusations against Catholics of trying to raise her status to that of God's. There's something very sinister and ugly in it, and I find it offensive.
We Catholics take great care in pointing out that "worship" in the sense of latria is GOD'S alone -- even to the point of having separate terms for the honor and adoration due to God as opposed to the honor and veneration of the Saints -- including His greatest Saint, Mary.
They are:
latria: the honor due to God alone
dulia: the honor due to human creatures worthy of respect
hyperdulia: the honor due to Mary as God's greatest creation and our Queen Mother
When we love Christ, does that prevent us from loving each other? No! Love is infinite because God, Who is Love, is infinite! We can love and adore Jesus, love and venerate Mary, love the other Saints, and love each other without depriving anyone (or Anyone) of anything.
How many children can you have without running out of love? How many friends?
What we "spend" in love is replaced many times over; love for Christ can only bring the fruits of more love to give.
To love Mary takes nothing at all from Christ, but honors our Blessed Lord by Whose grace she is who she is: His greatest creation, the greatest of Saints, the Queen of Heaven, the Immaculate Conception, the spotless Virgin, the Ark of the Covenant, the New Eve, the mother of God, and the mother of Israel -- our mother who wants nothing more for us than to pray for us and show us her Son.
...And ask yourself why the heck we'd lie about not worshipping Mary as some sort of divine being if we actually did. Do you think we are ashamed? Afraid of what you might think? Do you think that we actually do worship Mary but don't tell converts until some secret ceremony held after they've been in the Church a few years and can be trusted?
I mean, really! Satanists have no qualms telling people they worship Satan, pagans have no problem informing the world that they worship the earth, Hindus are not uneager to reveal that they chant to Krishna -- but Catholics are "afraid" to "admit" whom they consider God?
Please! We are not afraid to tell you we believe in Purgatory, indulgences, the Communion of Saints, the efficacy of piously using sacramentals, the true grace of the Sacraments, the infallibility of the Pope when he uses his Extraordinary or Universal Magisterium, etc.
Trust me; if we thought Mary is a godess, we'd let you know.
As the obedient, infinitely holy Son of God, the Lord Jesus was a very firm believer in the commandment to honor one's father and mother. Now, what most people don't know about that commandment is that in Hebrew it literally reads, "Glorify your father and mother."We are to bring glory to our parents, and that includes not only our earthly, physical mother but our heavenly, spiritual mother as well. We are to imitate Christ, and just as he brought glory to his mother, we are to bring glory to her as well.
St. Luke's gospel (1:48) - "Behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed."
Her soul magnifies the Lord (Luke 1:46-55)!
I don't deny it at all. I pray the Rosary all the time (a prayer of the gospel).
No, I do not worship Mary. You can say we do all you want from your own opinion, but the facts are that I don't, and the Church does not teach that either. Marion worship would be idolatry.
I know many Roman catholics and not one deny they pray to Mary. they don't pray to as their god. as they have only one god but they prey to her as the blessed virgin.
They prey to Mary and the saints to "intercede" in their favor before God.
Kind of a recommendation, as when applying for a job.
We pray to Mary as a form of conversation with her, because she is revered, she is the HOly Mother, the mother of Christ, as chosen by God himself. We DON'T worship her. We ask her to intervene on our behalf, to in a sense, put in a good word, to pray with us, for us, in order to help our prayers reach God's ears.
We ask Mary and all other members of the Body of Christ to pray for and with us to Christ,the One Mediator of all prayer.
They don't.
I truly enjoy seeing Christians attacking other Christians because it makes the true nature of Christianity very clear for all to see.
I think I wll give you a star so my contacts can see that no one is above attack from Christians, not even other Christians. What a loving religion you have there pastor art.
becuase we don't. nor do we believe that the statue can do anything. when you kneel beside your bed at night - are you worshipping your bed?!
you ask, we (Catholics) asnwer and since (apparently) you don't like what we say, you won't believe us - what more can we say -- nothing. God knows our hearts and has set our feet on the path to Him by giving us His Son to Live, Die and Rise for us - that's all we need!
Why do you worship three gods, Art?
It is easy to point out the inconsistencies of someone else's faith because we cannot see the stretched credibility of our own.
It is OK, Art, Catholics do not burn Protestants at the stake anymore (mostly) you do not have to perpetuate the hate.
PS: What is with the random Muslim reference? Muslims pray at mosques not at churches.
Are you aware that bearing false witness against others is a sin? Do you really think that you will be judged less harshly for spreading false teaching against His Church? Do you think that a plea before God that you were just ignorant will have veracity when you have been told the truth many times and the information to the contrary to your statements are plainly in the Catechism of the Church.
What does the Scriptures say about those who are ravenous wolves and spread lies about the Church and faithful. What does the Bible say about the eternity of those who cry "Lord, Lord"? Are they known by God and will they enter heaven?
May the Lord have mercy on those who are full of hatred based on prejudice and are secure in their ignorance.
In Christ
Fr. Joseph
BTW, I am a former protestant minister for 25 years and I would be pleased to debate the issues you raised on my blog site if you feel you can support your statements. This is an open challenge to you.
I don't deny that I talk (pray) to Mary. But I do deny that I worship her, because that is untrue. There is no reason why I shouldn't talk to another living Christian. Jesus said that those who follow Him "will never die". Therefore Mary is a living Christian person, and there is no reason why I shouldn't talk to her, and ask her to pray for me. It's amazing how many Protestant groups recite the Apostles' Creed as a statement of their basic beliefs, yet have no clue what "the communion of saints" means. It means the ongoing interaction between the saints on earth and the saints in heaven, as Christians have done from the very beginning.
As you've been told at least 100 times, over and over, Mary is NOT worshiped. You have posted your anti-Catholic lies so many times, and been told so many times, yet you apparently WANT to believe we are hell bound.
Well crap, Art, believe what you want, and leave us be! No one is forcing YOU to join, so what's your problem??
Art, prayer does not equal worship. Nor it is idolatry. Those people depicted in your link aren't praying to a statue, but who the statue represents. Sheesh. I would have thought you'd been around here long enough to have seen this explained many, many times.
I will admit that as a convert to Catholicism from a Southern Baptist background, the whole "Mary" issue was something to which I was initially resistant. Then I started actually paying attention to the words of the "Hail, Mary"; the first part is straight from Scripture, as you know. And the last? "Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death".
It is a petition for Mary's intercession -- joining her prayers to ours, as you would if you interceded for me, with all prayer directed to the Father through Christ.
There are other "Marian" prayers of the Church; all are on the same intercessory theme. Pray for us. And as for the statues, they're no more idolatrous than the "Last Supper" painting that's been given pride of place in my dining room since the 1970s -- long before my conversion.
If there are some Catholics who appear to take things a bit further than this, then they have been poorly catechized. With respect, kindly don't leap upon that example as representative of the Church as a whole. I don't think all Baptists are like the Westboro bunch, either.
As a side note: I like your photo avatar much better than the former one.
EDIT: Actually, Art, I don't think it was a typo -- or did you not say "Roman Catholics on this forum deny they pray to Mary" in response to the question from which you got the CNN link in the first place, and which presumably inspired you to ask this question?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...
EDIT AGAIN: Art, do you happen to have any *facts* to back up that allegation against the Lutheran Church? Some unbiased sources you can cite, perhaps? That's a pretty heavy charge you're leveling.
I think you're confused. They deny worshiping Mary, not praying to Mary. I have never met a Catholic who denied praying to Mary.
How many times do we have to tell you that we do not worship Mary? I would probably be the first one to leave the Catholic Church if indeed we worshipped Mary. Praying to and worshipping are two different things.
Do Catholics worship Mary?
No. Worship is for God alone.
Do Catholics honor Mary?
Yes. So do Eastern Orthodox, many Anglicans and many Lutherans. Martin Luther was very emphatic that honor should be given to Mary - he himself had a strong devotion to her.
Why honor Mary?
These are some of the reasons:
1.God the Father honored her. The Father sent the angel Gabriel to her "And having come in, the angel said to her, 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!' " (Luke 1:28)
This is a very high compliment from the Father. The Father honored her by asking her to be the mother of His Son.
2.God the Son honored her.
a.He lived in her for nine months.
b.Mary gave birth to Jesus. "And she brought forth her first-born Son, ..." (Luke 2:7)
c."Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them." (Luke 2:51)
d.Like any good Jew, Jesus obeyed the Commandments, including the Fourth Commandment. "Honor your father and your mother..." (Exodus 20:12)
3.The Holy Spirit honored Mary. "And the angel answered and said to her, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.' " (Luke 1:35)
4.Mary was present at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, and influenced Him to perform His first miracle. "And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, 'They have no wine.' " (John 2:3)
5.Mary was present at the end of Jesus' public ministry. She was at the foot of the cross on Calvary. "When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing by, ..." (John 19:26)
6.Mary was with the disciples in the upper room as they prayed and awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit. "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers." (Acts 1:14)
7.Mary is honored because she was Blessed Among Women to God. "And having come in, the angel said to her, 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!' " (Luke 1:28)
8.Mary is looked upon as a model for all followers of her Son. Mary said "Yes" to the Will of the Father. "Then Mary said, 'Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.' " (Luke 1:38)
Art History::
Jan 18, 2003 executed and denied burial within the boundaries of Athens. Then they should observe nature and be disappointed by its haphazard, belongs to Roman school. key to whole later evolution of French art, .. laughing; "I do not want people to say that I adopted it to hide my large forehead.
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Consequently, Mary was the first to accept Jesus Christ. She was the first Christian.
9.Mary, like all good followers of her Son, always brings people to Him. Mary tells us, as she told the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." (John 2:5)
This is the only command that Mary gives in the Scriptures, and it is her last statement in the Scriptures. She tells us to do whatever He says.
10.Those who honor Mary seek her intercession with God on their behalf. The role of her intercession is foreshadowed in the Old Testament. The kings had many wives. So, on account of her close relationship to the king, the mother of the king was the queen of the kingdom. This made her the most powerful representative of the people to the king. "Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the king's mother; so she sat at his right hand. Then she said, 'I desire one small petition of you; do not refuse me.' And the king said to her, 'Ask it, my mother, for I will not refuse you.' " (1 King 2:19-20)
11.Lastly, to honor Mary fulfills Scripture itself. Mary said, "For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed." (Luke 1:48) That is why Mary is referred to as "The Blessed Virgin Mary."
Jesus said, Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Matthew 7, 1-2 (KJV)
My answer to your question is the same as the other Catholics. In fact, I think you already knew beforehand how we would answer your question. This question has been asked a zillion times in YA.
Why do you say these things about my faith? Oh, I know what you will say, we don't want you to go to hell; we love you. That has to be the lamest and dullest excuse in years. Do you really expect us to fall for that line? Catholics do not bash other religions because we know we belong to the true Church. If you are so sure about your beliefs why bash Catholicism? You have already told us a million times what you do not like about our faith. And you have also warned us a million times we will go to hell with those beliefs. So, what really is your reason for attacking our faith again and again? I can only think of two reasons: to validate your own faith which means you are insecure and unsure of your own faith or you just want to bash my faith.
Fundamentalists, Evangelicals and Pentecostals talk as if no case can be made for the Catholic Church. How sure are you that you are right and we are wrong?
If you are so sure about your faith you should not turn your back on this challenge.
http://www.fisheaters.com/challenge.html
You owe it to yourself to accept the challenge because you should be worried about your own salvation not us.
Edit: Pastor Art, if you accept the challenge you can debate the points you raised with Scott Hahn a former Presbyterian minister who converted to Catholicism. He studied Catholicism so he could bash it but the opposite happened.
I see two major problems with praying to Mary as an intercessor for sin. One. It adds to the finished work of Christs life and His death on the cross. Two, It is a form of divination which can be defined as trying to communicate with the dead.
Ironically, your question here and the answers to it have readjusted my understanding of reverence for Mary. I can again pray the rosary with a free and clear conscience. Thanks for providing the opportunity for other people to remind me that the Hail Mary is a prayer of intercession, and there is a difference between worship and honor and rememberance.
-M
Gorgeoustxtemptress3
It's not just Christians who attack each other. It happens within all humanity. It's not a "Christian" thing, it's a human thing and is the product of our potential to sin. But rather than focusing on that, and warping the truth about sin to say it's a "Christian thing" - wouldn't it be more constructive to focus on mankind's potential for both sin and grace, and speak the truth that this is a "Human thing"?
And SamGirl
While I respect your views in contrast with those of many Roman Catholic philosophies, I do not respect the way you paraphrase and misrepresent the Catechism of the Catholic Church. There are many valid points/truths in the Fundamentalist Christian point of view. Please don't cheapen them with such foul tactics as misrepresenting your opponent.
I am not a Roman Catholic and never will be. I am a strong Fundementalist Christian. Most Roman catholics are just ordinary people who have just been decieved
by the roman catholic church. We must pray that God will open thier eyes to the errors of thier faith. They claim not to pray to Mary because they do know a little bit that it is wrong, and want to cover for it. I do not hate the roman catholics and do not wish to insult anyone on here. I won't preach, but here are a few quotes from the catcheism of the roman cathilic church and the bible. (bracketed numbers are references to the catcheism).
1. The roman catholic church teaches...
Justification is a transformation of the soul in which originial sin is removed and sanctifying grace infused. (1987-1995)
1. Whereas the bible says...
justification is an act of God in which He declares a sinner to be righteous in His sight, having forgiven his sins and imputed to him God's own righteousness. Romans 3: 21,4:8
2. Te roman catholic church teaches...
Initial justification is by means of baptism. (1262-1274)
2. Whereas the bible says....
Justification is by faith alone. Romans 3:28
3. The roman catholic church teaches...
Adults must prepare for justification through faith and good works. (1247-1249)
3. Whereas the bible says...
God justifies ungodly sinners who belive. Romans 4:5
Good works are the RESULT of salvation, not the cause. Ephesians 2:8-10
4.The roman catholic church teaches...
The justified are in themselves holy and beautiful in God's sight. (1992-1999-2000,2024)
4.Whereas the bible says...
the justified are IN CHRIST holy and blameless before God. Ephesians 1:1-14
5. The roaman catholic church teaches...
Justification is furtherd by sacrements and good works. (1212, 1392, 2010)
5.Whereas the bible says...
Justification is the imputation of perfect righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:12 In Christ, the beliver has been made complete. Colossians 2:10
6. The roman catholic church teaches...
Justifiaction is lost through mortal sin. (1033, 1855, 1874)
6.Whereas the bible says...
Justification cannot be lost. Those who God justifies will be saved by the wrath of God. Romans 5:8, 9
7. the roman catholic church teaches...
Faith is belief in God and the firm aceptance of all that the roman catholic church proposes for belief.
7.Whereas the bible says...
Saving faith is entrusting ones self to Christ as Lord and Savior. Romans 10: 8-17
8. the roman catholic church teaches...
Grace is merited by good works. (2010, 2027)
8.Whereas the bible says...
Grace is a free gift. Romans 11:6
9. the roman cathilic church rteaches...
Venial sins do not incurr eternal punishment. (1855,1863)
9.Whereas the bible says...
Every sin is punishable by eternal death. Romans 6:23
10.The roman catholic church teaches...
Serious sins must be confessed to the priest. (1456-1457)
10.Whereas the bible says...
Sin must be confessed directly to God. Ezra 10:11
11.The roman catholic church teaches...
Eternal life is merited reward. (1821, 2010)
11.Whereas the bible says...
Eternal life is the free gift of God. Romans 6:23
12.The roman catholic church teaches...
The R.C. church is necessisary for salvation.(846)
12.Whereas the bible says...
There is salvation in no one but the Lord Jesus Christ. "for there is no other name under heacen that has been given among men, by whichwe must be saved" Acts 4:12
13.The roman catholic church teaches...
The Last supper was a real sacrifice in which Vhrist's real blood was poured out for our sins in the cup. (610-611,621, 1339)
13.Whereas the bible says...
The last supper was a passover meal. Christ's blood was poured out for sins at the cross. 1 Peter 2:24
14.The roman catholic church teaches...
Christ's body and blood exist wholly in every fragment of consecrated bread and wine in ever R. C. Church around the world.(1374,1377)
14.Whereas the bible says...
Christ is bodily present in heaven. Hebrews 10:12, 13. The bread and the wine are symbols of the body and blood of Christ.1 Corinthians 11: 23-25
15.The roman catholic church teaches...
The bread and the wine are heavenly food which help to attain eternal life. (1392, 1405, 1419)
15.Whereas the bible says...
The bread and wine are symbols which help one another to remember Christ. Luke 22:19
16.The roman catholic church teaches...
God desires that consecrated
bread and wine to be worshiped as divine. (1378-1381)
16.Whereas the bible says...
God forbids the worship of any object, even those intended to represent Him. Exodus 20: 4,5, Isaiah 42: 8)
So sorry but my mom is making me come off the computer and I don't have time to type out the rest. Email me and I will send you the rest , If you wish!
Sorry I could'n't finish.
Hope it helped some!
I often wonder this myself. Here is a tidbit that you may enjoy.
http://procinwarn.com/neighbors.htm
It is also strange that they deny praying to mary, because they have their rosary, also a form of an idol, that they have their hail marys to.
It is my belief that even talking to mary is idolatry.
Why would you bother talking to someone who cannot hear you because they are dead?
I often have these sorts of debated with both my husband (raised Chatholic) and my mother-in law.
we do not deny we pray to her but, we do not worship her nor do we pray to her to grant something for us, she is not God ---we pray to her so she will add her prayers to ours in petitioning her son for favors. You have been told this time and time again. You are obnoxious.
I just love to see someone who doesn't know jack about the Catholic Church lecture people on what it teaches. Like so many fundamentalists, they don't have a clue/
Go Father Joseph!!
We do not deny that we talk to Mary. We deny that we worship Mary. Prayer is communication, not worship.
+ Saints +
Catholics share the belief in the Communion of Saints with many other Christians, including the Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopal, and Methodist Churches.
The Communion of Saints is the belief where all saints are intimately related in the Body of Christ, a family. When you die and go to heaven, you do not leave this family.
Everyone in heaven or on their way to heaven are saints. You, me, my deceased grandmother, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Mother Teresa.
As part of this family, you may ask your family and friends here on earth to pray for you. Or you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother in heaven to pray for you.
Prayer to saints is communication, not worship.
+ The Blessed Virgin Mary +
"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28)
"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb" (Luke 1:42).
In Luke 1:48, Mary prophesied: "From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed."
The Hail Mary prayer simply recites Bible passages (the Word of God) and asks Mary to pray for us:
Hail Mary Full of grace, the Lord is with you. (These are the words the angel Gabriel said to Mary, a Bible quote.)
Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. (This is Mary's cousin Elizabeth's greeting, another bible quote.)
Holy Mary, (The angel Gabriel said she was full of grace and Elizabeth said she was blessed.)
Mother of God, (the Bible says Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ, God the Son)
Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. (A simple request to pray for us.)
Amen.
For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 2673 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt4s...
A question for Christians who take the Bible literally: Do you call Mary "blessed"? If not, why?
+ With love in Christ.
why do catholics think that their prayers reach God when there is only ONE way to God and that is through Jesus!! JESUS CHRIST, LORD AND SAVIOR IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD, THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. People who pray to the hosts of heaven are in for a rude awakening on the day of the Lord's coming!! Report Abuse
Well, Pastor Art,
If you are truly a pastor, this sort of goes quite far in explaining the ignorance and animosity of other Christian faiths regarding Catholicism.
It is this ignorant confusion between the words prayer and worship that get people in so much trouble.
As a Pastor, you, much more than other faithful, should understand the difference between prayer and worship. Prayer means, quite simply, to ask. The Bible explicitly prohibits the faithful from worshiping other gods. Catholics certainly don't elevate Mary to the status of a God.
On the other hand, nowhere in the bible does it say that we are forbidden to ask others to pray for us. That in intercessory prayer. Further, it is nowhere in the Bible said that we cannot ask those who have already gone before us to pray on our behalf. That is what the "Hail Mary" is used for.
Too, the Bible also says of Mary "Blessed art thou amongst women". Protestants seem to forget this. Mary was not "ordinary", and was meant to be remembered. To forget her is quite a disservice.
I do wish that people, especially those who claim to be in some sort of leadership position would actually exercise the matter between their ears and try to understand rather than simply judge. If you want to know about the Catholic church, perhaps you could go to the "Catechism of the Catholic Church" rather than Chick Tracts.
I'm not Catholic. I'm not Christian. I simply find it bizarre that so-called leaders can jump to conclusions without bothering themselves with facts.
i had a comment to add about the catholics praying to mary. they will deny worshiping her, but claim to pray to her indeed (that is their only defense). "They prey to Mary and the saints to "intercede".. to this I say 1 Timothy 2:5. Preach the truth for Jesus brothers and sisters. I love you all! Report Abuse
Catholics do indeed pray to Mary, and indeed many of them worship her. They may try to split hairs on this, but kneeling and directing prayers and adoration cannot be understood as anything but worship.
In direct contradiction to Scripture, they place her in the role of mediator between God and humanity. ("For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. " 1 Timothy 2:5 )
The papacy makes no bones about Mary's role as savior for humanity right alongside Jesus. (They even refer to her as co-redemitrix).
From Redemptoris Mater (On The Blessed Virgin Mary In The Life Of The Pilgrim Church), Encyclical of Pope John Paul II promulgated on March 25, 1987:
"21. ... Thus there is a mediation: Mary places herself between her Son and mankind in the reality of their wants, needs and sufferings. She puts herself "in the middle," that is to say she acts as a mediatrix not as an outsider, but in her position as mother. She knows that as such she can point out to her Son the needs of mankind, and in fact, she 'has the right' to do so. Her mediation is thus in the nature of intercession...."
Given all this, you'd think Christ didn't do it right -- he still needs Mary to fix up everything he couldn't accomplish.
Bashing Catholics again "Pastor"? I can feel your Christian love from here.
Catholics Do Not Worship the Blessed Mother
INTERCESSORY PRAYER OF THE SAINTS
http://scripturecatholic.com/saints.html
The Blessed Mother is as human as you or I.....but of course is in Heaven now. The first chapter of John tells us that:
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
and then:
Joh 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.
That is to say that Jesus is God. Now, it was the Will of God the Father that His only begotten Son come down to Earth and take on flesh and sacrifice His body on the cross for man's sins. The Blessed Mother provided the flesh. Therefore, she is the 'Mother of God.....Jesus".
Now, Jesus is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. (1Tim 6:15; Rev 17:14; Rev 19:16). As Jesus is the King, His Mother is then the QUEEN MOTHER.
Now, the purpose of the Queen Mother in the Davidic Kingdoms (Jesus is a decendant of David) is to plead for the people of Israel before the king. That is, the Queen Mother is the ADVOCATE for the people. Why because men have a difficult time turning down their mothers. Do you remember the Jesus could not turn down the Blessed Mother in her request at the wedding feast at Cana (See the 2nd chapter of John)?
Consider the following:
" Then Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king stood up to meet her and paid her homage. Then he sat down upon his throne, and a throne was provided for the king's mother, who sat at his right. "There is one small favor I would ask of you," she said. "Do not refuse me." "Ask it, my mother," the king said to her, "for I will not refuse you ". (Cf. I Kings 2:19-20)
The Blessed Mother of God is the fairest daughter of the Father, the Mother of the Son and the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. She has a relationship with the Holy Trinity unlike any other creature. Her role as Advocate for the children of God is unlike any other creature s as well.
Dr. Miravalle described it this way: "In the great Davidic kingdoms of the Old Testament, the mother of the king traditionally held the office of the "Queen Mother" (or "Gebirah" in Hebrew, literally meaning "the Great Lady", (Cf. 1Ki 2:11,19). The principal role of the Queen Mother was to serve as advocate or intercessor on behalf of the people of Israel to her son the King.
"In the New Testament, with the announcement of the new and eternal King and Kingdom of God (Cf. Lk. 1:32-33), so too humanity receives a new Queen Mother, as principal advocate for the people of God in presenting their needs to Jesus Christ, the King of kings. .Her advocacy is clearly manifest at Cana, interceding on behalf of those without physical wine, but ultimately for the spiritual and Eucharistic wine of her Son (Jn.2:1-10). At Calvary, the Crucified King presents his Mother and Queen to the world as gift to all in his Kingdom (Jn. 19:27). And in Revelation, the new Queen Mother in the universal and everlasting Kingdom of Christ is crowned with twelve stars (Rev. 12:1), as she, in battle array, continues her life and death advocacy for humanity against the spiritual warring of the Dragon-Adversary.
NOW.......we know that the term "Israel refers to "THE PEOPLE OF GOD". Since we Christians have accepted Jesus, we are the NEW ISRAEL. (See 1Pet 2:9-10; Gal 4:28-31; Gal 6:14-16; Mat 21:43).
THEREFORE, Catholics pray to the Blessed Mother to plead for our petitions and prayers before her Son, Jesus, on our behalf. She is VERY INFLUENCIAL WITH JESUS. Consider Catholic pray the "Hail Mary":
"Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, PRAY FOR US SINNERS NOW AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH. Amen."
As you can see, we pray to her begging her to plead with her Son (who is God) to answer our prayers. No, she is not a goddess.....and we are not to worship her as one....that is forbidden.
I suggest that you re-read what I have posted here and also read the references to the Holy Bible.
Blessed Mary why honor her?
http://home.inreach.com/bstanley/honr.ht...
Veneration of the Blessed Mother of God.
http://home.inreach.com/bstanley/ven.htm
Scripture Alone? Is Half the Story Sufficient?
http://www.call2holiness.org/ScriptureAl...
Though it is true I haven't been a Catholic since a child, not ever did I get the impression that we were supposed to "idolize" Mary in the way many fundamentalists claim.
This seems like a "my religion is better than your religion" type of thing.
Or maybe I should say, this seems like a "my denomination is better than your denomination" type of thing.
Two points. First, you can't observe what a person is thinking by observing their posture. Making judgments about idolatry from posture is sheer prejudice.
Second, Catholics don't pray to Mary in the modern sense of the word; they simply ask her for her prayers, just as we'd ask any other Christian for prayers (you do believe Mary is alive in heaven, right?).
My former Pentecostal pastor used to quote, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Mary's prayer is powerful, and Jesus promised, "Whenever two or three are gathered in my name, there I will be in the midst of them." A Catholic and Mary make two, right?
Cheers,
Bruce
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