';Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, hearkening to the voice of his word! Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will!'; (Ps. 103:20-21).
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The Virgin Mary is not recorded as having given any advice, so why do Catholics make such a fuss about her?
';Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his host!'; (Ps. 148:1-2)
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';the twenty-four elders [the leaders of the people of God in heaven] fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints'; (Rev. 5:8). Thus the saints in heaven offer to God the prayers of the saints on earth.
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';See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.'; (Matt. 18:10).
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Jesus is the only Mediator between man and God (1 Tim. 2:5), but this in no way means we cannot or should not ask our fellow Christians to pray with us and for us (1 Tim. 2:1-4), including those Christians in heaven, who have already had their sanctification completed.
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';[t]he prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects'; (Jas. 5:16).
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I believe the Truth; part of which I have presented to you. What you do with that Truth is up to you.
Examine your conscience; you will see that it is not the Truth you seek; you merely want affirmation for you own beliefs.
Worship the God that Is, not the god you want Him to be.
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Because she was chosen to be the one that gave birth to the Son of God. And she did this knowing what would happen to Jesus.
(to an earlier poster - Mary is a perpetual Virgin, before, during and AFTER the birth of Jesus)
thou shalt have no other gods before me. no graven images,she was a virgin before she conceived but afterwards she had james and it wasnt the holy ghost then
Well according to Christians she was chosen of all women to give birth to god, so that would make her sort of special would it not? I must say I like the ';Queen of Heaven'; title, now that's cool. Silly Catholics just won't admit she's a goddess. What are they afraid of, the opinions of Protestants? Go Catholics.
The Blessed Virgin Mary serves as a mediator to Christ like what happened in the Wedding at Cana (sp?) not an adviser.
That's why we Catholics ask her to pray for us.
She told the servants at the wedding at Cana, ';Do whatever He (Jesus) tells you'; (John 2). Is this not advice? Isn't it the best advice ever given by a human being: to do whatever Christ wills?
Maybe coz she Jesus's Mother. Not sure though.
Because Catholics knew something that others don't. Catholics don't pray to Mary but adore her for accepting the difficult and dangerous task God gave her especially during their time with no question whatsoever and most importantly, by bearing us a saviour and took all the pain that a mother would feel for a son who died for the redemption of our sins.
If this is not important to you, you don't have to give a fuzz about her.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is a wonderful example for us to follow.
She unhesitatingly said YES to God and put her life in mortal jeopardy. Her fiance Joseph could have had her stoned to death for adultery.
Can any of us hope to live up to that example?
With love in Christ.
I think it is because of the all the healing wells and times she has appeared like at Medjugorje, but the Catholic Church always takes the position first to ban people from these areas! They actually chased the poor children around town.
It is ironic that the pope dedicates his whatever it is called to Mary and ignores all compassionate teachings, doing exactly the opposite, judging humanity. Matthew Fox embodies what I see as a truer expression of compassion with a doctrine that includes reincarnation.
I don't believe her true messages are relayed because people's ears are plugged with doctrine. I suppose it is difficult to translate a ';heart'; and thus people who experience this make up Hallmark Cards of it mimicking what the church taught them. Perhaps partly so that they will be believed. After all if they told the church something about something like reincarnation they would be called a fraud. Little doubt.
Many Catholic minds seem to be built like the cathedrals out of stone.
PERFECT EXAMPLE ABOVE, bible blah blah blah
The Uniqueness of Mary as the Mother of God
Gen. 3:15 - we see from the very beginning that God gives Mary a unique role in salvation history. God says ';I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her seed.'; This refers to Jesus (the ';emnity';) and Mary (the ';woman';). The phrase ';her seed'; (spermatos) is not seen elsewhere in Scripture.
Gen 3:15 / Rev. 12:1 - the Scriptures begin and end with the woman battling satan. This points to the power of the woman with the seed and teaches us that Jesus and Mary are the new Adam and the new Eve.
John 2:4, 19:26 - Jesus calls Mary ';woman'; as she is called in Gen. 3:15. Just as Eve was the mother of the old creation, Mary is the mother of the new creation. This woman's seed will crush the serpent's skull.
Isaiah 7:14; Matt. 1:23 - a virgin (the Greek word used is ';parthenos';) will bear a Son named Emmanuel, which means ';God is with us.'; John 1:14 - God in flesh dwelt among us. Mary is the Virgin Mother of God.
Matt. 2:11 - Luke emphasizes Jesus is with Mary His Mother, and the magi fall down before both of them, worshiping Jesus.
Luke 1:35 - the child will be called holy, the Son of God. Mary is the Mother of the Son of God, or the Mother of God (the ';Theotokos';).
Luke 1:28 - ';Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.'; These are the words spoken by God and delivered to us by the angel Gabriel (who is a messenger of God). Thus, when Catholics recite this verse while praying the Rosary, they are uttering the words of God.
Luke 1:28 - also, the phrase ';full of grace'; is translated from the Greek word ';kecharitomene.'; This is a unique title given to Mary, and suggests a perfection of grace from a past event. Mary is not just ';highly favored.'; She has been perfected in grace by God. ';Full of grace'; is only used to describe one other person - Jesus Christ in John 1:14.
Luke 1:38 - Mary's fiat is ';let it be done to me according to thy word.'; Mary is the perfect model of faith in God, and is worthy of our veneration.
Luke 1:42 - ';Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.'; The phrase ';blessed are you among women'; really means ';you are most blessed of all women.'; A circumlocution is used because there is no superlative in the Greek language. Note also that Elizabeth praises Mary first, and then Jesus. This is hyperdulia (but not latria which is worship owed to God alone). We too can go through Mary to praise Jesus. Finally, Catholics repeat these divinely inspired words of Elizabeth in the Rosary.
Luke 1:43 - Elizabeth's use of ';Mother of my Lord'; (in Hebrew, Elizabeth used ';Adonai'; which means Lord God) is the equivalent of ';Holy Mary, Mother of God'; which Catholics pray in the Rosary. The formula is simple: Jesus is a divine person, and this person is God. Mary is Jesus' Mother, so Mary is the mother of God (Mary is not just the Mother of Jesus' human nature - mothers are mothers of persons, not natures).
Luke 1:44 - Mary's voice causes John the Baptist to leap for joy in Elizabeth's womb. Luke is teaching us that Mary is our powerful intercessor.
Luke 1:46 - Mary claims that her soul magnifies the Lord. This is a bold statement from a young Jewish girl from Nazareth. Her statement is a strong testimony to her uniqueness. Mary, as our Mother and intercessor, also magnifies our prayers.
Luke 1:48 - Mary prophesies that all generations shall call her blessed, as Catholics do in the ';Hail Mary'; prayer. What Protestant churches have existed in all generations (none), and how many of them call Mary blessed with special prayers and devotions?
Gal. 4:4 - God sent His Son, born of a woman, to redeem us. Mary is the woman with the redeemer. By calling Mary co-redemptrix, we are simply calling Mary ';the woman with the redeemer.'; This is because ';co'; is from the Latin word ';***'; which means ';with.'; Therefore, ';co-redemptrix'; means ';woman with the redeemer.'; Mary had a unique but subordinate role to Jesus in salvation.
Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Col. 1:2 - the word ';saints'; (in Hebrew ';qaddiysh';) means ';holy'; ones. So Mary is called Holy, the greatest Saint of all.
Luke 2:35 - Simeon prophesies that a sword would also pierce Mary's soul. Mary thus plays a very important role in our redemption. While Jesus' suffering was all that we needed for redemption, God desired Mary to participate on a subordinate level in her Son's suffering, just as he allows us to participate through our own sufferings.
Luke 2:19,51 - Mary kept in mind all these things as she pondered them in her heart. Catholics remember this by devoting themselves to Mary's Immaculate Heart and all the treasures and wisdom and knowledge contained therein.
Mary - the Immaculate Ark of the New Covenant
Exodus 25:11-21 - the ark of the Old Covenant was made of the purest gold for God's Word. Mary is the ark of the New Covenant and is the purest vessel for the Word of God made flesh.
2 Sam. 6:7 - the Ark is so holy and pure that when Uzzah touched it, the Lord slew him. This shows us that the Ark is undefiled. Mary the Ark of the New Covenant is even more immaculate and undefiled, spared by God from original sin so that she could bear His eternal Word in her womb.
1 Chron. 13:9-10 - this is another account of Uzzah and the Ark. For God to dwell within Mary the Ark, Mary had to be conceived without sin. For Protestants to argue otherwise would be to say that God would let the finger of Satan touch His Son made flesh. This is incomprehensible.
1 Chron. 15 and 16 - these verses show the awesome reverence the Jews had for the Ark - veneration, vestments, songs, harps, lyres, cymbals, trumpets.
Luke 1:39 / 2 Sam. 6:2 - Luke's conspicuous comparison's between Mary and the Ark described by Samuel underscores the reality of Mary as the undefiled and immaculate Ark of the New Covenant. In these verses, Mary (the Ark) arose and went / David arose and went to the Ark. There is a clear parallel between the Ark of the Old and the Ark of the New Covenant.
Luke 1:41 / 2 Sam. 6:16 - John the Baptist / King David leap for joy before Mary / Ark. So should we leap for joy before Mary the immaculate Ark of the Word made flesh.
Luke 1:43 / 2 Sam. 6:9 - How can the Mother / Ark of the Lord come to me? It is a holy privilege. Our Mother wants to come to us and lead us to Jesus.
Luke 1:56 / 2 Sam. 6:11 and 1 Chron. 13:14 - Mary / the Ark remained in the house for about three months.
Rev 11:19 - at this point in history, the Ark of the Old Covenant was not seen for six centuries (see 2 Macc. 2:7), and now it is finally seen in heaven. The Jewish people would have been absolutely amazed at this. However, John immediately passes over this fact and describes the ';woman'; clothed with the sun in Rev. 12:1. John is emphasizing that Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant and who, like the Old ark, is now worthy of veneration and praise. Also remember that Rev. 11:19 and Rev. 12:1 are tied together because there was no chapter and verse at the time these texts were written.
Rev 12:1 - the ';woman'; that John is describing is Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, so Mary, with the moon under her feet, reflects the glory of the Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ.
Rev. 12:17 - this verse tells us that Mary's offspring are those who keep God's commandments and bear testimony to Jesus. This demonstrates, as Catholics have always believed, that Mary is the Mother of all Christians.
Rev. 12:2 - Some Protestants argue that, because the woman had birth pangs, she was a woman with sin. However, Revelation is apocalyptic literature unique to the 1st century. It contains varied symbolism and multiple meanings of the woman (Mary, the Church and Israel). The birth pangs describe both the birth of the Church and Mary's offspring being formed in Christ. Mary had no birth pangs in delivering her only Son Jesus.
Isaiah 66:7 - for example, we see Isaiah prophesying that before she (Mary) was in labor she gave birth; before her pain came upon her she was delivered of a son (Jesus). This is a Marian prophecy of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.
Gal 4:19 - Paul also describes his pain as birth pangs in forming the disciples in Christ. Birth pangs describe formation in Christ.
Rom. 8:22 - also, Paul says the whole creation has been groaning in travail before the coming of Christ. We are all undergoing birth pangs because we are being reborn into Jesus Christ.
Jer. 13:21 - Jeremiah describes the birth pangs of Israel, like a woman in travail. Birth pangs are usually used metaphorically in the Scriptures.
Hos. 13:12-13 - Ephraim is also described as travailing in childbirth for his sins. Again, birth pangs are used metaphorically.
Micah 4:9-10 - Micah also describes Jerusalem as being seized by birth pangs like a woman in travail.
Rev. 12:13-16 - in these verses, we see that the devil still seeks to destroy the woman even after the Savior is born. This proves Mary is a danger to satan, even after the birth of Christ. This is because God has given her the power to intercede for us, and we should invoke her assistance in our spiritual lives.
Mary is our Mother and Queen of the New Davidic Kingdom
John 19:26 - Jesus makes Mary the Mother of us all as He dies on the Cross by saying ';behold your mother.'; Jesus did not say ';John, behold your mother'; because he gave Mary to all of us, his beloved disciples. All the words that Jesus spoke on Cross had a divine purpose. Jesus was not just telling John to take care of his mother.
Rev. 12:17 - this verse proves the meaning of John 19:26. The ';woman's'; (Mary's) offspring are those who follow Jesus. She is our Mother and we are her offspring in Jesus Christ. The master plan of God's covenant love for us is family. But we cannot be a complete family with the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Christ without the Motherhood of Mary.
John 2:3 - this is a very signifcant verse in Scripture. As our mother, Mary tells all of us to do whatever Jesus tells us. Further, Mary's intercession at the marriage feast in Cana triggers Jesus' ministry and a foreshadowing of the Eucharistic celebration of the Lamb. This celebration unites all believers into one famiy through the marriage of divinity and humanity.
John 2:7 - Jesus allows His mother to intercede for the people on His behalf, and responds to His mother's request by ordering the servants to fill the jars with water.
Psalm 45:9 - the psalmist teaches that the Queen stands at the right hand of God. The role of the Queen is important in God's kingdom. Mary the Queen of heaven is at the right hand of the Son of God.
1 Kings 2:17, 20 - in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom, the King does not refuse his mother. Jesus is the new Davidic King, and He does not refuse the requests of his mother Mary, the Queen.
1 Kings 2:18 - in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom, the Queen intercedes on behalf of the King's followers. She is the Queen Mother (or ';Gebirah';). Mary is our eternal Gebirah.
1 Kings 2:19 - in the Old Testament Davidic kingdom the King bows down to his mother and she sits at his right hand. We, as children of the New Covenant, should imitate our King and pay the same homage to Mary our Mother. By honoring Mary, we honor our King, Jesus Christ.
1 Kings 15:13 - the Queen Mother is a powerful position in Israel's royal monarchy. Here the Queen is removed from office. But now, the Davidic kingdom is perfected by Jesus, and our Mother Mary is forever at His right hand.
2 Chron. 22:10 - here Queen Mother Athalia destroys the royal family of Judah after she sees her son, King Ahaziah, dead. The Queen mother plays a significant role in the kingdom.
Neh. 2:6 - the Queen Mother sits beside the King. She is the primary intercessor before the King.
Because she was chosen by god to carry his only son – he obviously thought a lot of her...
Well, the first commandment is thou shall not have any Gods beside me. So of coarse people generally like to brake rules in order. LOL. I have to say most religions I know add someone or something to God they just don't seem to think he can do it on his own. Even though he does not need help. Remember he created everything on his own.
Mary was a woman blessed beyond all others so Catholics see her as someone to help mediate between their heart and God. Same with all the saints. But saints and humans are only of use when alive. Most Christians seem to think they need a mediator. They think God does not see their thoughts and heart without help. And they hope to cover the ugliness that all humans posses. I know, God, who created all is above all. So I hope that answers your question.
Its human natiure.
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