Catholics DO NOT Worship Mary, for the love of Pete..

I wanted to address a myth that is still going around my neck of the woods. With the world of Google, it's pretty easy to get the answer if someone was honestly trying to understand, but for mythbuster sake, I'll address this one.

Nope just nope...

Nope, Catholics don't worship Mary, only God deserves our worship. But his mom is a pretty special lady. It may look like Catholics 'worship' her with our beautiful statues, flowers, prayers, but nope still nope, she is not a Goddess.

(Mythbuster #2: we don't worship statues, that would be dumb, do you worship Abraham Lincoln? There's a pretty big statue of him in DC. Before selfies, cameras, paintings, busts and statues were made to remember people. And who doesn't appreciate great art?!)

Simply put, we ask her to pray for us. Just as I would ask someone to pray for me. We believe all our friends in heaven can still pray for us (maybe they have a little more pull since they see God face to face?). And what good son doesn't listen to his mother? Mary told the servants at the wedding of Cana "Do whatever he tells you." What a good kid.

2 Maccabees 15:14 "And Oni'as spoke saying, "This is a man who loves the brethren and prays much for the people and the holy city, Jeremi'ah, the prophet of God." Guess what, Jeremi'ah was dead and he was still praying for his people. Many people won't find the book of Maccabees in their Bible because Martin Luther took it out in the 1500's. Guess what, Martin Luther had a devotion to Mary and prayed the rosary. Somewhere along the lines of Christian history this devotion was lost in many Christian churches. What a sad day when this stopped.
If you open yourself to this verse, and believe that those in heaven will pray for you, then you have just found yourself with a host of heavenly friends that are willing to help you out! Call upon Mary, the Angels and Saints to intercede on your behalf. If that feels weird, how about asking your grandmother who has passed away to pray for you?

Obscure Bible Verses

I'm reading the book of Sirach (another book not in the Protestant Bible).

These obscure verses jumped out to me today as I was reading and immediately I thought 'Mary':

Sirach 3: 2-4 "Whoever honors his father atones for sins, and preserves himself from them. When he prays, he is heard; and whoever glorifies his mother is like one who lays up treasure. Whoever honors his father will be gladdened by his own children, and when he prays he will be heard. Whoever glorifies his father will have long life, and whoever obeys the Lord will refresh his mother."

God deserves our worship, God hears our prayers, God forgives our sins but His mother said yes, was a virgin (let that sink in), was a vessel for the word made incarnate, the spouse of the holy spirit. How can we not give her any credence? She hears us, she intercedes, but only if we ask her to take our prayers to her son.

I love the saints like St. Bernadette, Children of Fatima, St. Juan Diego who had visions of Mary. Apparitions of Mary appeared to them. She is always pointing us to her son and always gives us comfort. Our Lady of Fatima tells us the serpents head has been crushed, no worries. For a list of apparitions: https://www.coraevans.com/blog/article/this-is-the-most-complete-list-of-marian-apparitions

That's my mom.

Why do I feel the need to justify Mary? BECAUSE SHE IS MY MOM! I need to have her back. Nobody better be disrespectin' my mother. As Christians, we talk about the Christian family. We have the Father and the Son, but where's the Mother?! She's here and has been here, she will help you.

I'll share a very personal story about my feelings for Mother Mary. I was going through a rough patch and in my prayers yelled at God "Why don't you just do something?!" (How many of us have gotten mad and demanding at the Father?!) I was red-faced but as soon as I turned to Mary to ask her to beg her son to help, I just cried. I felt a loving embrace. Like a child who runs up to his mom and wraps his arms around her waist and just cries. I felt her presence of love. I felt her say "it will be OK my child, I'll talk to him."

Still not convinced?

One chooses to believe what one wishes. Whether or not you think Catholics, Episcopalians (Anglicans), Orthodox and some Lutherans are all Mary idolatry worshipers, that is for you to believe, the truth is, it is not the truth. All I can say is, Mary is for everyone, she is NOT Catholic. I promise you, you don't have to convert to the Catholic faith to honor Mary, but open your mind and heart to the Blessed Mother and you will see your faith to her Son brought to a entirely different level.

Mary doesn't replace Jesus, she is always pointing us to her son.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee, 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 your death. Amen.

What is stopping you from honoring Mary?