WE PRAY TO MARY - NO, WE DON'T

Q. DO CATHOLICS PRAY TO MARY ?

A. No.

If you wish, you can stop reading here. Now you know.

But devotion to Mary is one of the most misunderstood aspects of Catholicism among non-Catholics. So if youre not a Catholic, youre liable to be critically, even emotionally, triggered at this moment. Critics often ask, “Why in the world do Catholics pray to Mary? Shouldn’t you just go directly to Jesus?” And of course, you can - AND WE DO. Constantly.

However, the emotional tirggering here is the result of an assumption they make, which is simply this: They THINK they see Catholics praying to Mary as god in her own right. Then, based solely on what they imagine is happening, they create a mental collapse... because what they dont KNOW is the problem.

Let me explain.

The answer lies not in Catholics replacing Jesus with Mary (NEVER!) but in understanding Mary’s unique role in God’s plan and her powerful intercession as His mother.

1. Mary Is the Mother of Jesus

Mary is not just any woman—she is the Mother of God (Luke 1:43).

At the Annunciation, she gave her, “yes” to God’s plan, and by doing so, she brought Christ into the world.

ATTENTION - God chose her to bring Jesus to us.

Her motherhood is not just physical—it’s also spiritual...divinely spiritual. When Jesus said from the Cross, “Behold your mother” (John 19:27), He gave Mary to us as our spiritual mother.

Just as a loving child turns to his mother in times of need, Catholics turn to Mary—not as a replacement for God, or Jesus, but as as an example of one who leads us closer to Him.

2. She Intercedes for Us

ATTENTION - Catholics don’t worship Mary. But, we DO honor her and ask for her prayers.

This is no different from asking a fellow Christian to pray for you.

In fact, it’s even more powerful because Mary is now in heaven, fully united with Christ.*

At the wedding in Cana (John 2:1–11), Mary noticed the need before anyone else and brought it to Jesus. Even when He responded, “My hour has not yet come,” He still honored her request and performed His first miracle. This shows how He valued her, and her role as an intercessor who cares for our needs and brings them to her Son.

3. She Is a Model of Perfect Discipleship

ATTENTION - Mary is the first and greatest disciple.

She believed the angel’s message, stood by Jesus through His ministry, and endured the suffering of the Cross with unwavering faith. Catholics pray to her not only to ask for assistance, but to imitate her example of humility, obedience, and trust in God. Note that she INSPIRES us by her example. But she is not God to us.

When we say the “Hail Mary,” we are echoing the words of Scripture—“Hail, full of grace” (Luke 1:28) and “Blessed are you among women” (Luke 1:42). Yes, these are biblical praises of Mary - found in the Bible...they are not spurious inventions of the Church.

Beseeching Mary's aid, devotion to Christ and her inspiration is not about bypassing Jesus (NEVER!). No, it’s about loving Him more deeply through the love shown by His mother. Mary always points us to her Son and says, as she did at Cana, “Do whatever He tells you.”

REFLECTION: Many of the modern protestant sects belittle, denigrate, and denounce Mary. They like to spin the twist that, "shes just a dead body." Or, "she's no one special...just another woman."

At times, it seems they hate Mary more than satan.

But God CHOSE her to manifest his son on earth, chose her to be The Son Of Man, for the salvation of mankind.

The Apostles understood this significance and they revered her for this reason. They built her a special tomb on her death (which was empty when it was opened in the 300's). * So, if Jesus loved and honored His mother, if the Apostles and earliest Christians did, as well - shouldn’t we do the same?

- edited from an essay by Francis Mary * Mary is in heaven? Yes. This is another Catholic belief about Mary over which protestants manufacture a lot of anguish. Its called, "The Assumption of Mary." But, no one needs to get upset about the idea of her physical assumption into Heaven, because it becomes quite clear - when you take the time to understand it. To help you with that, visit this link: The Assumption of Mary

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