Questions about Catholics

We don’t worship Mary, nor do we worship saints. This is a misconception. We don’t believe they themselves saved us from sin, created the univers, etc. They are only very very holy people who we think are great role models and have close connection with God. Mary is a great intercessor for our prayers because she is without sin, and a whole list of reasons about why she is awesome.
But no, she is not in the level of Jesus/God whatsoever.

 

Practically speaking, Mary is given credit for graces received, thanked for answered prayers, spoken about by those having a Marian devotion much more than the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. If she is not on the level of God, why is she the one to whom we attribute the blessings in our lives to the neglect of thanking and praising Almighty God who is the source of those blessings? The non-Catholic claim that many of us replace Jesus with Mary (or similar statements regarding the lifting up of Mary and the neglect of Jesus) is unfortunately true. Oh, when we take the time to explain what her position is in relation to God, theologically speaking, those of us who understand it correctly will say similar things to what you did, Instant Shining Wizard, but practically speaking we often focus just on Mary with Jesus left in the background of our theological convictions. It's no wonder non-Catholic Christians have the "misconception" that we worship her.

I don't think Mary is pleased with us focusing on her more than the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, but don't take my word for it. Ask her.

 

Well, since we can't ask her directly, we can look at whether she has encouraged or discouraged devotion to her. Maybe we can "ask" those to whom she has appeared ... St. Dominic, St. Juan Diego, St. Bernadette, Saints Francisco and Jacinto, Servant of God Sister Lucia -- did the Blessed Mother suggest to any of them that excessive devotion to her was a widespread problem? Or did she encourage more widespread devotion to the Rosary and to herself? It seems to me that everyone I know who has a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother has a STRONGER focus on the Trinity. She has not a distraction from, but more of a compass that points to, the Holy Trinity.

Adoration is for God alone. We love, reverence and admire Mary, seek to imitate her and ask for her prayers. And, we strive to follow her instruction to the servants at the Wedding at Cana: "Do whatever he tells you."

 

Brother dlansky, thank you for your reply. I thought about Mary for a long time in my earlier years in the manner you suggested in your post. I don't have an answer for her not dealing with devotion to her in her apparitions.

But let me step out in another direction. One phrase in your post tells me you have a spiritual confusion plaguing you that most Marian devotees have: "since we can't ask her directly". Brother, you can ask her directly and you can speak to Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit directly, and they will answer you in various ways, but I think as long as you are under the conviction that God, Mary and other saints only speak to us indirectly through a few chosen people you will not experience the freedom and joy of an intimate relationship with them.

God bless

 

That's not how I meant that, but you knew that. This is your attempt to redirect the discussion as you part ways with Magisterial teaching and discourage devotions to the Blessed Mother.

 

I would like to pause here in our dialogue and do a little spiritual warfare because I can see that the evil one has been affecting it in both of our comments. By the power of the blood of Jesus, in the glorious name of Jesus I command any and all evil spirits to leave this conversation.

I must apologize for allowing the enemy's influence to affect my part of our discussion. I came into this dialogue with a chip on my shoulder and it led to the creation of inflammatory statements. Please forgive me for that.

That's not how I meant that, but you knew that.

If you didn't intend to convey your belief that we can't converse with Mary directly then I apologize, but I think you can agree that is what was implied (maybe unintentionally) and I tell you in all honesty I did not know that's not how you meant the statement. I recognize you were trying to direct the discussion toward what has been approved by the Magisterium in terms of Marian apparitions, but that is a redirection of what my initial point was, that in practice it is common for those of us who have a Marian devotion to focus more on Mary than on Jesus, Father and Holy Spirit. I did not say it was intentional. In fact I'm certain that at least in most cases it is not. My effort in all of this was, and is, to raise the level of praise and thanksgiving to Our Lord and God. It does not require diminishing our thanks to Mary for her participation in fostering the movement of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

This is your attempt to redirect the discussion as you part ways with Magisterial teaching and discourage devotions to the Blessed Mother.

I have said nothing contrary to Magisterial teaching and please, brother, don't begin judging and jumping to conclusions on what my motivations and intentions are. That for sure is not what God would wish for you to do and you are mistaken. My devotion to Our Blessed Mother, besides asking for her intercession in every prayer request I make to Father, includes total consecration to her by both the St. Louis DeMontfort method and the St. Maximilian Kolbe method. I'm not trying to discourage devotion to her. I'm trying, in union with her, to raise the level of devotion to Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit.