Is it biblically correct to pray to Mary?

This discussion is difficult for me.  I am sure there are friends that I will offend.  I never had a problem with the subject until I moved to the Philippines.  Down through the years I encountered a few people whom I felt might be abusing the devotion to Mother Mary, but in the Philippines it began to really concern me.  It seems to me many good Catholics have become confused when it comes to their devotion to Mother Mary.

The practices of many Catholics depart from the "official traditions" of the Roman Catholic Church.  The Roman Catholic Church does not "officially" teach Catholics to worship Mary, but rather to honour and revere her. However, through my observation, it is clear that many Catholics do in fact worship Mary. This is the result of the Roman Catholic Church not doing a good job of teaching and explaining our doctrines.  Many Catholics are completely ignorant of what Catholic doctrines and practices truly mean and signify.

I do not believe that Mother Mary is co-equal with the Father, Son or Holy Spirit and attending Mass any Sunday in the Philippines you would wonder if fifty percent of the people realise she is not.    I know there is a movement among some Catholics around the world to make her co-equal, but as of this writing the Pope has not seriously considered it.  I do not believe any Pope would ever approve it.  I think what disturbs me the most is it seems to me more prayer and devotions are offered to Mother Mary in the Philippines than to the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity.

 I have always heard that many Evangelicals and Protestants think the word pray means worship.  So it makes sense that they think Catholics who pray to Mary actually worship her.  The problem I now have is that I have come to believe that a vast number of Catholics no longer pray to Mother Mary they worship Mother Mary and the clergy seem to look the other way.  I honestly believe some of the clergy I have met in the Philippines worship Mother Mary themselves.

Let's look at the word pray in the dictionary.  Here is what Webster's says about the word pray: (1) to utter petition to God ... (2) to make a fervent request: PLEAD (3) to beseech: implore (4) to make a devout or earnest request.  The word worship is not included in the definition of pray.   A prayer to Mary is clearly not a petition to God.  Mary is not God, and I know of no knowledgeable Catholic who has said she was.  Clearly worship is not the first meaning of pray.

When Catholics pray to God they "utter a petition to God" and when they pray to Mary they make “earnest request for prayers” from Mary.  Catholics believe Mother Mary is a prayer warrior. 

There is a difference between veneration of Mary and worship of Jesus. This was formalized in writing back in 757 AD at the Seventh General Council:

1.Latria - adoration that is given to the Trinity alone occurs 5 times in the Bible, but always refers to God (John 16:2, Romans: 9:4, 12:6, Hebrew 9:1,6).

2. Hyper-dulia – veneration (showing respect) to Mary as the mother of God.

3. Dulia - honour paid to saints and angels occurs 5 times in the Bible (Romans 8:15, 21; Galatians 4:24, 5:1; Hebrew 2:15).

There are plenty of Old Testament references that distinguish veneration from worship. "Then Moses went out to meet his father- in-law, and he bowed down and kissed him…" (Exodus 18:7) and (1 Chronicle 29:20, 1 Samuel 24:8).  Moses did not worship his father-in-law, but he did show respect to him.

Some evangelicals say consecration shows that Catholics worship Mary.  The word consecrates means to entrust. I entrust myself to my closest friends, but only Jesus Christ is my Saviour.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe said, “Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.”  The question is not how much Jesus loved Mary.  The question is how much some Catholics love Mary; do they love her more than the Holy Spirit?  I am sure Jesus loved Mother Mary, but does Jesus love her more than He loves you and me, I doubt that.  I also think you can love Mother Mary too much if you have turned to worshipping her instead of venerating her, showing her reverential respect. 

I have a 5 foot statue of Mother Mary in my private prayer garden.  I do not worship Mary, but I do have the highest respect for her and when I look at that statue I think of her son Jesus Christ and I think of the physical and emotional pain she must have gone through as His mother.  It leads me to ask God to give me the same courage and strength.  I have no intention of removing the statue for it is comforting to me.  I do not pray to Mother Mary or any Saint.  I pray to the Father, through the Son (asking Him to mediate for me) and I ask the Holy Spirit to lead me in prayer.  Christ made it possible on the cross for us to go to the Father.

I believe it is wise for Catholics not to allow themselves to focus on Mother Mary to the point that it distracts them from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  I do not think Mother Mary would want that.  I want to add my time thinking of Mother Mary has never been a distraction for me.  In fact it does the opposite it helps me focus more on Jesus Christ. 

Mary's role was not to jump on center stage and take the place of Jesus.  I do not believe she ever wanted to be in the spotlight.  I do think some men in the hierarchy of the Catholic Church wanted to give her a role that she did not want and God never intended for her to have.  It always perplexes me when men are not satisfied with God’s plan and want to substitute their own.

1 Timothy 2 does not say that God wants us only to communicate with Jesus. It says there is only one mediator between God and man, which is a different thing. The passage does not say do not ask people to pray for us.  The chapter not only allows intercessory prayer by third parties, but it indicates it is helpful.  “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone ...This is good, and pleases God our Saviour, who wants all men to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth? (Tim. 2:1-4).

Now one question that will arise is how can Mother Mary hear the prayers of all who are praying to her and distinguish between them for she is not all knowing as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Good Question!  I do not know the answer.  My only suggestion would be when a saint enters into the joy of their Master, they are "put in charge of many things" (Mat. 25:21).  Is listening to prayers one of them, I don’t know. 

Evangelical and Protestants will say, "I don't pray to dead people." Catholics don't think people in heaven are dead.  Catholics believe people in heaven are alive (Matthew 19:29, 25:46, Matthew 10:17-22, Mark 10:30, Luke 10:25-30, Luke 18:18-30, John 3:15-16).   We read in the Bible Lazarus was alive by Abraham's side (Luke 16:22).   At the transfiguration we read Moses and Elijah were alive beside Jesus, (Matthew 17:3).  There seems to be a lot of aliveness in Heaven in Revelation, (Revelation 4:10).  I do not believe people are in some type of comma until judgement day and I do not think the majority of Evangelicals or Protestants believe that either.

Some Evangelicals and Protestants think that asking a person in heaven to intercede for them is condemned in Deuteronomy 18:10 -12.  The Catholic Church believes that Deuteronomy 18:10 -12 speaks about the occult, soothsayers, sorcerers, spells, ghosts and spirits.  I think the same. 

Some Evangelicals and Protestants are uneasy asking Christians in heaven to pray for them because the final judgment hasn't occurred.   What does that have to do with the matter we are discussing?   I have never been to an Evangelical or Protestant funeral where they did not say, "He or she is with the Lord now."  They obviously believe as I do as soon as we die believers go to heaven.

This discussion could go on for many, many more pages.  But, I feel the need to bring it to a close.  I do have a problem praying for people after they have died.  I do not believe there are any second chances after death, but I will discuss that later. 

The problem I have is not having reverence for Mother Mary it is I am afraid some Catholics are abusing the tradition and have stopped praying to and reverencing her to WORSHIPPING her.  I think religious leaders have a responsibility to see that their followers do not do that.  Yes, it is easier to turn a blind eye and I have at times.  In the Philippines culture and tradition have deep roots, but religious leaders first responsibility is to teach God’s truths. 

I leave you with this thought Jesus said, “Whoever does the will of God is brother and sister and mother to me.”  Jesus is not denying his relationship with his biological family; he is pointing out what makes us part of God’s family.  The belief that “blood is thicker than water” no longer applies.  For Jesus the waters of baptism that transform our identity as God’s children become a stronger bond in the Spirit than blood ties.  Water becomes thicker than blood in God’s family.  Spiritual and not physical kinship is the basis of relationships in the new dispensation.  Believers, who receive Jesus through faith and through baptism and are willing to do the will of God, become the true family of Jesus.