Email question and answer about Catholics praying for the intercession of Mary?
Hi Don,
I must say as a devout Catholic I do find some of what you write a little hard to swallow. I am not offended by it because there is a lot of truth in much of what you said. However, after reading several statements about why you believe that the belief in the intercession of Mary is mis-guided and even a pagan ritual, I have done some research into the origins of this Catholic belief.
I would like to share it with you, what I have found, in the hopes that I may be able to sway your opinion or at least consider the true origin of this belief.
Basically, the foundation amongst Catholics for this belief stems from the performance of Jesus’ first miracle when He turned the water into wine at the wedding party. There are several incidents in scripture where Jesus was asked to intervene or to perform miracles but declined because it was not in accordance with His timing or plan. Some examples of this are:
1) When Satan tempted Jesus 3 times, of course Jesus declined.
2) When Jesus was asked to heal Lazarus but instead waited for him to die and then raising him up according to Jesus’ own timing.
3) When Martha complained to Jesus about her sister Mary being lazy and not aiding in the preparation of the feast, Jesus declined to intervene.
4) There are several other examples, I am sure you could remember much better than I.
In contrast to these situations, when Mary asked Jesus to intervene because the wine had run out… Jesus declined telling her “His time had not yet come” indicating that He was not ready or unwilling to yet reveal His divine powers. However, Mary insisted and disregarded Jesus refusal by telling the stewards to do whatever Jesus told them. Jesus then of course asked for the stone vessels to be filled with water and performed the miracle.
For me, it is too significant that Jesus ‘broke’ from His own timing at the request of His mother… especially considering the numerous times He denied other’s requests. Also, this was a major event in the life of Jesus, it was the very first miracle He performed and it was directly as a result of His mother’s intercession. If Jesus was willing to change Heaven and Earth for His mother while He was a man then He must surely consider her intercession while He is in heaven.
As a Catholic, I do not worship Mary. However, I do believe that she was blessed amongst women and that she does hold an audience with our Lord and Savior. While I don’t see it as a requirement for salvation to pray to Mary, I don’t think asking her to pray to the Lord is offensive to Jesus or His covenant with man.
I know you are a very busy man and I understand if you can’t respond, but I am curious as to your thoughts on this. Your reply is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.
Your brother in Christ.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi xxxxxxIf you read my articles you should know that I was brought up in Roman Catholicism, so I am quite familiar with the arguments.
To answer your questions. Jesus honored his mother because of the fifth commandment but when Jesus said His time had not yet come, He was referring to publicly being revealed as the Messiah. By the way, there is nothing said that his mother insisted on Him do anything. Mary knew from experience that He would honor her and do something about the wine shortage situation. She did not know that He was going to perform a miracle.After the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus He only did what the Father told him to do. In fact, He rebuked his mothers and his brothers that thought that Jesus lost His mind. Jesus clearly said those that do the will of my Father are my mother, my brothers, and sisters. Thus, he was putting all believers ahead of natural family relationships.
During His earthly ministry, Jesus often did things that people requested of Him, if they asked in faith and it was to glorify the Father. So am I to assume by your argument that everyone that Jesus did something for is now in His presence interceding on our behalf?
There is no need for human or spiritual intercession because the scriptures says that there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1Th 2:5). Scripture also is clear that when He died and shed His blood for us that the veil was torn and the way into the Holy Place was now made open to all believers so that we could approach the Father ourselves (Heb 10 18-20). Thus, we can go directly to the Father with our requests and if Satan accuses us we before the Father we have a High Priest to intercede for us. That high priest is Jesus not Mary.
Another point is that you are assuming that Mary is already in a position of honor in heaven before the honors have even been given out. I want to remind you that the judgment seat of Christ where awards and authority based on what Christians did in their body, good or bad, has not taken place yet, and will not take place until the Church is completed. Therefore, Mary is under the altar like all believers awaiting this time of all Christians appearing before Jesus for their just rewards or taking away of rewards. I am sure Mary will be honored among women, but we are not there yet. We can judge no one before the time because we cannot know their heart.
Mary did have sin in her life like everyone else. It is even recorded that she offered a sin offering in the Temple. Mary will be rewarded by what she did in the flesh through trusting in God like all believers. To assume that Mary is now interceding on our behalf to Jesus in Heaven has no scriptural foundation.
Your four points completely miss the point.
1. Satan was trying to get Jesus to live like God, rather that as a man that was in submission to the will of the Father. Of course Jesus would not fall for that deception. So the reason why Jesus did not obey the Devil should be obvious.
2. Jesus did not raise Lazaurs up until he was dead four days because it was done to prove that He had been given the power over life and death when he called Lazarus out of the grave. If He had come sooner they would not have realized that. The passage makes that clear. So Jesus did not obey His friends request because the Father had a higher purpose for the death of Lazarus.
3. Jesus did not intervene for Martha because Mary was actually doing all that was required. She was sitting at the feast of Jesus hanging on His every word. You're assuming that working like Martha was more important, but actually Mary had it right. Jesus had no need for all of Martha's good efforts. He could have just created what was needed. So Jesus did not obey Martha because Mary was in God's will and Martha was out of God's will to even complain.
4. Your several other examples would get like answers. Jesus did only what the Father told Him during His ministry on earth.
On the other hand, He obeyed his mother because it was in His Fathers will to do that miracle so that the disciples with him would see and believe.
It does not really matter what you believe is right, if it is wrong. The scripture teaches nothing about praying to Mary or the Saints. This puts an idol before God, which is forbidden. I am sure you are aware where this leads. Many Catholics are getting into mysticism and a false gospel because of this evil. The message coming from the Marian apparitions are a gospel of self-effort and replacing the only High Priest with a spirit that is nothing but a lying spirit of deception. The message is a false gospel of works. Many Catholics are replacing Jesus with some unbiblical concept of Mary that is really the Queen of Heaven demon condemned in the Old Testament.
If that is not enough, the deception that is coming through Mary worship with this idol worship is very likely what leads the world religions to unite and become the Harlot woman on the Beast in Revelation 17.
I suggest that you read. "Mary Queen of Peace", by Roger Oakland and then get the book called "Queen of All". You can find this at this link. http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c51.shtml
*As a post email note, I would like to add that I do not know why anyone would try to sway me to believe in religious practices that do not have a bit of support in the Bible.