The Blessed Virgin Mary is a poignant figure in Catholicism more than in the Protestant churches.
Again, there is a misconception that we worship Mary. (It's a common thing for protestants to make the accusation that we worship everything except God alone. (I don't know if it's their way to besmirch the Catholic faith, or if they truly believe this due to a lack of understanding. I hope it is the latter.)
We do not worship Mary. Blessed Mary does not desire worship, she knows that all worship belongs to God. Her sole desire is that God's children come to know and love her Son as much as she loves him.
We consider Mary as the Queen of angels and saints. She is the Saint above all saints. She is special to us because she is our greatest intercessor.
If you look at the blog "Praying to Saints" a few posts back... Just like we ask Saints in heaven to pray for us... we turn to our Holy Mother in times of need for her intercessions. For her to turn her merciful and loving eyes towards her Son, and to pray on our behalf.
Mary is very special for many reasons.
1. We were all born with the original sin caused by Adam and Eve's eviction from Eden. That is why we are baptized, to cleanse us of that original sin and reaffirm that we belong to God and follow his commandments.
Mary was hand picked by God to bare our savior Jesus Christ. Many people mistake the term "immaculate conception" with Mary conceiving Christ through the Holy Spirit as a virgin, however... the immaculate conception is actually about Mary's birth. God washed the blessed virgin clean of original sin before placing her within her mother's womb. So the immaculate conception was St. Anne giving birth to a child with no sin who would later become mother to Christ.
2. When the Angel Gabriel came to her during the enunciation - he called her "Full of Grace". And told her she had found favor with God. To say one is full of Grace is quite a big sentiment. Even Mary was taken a-back by the greeting.
3. She of course willingly and without concern for her life, accepted God's will unwaveringly. Her life was at risk being pregnant before she was wed, and she knew she would live to see the death of her beloved child, yet she willingly accepted it all for love of and faith in God.
4. God is our Father, Christ calls us his brothers and sisters. Since God chose Mary to be the mother of God the Son... If Christ is our Savior and brother, and God is our Father - does that not Make Mary our mother?
5. Mary was assumed into heaven. It is not said if she was assumed into heaven before death, or after she had passed... however she was assumed into heaven body and soul. She was not allowed to wither and decay in a hole in the ground here on earth. Her body and soul are alive in Heaven seated by her son. God assuming someone, body and soul into heaven, makes them special indeed. (Granted, Mary's assumption is a Catholic notion)
We are called in the commandments to honor our parents. To say Mary is not important and worthy of being honored as any mother should be, would be an insult to our savior, for this is the mother whom he loved. And if Christ is our brother, then she is our spiritual mother and denying her honor would be breaking the commandment.
She bore our savior, she who was born without original sin by God's intervention, she who was assumed into heaven body and soul. Christ would call us to show her the same respect we show our own parents, since she is our spiritual mother.
As is said on the site Catholic Online:
"The Church has never claimed or taught that Mary is on an equal level with God. But, nonetheless, because we are her spiritual children, she looks tenderly on us and after us with a love so profound that we are moved to plead, "Oh Blessed Mother, pray for us, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."
So we ask her to lovingly watch over us, and pray on our behalf to her most beloved son, Our savior Jesus. She is not a goddess to be worshiped, she is the blessed mother of all God's children, who loves us and wants us to be closer to her son, our savior, and to God the Father.
if you look at the Hail Mary, "Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with you" (That is what Arch Angel Gabriel said to her) "Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus" (Again, she was blessed. Hand picked by God, who intervened to free her from original sin.) "Holy Mary, Mother of God, PRAY for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death."
Nowhere in that prayer do we worship Mary, or say "your will be done" as we say to God in the Lord's prayer. We merely ask her to pray for us.
O Clement, O loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary - PRAY for us oh Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
A Catholic's relationship with Mary is not a relationship of worship, it is not the same relationship we have for God... it is a very sweet, and loving relationship as the relationship you'd have with your parents, only more intimate because she is the mother of Christ, and carries our intercessions to him.
Mary's only wish is that we maintain our relationship with God, through her son, our Lord Jesus Christ... for Jesus himself said that no one goes to the Father, but through him. (John 14:6)
All Glory and Honor belongs to God alone. No Saint, not even the Mother of God, seeks worship. They only want to help us join in the throngs of praise and love for our God.
::QUESTION FROM A GUEST::
"Can you please explain about the assumption? I was raised in a Baptist family. Honestly I'm not really any religion now. I just believe in God. I like the idea of Mary, but my pastor taught us Mary is dead like all the saints awaiting to go into heaven."
The Assumption is a complicated question... but this site wonderfully explains it: CATHOILC ANSWERS
-God Bless-
I Say Amen
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