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Tim,
Catholics can and do pray to St.
John the Baptist, but we say Hail
Mary, full of grace . . . because
we are imitating the angel Gabriel
at one of the most important moments
in the history of creation, the Annunciation
of the Incarnation: God becoming
Man.
Mary, being the mother of God Incarnate,
has an irreplaceable role in Jesus'
life, as well as in ours, by virtue
of being members of Christ's Body
enshrining His Spirit. A mother is
the mother of her whole child, not
just His Head. Mary showed her motherly
intercessory power before Christ,
her Son, in the Gospel of John, Chapter
2:1-10; and she has served as our
mother and intercessor ever since.
So the Hail Mary prayer is simply
a combination of the angel's greeting
and Elizabeth's greeting found in
Luke 1:42, coupled with a petition
for her motherly intercession.
At the same time, feel free to pray
to John the Baptist or any of the
other saints in Heaven.
Paul
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