Bringing you the "Good News" of Jesus Christ and His Church While PROMOTING CATHOLIC Apologetic Support groups loyal to the Holy Father and Church's magisterium
Home About
AskACatholic.com
What's New? Resources The Church Family Life Mass and
Adoration
Ask A Catholic
Knowledge base
AskACatholic Disclaimer
Search the
AskACatholic Database
Donate and
Support our work
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
New Questions
Cool Catholic Videos
About Saints
Disciplines and Practices for distinct Church seasons
Purgatory and Indulgences
About the Holy Mass
About Mary
back
Searching and Confused
Contemplating becoming a Catholic or Coming home
Homosexual and Gender Issues
Life, Dating, and Family
No Salvation Outside the Church
Sacred Scripture
non-Catholic Cults
Justification and Salvation
The Pope and Papacy
The Sacraments
Relationships and Marriage situations
Specific people, organizations and events
Doctrine and Teachings
Specific Practices
Church Internals
Church History

Emanuel Mota wrote:

Hi, guys —

  • How many times does the Bible speak about the Jesus' mother, Mary?
  • Where in the Bible does it say that Jesus is the only intercessor between us and God?
  • Why is there prayer for Mary?

Emanuel

  { Can you answer some biblical questions related to Mary and why you pray for her? }

Paul replied:

Dear Emanuel,

Catholics pray to Mary for a similar reason they pray to other saints. For their intercession.

It is similar to you asking your friend to pray for you before doing something important. It pleases God for the members of the body of Christ to pray for each other. It is by His design that we become secondary causes of each other's salvation by our:

  • prayers
  • works, and
  • sufferings.

Paul

Mike replied:

Hi, Emanuel —

You said:

  • How many times does the Bible speak about the Jesus' mother, Mary?

It depends on whether you are asking only for:

  • direct references or
  • direct and (indirect or symbolic) references.

Direct references are:

  • In the genealogy of Joseph
  • The angel Gabriel appearing to Mary at the Annunciation
  • The Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth
  • The Presentation in the Temple
  • The Wedding Feast at Cana
  • While he was teaching publicly
  • At the foot of the Cross

and probably many other places I've overlooked.

There are too many indirect or symbolic references to Mary to list, mainly in Revelation and the Old Testament. In the Old Testament Our Blessed Mother is seen as the Immaculate Ark of the Covenant that held the Law, the Ten Commandment, meaning Jesus.

You said:

  • Where in the Bible does it say that Jesus is the only intercessor between us and God?

5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus

1 Timothy 2:5

Of course, what is always omitted when discussing this verse are the preceding four verses:

1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

1 Timothy 2:1-4

So, like Mary, our intercession is, In Christ, because we make up part of His Body by Baptism.

You said:

  • Why is there prayer for Mary?

The way you worded your question shows a misperception about Mary.

Neither Jesus, nor Mary, nor any Heavenly Saint needs any prayer. They are one with God.

What would be a good question is:

  • Why do people pray to Mary?

The answer: The same reason you ask your friends to pray for you when you need help. Any friend of God's is a friend of mine . . . and should be a friend of yours that you can call on if needed.

We are on a physical and spiritual pilgrimage that gets extended after we pass from this earthly life. Unlike what a young questioner though, there is no fade to black when we die. Rather we go from a physical to an eternal, spiritual life with our bodies, either in Heaven with God or in Hell apart from him, by our own choosing.

Hope this helps,

Mike

Please report any and all typos or grammatical errors.
Suggestions for this web page and the web site can be sent to Mike Humphrey
© 2012 Panoramic Sites
The Early Church Fathers Church Fathers on the Primacy of Peter. The Early Church Fathers on the Catholic Church and the term Catholic. The Early Church Fathers on the importance of the Roman Catholic Church centered in Rome.