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
|