Why Don’t You honor Mary?

Most of us who are Catholics eventually get asked, “Why do you Catholics worship Mary?” More often than not the question is not a real question it is a rhetorical question. For a few of you who might not know what is meant by the expression “rhetorical question,” it refers to a “question” whose purpose is not to seek an answer, but, rather, to make a (usually hostile) point. For example the expression “Who do you think you are!?” is in the form of a question but it does not seek an answer. Instead it is meant as a rebuke. And so it usually is when we Catholics get asked the “question” Why do you worship Mary?” we’re usually aware that it is not a sincere question seeking a sincere answer. However, for those cases where an answer really is sought I might propose the following approach:

“Well, of course we don’t worship Mary since that would be a terrible sin. Worship belongs to God alone. We DO honor her though. Afterall, she is Jesus’ mother. But let me ask you a question. Why in your church, do you NOT honor Mary at all? Doesn’t scripture say Every generation will call [Mary] blessed because God who is mighty has done great things for [her]? (Luke 1:48-49) It seems to me that we Catholics are fulfilling scripture but that in your denomination you are not fulfilling or following it. So why don’t you honor her at all? Why don’t you call her blessed as the Bible says?”

Now stop there and wait for an answer. Don’t keep going. Just stop and wait. Have them answer for a change. We Catholics are always on the defensive, always in answer mode. But we ought to ask a few questions too. And try to avoid a merely rhetorical or hostile tone. Try to allow this question to be genuine, respectful, one meant to provoke thought. It is possible that many Protestants have never been asked this question or pondered an answer. Now it is also possible that your interlocutor will try to change the subject or evade an answer by piling on about Catholics but just repeat the question respectfully and ask for an answer. Remember your point is not to argue, be hostile or win an argument. Your point is to provoke thought and get a real answer. And even if the conversation ends badly or with no answer, you’ve planted a seed, a question that they will ponder even if they don’t admit it. Jesus often asked questions to proke thought and conversion. I will be doing a post on this next week.

A final thought on Mary. Another way to explain out devotion and love for Mary is that we are imitating Jesus. We love, honor, respect and entrust ourselves to her care because Jesus did all these things and we want to be just like Jesus. Consider that the very Son of God, dwelled in Mary’s womb, nursed at her breasts, was held in her arms, sat on her lap and entrusted himself to her care. Our Lord could have chosen to enter our world in other ways. Perhaps He could simply have entered the world as a full grown man. The fact is that He freely chose Mary to be his mother and he was truly her Son. As her son he loved and honored her as any good son must and as her son he entrusted himself to her care. All of this serves to highlight Mary’s dignity and to show us how devotion to her is in perfect imitation of Jesus himself.

What more need we say: Jesus our Lord and God honors and loves Mary, and his very scriptures sing her praises; so too His Angel Gabriel and countless saints. When we honor Mary we imitate the very Son of God and fulfill Holy Scripture. Certainly our Lord is pleased that we love and honor his mother.

Here’s a little viseo I recently put together. The Music is from the Daughters of St Paul, “I Am Thine” from the Handmaiden of the Lord Album:

to try a Hail Mary every once in a while [remember it's from the Bible],

Gabriel met Mary in greeting and told her of what God would do through her.

I don't see any reason to believe that all believers should repeat Gabriel's words which were to inform Mary of what would take place. And contrary to what you say...the other verse is not from the Bible.

The bulk of non-Catholic Christians on Free Republic belittle her unceasingly

No, I can see you are promoting a falsehood. True...many people on FR do not buy into your false beliefs about Mary because they contradict biblical doctrines of Christ. However, not agreeing with you doesn't equate to belittling Mary. Almost every Protestant considers her a saint.

If the belittlement is unceasing as you say please provide examples of posters belittling Mary.

Your standard on religious issues should be God's Word...not on politicians who are only men and prone to error no matter how bright they are.
Are you negativizing Jindal? Grr.

Both my husband and I feel that if Jindal (or a Catholic similar to him) doesn't get into the White House next election (provided we have one), then we can pretty much prepare for the End Times, not that we shouldn't be trying to avoid that right now by praying like monks for conversion.

The reason we feel that way is because we need a smart guy at the helm who also receives Jesus in the Eucharist, because there's not much chance a good man (not even a good Christian man) could fight the evil that's been built up over the years at the White House, without first being fed by the Eucharist. Holy Scripture alone won't do it. It's time for a showdown between good and evil. Jesus and the devil.

So, yeah, if Jindal went to Mary and recited her aves (when he was at witts end), more power to him. It's encouraging. Does his wife benefit from the respect he has shown to Our Lady of the Eucharist? I bet she does.
The flesh that was to be crucified, raised up in glory by the Father, the flesh that He gave us at the Last Supper and gives us sacramentally in the Eucharist is the flesh that He received from the Virgin Mary. Whether we think of the masterful composition by Mozart or the haunting Gregorian melody, the ancient Latin text is Ave Verum Corpus, natum de Maria Virgine and the antiphon translated is "Hail true Body, born of Mary the Virgin" and so it is! She is the Mother of the Eucharist, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament!

Devotion to Our Lady leads to her Son especially in the Eucharist. The devotion and practice of exposing the consecrated host in a monstrance, a vessel designed to "show" (Lt. monstrare) it. Benediction and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament almost disappeared after Vatican II, so taken were the liturgists with the meal aspect of the Eucharist. This holy meal is also a Sacrifice representing that of the Cross and it is the Lord who is truly present as giving Himself to the Father on our behalf. St. Augustine says not only do we not sin in adoring, but we would sin if we did not! --Fr. Giles Dimock, O.P.
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