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Do not play semantically games. >Catholics pray to Mary and the saints. Anyone imploring someone in Heaven by favors would be called praying.

So you admit Mary is in heaven, interesting. And that is what troubles you, for if you asked someone in your Protestant church to pray for you, you would be comfortable. I see where you're coming from. You just would be uncomfortable asking Lazarus, Martha, Mary the sister of Lazarus and Martha, or Mary the mother of God with us, to pray for your genuine needs. I get that. because Catholics really believe that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are real, and that Mary and the saints are real, and in a spiritual communion and unity through the Holy Spirit .. And so forth and so one, but which is rationalization that ignore the utter absence of even one example of anyone praying/making supplication in Heaven to Mary or anyone else, much less to a crowned, enthroned Queen of Heaven. the only text in heaven that comes to mind, and without any prayer but full of majesty, is And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And which means you come up empty.

Why herein is a marvelous thing, I don't feel empty at all. I'm inspired by what Mary said and did.

Meanwhile, is this the official interpretation of your church, so that the notes (in part) in your NAB Bible cannot be correct? The woman adorned with the sun, the moon, and the stars (images taken from ⇒ Genesis 37:9-10) symbolizes God's people in the Old and the New Testament. The Israel of old gave birth to the Messiah (⇒ Rev 12:5) and then became the new Israel, the church, which suffers persecution by the dragon (⇒ Rev 12:6, ⇒ 13-17); cf ⇒ Isaiah 50:1; ⇒ 66:7; ⇒ Jeremiah 50:12.; http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0839/__P12V.HTM#$54O

I don't presume to speak for the Catholic Church as to whether or not there is an official interpretation of Revelation 12 in particular. I do know that Miriam is the Virgin of Israel, foretold by the prophets, a chosen vessel of God, of whom the world is not worthy; I know she is Israel, the very Israel of God and she brought forth the man child who is the Messiah, who will rule all nations. There is nothing anyone can say or do to separate her from Messiah or her from his holy catholic apostolic church. There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.

So you admit Mary is in heaven, interesting. And that is what troubles you, for if you asked someone in your Protestant church to pray for you, you would be comfortable.

Catholics commonly pray to both angels and departed saints in Heaven, yet in all of Scripture with its over 200 prayers the Holy Spirit does not provide even one single prayer or offering from a soul on earth to a created being in Heaven — except by pagans (1Kg. 18:26; Jer. 44:17-19), nor does it teach souls to address anyone else in prayer to Heaven but the Lord.

And instead, Christ is set forth by the Holy Spirit as the only mediator between man and God, between the earthly and heavenly realm, (1Tim. 2:5) and who is the only mediator that we are exhorted to called upon, (Rm. 10:13; 1Cor. 1:2) as the only intercessor who is said to ever live to make intercession for us, (Heb. 7:25) as the uniquely qualified high priest who is uniquely declared to be able to “be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15) “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18)

The Lord did not teach us to pray saying, “Our Mother who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name,” but “Our Father...” (Mt. 6:9) The Holy Spirit does not cry “Mama, mama,” but Abba, Father, (Gal. 4:6) Paul did not say that “I bow my knees unto the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ” but “the Father...” (Eph. 3:14)

The complete conspicuous absence of any positive examples for what is a common practice of Catholics is enough to disallow as being doctrine, in addition to the contrary teaching in what believers are exampled as doing and taught to do.

Lacking actual Scriptural support, RCs must resort to specious extrapolation from Scripture in seeking to support prayer to departed saints (PTDS) and angels. More here .

Time for bed.