[HarleyD]

You've posted the definition of venerate. What you've overlooked is the synonyms for venerate:

adoration
reverence
admiration
awe
devotion
esteem
honor
repayment
respect
vengeance
***worship***

From a randomly picked Catholic website:

To Jesus Through Mary

When Catholics pray to Mary they are not worshiping her, rather they are honoring her and asking for her intercession on their behalf — in fact, more than praying “to” her, we pray “with” Mary, asking her to pray with and for us. Do Catholics Worship Mary?

Putting aside the thesaurus for the moment and the fact that venerate and worship are synonyms, there is still a problem with venerating Mary. According to scripture there is only ONE intercessor and that is Jesus Christ.

1Ti_2:5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

So, no, one should not pray to Mary to ask Christ for our needs. We are told in scripture to go directly to the Son. Saul tried an intermediary and it didn't go very well for him.

And, btw, according to your definition:

1: respect or awe inspired by the dignity, wisdom, dedication, or talent of a person

Would you really pray to someone who fits these qualifications? Your father perhaps? Your mother? Ronald Reagan? Me? :O)

[narses]

I often have prayed at the request of others and they have when I ask. Your word warbling aside - and synonyms are NOT definitions - but you knew that, right - you are trying to claim that what we do as Catholics is what you claim we do. That is just ludicrous. BTW if that word is to big, try funny - as in stupid.