Our gaze is directed toward you in great fear, to you do we turn with ever-more insistent faith in these times marked by many uncertainties and fears for the present and future of our planet. Together we lift our confident and sorrowful petition to you, the first fruit of humanity redeemed by Christ, finally freed from the slavery of evil and sin: hear the cry of the pain of victims of war and so many forms of violence that bloody the earth. Clear away the darkness of sorrow and worry, of hate and vengeance. Open up our minds and hearts to faith and forgiveness!” —Pope John Paul II
O crystal fountain of faith, bathe our minds with the eternal truths! O fragrant Lily of all holiness, captivate our hearts with your heavenly perfume! O Conqueress of evil and death, [She conquered evil and death?]inspire in us a deep horror of sin, which makes the soul detestable to God and a slave of hell!
O well-beloved of God, hear the ardent cry which rises up from every heart. Bend tenderly over our aching wounds. Convert the wicked,[She converts the wicked, not the Holy Spirit?] dry the tears of the afflicted and oppressed, comfort the poor and humble, quench hatreds, sweeten harshness, safeguard the flower of purity in youth, protect the holy Church, make all men feel the attraction of Christian goodness. In your name, resounding harmoniously in heaven, may they recognize that they are brothers, and that the nations are members of one family, upon which may there shine forth the sun of a universal and sincere peace.
Receive, O most sweet Mother, our humble supplications, and above all obtain for us that, one day, happy with you, we may repeat before your throne that hymn which today is sung on earth around your altars: You are all-beautiful, O Mary! You are the glory, you are the joy, you are the honor of our people! Amen.
Prayer of Pope Pius XII
In Honor of the Immaculate Conception
http://catholicism.about.com/od/tothevirginmary/qt/Honor_Immacula.htm
Those prayers tell us that Mary is much more then a mediator and the people who pray prayers like that are indeed relying on Mary and not Jesus.
While I do not doubt that many think as MD does, it obviously does not go for everyone.
Prayers like that go way over the line in regards to merely asking the person to pray for us.
And that is the problem that I see with many of the prayers to Mary and saints that can be found on the internet and even on the backs of those cards distributed at funerals, for example. To many of them are not prayers just to ask for them to pray for people, but prayers making actual requests OF the saint or Mary for the departed saint to actually DO something for the petitioner.
It’s a privilege to pray for others. By praying to saints instead of asking fellow living here on earth human beings to pray robs fellow living human beings of the chance to participate in God’s work here on earth. The dead in Christ are done with what God had for them to do. It’s our turn now and it’s one way to participate in His work here on earth. He doesn’t need us obviously, but allows us that participation in His work.
How gracious of Him.