Mary was indeed special, in that she was chosen by God to birth Jesus. But if that specialness of Mary translates into something of an extra-special, spiritual nature, then why does Jesus’ brother Jude, also birthed by Mary, always get such short shrift? One would think he would have inherited through Mary a little spiritual intercession power too. Yet nobody ever asks Jude for anything.
I ask as a skeptic, because I can’t fathom Mary being able to intercede on my behalf any more effectively than Jesus, the Father, or the Holy Spirit Himself. Nonetheless, my question is sincere. I’ve always been puzzled by people praying to Mary. Why not just go to the source — the Creator Himself? It is permissible, so why settle for second best?
What made her special? Was she just some random choice by God to be an incubator for our Lord? Mary is more than just special. It amazes me how anyone could be so cavalier about the enormity of her role and place in salvation history.
She is singular, unique in a way that no one before or since or forever will be. There is no comparing her to any prophet or saint as she is the only person to truly hold the living incarnate God within her own body as He became Man. And during that time, He did not cease to be God.
It is not that Mary is more effective or that prayer to Jesus directly is not sufficient. It is a matter of knowing that God has always used humanity to reveal Himself and as a conduit for His Word and His Grace and His covenants. So, in her and in the saints, we find God’s will perfected.
They are not dead humans, they are living, eternal souls always in the presence of God and unencumbered by human faults and the things of this world. In Revelations five and eight we learn of the incense in which the prayers of God’s people/saints are delivered to Him by His angels.
God’s people are all those who believe in Him and are written in the Book of Life. They are those who have come before us and those who are yet with us and those who are still to come.
Death does not separate us from God. It only separates our human bodies from our souls. So, those prayers offered to God are the prayers of ALL who are His, which includes Mary and the saints who, though no longer live in this world are very much alive with Him.
Their prayer, their intercession is no different than yours or mine except they are fully righteous in all ways and at all times because they have run the race and attained the place Jesus has prepared for them. He promised that He was going to prepare a place for each of us. Imagine the place of honor He must have prepared for His own mother!
And finally.....
Jude was not Jesus’ brother, his mother was Mary, the wife of Clophas and not Mary, the mother of Jesus. Scripture makes that clear. He is the patron saint of lost causes or desperate causes, so he is asked for his aid by many thousands of Catholics.