Worshipping Mary

An experienced trial attorney will never ask a question that he doesn't already know the answer.  I know that.  I also learned today that sometimes the responder doesn't know what you know.  What am I talking about?

A few days ago, I posted about my R.C.I.A. class.  I planned on introducing Mary.  I did this.  The catechumenate said that they had heard that Catholics worshiped Mary.  I told them that we don't.  I was surprised when I asked them since they have been attending Mass, and are friends with some Catholics, do they, themselves, think we worship Mary, and they said, "yes."  Some added, "Well maybe," "It looks like that."

I tried to explain that we worship God, and honor Mary, and why we honor Mary.  They didn't see much difference in the meanings of worship/honor/reverence.  Once we agreed on the differentiations between worship and honor, they could see the difference between the way Catholics think and pray to God and Mary.

But the devil intervened.  Francisco walked in.  Francisco teaches R.C.I.A. to the Spanish class.  I asked my confrere, "Francisco, do you worship Mary?"

Immediately, Francisco responded, "Si."

My jaw hit the floor.

Francisco could tell by my expression that he gave the wrong answer.  But he didn't know why.  I explained, "No we honor Mary and we worship God."  He said "yes."  That was what he meant.  Francisco's problem was that his first language is Spanish and these particular words: honor, revere, worship, and devotion, have different nuances to them that English doesn't convey.

For example, Francisco objected to the expression, "having a great devotion to Mary," because in Spanish, devotion is a word connected to God, alone.  In English, people can be devoted to people and animals and even ideas.

I don't know if the catechumenate understood this Marian concept, but I know that I learned why non-Catholics think that Catholics worship Mary.  

A bald-faced Lie

Telling you that Catholics worship statues, is definitely a lie.  I was quoted Exodus 20: 4-5.  This is where Moses was given the command not to carve any graven image as an idol and not to worship it.  But then God commands the carving of images in Exodus 25: 18-19.  There's also Moses having a serpent on a pole, in Numbers 21: 8-9. And in Kings the temple had engraved cherubim, trees, flowers, bronze lions, oxen, and even pomegranates.

See?  God explicitly commands graven images to be built.  The difference is that God isn't condemning the use of statues per se.  It's how you use the statue, e.i., inspiration, visual aid, etc.  Idolatry is condemned.  Using the statue as a picture of a loved one, a remembrance, etc., is not worshipping it.  Heck, I kneel beside my bed at night, to pray.  To say that I'm worshipping my bed, is a bald-faced lie.

Worshipping Mary--Not!

Yesterday's encounter with the ministers was still on my mind.  So I asked my RCIA candidates and catechumenate, what they thought of the ministers' refusal to engage in conversation with me.

Geeesh!  If I had said, "Look at the facial expressions of 'Little Bo Peep,' in these paintings.  What do you think?"  Would the ministers have reacted differently?

They can't even look at Mary?

Come on!

Sigh......

Well, the RCIA candidates who were Protestants, and the one Buddhist, said that "Mary" was the issue.  If I had said the woman was Little Bo Peep, the ministers would have responded differently.  Mary is the problem.

Sad, very sad.

One of the candidates is a former Protestant who has some sort of mystical relationship with Mary.  In fact, he said that Mary told him to go to the Catholic Church.  He seems normal; he's your average guy; until you bring up the subject of Mary.  He wears a rosary around his neck and also, another rosary is wrapped around his wrist and somehow his middle finger back down to his wrist.  He constantly prays the rosary--all day.

Yet, he seems like the average guy.  He told me that the ministers won't even entertain thoughts of Mary.  They dismiss even thinking about her, like a Christian should dismiss evil thoughts.

I said to him, "You do know that Catholics don't worship Mary?"
Everyone answered in agreement, except for him.  He insisted that Mary was right up there with the Trinity because there would be no Son if it weren't for her.

While that's true, there's only one God and that's who Catholics worship.    Mary is reverenced, greatly, but not worshiped!  I couldn't get him to agree to that.  I kind of think he wants to be Catholic because he loves Mary so much, he wants to worship her.  As a Protestant he was taught that Catholics worship Mary, and that's the reason he wants to join the Catholic Church.  Lord help me explain to him that it's only You Who is God.

Finally, I told him to pray about it.  He must continue reading and praying for understanding and wisdom.  Me too!  I need to find a way to tell this man that Mary is not equal to God.  Catholics do not worship Mary.