Mary

No Catholic alive believes that there is any intercessor before God for our sins except Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection is the focal point of our worship service.

I never said that, but when you pray for someone else you are indeed acting as a mediator. You are thinking that the other guy's prayer is somehow going to help, so asking Joe from church or a saint in heaven, both of whom are alive in Christ is one and the same to me. So stop trying to nitpick between the two. Just go to God yourself and leave Joe out of it.

 

It certainly is not from the Catholic Catechism that you are apparently slave to.

It comes from many years of exercising my "Right To Private Judgement", a huge protest from the Reformation of the tyranny of Rome.

27 And as for you, the anointing which ye received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any one teach you; but as his anointing teacheth you; concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, ye abide in him. 1 John 2

No. Mary was simply the vessel God used to bring His Son into this time realm.

 

I know and that is the difference in how we look at these things. To me an icon or a statue of Mary or some saint is merely a representation of the person, just like a picture of a loved one. Perhaps there is some good level that can be gotten to regarding this. Some look at Mother Mary as a mere footnote, a minor player in the whole thing, while others have raised her to too high a level.

 

Not at all. The Catechism is simply a book that expounds on everything the Catholic Church believes and teaches on everything from the Scriptures to things that that can occur in life from war to handling money. Their viewpoint is as valid as the teaching you receive from your pastor, elder or particular faith tradition. The Baptist Church could write their own catechism/manual expounding on it's belief's and practices.

She sure seems to get a lot of mention in the Scriptures for just being "a vessel". From Jesus's birth, throughout His ministry, and right up to His crucifixion she was there.

 

Leaving the gospel accounts (which even there she occupies little space), give 'all the mentions' of Mary in the doctrinal accounts of the epistles. Off the cuff, she's not even mentioned. In no way is she elevated to the position 'you people' have placed her.

 

• Luke 11:27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.
• Luke 11:28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

 

Oh I see, so the Mother of God Incarnate is just another "vessel" to be discarded and that she should be shown no great respect or elevation for her part in the salvation of all mankind. Your comment that "off the cuff she's not even mentioned" is not reflected in my bible, nor yours. Let's see, off the cuff she is mentioned in the birth narrative, presenting Jesus in the temple, finding Jesus after He was "lost", the first miracle narrative at Cana, in the upper room praying with the Apostles, and last but not least at the foot of the Cross. Not bad considering she was just a bit player according to you folks.

 

Forty days after the birth of Jesus, Mary had to present herself at the temple to be purified. She was not the mother of God, but the mother of Jesus. She had no part in our salvation, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection are the only means of salvation for those who put their trust in him. There is no salvation in any other.

• Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

 

Mary was the very same as all of us, a sinner, who needed Jesus to save her from her sins, and while there is much to commend about her, NOTHING indicates us venerate and borderline worship her as the RCC teaches!

 

You do not need the beads, as you have all spiritual blessings in Jesus.Period.

 

It was your faith in God, not the rosary.

HankD

 

The remedy is prayer to God, which is all the rosary is. You do pray yourself, don't you?

 

She played no part in the salvation of man. Having given birth the Christ does not equal playing a part. Should we also say the Roman soldiers who put Jesus on the cross played a part in the salvation of all mankind? Dishing out credit for this is wrongheaded and severely misguided.

 

Mary might have kept you from jumping if she were of any use as a savior. She is not, as you found out when your body discovered the ground and proved the reality of gravity.


Cast your deadly “doing” down—
Down at Jesus’ feet;
Stand in Him, in Him alone,
Gloriously complete.

- It is Finished (James Proctor)

 

Yes, to tha Father directly, in name of Jesus, who needs a middleman such as mary or saints?