WE CATHOLICS DO NOT WORSHIP MARY. RATHER, WE HONOUR HER AS THE MOTHER OF GOD AND AS OUR HEAVENLY MOTHER. WHEN WE PRAY WE OFTEN ASK HER TO INTERCEED ON OUR BEHALF, AND TAKE OUR PRAYERS TO GOD.
MARY WAS A HUMAN BEING JUST LIKE US. BUT UNLIKE US, SHE WAS BORN WITHOUT THE STAIN OF ORIGINAL SIN (SHE WAS IMMACULATELY CONCEIVED). THIS WAS BECAUSE SHE WAS TO BE THE MOTHER OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, WHO COULD ONLY ENTER THE WOMB OF A WOMAN WHO WAS TOTALLY PURE AND FREE FROM ALL STAIN OF SIN.
MARY WAS COMPLETELY HOLY AND OBEDIENT TO GOD WITHOUT HESITATION. THE ANGEL GABRIEL CAME AND PROCLAIMED TO HER THE GOOD NEWS THAT SHE WAS TO BE THE MOTHER OF OUR SAVIOUR SAYING UNTO HER, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!"
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus......"
WITH GREAT HUMILITY AND WITHOUT HESITATION, MARY DID REPLY, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.".
UNLIKE EVE WHO WAS ALSO BORN WITHOUT ORIGINAL SIN BUT WHO LATER, OUT OF PRIDE, DISOBEYED GOD AND SINNED BY EATING THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT, MARY WAS SINLESS AND WAS FAITHFUL TO GOD THROUGHOUT HER LIFE. SHE SILENTLY AND FAITHFULLY BORE ALL HER SUFFERINGS, EVEN HAVING TO WITNESS HER ONLY SON SUFFER AND DIE A TERRIBLE DEATH ON THE CROSS. YET SHE WAS WITH HIM THROUGHOUT HIS PASSION AND DEATH AND HER LOVE AND PRESENCE AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS GAVE HIM THE STRENGTH TO FULFILL HIS REDEMPTIVE MISSION. (THUS SHE WAS CO-REDEMPTRIX WITH CHRIST).
AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS, JESUS SAID TO THE BELOVED APOSTLE (JOHN), "BEHOLD THY MOTHER". TO HIS MOTHER HE SPOKE AND SAID, "BEHOLD THY SON". IN DOING SO NOT ONLY DID HE MAKE MARY THE MOTHER OF JOHN, BUT RATHER, HE GAVE HER TO ALL OF US AS OUR BLESSED MOTHER.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHES US THAT, AT HER DEATH, MARY, BEING MOST PURE DID NOT EXPERIENCE DECAY. RATHER SHE WAS TAKEN UP BODY AND SOUL INTO HEAVEN. AS THE MOTHER OF GOD, SHE WAS THEN EXAULTED ABOVE ALL THE ANGELS AND CROWNED QUEEN OF HEAVEN AS IT IS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION 12:1 - "And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; "
THIS IS WHY THE CHURCH ASKS US TO HONOUR MARY. FOR SHE IS OUR HEAVENLY MOTHER. SHE CARES DEEPLY ABOUT US, AS A MOTHER CARES FOR HER CHILDREN, AND SHE LONGS TO LEAD EACH ONE OF US TOWARDS HER SON, OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. AS QUEEN OF HEAVEN SHE INTERCEEDS FOR US TO CHRIST. AND JESUS LISTENS TO HER JUST AS HE LISTENED TO HER AT THE WEDDING FEAST OF CANA, WHEN HE PERFORMED HIS FIRST MIRACLE, EVEN THOUGH HIS TIME HAD NOT YET COME.
THEREFORE WE MUST MAKE DAILY DEVOTIONS TO OUR BLESSED MOTHER. WE MUST HONOUR HER AND PRAY THE ROSARY EVERY DAY. FOR SHE LOVES US AND LEADS US STRAIGHT TO CHRIST.