Ask a Catholic: Why do Catholics ‘pray’ to Mary?

Question: Our teenager wants to pray to Mary and wear a necklace with her image. As Protestant Christians, we’re unsure — how can we explain why Catholics pray to Mary?

By Mark Griswold | FāVS News Columnist

The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. 

As a former evangelical who converted to Catholicism a few years ago, I understand why some may be confused by Catholics’ Marian Devotion. Why pray to Mary when we can go right to Jesus? 

First, the cheeky bumper sticker answer: “You ask your own mother to pray for you but not the Mother of God?”

It’s cheeky, I know, but I did see it on a bumper sticker and thought it was actually a pretty succinct response. No Christians I know have a problem asking other people to pray for them. Even a lot of agnostics I’ve spoken with, when going through a hard time, appreciate prayer. It can’t hurt, right?

I think a lot of the confusion comes from the misconception that when Catholics “pray” to Mary, we’re thinking that she’s the one who will actually fulfill the prayer. We don’t believe that. 

What we believe is that she, as the Theotokos, the “God-bearer,” and also the only person to ever live free from sin — which, to quickly address that misconception, that doesn’t mean she didn’t need Christ’s salvation, it just means He saved her in a unique way from the moment of her immaculate conception since God exists outside time — holds a unique relationship with God. 

Yes, God hears all our prayers and he loves us all abundantly, but some of us hold a special place because we are able to return his love that much more. King David comes to mind as “a man after God’s own heart” so imagine, as much as he sinned, how much more a woman after God’s own heart Mary might be! And, as James 5:16 states, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Catholics believe that Mary is the Queen of Heaven

There are plenty of Biblical references to Mary as Queen of Heaven as well. St. Augustine said that in the New Testament the Old is revealed and in the Old the New is concealed. A lot of the Old Testament stories are pretty obvious to even the most rudimentary Christians. Isaac being taken to sacrifice was a foreshadowing of Christ. David was the king of Israel and had 12 ministers as Christ is the king and had twelve apostles. The list goes on. 

What many people don’t realize, and I didn’t until becoming Catholic, is that Mary is hidden in the Old Testament as well. When we look at many of the kings of ancient Israel, we see they often had many wives (Solomon having the most). So who was the queen? She wasn’t the wife of the king but the mother. Likewise, Mary, as mother of Christ, is the Queen of Heaven. 

The foreshadowing I like the most, though, is the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark carried the Word written on stone. Mary, as the New Ark, carried the Word made flesh.

One of the strongest indications for Catholics that she is our heavenly mother, came as Christ uttered some of his final words, looking down on her and the only disciple who remained at the foot of the cross. “Woman, behold your son!” Then, to John the Beloved, “Behold, your mother!” While Christ was speaking to John and Mary as individuals, as is the case throughout John’s Gospel, it’s symbolic of much more.

Mary features in the Book of Revelation

She is also mentioned, although not explicitly, in parts of Revelation.

Some believe their Marian devotion means Mary mediates their prayers, which is exactly right. The Vatican recently came out with a Doctrinal Note addressing the term of co-redemptrix. As I stated in a previous FAVS article, the reason some Catholics call her a co-redemptrix is that she, above anyone else in history, plays an especially important role in our salvation. 

Could God have carried out his salvation plan without Mary? Certainly. He’s God. He can overcome all obstacles. But he didn’t need to. Mary said yes and in doing so, played an important part in our salvation. Just as we as individuals take part in his salvific plan any time we share the gospel with our neighbor.

Mary’s femininity as part of the Divine’s wholeness

Others who pray to Mary identify her femininity with God’s wholeness in both man and woman.

Personally, while my Marian devotion is not as great as many Catholics, I do like the idea of it and pray that I may be drawn closer to her and to God through that devotion. For me, and I think for a lot of people, praying to God the Father seems daunting. We can’t really picture him and if we do, he’s some guy with a big white beard sitting on a cloud. Definitely intimidating in some sense. 

Christ is somewhat easier since he is God who becomes man. He’s a little more relatable. Still, he was perfect and fully God, so even praying to him can seem daunting. Mary takes it down a notch. She was fully human yet remained faithful to God throughout her life. I think, too, the “softness” of women helps in that mediation. 

As another bumper sticker says, “Dad said no? Go ask mom.” Like the earlier bumper sticker, more humor than actual theology, but there’s a bit of truth in it. After all, her intercession at the wedding at Cana preceded Christ’s first miracle.

Tradition behind wearing Mary medals

As to Marian medals (pendants), the tradition goes back to the Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431 where the title of Theotokos was affirmed. Marian devotion expanded during medieval times and again during the Renaissance. 

The real explosion came in 1830 with what is known as the “Miraculous Medal.” According to tradition, Saint Catherine Labouré, a Parisian nun, was visited by Mary who asked her to have the medal minted. Almost immediately, conversions began happening. Similar conversions happen after Marian apparitions, like Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Marian medals and other sacramentals like scapulars or even crosses that many Protestants wear, are not lucky charms, but reminders of grace and prayer and in a secular world so intent on gaining our attention through secular things, anything that brings us closer to God, be it directly or through a saint or “the blessed mother,” is a win.

While I don’t believe in universal salvation, I do believe that a lot of us will be surprised by who we meet in Heaven and that God’s redemption and saving grace is capable of going beyond any box we have constructed for him, be it an evangelical or Catholic Church. 

Of course, I believe the truest (but far from flawless) form is the Catholic Church or I wouldn’t have converted, but I wish all seekers Godspeed. I find most “disagreement” between Protestants and Catholics comes from misconception, not true disagreement.

And for further reading, I’d recommend “Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God” by Scott Hahn (a Presbyterian convert) and “Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary: Unveiling the Mother of the Messiah” by Brant Pitre.

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