I saw from Peggy Younes' Facebook wall that she posted something against Catholicism which she plagiarized from this website: Bible.org. Note that my comments will be in black while Peggy's source will be in red. Actually, Peggy is not alone in giving ill-notions against the Church, especially if the topic is about Mary as the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen stated, "There are not a thousand people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church, there are millions however who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church"
I pray that Peggy's heart is moved by the Holy Spirit in order for her to turn back to the Church in which she is apostasized. Also, we need to bear in mind that loving Mary does not mean lowering Christ as Atty. Marwil Llasos, a Catholic lay apologist stated.
Jesus Himself honored Mary. We honor her in imitation of Christ as Dr. Scott Hahn said
While all Catholics do not necessarily worship Mary, the fact that many pray to Mary (which is an act of worship and no where justified in Scripture) and give her titles which resemble those given to Jesus Christ including the idea of mediatorship, this question and others related to Mary have been included under this heading.
Peggy, praying doesn't necessarily mean worship. Have you read in the Scriptures that there were persons who were prayed to, but they are not God? Take for example these Biblical situations:
Exodus 8:8-9, Pharaoh asked Moses to pray for him. Moses is not God. He could have said, "No! Go to the LORD God of Israel". But he didn't. He accepted his prayer request
Job 42:8-9, Eliphaz and his two friends asked Job to pray for them so they will be forgiven. Did Job said, "No! Go to God"? NO! He accepted their plea to pray for them
1 Timothy 2:1, Paul says we need to pray for all people. Does this mean it is already worship and therefore, we are also God? This is a very illogical reasoning.
These are only some Biblical verses wherein it says prayer is not always worship. In Catholic teaching, there are 3 kinds of honor:
1. Latria (for the Triune God)
2. Hyperdulia (for the Blessed Virgin Mary)
3. Dulia (for the saints)
Besides, why go to your pastor to pray for you? Is your pastor God? Why ask others to pray for you?
As for Mediatorship, we don't deny that Jesus is the ONE MEDIATOR between God the Father and man (1 Timothy 2:5). But we as His Church, are ONE with Him and Jesus Himself promised that if we believe in Him, we will do what He did, even greater things like praying for our brothers and sisters (John 14:12). Catholic teaching on prayer does make sense. Also, in Mariology, we do not equate Mary to Christ, it shows the relationship that Mary has with her Son, Jesus Christ.
Though Mary was the mother of the humanity of Jesus, a miracle accomplished by the Holy Spirit, she was not the mother of God. As God, Christ is eternal and had no mother or beginning (see John 1:1f). In essence, worshipping Mary is a form of idolatry. In the New Testament, Mary is never mentioned in a way that exalts her as is done in Catholicism.
Peggy Younes, you have to read Luke 1:43 carefully and slowly. Elizabeth called Mary, the Mother of MY LORD (ADONAI in Hebrew) which is attributed to God alone. This means Mary carries in her womb the Word made flesh (John 1:14). I know Christ is eternal, Amen to that. But when He took flesh, He chose to be born of Mary through the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18). Don't separate the human nature of Jesus from the Divine nature of Jesus. The Theotokos is the application of the HYPOSTATIC UNION. Also, remember that mothers give birth to persons and not just natures. And about this statement that
"Mary is never mentioned in a way that exalts her as is done in Catholicism"
I think you go beyond what is written. The angel herself honored her. Look at what he said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28). And what Elizabeth said, "You are the most blessed of women and blessed is the fruit of your womb" (Luke 1:42). Mary said that all generations will call her blessed (Luke 1:48). The Bible doesn't point Mary as merely a Jewish girl who gave birth to the Christ and end of story. No, she was a special woman favored by God to give birth to the Christ (Luke 1:30). Now, I know you still have problems regarding Mary, but its OK, I understand you. I just pray that this statement of mine will help you go home to the Church Christ established in Matthew 16:18.
"Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28)
(1) The Bible says nothing about Mary ascending into heaven in some special way. She went to heaven as all do through faith in Christ as God’s Son who died for our sin, including hers.
I do not know if you understand what you are falsifying against the Catholic Church. We do not teach that Mary "ascended" into heaven as Jesus was in John 3:13, but rather, "assumed" as Enoch was in Genesis 5:24 and Elijah in 2 Kings 2:11-12. A little common sense will help you with that. BTW, Peggy, thank you for your sympathy on the Virgin Mary. I am starting to like you.
This is only simple elementary my dear, why do you find it hard?
(2) The conception of Jesus, was by the Holy Spirit as explained in Matthew 1:20 and Luke 1:35. Other than stating this was a miracle work of the Holy Spirit, we are given no details.
Yes, indeed, that is the Virgin birth that Isaiah is stating hundreds of years before Christ in Isaiah 7:14. Jesus' birth through Mary was of the Holy Spirit in Matthew 1:20. However, you didn't stated out that Mary played a role in the Incarnation when she said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).
3) In Luke 1:28, Mary is called “favored one” (literally, “endowed or filled with grace”) but only in the sense that God, by grace, chose her to be the human mother who would give birth to the Christ child. This same idea and word is used of all believers in Ephesians 1:6. We have all been endowed with grace. To say any more than this is to add to what the text of Scripture says.
I think we need to get a little Greek on this. The word "kecharitomene", means "full of grace" in Luke 1:28 and it was used on Mary alone. While "echaritosen" in Ephesians 1:6 also mean, "transformed by grace". However, Mary was filled with grace prior to the Passion of Jesus, while Christians were filled with grace after the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus. God bless on studying my statement and that of Atty. Mars. I pray this will open your eyes!
Peggy Younes plagiarized this article I posted against Mary without attributing it to the source (Source: Her Facebook wall pic)
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