Should Christians Pray to Mary?

I have a lot to say, and I don’t want to waste your time or mine. Our attention spans can only take so much, so as always it is my goal to jam as much understandable information into as small a time frame as humanly possible.

Today we’re gonna be looking at one of the most controversial topics in all of Christianity.

It is the question of whether or not Christians should be praying to Mary. We’re going to be focusing on three areas of discussion. We’re going to see if the idea is Biblically founded, we’re going to look at real life miracles and determine their validity, and last, we’re going to examine the history, purpose, and power of the rosary.

Today’s video could be considered the second part of a video I made a few of months back about whether or not it’s okay for Christians to pray to the Saints. The arguments against praying to saints are similar to the arguments made against praying to Mary – that it is somehow necromancy or idolatry, or at the very least, it goes against what it says in John’s Gospel that Jesus is the only way to the father (John 14:6)

If you thought those who were opposed to praying to the saints were vociferous in their position, the opponents against praying to Mary are even more stubborn and foolhardy. And that is because – as we all know – Mary is the Saint of all Saints. So, in continuation of my previous video, the question must again be asked: Should we be praying to saints? And more importantly, should we be praying to Mary the Saint of all Saints?

First lets us look at the scriptural evidence…

The most cited passage that advocates of Marian devotion use to argue for their position – that praying to Mary is both Biblically-founded as well as value added – is found in the second chapter of John’s Gospel. It is at the wedding feast of Cana that Jesus does his first public miracle. A miracle, mind you, that only came about because Mary asked Jesus to do it.

We read: And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it….

Jesus then turns six jars of water into six jars of wine. And the governor of the feast celebrated the bridegroom and the passage concludes:

This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. (John 2:1-11).

I believe that the best way to prove the truth of something, is to address all the arguments against it head on. So, before I get into my exegesis of the passage, I want us to first listen to how an opponent to Marian-devotion would describe it. The following is a clip of John Macarthur, who is arguably the most mainstream vocal, or perhaps it’s better to say the most vocal mainstream anti catholic preacher in the country. Listen to how he interprets the passage, and on the other side I’ll explain why he’s completely wrong, point by point.

Ok we’re going to address every point that Macarthur makes, from the use of the word woman, to Jesus rebuking Mary by telling her “None of your business,” to him cutting off all ties to his mother.

First let us look at that word woman. As Macarthur says, “It’s like the southern ma’am.” Okay, so Jesus is respectful toward his mother? Not sure what the issue is?  Macarthur really seems to harp on it though. What is more, Macarthur points out that this isn’t the only time Jesus used this term for his mother. Jesus says it again when he’s on the cross. Jesus tells his mother (i.e. the “woman”) that John his disciple is now her son. So, Macarthur’s point is what? The Gospel of John has a perfect literary symmetry to it? That is, it begins with Jesus addressing Mary as woman, and then it ends with Jesus addressing Mary as woman. This word correspondence gives the gospel a sense of rhythm and balance. So, to see this poetic sensibility of John’s Gospel as being built upon a term used to denigrate Mary seems completely misguided. The term woman as well as the context in which it is used is teaching a much more valuable lesson. And I’m not talking about the obvious, that Mary being there for his first miracle, and then for him at the foot of the cross, shows just how pivotal she was in Jesus’s life.

The usage of the word “woman” at the wedding feast of Cana is merely a foreshadowing of its later usage at the cross. And that usage of the word was a way to give Mary a universal connection to us all. You see, for Jesus to call his mother “woman,” a term we might refer to her as (respectful, but lacking in familiarity), he bridges the gap of intimacy between us and her and in turn makes her a mother of us all. This literary inversion of terms seems to have gone over Macarthur’s head. 

Next Macarthur says that what Jesus is saying to Mary in the passage is tantamount to him saying, “None of your business.” What Jesus is actually saying is, “What have I to do with thee, mine hour is not yet come.” To me, this does not mean, “none of your business,” but rather, “I’m not yet ready to start my ministry.” I agree with Macarthur that there is a hint of reticence in Jesus to act, but that reticence is not a shunning of Mary (as Macarthur would want you to believe), but rather it’s more that Jesus is fearful (like he was in the garden of gethsemane), knowing that his ministry will ultimately lead to his death. What is more, Jesus’ reticence to act is important for another reason, and that is to show us what a perfect example of faith looks like via the actions of Mary. So certain that Jesus would do what she requested, she simply turned to the servants, and told them to do whatever he asked of them. In other words, she acted as if. Her faith was so strong, there was no doubt in her mind that Jesus would do what she asked of him {this in spite of appearances otherwise (i.e. Jesus’s apparent reticence to act)}. Because, remember, it’s like Jesus told us: faith as small as a mustard seed has the power to move a mountain. In this case her telling the servants to cooperate was the seed, and Jesus’ reticence to act was the mountain.

And the last point that Macarthur really hammers home is about Jesus somehow cutting off all ties to his mother. This is clearly wrong – evidenced by Macarthur himself when he brings up the fact that Mary was there at the beginning of Jesus’s earthly ministry as well as at the foot of the cross, at the end of his earthly ministry.

And if that weren’t enough, Macarthur also points out how she was there in the middle of her son’s ministry as well. Macarthur cites a story in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus’s family is at the door and Jesus claims that those who do his father’s will are his family. So, according to Macarthur, that somehow means that Jesus’s family is not his family anymore because of this? Once again, Macarthur is missing the point of the passage. Jesus is not cutting off ties with his mother, but rather he is attempting to demonstrate just how strong his relationship would be with us if we would do the will of the father. That is, Jesus will share a bond with you that’s as strong as the bond he shares with his mother, which is clearly a lot, evidenced by his actions at the Wedding of Cana.

Frankly, this whole debate seems ridiculous to me. Macarthur says that Jesus rebuked his mother, and his congregation snickers in mimicry of this derision. They all seem to be missing the larger, more obvious point. If Jesus did the miracle she asked of him (which he did) despite his apparent reticence to do so, wouldn’t that be the exact opposite of rebuking her. And moreover, wouldn’t it be all the more reason for us all to petition Mary to go to Jesus on our behalf. She clearly has a faith we can all admire, and through admiration and recognition of that faith, we find a path to Jesus, who is indeed the only way to God, in a way that would have otherwise been less accessible without Mary on our side.

Whenever we are dealing with the subject of Mary, and whether she should be prayed to or not. The anti-Marians come out in droves. I don’t understand this blind animosity (or at the very least complete ambivalence) to the mother of God. I would ask that you let the evidence be your guide. So far we’ve looked at the most cited passage of Marian advocates, and we saw how Protestant pastor John Macarthur twisted himself into a theological pretzel trying to find a way to make the passage about Jesus doing a miracle for someone just because his mother asked him to do it, into a passage where he somehow rebuked his mother and cut off all ties with her. (okay)

Before we begin the second part of this video, where we look at examples of Marian miracles, I want us to look at this clip of leading atheist New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman arguing in favor of evidence for Mary miracles against the Protestant Christian apologist Justin Bass who is arguing against them.  Yea you heard that right, the atheist is arguing for the miracle and the Christian is arguing against it. It is a very strange and interesting dynamic. You are about to see how deep the resistance to Mary is for many Protestants.

[Bart vs Justin clip]

Did you notice how deep the Marian animosity was? Justin Bass discovers that atheist Bart Ehrman would perhaps accept the truth of the resurrection and would basically submit that he is wrong in this debate (which may seem like an even bigger miracle to those who know Erhman) if the Mary miracles could be proven. But Bass so resistant to any kind of Marian devotion would rather lose his own argument, which is proving the resurrection to the one of the world’s leading skeptics, instead of giving Mary any credence at all. That’s how far some of our fellow “Christians” would go to, in order to reject the mother of God. It’s really quite twisted.

I want us now to look at some of these Marian miracles and see just how strong the evidence is. The three most famous miracles are Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Lourdes, and Our Lady of Fatima.

The first one, Our Lady of Guadalupe, is a miracle that took place in Mexico on December 12th 1531 Our Lady appeared to a poor farmer named Juan Diego and left an impression, as it were, not only on his cloak but on the entire world… fast forward half a millennium.

So we have this tilma, which is just a cloak made from cactus fibers, which would typically start coming apart after about three decades or so. Here we are now, five hundred years later, talking about this tilma that shows no signs of wear or degradation at all. Quite the opposite in fact. This thing has not only withstood the test of time, it has withstood many unnatural tests as well. That is, the tilma has survived candle smoke, acid attacks, and even explosives – explosives so strong, mind you, that the windows of neighboring buildings shattered as a result. Yet the Tilma, with Our Lady’s image on it (which was right in front of the explosion) went completely unscathed. Even the glass of the frame didn’t crack, let alone shatter.

This is already quite the miracle, and I’ve only just scratched the surface. I’ve only said why we still have this tilma, not why this tilma is so miraculous in the first place. After numerous scientific examinations, not a single trace of paint or any other manmade pigment – or sketch or design mark – can be found anywhere on the tilma. So the appearance of the image, like its existence at all, is absolutely incredible. But again I’m barely scratching the surface as to why this is all so miraculous.

Let us look at the image. First let’s start with the stars on Our Lady’s robe. It just so happens to be the exact constellation alignment in the sky at the time of Our Lady’s appearance to Juan Diego. What is more, the Corona (i.e. crown) constellation is on Our Lady’s Head, the Virgo (i.e. virgin) constellation is on her heart, and Leo the lion (i.e. Jesus the Lion of Judah) is on her womb.

The flowers on her dress are placed in the exact location of volcanos in Mexico. Taken together, Our Lady’s robe and dress, represent heaven and earth respectively. This coming together of division is also represented via the Sun and moon – the former shines behind our Lady’s back and the latter rests as a horned crescent beneath Our Lady’s feet.

Yet all of that is nothing compared to the miracle of Our Lady’s eyes…

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We could discuss all the miraculous aspects of Our Lady of Guadalupe for years. Nonetheless, there is one more incredible feature of the tilma that we must shine a light on, and that is, no matter what the temperature is around the cloak, the image of our Lady remains 98.6 degrees, just like any other healthy living human. The point, the presence of Our Lady is more than just a one-time occurrence, it is a miracle that is alive and ever present. Perhaps this is why, Guadalupe is the most visited sacred site for Christians in the world.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is only one of the amazing Marian miracles I want us to delve into. Another miracle I want to discuss is Our Lady of Lourdes. In 1858, Our Lady appeared to Bernadette Soubirous as she was gathering firewood with her sister and neighbor in a grotto in Lourdes, France. After more than a dozen appearances to others in the area, the local church authority confirmed all the miraculous claims and endorsed the Virgin mother’s special place of veneration in Lourdes. This, however, was just the beginning. The miraculous claims kept piling up. Less than two decades after Our Lady’s first appearance, Pope Pius IX granted Our Lady of Lourdes a decree of canonical coronation. To this day, Lourdes is one of the most visited Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world. Anywhere between 3 and 8 million people visit Lourdes every year, many of whom are looking for healing from the shrine’s flowing waters. Over 7000 miracles have occurred thus far, with seventy confirmed by church authorities and scientists.

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And the third Marian miracle I want us to look at is Our Lady of Fatima. It is a story of three children – Lucia and her two cousins – who claimed to see the Virgin Mother in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. The story is that Our Lady appeared to them on the 13th of May and told them that she would appear to them on that day for the next 5 months. Each time, she would reveal another secret. Prior to Our Lady’s last appearance on October 13th, word got out about her coming. People from everywhere showed up that day – believers, skeptics, journalists, clergy – were all eager to prove or disprove the (seemingly) impossible. Somewhere between 30,000 and 100,000 people witnessed the miracle that day. It has come to be known as the miracle of the Sun –

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So…

Our Lady of Guadalupe – is a miraculous tilma in Mexico that you can see for yourself. Our Lady of Lourdes and its healing waters is right there in France where you can visit and test the healing waters for yourself. And Our Lady of Fatima happened in the 20th Century and there are many people alive today who have spoken with witnesses to the event. The point I’m making is that the evidence is clear. When it comes to Marian miracles it’s no longer a matter of faith. It can all be tested for yourself. Perhaps this is why Bart Ehrman the historian is more likely to accept these miraculous claims of Mary than Justin Bass the Protestant.

My faith feels ironic at times. I am a very logical person: I draw informed conclusions by doing research and gathering evidence. And the more research I do, and the more I “test everything” as Paul writes in his first letter to the Thessalonians, I come to the clear conclusion that everything that is written about Jesus Christ in the Bible is true. With all the evidence, all the miracles, all the everything. It seems to be the most logical conclusion one can draw.

Add that to the inexplicable nature of consciousness, the precise laws of physics, and the undeniable importance of love – and all signs point to a creator exactly like the one described in the Bible. What I’m saying is, it is the non-believers who are the ones who seem illogical.

There’s this old adage that goes something like:

Atheists don’t believe in God and they also hate him.

This is funny to believers because it highlights two atheist stereotypes, not only that they are angry and make no sense, but lack of belief is not their problem, but rather, atheism, as they call it, is really just an ego-driven belief structure. It comes from the point of view that “no one is going to tell me how I’m going to live my life.” Atheism is just another name for pride; it is not unbelief. It only seems as such because both, unbelief and pride are a rejection of God. Most atheists only say they don’t believe in God; what they really don’t believe in is following His rules.

When I meet an atheist, I’m always tempted to ask them if they believe in demons? Or maybe ghosts? Or anything supernatural. You would be surprised how often the answer is yes.

And for those truer atheists (definitionally) who say “No, there’s no evidence for demons or ghosts.” My answer is: Okay, let’s talk about evidence…

I would invite them to research Ouija boards and then we can talk to me about the existence of demons and the supernatural…

[Insert Ouija board clip]

This brings us to part three of our discussion of Mary.

Part 3.

So, we have explored the scriptural basis for Marian devotion, we have just revealed the real-life historical power of such devotion via three verified miracles, and now I want us to look at how we can participate in Marian devotion and partake in miracles of our own.

In 1208, Saint Dominic had a vision of Our Lady, at which time she presented him with the rosary. The rosary began as a way for the laity to mimic the devotion of the monks. The monks would recite all 150 psalms daily, so likewise, the church community would pray 150 Hail Marys in fellowship and solidarity. This eventually evolved into the rosary we have today.

[The rosary is so much more than just a string of beads that represent what many might claim are just “vain repetitions” of prayer. The rosary is a tangible devotion to the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of his mother Mary. It is the Biblical drama unfolding in our hands, our hearts, and our minds simultaneously.]

But the Hail Mary is not even in the Bible, opponents of Marian devotion shout. Father Alar does a fantastic job explaining the scriptural foundation of the Hail Mary as well as providing such a brilliant and poetic answer as to why, the prayers are repeated as much as they are – they are just the background music to the biblical drama that is unfolding in our hands, our hearts, and our minds.

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So there’s a bit of rosary history for you… But why does it matter?

One might be tempted to say that as bad as Ouija boards are, that is how good the rosary is. Where the former summons demons, the latter opens up communication between us and the Most High God. Ouija boards harm and haunt, the rosary protects and heals. I know what some of you might be thinking. This is the kind of talk that makes people think that praying to Mary borders on necromancy or idolatry.  The way I’m saying it probably does makes it seem like that; but that’s only because I’m flawed not because praying to Mary is wrong. As I explained in my video about praying to the saints, there is a difference between worship and veneration. Only God is worshipped. Mary, and the other saints are venerated. Praying to Mary (or any of the saints) is not necromancy, because the saints are not dead, they are alive in Christ, as Paul says in 1st Corinthians. And it's also not idolatry, because I don’t believe this statue is actually God, or that these beads are “magical,” they are just devotional tools that help bring us closer to God. Which is the goal of all this, right?

Mary is a portal, an example, and an advocate for any believer who wants to take a more scenic route on the way to Christ.  Of course you can pray directly to Jesus, take the highway right to him; he is always the destination. But Mary is a road to Jesus that is special. She is a privileged place of encounter, according to Bishop Scott McCraig, because Mary is the ark of the new covenant.

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Mary, as the New Ark of the Covenant, is a privileged place of encounter with the Lord – like what the mercy seat represented on the original Ark of the Covenant. What is more, the idea of having the ark of the covenant at the front of your army as you march into battle, aligns with Marian devotion perfectly. Why do you think nuns wear a rosary on their hip? It’s the same reason a crusader knight wears a sword on his hip…

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You see, I had to bring up Ouija boards and the presence of demons in our world, even though I knew it it would give the necromancy claim of Marian opponents more credit than it would otherwise merit. Simply put, I had to bring up this idea of demons because it’s true. There is evil in the world – dark forces at work. As the Bible says, this world is ruled by Satan. Knowing that, we must remain vigilant against the enemy’s attack. The rosary is one of the ways, if not the best way, to defend ourselves against dark forces. Just listen to Father Calloway this amazing story about the miraculous power of the rosary to look evil directly in the face and win…

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The rosary is more than just some unexplainable point of interest in a true crime story.  The rosary’s power cannot be overstated. It’s responsible for new miracles every day.

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As Bishop McCraig said on Pints with Aquinas. Just pray it for yourself. I guarantee that if you pray the rosary with your intentions in the right place every day for a week, your life will start to change dramatically. You have very little to lose (about an hour and a half of your time), and you have everything to gain (a whole new outlook on the rest of your life).

There are countless miracle stories attributed to the rosary. As a matter of fact, the impact of the rosary on history cannot be overstated. The rosary has single-handedly stopped wars and even survived nuclear attack. What!? Yea, that’s right…

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CONCLUSION:

We’ve covered the scriptural basis for Marian devotion – the wedding feast of Cana, the basis for the Hail Mary, etc.

We’ve covered the indisputable evidence for the Marian miracles – Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Lourdes, and Our Lady of Fatima. All of which you can research for yourself.

We’ve covered the Rosary and the impact these five dozen beads have had on the world. It is a supernatural weapon that any of us can wield in the face of evil.

Mary has the power to change the timeline of God. Jesus said his hour had not yet come. In spite of that, he does what his mother asks. We know that God works on his own timetable, but perhaps, when Mary is speaking on our behalf, we don’t have to be such a long-suffering servant.

At the wedding feast of Cana, Mary says to the servants, whatever Jesus asks of you do it. This is a metaphor for us all; we are the servants. Remember, Jesus said that those who serve God are his family. Like we saw with the word, Woman, Jesus loves to give new meaning to words, and in so doing he makes fools of the wise. As such, to be a servant is the elevate yourself to the highest level – family of Jesus.

When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

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