Question From: (Anonymous)
“Why do Catholics pray to Mary and the saints instead of going directly to God? I’ve always been taught that we should only pray to God through Jesus, so this has always confused me.
It kind of feels like you’re putting someone else in between you and God, and I don’t understand why that would be necessary if Jesus is already our mediator.
I’m not trying to be disrespectful, I just don’t get it. Where does this come from, and how is it not taking away from God?”
Answer
A lot of people struggle with this question, so you’re not alone.
First, Catholics do not worship Mary or the saints. Worship belongs to God alone. That never changes.
What Catholics believe is that asking Mary or the saints to pray for us is similar to asking a friend or family member to pray for you. The difference is that these are people who are already in heaven, fully alive in Christ.
The Bible tells us that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. So those who are with Him are still part of the Body of Christ.
Scripture also tells us that the prayers of the righteous are powerful. So asking someone who is already with God to pray for you is not replacing Jesus. It is asking for help within the family of believers.
Jesus is still the one mediator. Everything goes through Him. Catholics are not going around Him. They are asking others to pray with them and for them.
Mary has a special role because she is the mother of Jesus. In the Gospel, at the wedding at Cana, she brings a need to Jesus, and He responds.
This is not about putting someone in place of God. It is about understanding that we are part of a larger family, and that family includes both heaven and earth.
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