When Catholics talk about praying to Mary, a classic Protestant objection is “but I can go directly to Jesus!” To that, I’d say, “True, you could go to Jesus alone… but if you pray to Mary, you and the Virgin Mary can go directly to Jesus!” The “why not just go directly to Jesus” objection points to one of the real differences between Catholics and Protestants on this question: we Catholics believe that some people’s prayers are more efficacious than others.
Tag: Mary
St. Joseph and the Numinous
Why does the angel Gabriel tell Joseph not to “be afraid” to take Mary as his wife?
The Saintly Case for Catholicism
Then-Cardinal Ratzinger said in 2002, “I have often affirmed my conviction that the true apology of Christian faith, the most convincing demonstration of its truth against every denial, are the saints, and the beauty that the faith has generated. Today, for faith to grow, we must lead ourselves and the persons we meet to encounter the saints and to enter into contact with the Beautiful.”
Here’s an example of how the life and death of St. Maximilian Kolbe helped me to believe the Catholic Church’s teachings about the Virgin Mary.
And Joseph Knew Her Not: A Case for the Perpetual Virginity of Mary
The Calvinist theologian Peter Leithart has a fascinating (but incorrect) article on the perpetual virginity over at First Things. There is much to praise about the short piece. First, he’s asking the right question. As the article’s teaser puts it, “why didn’t Joseph have sex with Mary during her pregnancy?” So many Protestants focus on the fact that they believe St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary did have sex after Christmas that they ignore the explicit Biblical evidence that they didn’t have sex before (Matthew 1:25). Second, much of Leithart’s answer is correct, and points to the radical Biblical truth about the Virgin Mary. Finally, even when Leithart’s argument goes off the rails, he shows his work, so it’s easy enough to see how he goes wrong.
The Special Role of the Virgin Mary in the History of the Americas
A toast to the Immaculate Virgin Mary and her special role in the history of the Americas.
Why Mary is Our Mother in Faith
Just as the Bible presents Abraham as our father in faith for his radical willingness to trust God, we’re also given a mother in faith: the Virgin Mary. Listen to what Scripture says about her role in following God from the Annunciation to Calvary and into glory.
A Protestant Case for the Queenship of Mary
Can the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary be established using Scripture alone, without appealing to Catholic Tradition, the writings of the Church Fathers, or later Church statements?
The Virgin Tomb of Christ
Both St. Matthew and St. John take pains to specify that Christ’s Tomb was never-before used. “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had ever been laid” (John 19:41). But why do they both specify this seemingly-mundane detail? Because the Virgin Tomb, like the Virgin Womb, tells us something about Who Jesus Is.
How to Think About the Virgin Mary’s Salvation
Does Mary’s sinlessness eliminate her need for a Savior or for grace? Or is her sinlessness the result of those? Plus, what does Mary’s sinlessness mean for the salvation of angels or the Saints in Heaven?
Praying with the Four Seasonal Marian Antiphons
If you’re not in the habit of praying or chanting these antiphons, today’s a great day to start, since it’s the beginning of a new season. It’s a good way of drawing closer to Mary, of keeping in sync with the liturgical season, and of ending each night on the right note.