Question: Please get your facts straight. I am Roman Catholic and love Jesus and I do not worship Mary.

Answer: I am glad you are aware that we should not worship any creature, not even the blessed Mary. We must worship God only. We can never love Jesus too much; He is our Creator who takes care of us and all the universe. He became man for our salvation and died on the cross to save His people from their sins. I love the Lord Jesus too. He is the very purpose of my life and my sincere desire is to honour His name.

The humble Jewish woman has the unique privilege that no other woman can have. Mary was chosen of God to be the mother of the Lord when He became man. Yet we understand that Mary is not the saviour herself. Indeed she needed the Lord to save her, like every other human being since Adam and to the end of the world. She herself acknowledges God as "my saviour" (Luke 1:47).

Every Christian should consider Mary with respect. She is forever to be called blessed. Yet, I think it is a sign of disrespect when people expect from her things that she cannot give. Why would people pray to her, when the Bible clearly teaches us that we should pray to God and that God alone knows our hearts (1 Kings 8:39)? Why would people ask grace from Mary, when the Bible teaches us that all grace comes from God (1 Peter 5:10)? Why should people call her "our life" and "our hope", when the Bible teaches us that the Lord is our life and hope (Colossians 3:4; 1 Timothy 1:1)? Why should people make her a mediator, when the Bible says that there is one mediator, Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5)? And why should people trust even the hour of their death wholly to her care? Isn't the Good Shepherd able to keep His sheep and bring them safely to glory (John 10:27,28)?

As we would expect, we do not find explicit statements in Catholic literature that we should worship Mary. Yet, in practice, the Catholic attitude towards Mary amounts to worship. Catholics worship Mary because they pray to her, kneel before her image, trust in her for salvation and attribute to her titles and honours which belong to God alone. May God grant them repentance. Rather than looking unto a creature, we should follow Mary in her godly example and apply ourselves to the Lord for salvation and all spiritual blessings.