Hail Mary?

[water]

Hail Mary?

Greg Durel

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The prayer life of the Roman Catholic is quite different from the Bible believing Christian. The predominant prayer in the life of almost any catholic is the "Hail Mary." It goes like this: "HAIL MARY FULL OF GRACE, THE LORD IS WITH THEE. BLESSED ART THOU AMONG WOMEN AND BLESSED IS THE FRUIT OF THY WOMB, JESUS. HOLY MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, PRAY FOR US SINNERS, NOW AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH. AMEN." The statements made in this prayer are quite significant. Allow us to look at them one at a time and compare them with the word of God to see if there is a basis for such a prayer at all.

1) Hail Mary: The word "hail" brings with it today the connotation of royalty, nobility and power. It is a greeting given to someone of great power, influence and preeminence. We know very well that is the position that Roman Catholicism places on Mary. For example: the principle form of prayer for most Catholics is the "rosary." The rosary is a system of beads where a prayer is said for each bead. The beads are a way to count the prayers and to know where and when to say a particular prayer. In this "rosary," ten prayers are said to Mary for every one that is said to God the Father. In other words Mary is preeminent ten to one over God! Mary is referred to as the "mother of the church," "the second eve," "the queen of heaven." The queen of the universe," "co-redemptrix," "co-mediator," and if that were not enough, the head of the Roman Catholic Church has dedicated the world on at least two occasions, not to the savior Jesus Christ, but to Mary. When he was shot in an assassination attempt, he thanked and credited Mary with saving him! Attributing praise and worship to humans that have no basis to receive such is not uncommon in forms of religious and political paganism, e.g., "Hail Caesar" or "Hail Hitler."

2) Full of Grace: Wow! What a statement. The teaching is clear. Mary was not ordinary, but was in fact "full" of grace. She must have been special to be "full of grace," right? What does God’s word have to say on the matter? John chapter 1 is like a giant spotlight on this subject. It clearly tells us that Jesus Christ is the one that is full of grace. Mary is never said to be full of grace in the scripture. John goes on to tell us in verse 16 that we are all full of His grace and truth, because all believers have Jesus dwelling within them. Only in this sense could Mary have been full of grace. The grace would have been the savior she carried in her womb and after Pentecost, the spirit of Christ that lives in every believer.

3) The Lord is with thee: The Lord is with every believer or they are not in fact a believer (Rom. 8:9)

4) Blessed art thou among women: While this statement is certainly biblical, it must be understood in the light of biblical truth and not as a result of subjective interpretation. The New Testament was written in "koine" Greek as opposed to classical. There are several words in the Greek language for blessed, just like there are several words for "love," each having a different meaning or carrying with it a particular connotation. A failure to examine the underlying text is a gross mistake on the part of the student of God’s Word. The word translated "blessed" when speaking of Mary is not the same word used when referring to our Lord. The word used for Mary means to pronounce fortunate, and indeed she was. On the other hand the word used for blessed when referring to our Lord means to be adored. Quite a difference, wouldn’t you say? You may even wish to check your concordance to see if there is a woman whom the Bible says is blessed "above" women.

5) Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus: Without a doubt this is the truth that should be the focus: the Lord Jesus, the Messiah and savior of the world. This should be the emphasis and not Mary. Many, though, know not what they worship.

6) Holy Mary, Mother of God: What a statement! Is it true? Not by any stretch of the imagination. The Bible clearly teaches that the only HOLY one is God. Mary in what is known as her Magnificat, rejoices in God HER SAVIOR (Lk.1: 47). Holiness does not need saving. Mary, after the birth of Jesus, offers a sacrifice for HER SINS. Holiness need not offer a sacrifice for sins. Mary, as any believer, received her righteousness as a gift from the Father. There was nothing inherently holy about Mary. Even Thomas Aquinas denies the "immaculate conception" of Mary. Regarding the "Mother of God" statement much not need be said. God was not born nor was He created. Mary gave birth to the "humanity" of Jesus. Jesus was God, because He is God! The statement "Mother of God" developed out of a reaction to the denial of the Deity of Jesus by some. That overreaction has resulted in the tail wagging the dog so to speak. Mary was the vessel by which the incarnation took place but she was not the supplier of Divine chromosomes.

7) Pray for us sinners: Mary does not pray for you or me. She does not even know that we exist. If she could know millions and millions of people then she would be a God! While I can pray for you if you were to ask me to, I am alive here on earth. If I would know that you were asking me to pray for you from a thousand miles away, then I would be like God. Do you get the picture? Mary has been clearly given the attributes of God. The adjective "sinners" is used because all good Catholics are still trying to pay for their sin debt. Failing to realize that when Christ said, "it is finished," He meant it. When God the Father declared it through Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20, He certainly was not kidding.

8) Now and at the hour of our death: "Now," she could not even if she wanted to. "At the hour of our death," why? Please tell me what would be the purpose of such a prayer (if one could be made) at the hour of our death? Further, she again would have to be a "GOD" to know where and when we were going to die.

9) Amen: A permanent amen should not be given to prayers to anyone other than God. The Father is to be the recipient of all prayer.

In summary, allow me to say that Mary was a wonderful vessel that the Father used. Mary was chosen for these reasons:

1. She was a fine, virtuous, faithful to the law Jewish maiden.
2. She was of the "seed" of King David.
3. She was a virgin.

These qualifications were the biblical reasons to choose her. Not having just one of these prerequisites would have caused God’s prophecies to fail. Did Mary play an important role in the Bible? Yes, but so did Noah and Joseph, etc. Remember, Jesus never called Mary Mother. Not even once! No Apostle ever asks her opinion on anything. No one in the Bible ever asks Mary to pray for them. After the first chapter of the fifth book of the New Testament she is never mentioned again, and then only in a list of other believers.

Please allow the Scripture to bring you to a true understanding of Mary the Mother of Jesus.

LINK

[Be still]

9) Amen: A permanent amen should not be given to prayers to anyone other than God. The Father is to be the recipient of all prayer.

9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

1 Corinthians 1:2

2To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:

1 Corinthians 1:9 9God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Matthew 6: 5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.[a]' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Other verses come to mind as well ... like no one comes to the Father except through me.

I pray to Jesus as well as to God the Father.

[water]

I pray to Jesus as well as to God the Father.

Hehe, me too. They are one in the same, yet they are distinguished from each other...it is one of those things the human mind has trouble with.

If we have seen him (Jeuss), we have seen the Father. Jesus and the Father are one.

I think it is like my mind, my spirit, and my body are one, though each is distinct from the others. Though it may not be scripturally correct, that is how I try to make sense of God. God's mind is the Father, God's spirit is the Holy Spirit, and God's body is Jesus. It is definitely a mystery, but that is how it make sense to this simple, human mind.

[Be still]

I agree water ... No. 9 was well, How else do you have a relationship with Jesus?

[Riona]

Amen: A permanent amen should not be given to prayers to anyone other than God. The Father is to be the recipient of all prayer.

I'm not quite sure what is meant by a "permanent amen". Can someone explain?

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Excellent article and posts! Mary was blessed indeed but I look to Jesus and his reply to the woman who called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you." Luke 1:27 For He says, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it." Luke 1:28 Jesus took the focus off of Mary and put it on obedience.

"To obey is better than sacrifice..." I Sam 15:22

[Riona]

I'm not quite sure what is meant by a "permanent amen". Can someone explain?

Noone knows the answer to this? Maybe I should have said, "please".

[redeemed1953]

Permanent amen. Never heard of it before.

Jesus said let your yes be yes and your no be no.

THat generally works for me. Amen mean So let it be.

So does Permanent amen mean so really let it be?

I don't Mary bash, because she is the mother of the Lord and I am absolutely certain that He loved (s) her.

Christians in general always try to find some "thing" to look at to give them confidence in their faith. It's why a guy like Benny Hinn can get an audience. He is right there in front of you, spouting lofty ideas intersperesed with scripture and what he claims is divine revelation. He does signs and wonders sometimes. Hurting, needy people who are not taught sound doctrine will fall for this kind of stuff. They want to believe that Jesus will really heal their infirmities.

It's not that Jesus won't heal them, its just that He doesn't always do it. For reasons known to God only, some of us die sick and infirm and young, rather than living to a ripe old age and dying while we sleep. I am sure of this: No one goes to heaven sick or maimed. It is the ultimate healing.

I don't have all the answers, but I don't need them. I have a Father who loves me without reserve. SO much, in fact, that He sent His Son as a sacrifice for sin, so that I might be able to come into His Holy presence and fellowship.