From the Catholic prayers I have seen posted here and on links provided it is not hard to see there are prayers to Mary and the Saints as well as petitions asking them to pray for the individual.
The prayers to Mary or the Saints proclaim that they have some power to answer that prayer which would place them in the same category as God.
This from post #2 is such a prayer. "May our Blessed Mother heal the rifts that divide us and lead us all to her Son, Jesus Christ. "
You are declaring she has supernatural power. To deny that is folly. We only have to changes two words to prove it.
May our Blessed Father heal the rifts that divide us and lead us all to His Son, Jesus Christ.
The difference between these prayers it that the second one has a chance to be answered. The first is just wasted words and time because Mary does not have the ability to answer prayers and God only answers the people who ask him.
Prayers to Jesus are the same. That is why He specifically tells us to pray to His Father in His, Jesus', name. Only the Father can provide supernatural answers to prayer.
Asking Mary or a deceased Saint to prey for you goes far beyond wether or not that person can or cannot hear you.
The Catholics claim this is no different than asking a fellow living Christian to pray for you. I would hope that when you ask someone to pray for you, you explain the reason for the request so they are praying your will. If you don't, you are asking them to pray their will on you. You have given them control of your spiritual life which borders on demonic.
It is no different when asking Saints to prey for you without direction. The Rosary is a prime example of that concept. You say one Our Father, which is scriptural, and then ten Hail Mary. You ask the Father, as Jesus taught, and then you turn your spiritual life over to Mary by asking her to pray for you with no direction. Her will, not God's
You give Mary ten times more control of your spiritual life than God the Father with each decade. Who is preeminent?
This compounds every time you say the Rosary and when a Priest orders you to recite multiple Hail Mary as a penitence after confession. He has you turn your prayer life over to Mary and away from God as a punishment for your sins. Makes no sense to me but it must to you or you would reject this false teaching. BVB
"There is reason to hope that Our Lady will help us overcome the present difficulties in our relations, so that with the help of God we will be able to continue our common ecumenical pilgrimage," he continued.Step right up, folks, and make your choice! And behind this door, we have deity A, who we on earth can invoke for divine aid. And behind the other door, we have deity B, who we can also invoke for divine aid. It's equally valid to appeal to either! Also the goddess might be more approachable than the Creator ...
