Jesus is very clear in Luke 4:8 when he says, "You shall do homage to the Lord your God; Him alone shall you adore."

Catholics are famous for their devotion and intercessions to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Technically, it is impossible for Catholics to "worship" Mary. "Worship" has been defined as applying only to "God". The worship of Mary is termed "hyperdullation" or "veneration", and of the Saints, "dullation." Further, Catholics do not "pray to" Mary, they "ask Mary to pray for us." But to any non-Catholic, this is exactly the same as praising and praying to someone, i.e., worshipping them. "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet".

Please speak to and be open to hearing the perspectives of Catholics and understand what true DEVOTION and not WORSHIP OF Mary is. Mary is the window in which we look through to see Jesus. She always points to Jesus. Even if a Catholic has misunderstood who Mary is, she in turn will show them Jesus, if they are willing to see Him. She prays for us as I can pray for you, and you for your friend. She is our intercessor, and she knows Jesus, therefore a very good intercessor.

Peopel shouldn’t forget the significant role Mary played in Jesus’ life and her willinginess to submit herself to God from His first calling. Keep it in mind, Jesus was Mary’s first-born Son, and the only-begotten Son of God. Holy Scripture never once even faintly hints that Jesus was the only son of Mary.

Sadly, Rome, to destroy faith in Christ, lifts up Mary. In all the picture galleries of Europe, and also many of those found in England and America, we see pictures of Mary holding Christ’s crucified body and ministering to the sleeping dead in all wonderful attitudes of worship. The fact is, Mary never saw Christ after she bade Him farewell when He was hanging on the cross. Christ never went home after his resurrection, and never appeared to Mary after He rose from the dead.

The disciples treated Mary as though she were only an ordinary woman. In Acts 1:14 we see her for the last time, when in an upper room she is with her children, waiting with the disciples for the descent of the Holy Spirit. She went to the home of John, there she passed her declining years, died and was buried, and in that grave she will remain until the resurrection trump shall sound, and she shall come forth with the redeemed to cast her crown at the feet of our ascended Lord.

On Dec. 8, 1854, Pope Pius IX went in great state to St. Peter’s, followed by 54 cardinals, 44 archbishops, 94 bishops and a very great number of priests, and crowning with a diadem the image of the Virgin Mary which is on the altar of the cardinal’s chapel; he then read an extract of the bull of the Immaculate Conception, declaring:

"We declare, pronounce and define that the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, at the first instant of her Conception was preserved immaculate from all stain of original sin, by the singular grace and privilege of the Omnipotent God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind, and that this doctrine was revealed by God, and therefore, must be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful."

There is not in the Scriptures a single instance where any one asked her to intercede for them, nor was there any need. Christ’s love is infinite, and His power is infinite, and does not require any help to spur His will, or any other power to work out His purpose. Truly has He said, "I am God, this is my name, and my glory will I not give to another"...Isaiah 43:8 As He said to Satan, so He says to all, "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve"...Matt. 4:10 To the disciples He told the whole truth when He said, "No one cometh unto the Father but by me; if you ask anything in my name,  I will do it."...John 14:6, 13