Who Do Catholics Venerate Mary? Why Not?

𝐀𝐔𝐆. 𝟏𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓: 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐕𝐈𝐑𝐆𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐑𝐞𝐯 𝟏𝟏:𝟏𝟗, 𝟏𝟐:𝟏-𝟔, 𝟏𝟎

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐦: 𝐏𝐬𝐚 𝟒𝟓:𝟏𝟎-𝟏𝟏, 𝟏𝟐, 𝟏𝟔 “𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝.”

𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟏 𝐂𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟓:𝟐𝟎-𝟐𝟕

𝐆𝐎𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐋: 𝐋𝐊 𝟏:𝟑𝟗-𝟓𝟔

𝑲𝒆𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆: "...𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏." (𝒗.42)

         Today millions of Catholics around the world will troop to their respective Parishes to join in the celebration of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and, in many countries in Europe this is a Holy Day of Obligation.

         And members of other churches, as usual, will exert much effort in taking up issue with us Catholics on why we honor Mary. I believe, however, that non-Catholics do not only miss the point but even the question that need be asked is not “why?” do we Catholics honor or venerate Mary but it is a question of why not?

         I will also not belabor you with the rationale behind the different feasts that the Catholic Church has decreed to honor Mary as it will take forever to reason out with those who have closed themselves to reason.

         But you see, religious denominations have their own seats of authority. The Catholic Church has its Magisterium which is vested on the Holy Father the Pope and all doctrines on matters of faith and morals flow from this seat which we Catholics believe as having flowed and flowing from Jesus Christ who established our Church.

         Now I don’t know and am not privy as to where the Protestants, Evangelicals, Fundamentals source or generate their doctrines from or where the seat of their central authority if ever they have one. As there is no Scriptural basis for the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we believe in the teachings that has been handed down by the Catholic Church from generations to generations and believe we must if we consider ourselves as members and belonging to this Church.

         If other religious sects say we are in error, then let it be and allow us to err in what we believe to be what is right. It is a matter of respect for one’s faith in the same way that we Catholics respect the faith that people from other denominations believe in. What cannot be denied is that everything about the virgin birth has been recorded in the Scriptures. More importantly, the Song of Mary which the Magnificat has been made part of the Word of God.

        Mary as with the Jews of her time knew the Scriptures since there are at least 15 Old Testament quotations or allusions in her Song where she praises God and eight times she tells us what God has done. Please note that Mary acknowledges God as her Savior which indicates that she trusted the Lord for her own salvation. She also praised God for what He did for her (𝐯𝐯.𝟒𝟔-𝟒𝟗), for all who fear Him (𝐯𝐯.𝟓𝟎-𝟓𝟑), and for His people Israel (𝐯𝐯.𝟓𝟒-𝟓𝟓).

         Now as for the Assumption of the Blessed Mary, the celebration of this Feast by us Catholics is not only defensible but will reduce all arguments to the contrary into shreds and pieces of shallow discourse bordering on envy.

         Why? For the simple fact that there is reason to honor Mary is seen in the Scriptures itself. We begin with Gabriel giving her a salutation that is reserved for the royalty “𝑯𝒂𝒊𝒍, 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒆.” (𝑳𝒌 1:28) Was there a time in history that a simple maiden was greeted by a royal salutation by an Angel sent from heaven?

         Again, the Angel appeared on the flight to Egypt and in 𝑴𝒕 2:13-14 “𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒆, 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝑬𝒈𝒚𝒑𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”

         Then after Joseph and Mary found Jesus at the Temple “𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑯𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝑵𝒂𝒛𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒉, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒃𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎; 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒌𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑮𝑶𝑫 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆𝒏.” (𝑳𝒌 2:51-52) Surely, he advanced in wisdom by the power of the Holy Spirit but it also cannot be discounted that Joseph and Mary were also part of his growing up years.

         Jesus initially balked when Mary told him about the lack of wine in 𝐉𝐧 𝟐:𝟑-𝟓 but he later on obeyed his Mother and turned water into wine. If Jesus himself, knowing that he is God but did not deem equality with God as something to be grasped honored Mary by obeying her how much more with us who are subjects of Jesus.

        Mary was also with Jesus all throughout his passion, death and resurrection and Mary was at the Upper Room with the other Apostles on the day of Pentecost and this association and closeness should provide us with more reason to be closely associated with His Mother.

         And in Revelations, John wrote “𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏: 𝑨 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒏, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒂 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒔.” (𝑹𝒆𝒗 12:1). Biblical scholars interpret this as a sign that Mary the Mother of God reflects her Son, the Light of the World in just as the moon is reflected by sunlight.

         The Apostle whom Jesus loved to whom Mary was entrusted by Jesus definitely saw something in the sign and the crown on her head representing the 12 tribes of Israel meant Mary was indeed given the honor to be Queen.

         And to critics and Catholic bashers who insist that we give Mary primacy over Jesus, 𝑳𝒌 1:46 says it all: “𝑴𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅.” Here, Mary herself expresses that she has no other intention but to magnify Our Lord Jesus Christ and it’s clear that her role is to make her Son shine.



         For all intents and purposes, Mary is the Mother of the Son of God (𝑳𝒌 2:7-11, 41-43), she is the spouse of the Holy Spirit (𝑳𝒌 1:35-38). This cannot be denied such that while Mary’s Assumption is not recorded in the Scriptures, it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Knowing that she is intimately and intrinsically related to all three persons of the most Holy Trinity, the question really is not to ask why do we honor Mary, but why not? (𝘌𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘺 – 𝘈𝘶𝘨. 15, 2025)