4. Do Catholics worship Mary and the saints?

You asked also if we worship Mary, the Mother of Jesus. No, we do not worship Mary. We worship God alone. We do honor Mary and the Saints, just as other people honor great leaders. We have statues and pictures of the saints, but most towns have statues of prominent citizens and most people have pictures of relatives and friends in their homes. The Bible teaches us to honor our father and mother. Surely, Jesus honors his Mother in heaven, and surely he wants us to honor her too.

The Catholic Church points out that true devotion to Mary differs from the unique worship paid to her Son, and should help people to know, love, and serve Christ better. You'll find this explained in chapter Chapter 7 of We Believe by Rev. Oscar J. Lukefahr, C.M. (Ligouri Publications, Ligouri, MO 63057, 1990, 1995, $7.95). It is also available from the Catholic Home Study Service. If you read the chapter, you'll find that there are many Bible passages that teach us to honor the saints and pray with them.