In a nutshell…
Last night I got to share my conversion story with the women’s group at my parish. It was the first time I have given my testimony in a public way. It was a blessing to be able to share my excitement and the honor I feel in being Catholic.
(I apologize for how fast I talk and for hand movements that when seen without the audio look something like interpretive dance.)
reconciling things 
Hi Daja,
first I want to tell you how much I love you and your wonderful family. You are a great inspiration to me in so many ways and I learned so much from you.
Also, I respect your testimony and the Catholic Church, I love specially the silence and the meditation and the communion with Jesus but I really really have a very big problem with praying to Mary, actually this is maybe the only or main reason I am not a supporter of this faith. If you don’t mind, let me tell you, my view of the subject. The Catholic church puts her in such a high position that she became an Idol. They pray to her as a mediator between Jesus and us, this is not right. She was a person we should respect but she also needed a Savior like us. We should not look to her or anybody else than Jesus alone but we do when we pray to her after we prayed to Jesus. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the men Jesus Christ.1.Timotheus 2:5. If we look to her we exalt her the creation rather than creator.
I understand that we should have unity and through the protestant church or Reformation, the unity was broken but we should not join hands with believers (in my opinion) who don’t give the full honor and attention to Jesus. I hope and I know you can handle this here. I am not one of your critics. I am your friend. God bless you.
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Thank you, Arlin. I can hear your comment in your sweet voice. I know your intentions are only good. And I don’t mind answering honest inquiries at all. ❤
I don't have a lot of time, but I want to answer a couple things. First of all, let's imagine that I had some major surgery coming up and I was scared. And I called you and I said, "Arlin, would you pray for me? I need healing and peace." Would you reply, "Go to God yourself. We only have one mediator and that is Jesus." No, I don't think you would. I think you'd probably take me by the hand and pray for me. You'd go to Jesus on my behalf, saying the words perhaps I am too scared or overwhelmed to say myself. And we'd go to Jesus together, believing in the power there is in agreement by faith.
That's what it is to "pray" to the saints. To pray is simply "to ask." We are not praying in the sense of worship. We are saying, "Please go to Jesus for me, with me, and let's join our faith together, believing for miracles." Asking the intercession of the saints does not replace going to Jesus! Catholics probably pray the Our Father more than any other Christian sect on earth. It isn't an either/or proposition. It is both/and. And how powerful the intercession of the saints (Mary included!) is! In fact, we see in the book of Revelation that the elders stand before the throne with bowls of incense that is the prayer of the saints! (Revelation 5) By, not asking the intercession of those saints (I mean, just think about it! They are joined fully to Jesus, released from all the frailties of this world, fully in the beatific vision! Their prayers have got to be pretty amazing!) we are robbing ourselves of some powerful help from heaven. All because of the misguided idea that 1 Timothy 2:5 applies here.
If you can pray for me because you are united to Jesus in faith, why could someone even more perfectly united with Jesus be unable to pray for me? This does not usurp Jesus' place at all! It's us, partaking in the divine nature–participating in redemption! (2 Peter 2:4)
But, really, in the end, the crux of most of these matters (whether it be Mary's role in the lives of Christians or any other "controversial") doctrine, is the role of authority. As a Catholic, I believe in the authority of Sacred Tradition and the authority of Sacred Scripture. Whereas a Protestant only believes in the authority of Sacred Scripture. But, to have one without the other is to ignore the direct teaching of Scripture. We are commanded multiple times to obey Sacred Oral Tradition–the unwritten words passed down to us from Jesus and the first Apostles.
I would encourage you to read this: https://reconcilingthings.wordpress.com/2014/09/27/does-the-bible-teach-sola-scriptura/
Love to you and your family! I hope you are all doing well. ❤
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Here’s a video I saw today and it addresses your concern very well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K9yGNPaIcA
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