Period. I see so many making this mistake, sincerely praying to the Virgin to "talk" to Christ to forgive their sins, but nowhere in the Bible is it stated that Mary even went to heaven after death, let alone that she has that sort of power. On the contrary, we should pray to God through Jesus Christ, that's the way.
Jesus also didn't favor Mary over other believers nor did he ever give the slightest indication that we should worship her. And neither did any of the apostles.
So why are people doing it, again? :dontknow:
I am saying this specifically because we have 3 or 4 feast days for Mary in the Orthodox Church. And many celebrate them with big parties and say Mary is their "guardian". Talk about human tradition.
Now, I don't see anything wrong in seeing and loving Mary as a righteous woman, after all, she was the one chosen by God to bring forth the Messiah. But she is still human.
These same people are told to pray to the saints. The problem of course IMO, is that there is one (and only one)mediator and intercessor between God and man and that's Jesus the Christ. Deep down, man knows he is unworthy to talk to God and is therefore more comfortable talking to a "saint" that knows sin as other humans know it. They feel that, being sinless, Jesus has trouble relating to them. It's a harsh and demanding church so God (Jesus) is portrayed as harsh and demanding.
This happens because people do not, or are forbidden to, read their Bibles. An essential part of real Christianity is Jesus' teaching that we could go BOLDLY before the Father, and call Him by by an intimate, informal, familial name: Abba.
WHAT???
Jesus can and will relate to every one of us. he called us his friends and LOVED us and always will! :girlheart: