Diet, Mariolatry – Part 3

Dietary commands are traditions of men

In the Roman Catholic Church, we are instructed to fast at Lent and to abstain from meat on Fridays. However, the Apostle Paul warns us:

“…Why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations – “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using — according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh” (Col 2:20-23).

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Tim 4:1-3).

I have thus learned that the Lenten and Friday fasts are from men and not from God. God clearly told us in Isaiah 58 what type of fasting He desires of us: “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh?” (Isa 58:6-7; read all of Isaiah 58 for a more complete understanding).

Marian piety

In the Roman Catholic Church, we are taught that Jesus’ mother, Mary, is “Queen of the Universe”, who was crowned Queen of heaven and earth on her arrival at the throne of God after the “assumption”. One rosary booklet states/prays to Mary that,

“Just as all creatures are subject to your Son and God by the rule of the Sacred heart, so he has placed all under your rule of the Immaculate Heart. You are Queen because you are “full of grace,” the mother of Christ, the Co-redemptrix, and because you triumphed over the devil, sin, concupiscence [intense sexual desire] and death. Christ, the Mediator between God and Man, has made you the Mediatrix of all Graces, permitting you to dispense all Heavenly blessings to us sinful creatures. Your most powerful prayer is the Beads. May we say them every day of our life,” (“Novena of Our Lady’s Rosary: with Meditations and Indulgences” by Bernard A. Mc Caffrey, p. 57.)

I must say that I used to say the rosary every day, with fervency and devotion. However, I do not engage in this practice anymore.

In the Catholic hymn “Immaculate Mary”, we sing: “Immaculate Mary, your praises we sing, you reign now in heaven with Jesus, our king… In heaven, the blessed your glory proclaim; On earth, we your children invoke your fair name… Your name is our power, your virtues our light…”. In an “Ancient Prayer”, we pray to Mary thus: “We turn to you for protection, holy Mother of God. Listen to our prayers and help us in our needs. Save us from every danger, glorious and blessed Virgin” (Family Book of Prayer, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, p. 30). However, scripture proves that the above is not correct:

Mary as mediator

Concerning Mary being a Mediatrix, having power, and able to dispense heavenly blessings to humans, the Bible says unequivocally this is incorrect.

“For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5).

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

“Whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13).

Jesus never said that we could ask anything in anyone else’s name, including that of his mother. He even goes on to tell us about the “helper” He will send. It is not his mother, but God’s Holy Spirit:

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another helper [Comforter], that he may abide with you forever — the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; but you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:16-18).

Jesus Himself did not exalt His mother, Mary, in the three times he is recorded as speaking to or about her:

• In the first instance, Jesus was a boy of 12 and stayed behind in the temple after his parents had left the Passover Feast at Jerusalem. His mother said, “ ‘Son, why have You done this to us? Look, your father and I have sought You anxiously.’ And he said to them, ‘Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business?’ But they did not understand the statement which he spoke to them” (Luke 2:48-50).
• Another time, Jesus was preaching and healing. “Then His mother and brothers came to him, and could not approach him because of the crowd. And it was told him by some, who said, ‘Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.’ But he answered and said to them, ‘My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it’ ” (Luke 8:19-21).
• As he was dying on the cross, Jesus took care of his mother by giving her to his disciple as the disciple’s own mother. (John 19:25-27).

Mary as a “Saint”

Regarding Mary’s supposed triumph over the devil, sin, intense sexual desire and death:

• Jesus had earthly (blood) brothers and sisters (see Luke 8:19; Acts 1:14; Gal 1:19; Matt 13:55; Mark 6:6; Matt 12:46; Mark 3:31). In Mark 6:3, they are even named: “Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Are not his sisters here with us?” This is to be expected, since Joseph and Mary were married, and had normal marital relations after Jesus was born: Joseph “took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” (Matt 1:24-25 NIV). This proves that Mary is not “ever virgin”, and that she did not “triumph over concupiscence”.
• In 1 Cor 15:20-28, Paul explains how everyone dies because of Adam, and all can have life because of Christ. And, “the last enemy that will be destroyed is death.” (See also Rev 20:13-14). How could Mary triumph over death if Christ Himself had not yet destroyed death? Also, the writer of Hebrews explains that Jesus destroyed the devil. No mention is made of Mary doing the same. “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb 2:14). Nowhere in the Bible does it state that Mary never sinned, nor that she triumphed over the devil. The only one who was made of flesh yet did not sin was Jesus (1John 3:5; Heb 5:15).
• In the Bible, Mary is not mentioned as having been “assumed” into heaven. In fact, scripture says, “No one has ascended to heaven…but the son of Man who is in heaven” (John 3:13). The Bible teaches that Mary is, as is every human who has passed away, asleep, or dead. If she is “asleep in Christ”, that is, if she has been faithful to the gospel, she will be raised to eternal life when Jesus comes again (see 1Thess 4:13-18; Acts 2:38; 2Tim 4:1; John 12:48).

In some rosary booklets, the “coronation” of Mary is “proven” by Rev 12:1: “A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars”. However, the woman here is not Mary (please see the rest of chapter 12, and note that the book of Revelation is a very figurative book, and one can see that the “woman” is not a real woman, but represents something else). The woman is the ecclesia (church/people) who are likened to a “chaste virgin” (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph 5:23). But, as sections of the ecclesia had been guilty of unfaithful (Rev 2:20-23), the onetime “chaste virgin” is now represented as being with child, pregnant with the seeds of error (Acts 15)” (The Book of Revelation; Verse by Verse Exposition, by H.P. Mansfield, p. 149). One can see the parallel of God’s virgin bride (Christians) falling because of unfaithfulness, and the virgin of Israel falling “The virgin of Israel has fallen; She will rise no more,” (Amos 5:2).

Thus, the doctrine that Mary was ever-virgin, that she did not die, that she was assumed into heaven and crowned Queen of heaven, is a teaching of men.