Ever wonder why Catholics seem to talk about Mary a lot? That’s exactly what Brandon from San Diego asked Patrick Madrid. And wow, did Patrick deliver a solid, scripture-packed response!

Brandon’s Big Question 

Brandon is exploring the Catholic faith but has been wrestling with devotion to Mary. He’s come to terms with the idea of praying with saints, but the amount of Marian prayers has him a little uneasy. He described it as a "food pyramid of prayers" where Mary seems to take up, like, 90% of the plate. 

Patrick’s Response 

Patrick assured Brandon that Catholics do focus way more on God, but Mary has a unique and biblical role. He laid it out like this:

The Bible Is All About Mary She’s everywhere in the Gospels! From the Annunciation to the Visitation to Jesus' childhood, His first miracle (yep, at her request), and standing at the Cross. Even at Pentecost, she’s there. God clearly wanted her to play a huge role in salvation history. 

Jesus Honored Mary, So We Do Too Jesus spent 30 years with Mary before even starting His ministry. In John 17, Jesus talks about sharing His glory. If He honors His mother, shouldn’t we? 

Catholics Aren’t Worshipping Mary Big misconception. Catholics honor her, just like the angel Gabriel did ("Hail, full of grace!"). Asking for her prayers is like asking your mom for help. Except she’s literally the Queen Mother of Heaven. 

Your Perception Might Be Skewed Brandon mentioned hearing a lot of Marian prayers on Relevant Radio, and Patrick gently pointed out that’s just one slice of Catholic prayer life. The Mass, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, personal prayer: all of it is way more focused on God. But Mary has her rightful place too!

Final Takeaway

Mary isn’t competition for God. She’s His masterpiece. If God chose her to be the mother of Jesus, protected her from sin, and made her central to salvation history… well, maybe she’s worth a few extra prayers. 

Want to dig deeper? Patrick recommended two books:

📖 Hail, Holy Queen by Scott Hahn

📖 Behold Your Mother by Tim Staples

Brandon left the conversation with a lot to think about, and so do we! If you’ve ever wrestled with this question, what’s your biggest hang-up?