Hello everyone,
I would love to know and understand the adoration which Mother Mary gets in EOC and RCC.
When did it start?
Why did it start?
What is it’s important, ect?
Love
Dani
I would start reading Wiki and look at their footnotes:
Veneration
History of Roman Catholic Mariology
Mariology
Mariology - Encyclopedia Britannica
I am Eastern Orthodox. “Adoration” is not the right word. Adoration refers to the worship given only to the Holy Trinity. “Veneration” is the correct word here, which refers to the honor one creature gives to another.
At least as far back as approximately 4 B. C., when the Archangel Gabriel said to her, “Hail, Mary, full of grace.”
The creatures of God, when not over-burdened with sin, recognize her God-given holiness, and venerate her.
When we worship in Church, we worship alongside all the angels and men in Heaven. Mary is not absent, but present. Imagine, Dani, if you went to church and someone there utterly ignored you and didn’t speak to you or even acknowledge your presence. That’s what it would be if we didn’t speak to Mary and acknowledge her presence. The same goes for all the angels and saints. In church we bow to and honor even filthy and rude little children who were born in 2012, so how much more so do we bow to and honor Mary. To whomever we bow, we are recognizing that he or she is the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). We dare not snub God’s image.
I hope that helps!
Geoffrey is correct here and in his other answers. Please note that Wiki uses the title Veneration, in one of the four links I’ve provided