In Catholic theology there is a distinction used in the type of honor that is given to Mary and the saints(dulia) and the type of worship that is reserved for God alone(latria). There is a special term used for the honor (dulia) that is given to Mary, hyperdulia (hyper [more than] + dulia = “beyond dulia”), this term indicates that the honor due to her as Christ’s own Mother is more than the dulia given to others. This honor, to a degree, is greater but still of the same form. Since Mary is a finite creature, the honor is different in kind from the latria owed to God the infinite Creator.
The practice of honoring Saints can be found in Scripture:
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you" (Ex. 20:12, Lev. 19:3, Deut. 5:16, Matt. 15:4, Luke 18:20, and Eph. 6:2–3).
"You shall rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord" (Lev. 19:32).
It was also important to specially honor religious leaders: "Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron [the high priest], to give him dignity and honor" (Ex. 28:2).
"Let the presbyters [priests] who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching" (1 Tim. 5:17).
"He who receives a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives a righteous man [saint] because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward" (Matt. 10:41).
So we are permitted to honor others and even honor others at a higher degree. Indeed we are all equal in God’s eyes, but he has given us others that are worthy of honor and emulation. Since God has given us others that are worthy of honor and the most sincere form of honoring the saints is the imitation of them in their relationship with God.
"I urge you, then, be imitators of me. Therefore I sent to you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church" (1 Cor. 4:16–17).
"Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I have delivered them to you" (1 Cor. 11:1–2).
"Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith" (Heb. 13:7).
Hebrews Chapter 12 is the “hall of fame” of the Old Testament saints for our imitation.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us" (Heb 12:1)
So, the bible tells us that there or others we are to honor, others that are worthy of “double honor” and we are to be imitators of them in regards to their relationship with God. So it is biblical to honor Mary and even give her “double honor” but why did the Church decide to give special honor “hyperdulia” to Mary alone?
God gave Mary the highest honor among all creatures, the honor of the Mother of our Lord (Theotokos) and that all generation will call her blessed. The fathers of the early Church taught that Mary received a number of distinctive blessings in order to make her a more fitting mother for Christ. This includes her role as the New Eve ( corresponding to Christ's role as the New Adam), her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption into heaven and her spiritual motherhood of all Christians.
Mary is a role model; she gave us the perfect example of embracing God’s will. “And Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.”(Luke 1:38). Mary, the first Christian and follower of Christ from beginning to the very end “And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47). At the end Mary was at the foot of the Cross suffering greatly at the site of her Son's bloody body, before his last breath Jesus gave us his Mother as our spiritual Mother “When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the scripture), "I thirst.” A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished"; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit”. (Jn 19:26-30)
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