On Friday I was asked by a few people what made me return to the Catholic faith. As a pentecostal I was virulently anti-Catholic and of course dead set against Mary worship. Also, as a Pentecostal, I was a strict Sola Scriptura type. The difference, though, in my case, was that Sola Scriptura also meant the Old Testament, to me that was as much the word of God as the New Testament was.

I had felt that worship of Mary was idolatory and took away glory from Christ. However, it struck me that in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms, there were other things that were clearly not God that received the highest praise. Most especially Zion and the throne of God. It meant that something could be praised and receive praise and it wouldn't be trespassing "God's territory."

One of the verses that did for me was Psalm 50.2 in KJV, which says, "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined." Zion is called the "perfection of beauty" a phrase that one would have hoped would have been used exclusively for God,but no, Zion was the perfection of beauty and Zion is not God. Further still, the verse says, "God hath shined." Zion being the perfection of beauty does not overshadow God, rather it provides the perfect outlet for God to display his own glory. This opened the space for the possibility of such a person as the Blessed Virgin Mary. Further, Paul in Galations 4:17 (I think) says that Zion is the mother of us all. So I knew that we had a mother, Zion and that she was the perfection of beauty out of whom God has shined.

Now, of course, I have swung to the other extreme, so to speak. I believe in Mary worship and I never make the distinction between worship and adoration that is commonly made. I honestly do not see how Mary can obscure Christ. This is why I don't bristle at charges of Mariolatory or worship of Mary. I do believe that we should and do worship her.

There is much to say about worship and what precisely it means. But my guiding rule is that worship is dictated by the being so there is never a concern about going overboard with worship.