Again, this is an example of taking a text out of its context. As a matter of fact Protestants as well as Catholics do use prayers of SECONDARY mediators. Do you not ask your minister to pray for you? Do you not ask your friends to pray for you? If no SECONDARY mediator is necessary, then why ask them to pray for you? Why not go directly to God?

As with all Christians we believe that all graces come to us through Christ as the PRIMARY mediator. This does not mean, however, that we should not go to God the Father or to the Holy Ghost directly. The logical inference from the literal translation of 1 Tim. 2:5 is that we must ALWAYS go to Christ first. On the contrary, we have the words of Christ Himself telling us that when we pray we should say, "Our Father who art in heaven, etc."

That the text of 1 Tim. 2:5 is NOT to be taken literally is evident from other sources of St. Paul.

"I beseech you, therefore, brethren, through our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the charity of the Holy Ghost, that you help me in your prayers for me to God." Rom. 15:30

"And when He had opened the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four ancients fell down before the Lamb, having each of them a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, WHICH ARE THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS." Apoc. 5:8

"And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God, from the hand of the angel."

We pray to Mary because her influence with her Son is greater than that of any other saint.

On earth the power of this intercession was proved at the marriage feast of Cana where Christ performed His first miracle before the time set by Divine Providence, because Mary had asked Him to do so. (St. John 2:1-11).

The power of this intercession still exists in heaven since the mother-Son relationship still exists and because we have so much evidence of this intercession here on earth, i.e., the apparitions at Lourdes, Fatima, etc.