Patronage of Mary Development School

Poblacion, Boljoon, Cebu

School Year 2022 – 2023 | First Semester | Instructional Packet
Tel. Nos. (032)482-9302- Website: www.pmds.ph - Email Address: pmdsmamamary@gmail.com
Theology – 1
The Four degrees of Honor | Lesson- 6

I. Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:
1. demonstrate a deeper understanding of worship.
2 differentiate the four degrees of honor, and
3. reflect on its distinct actions of worship in our Christian life.

II. Content
Protestants often
them. They frequently quote a passage from the book of
Exodus to make their point that we are guilty of idolatry
for venerating and praying to saints. In order to
understand where this accusation is coming from we have
to first know the Protestant understanding of worship.
Protestantism believes that prayer and worship are
synonymous and that their object is only God. This
Protestant notion of worship is different from what the
Bible says and what the Catholic Church believes.
The Catholic Church believes
that prayer and worship are distinct from each other; for
Catholics, prayer is not tantamount to worship, when we pray to the saints we do not
worship them like how we worship God. When a Catholic prays to a saint he is asking for
the saint’s intercession or asking the saint in heaven to pray for him, like how we ask our
friends to pray for us. This concept of asking our friends to pray for us or the saints to pray
for us is deeply rooted in the Scriptures. St. Paul in his epistle to Timothy urges Christians
to pray for one another;

First of all, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for
everyone. 1 Timothy 2:1
This teaching of St. Paul is the basis for why we ask our friends to pray for us, especially the
saints who are in heaven because the prayers of the righteous are powerful (James 5:16).

Latria – is the supreme worship allowed to God alone. It means adoration- a reverence
directed only to the Holy Trinity; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy
Spirit.
Hyperdulia – is the type of veneration dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary for being the
Mother of God. It is higher than dulia but lower than latria.
Dulia –is the reverence paid to all the saints for being good servants of God during their
earthly life.
Protodulia – is the reverence paid to Saint. Joseph. ”Proto means “first and Saint Joseph is
considered to be “first among the saints “for being the earthly father of Jesus and spouse of
the Blessed Mother.

III. Synthesis
 Catholicism and Protestantism have a different understanding of the word “worship”.
Protestants believe that worship automatically equates to the adoration of God. Whereas,
Catholicism follows the biblical understanding of worship wherein it is a general term that
have four distinct actions.

Latria – Adoration that we give to the Holy Trinity.( God )

Hyperdulia – Highest veneration given to Mary .

Dulia – Given to the saints implies veneration.

Protodulia- Among all the saints he is given first place.

IV. References

https://apologeticessay.wordpress.com/2018/08/02/worship-latria-hyperdulia-and-
dulia/ ( Date of Retrieval August 9 , 2022)

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, Episcopal Commission on Catechesis and Catholic

Education of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, Word and Life Publications
(1995)

CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY BIBLE, CATHOLIC PASTORAL EDITION REVISED EDITION, CLARET

PUBLISHING GROUP (REVISED 2013)

Prepared by: Checked and Reviewed by:

MICHAEL L. CAÑADA MELVIN M. ARIAS

Subject Teacher Chair, SHS Department

Approved:

ROUEL A. LONGINOS, Ed.D., Ph.D.,

School Principal