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Devout Catholic

Registered: 07-2005
Posts: 1370
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Marian Devotion


Catholicism Lessons: Marian Devotion

Marian Devotion

"When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" - John 19:26-27

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What Catholics do not believe about Mary

Before I explain what Catholics believe about Mary, I think it is most helpful to explain right away what we don't believe about Mary.

Catholics do not believe that:

- Mary is divine
- Mary saves anyone
- Mary answers our prayers
- Mary is to be worshipped

Some anti-Catholics think that we believe these things, but they simply don't understand our beliefs or our official teachings about our beliefs. So, to avoid any further confusion, I will attempt to explain our Marian devotion in a simple way that makes use of official teachings and documents where appropriate.

But before I undertake this task, there is a concept which must be understood. That concept is the distinction between worship and veneration. Catholics believe that only God is to be worshipped, but we also believe that some of his creations are to be honored. We have special terminology to distinguish these types of venerations.


Latria - Worship reserved for God alone.

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Hyperdulia - Veneration reserved for the Blessed Virgin as Queen of all Saints.

Dulia - Honor given to the Saints and Angels.

This distinction is key, especially when reading some of the older Vatican documents, that are written in Latin, and which talk of "worshipping" Mary. We do not worship anyone as God, but God alone. We honor Mary and we honor the Saints, but we never worship them.


What Catholics do believe about Mary

Catholics do believe that:

- Mary is a perpetual Virgin
- Mary intercedes with Jesus on our behalf
- Mary was assumed bodily into Heaven upon her death
- Mary was conceived without Original Sin
- Mary is the Mother of God

Perpetual Virgin - Catholics believe that Mary did not have other children after Jesus. When the Bible speaks of Jesus' brothers, we recognize the language and cultural barriers present in the text which require a deeper understanding of those passages. We believe that Joseph respected the "holy ground" from which Jesus was born, just as the Old Testament Jews respected Holy Ground.

Intercessor - We believe that Mary, and the other Saints, are able to intercede and pray for us to God. The Saints are in Heaven with God, they are not dead, and the Bible teaches that the prayers of the righteous are powerful. In the Bible, Mary intercedes for the couple at the 'Wedding of Cana' and Jesus does ask she asks, even though it wasn't His time yet. We believe that this is a foreshadowing of her role in Heaven. Just as the Queen Mother stood next to the throne of her son in the Old Testament, Mary stands next to the King in Heaven.

Assumption - We believe that Mary was taken bodily into Heaven upon her death because God did not want her body subject to corruption. The Bible has other examples of people being assumed into Heaven, and those people did not have the honor of being the mother of God. While this belief is not found in Scripture, we drawn on our Tradition for this understanding.

Immaculate Conception - We believe that in order to be the Ark of the New Covenant, Mary had to be born without the stain of Original Sin on her soul. This salvation by God was done in advance, but her salvation was ultimately made possible through her Son's sacrifice. We also believe that this special grace of God helped Mary to be without any personal sin throughout her whole life.

Mother of God - The Council of Ephesus in 431 declared Mary was Theotokos (Greek for "God-bearer"), a title later translated as "Mother of God". Since Jesus is God, and Mary is the mother of Jesus, it is logical that she is the "mother of God." We are not implying any divinity on her part.

Key Theological Points

There are three themes that the Bible and the Church use to understand Mary's role in God's plan. It is very important to have a good grasp on these points, in order to really understand our beliefs. I have touched on them a bit above and it is useful to explain them in more detail.

- Mary is the 'New Eve'
- Mary is the 'Ark of the New Covenant'
- Mary is the 'Queen Mother'

Mary is the 'New Eve'

The theological concept of Mary as the New Eve is rooted in St Paul's contrasting Jesus Christ as the New Adam. Where the first Adam and the first Eve disobeyed God, and thus brought death into the world, Jesus and Mary both obeyed God and brought life into the world.

The writings of the early Church Fathers provide ample evidence that the perspective of Mary as the New Eve has roots in antiquity. St Justin Martyr (120-165) contrasted the transgression of Eve with the obedience of Mary; and Tertullian (160-240) wrote, "For unto Eve, as yet a virgin, had crept the word which was the framer of death; equally into a virgin was to be introduced the Word of God which was the builder-up of life." St Irenaeus (120-200) continued the paradigm by noting, "And so the knot of Eve's disobedience received its unloosing through the obedience of Mary; for what Eve, a virgin bound by incredulity, that Mary, a virgin, unloosed by faith."

Mary is the 'Ark of the New Covenant'

Since we see Mary as the New Eve, because she said 'Yes' to God by her obedience at the Annunciation, we see in the Bible that she became the mother of Jesus. So, just as the Old Covenant laws were carried in the Ark in the Old Testament, Mary carried the New Covenant, Jesus, in her womb. This is why she is the Ark of the New Covenant and why she is considered so holy. It is not her identity that makes her holy, but her Son's identity. It was not her identity that required so much of God's graces, but it was her Son's identity that caused God to make her the Immaculate Conception. She had to be free from Original Sin, pure like the Old Ark, in order to carry Jesus inside herself and be his mother.

Mary is the 'Queen Mother'

This teaching comes from an Old Testament concept as well. In the Old Testament Hebrew culture, the King had many wives, thus the queen wasn't one of these wives, but rather his mother. The "Queen Mother" had some influence in the throne room of the King in those times. Jesus, as the Messiah, is the King of the Davidic dynasty, so by default that would make Mary the Queen Mother. Since Jesus kingdom is not of this world, but greater than all other kingdoms, Mary is rightfully the "Queen of Heaven." This belief does not imply any divinity to Mary at all. It simply highlights her role in the Kingdom of her Son.


Commonly Misunderstood Teachings

Some of the even more misunderstood teachings about Mary are the Church's declaration of Mary as the 'Mediatrix' and the 'Co-Redemptrix''

Mediatrix

It is important to understand exactly what the Church teaches regarding Mary's role as 'Mediatrix,' so I will quote from the official Catechism of the Catholic Church:

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

I. MARY'S MOTHERHOOD WITH REGARD TO THE CHURCH

969 "This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation . . . . Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix."

970 "Mary's function as mother of men in no way obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power. But the Blessed Virgin's salutary influence on men...flows forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ, rests on his mediation, depends entirely on it, and draws all its power from it." "No creature could ever be counted along with the Incarnate Word and Redeemer; but just as the priesthood of Christ is shared in various ways both by his ministers and the faithful, and as the one goodness of God is radiated in different ways among his creatures, so also the unique mediation of the Redeemer does not exclude but rather gives rise to a manifold cooperation which is but a sharing in this one source."


o, we clearly see that Jesus alone is the sole Mediator between man and God. Any mediating done by Mary is accomplished because of and depends completely on Jesus' unique mediation.

Co-Redemptrix
This is also the case with the other terminology that some non-Catholics think is odd or even blasphemous. While this title is not yet an official title in the Catholic Church, it is being pushed for among many of the laity, whom have written:

When the Church invokes Mary under the title, "Coredemptrix", she means that Mary uniquely participated in the redemption of the human family by Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour. At the Annunciation Mary freely cooperated in giving the Second Person of the Trinity his human body which is the very instrument of redemption, as Scripture tells us: "We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" - Heb.10:10.

And at the foot of the cross of our Saviour, Mary's intense sufferings, united with those of her Son, as Pope John Paul II tells us, were, "also a contribution to the Redemption of us all" (Salvifici Doloris, n.25). Because of this intimate sharing in the redemption accomplished by the Lord, the Mother of the Redeemer is uniquely and rightly referred to by Pope John Paul II and the Church as the "Coredemptrix."

It is important to note that the prefix "co" in the title Coredemptrix does not mean "equal to" but rather "with", coming from the Latin word cum. The Marian title Coredemptrix never places Mary on a level of equality with her Divine Son, Jesus Christ. Rather it refers to Mary's unique human participation which is completely secondary and subordinate to the redeeming role of Jesus, who alone is true God and true Man.
Again, her redemptive role is completely secondary and dependant on her Son's unique role as Redeemer of the world. But in order for Jesus to take on the sins of the world, Jesus had to take on our humanity, and to take on our humanity means that He had to be born as a human, raised as a human, and live as a human, which takes a mother. Mary's "yes" to God allowed this to happen.


Mary is called to give her free and full consent to conceive this child. She is not merely a passive recipient of the message, but she was given an active role, and heaven awaited her free choice. It is precisely by her free consent to collaborate in God's saving plan that she becomes the Coredemptrix. The prophecy of Simeon to Mary, "and a sword will pierce through your own soul also" (Luke 2:25), affirms Mary's unique participation in the work of redemption, as it warns her that she will undergo an unspeakable pain that will pierce her soul, for the salvation of mankind. John 19:25 tells us of Jesus' Mother at the very foot of the cross, persevering with her Son in his worst hour of agony, and therein suffering the death of her Son.

Thus in her own suffering too, the Mother of the Redeemer participates in the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ.

Do we see Biblical support for the idea that someone can participate in Christ's sufferings?

Yes, St. Paul tells us... (Col 1:24): "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,"

By his sufferings he is completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the church and us. This is a role we all can partake, but this role is dependent on Christ and subordinate to Christ.



AUTHOR UNKNOWN

---
"My Sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.


Sep/9/2005, 2:04 pm Link to this post Send Email to SHJIHM   Send PM to SHJIHM
 
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Priest

Registered: 12-2005
Posts: 603
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Re: Marian Devotion


Tony - This is probably the most thorough and yet concise explanation that I have ever read re: the Church's teachings re: the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thanks much!

I do have a question. I remember doing some brief research on this topic months ago in connection with some of the reported Marian apparitions. The title and concept of "Co-Redemptrix" was one that really caught my attention. As I recall, one or more websites were pushing John Paul the Great to issue an encyclical officially recognizing Mary as "Co-Redemptrix" and explain the teaching. We may never know if he had plans to do such, but he went to Heaven without issuing such a teaching.

Two questions come to mind. (1) Do any of you expect the Church to officially recognize Mary as "Co-Redemptrix" in our lifetime? (2) Would not such a teaching make it more difficult to bring the Protestants back into the fold?

............... p.s. - Upon further reflection, I realize that my questions may have been irrelevant. Let me try and answer myself(?) (1) It is impossible to predict when or if the Holy Spirit will reveal a teaching or truth to the Church. (2) Possibly, but truth is truth and if the Spirit reveals a truth to the Church, then it must be taught to the Faithful regardless of any possible consequences. - Nordic

Last edited by Nordiclover, Jan/6/2006, 8:26 pm
Jan/6/2006, 7:17 pm Link to this post Send Email to Nordiclover   Send PM to Nordiclover
 
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Devout Catholic

Registered: 07-2005
Posts: 1370
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Re: Marian Devotion


'Co-mediatrix refers to Mary's unique human participation which is completely secondary and subordinate to the redeeming role of Jesus, who alone is true God and true Man.'

quote:

Would not such a teaching make it more difficult to bring the Protestants back into the fold?



Nord, when you think about it, aren't you and I as well a co-mediatrix? Do we not look to bring souls to Christ, thereby participating in the souls redemption?

I believe for Protestants to understand Mary's role, it would be important for them to get past the Mary complex they perceive Catholics to have.

---
"My Sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.


Jan/7/2006, 11:17 am Link to this post Send Email to SHJIHM   Send PM to SHJIHM
 
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Priest

Registered: 12-2005
Posts: 603
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Re: Marian Devotion


Tony - I am sure that your last statement is very true. - Nord
Jan/12/2006, 8:18 pm Link to this post Send Email to Nordiclover   Send PM to Nordiclover
 


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