Mary – Full of Grace, Mother of God and Mother of the Church (Part 2)

Mary – The Mother of God

Was Mary the Mother of God?

This question is fraught with controversy outside of Catholic and Orthodox circles – why?

Firstly, what IS Theotokos, what does it mean? Collins dictionary defines the word as:

Theotokos (θɪˈɒtəˌkɒs) – the mother of God or the Virgin Mary; literally the ‘God-bearer’ [i] Definition

In Orthodoxy, it is explained:

The title Theotokos (in Greek, Θεοτόκος) is a Greek word that means "God-bearer" or "Birth-giver to God."

The Virgin Mary is the Theotokos, the mother of Jesus Christ, the Son and Word of God. She conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. She is also called Panagia, the "All-Holy," indicating her closeness to God in her obedience. [ii] OrthodoxWiki

So, in simple terms, Theotokos means ‘Mother of God’.

This is a ‘logical’ and ‘true’ statement of Mary but which gets some fundamentalist protestant, evangelical and other non-Catholic/Orthodox groupings (e.g. Jehovah’s Witness adherents) up in arms, declaring that this is not possible – how can Mary, a creature, be older than God, which would be so if she was His mother? This view is short-sighted and a literal error. Paraphrasing from the tract ‘Mary: Mother of God’:

However, their reaction often rests upon a misapprehension not only of what this particular title of Mary signifies but also of who Jesus was …

A woman is a man’s mother either if she carried him in her womb or if she was the woman contributing half of his genetic matter or both. Mary was the mother of Jesus in both of these senses, because she not only carried Jesus in her womb but also supplied all of the genetic matter for his human body, since it was through her—not Joseph—that Jesus “was descended from David according to the flesh” (Rom. 1:3).

This is NOT a matter of Orthodox/Catholic dogma, but a statement of logical fact!

Since Mary is Jesus’ mother, it must be concluded that she is also the Mother of God: If Mary is the mother of Jesus, and if Jesus is God, then Mary is the Mother of God. There is no way out of this logical syllogism.

Although Mary is the Mother of God, she is not his mother in the sense that she is older than God or the source of her Son’s divinity, for she is neither.

Rather, we say that she is the Mother of God in the sense that she carried in her womb a divine person—Jesus Christ, God “in the flesh” (2 John 7, cf. John 1:14)—and in the sense that she contributed the genetic matter to the human form (the incarnation) God took in Jesus Christ.

To compound their error of literality, they fall into Nestorian error by asserting that Mary did not bear God but only Christ’s human nature.

This assertion reinvents a heresy from the fifth century known as Nestorianism [iii], which runs aground on the fact that a mother does not merely carry the human nature of her child in her womb. Rather, she carries the person of her child. Women do not give birth to human natures; they give birth to persons. Mary thus carried and gave birth to the person of Jesus Christ, and the person she gave birth to was God.

This, again, leads to the logical conclusion that Mary was the Mother of God or – Theotokos.

Mary as Mother of God is not a new dogma invented recently but one which was attested to by the in the early Christian Church.

Hear what the Fathers of the Church have to say:

Irenaeus

“The Virgin Mary, being obedient to his word, received from an angel the glad tidings that she would bear God” (Against Heresies, 5:19:1 [A.D. 189]).

Hippolytus

“[T]o all generations they [the prophets] have pictured forth the grandest subjects for contemplation and for action. Thus, too, they preached of the advent of God in the flesh to the world, his advent by the spotless and God-bearing (theotokos) Mary in the way of birth and growth” (Discourse on the End of the World 1 [A.D. 217]).

Cyril of Jerusalem

“The Father bears witness from heaven to his Son. The Holy Spirit bears witness, coming down bodily in the form of a dove. The archangel Gabriel bears witness, bringing the good tidings to Mary. The Virgin Mother of God bears witness” (Catechetical Lectures 10:19 [A.D. 350]).

Ephraim the Syrian

“Though still a virgin she carried a child in her womb, and the handmaid and work of his wisdom became the Mother of God” (Songs of Praise 1:20 [A.D. 351]).

Athanasius

“The Word begotten of the Father from on high, inexpressibly, inexplicably, incomprehensibly, and eternally, is he that is born in time here below of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God” (The Incarnation of the Word of God 8 [A.D. 365]).

Mary – The Mother of the Church

This title can sometimes be misunderstood by Protestant adherents, who complain that Mary was a Creature and as such cannot be afforded the adoration of the churched which is reserved for God alone and which statement, I also find to be true.

However, there is a great difference between veneration and worship/adore – but adherents to the ‘veneration is worship’ school of thought make the fundamental mistake of conjoining veneration with adoration (or worship).

The common thread of definitions given by Websters, Cambridge and Oxford are the honour and respect of a creature over the reverence and adoration given to a deity.

Veneration

• respect or awe, inspired by the dignity, wisdom, dedication, or talent of a person. – Websters
• to honour or very much respect a person or thing. – Cambridge
• regard with great respect; revere. – Oxford

Worship

• to honour or show reverence for, as a divine being or supernatural power. – Websters
• to have or show a strong feeling of respect and admiration for God or a god – Cambridge
• The feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. – Oxford.

The title, ‘Mother of the Church’ was first used in the 4th century by Saint Ambrose of Milan, as rediscovered by Hugo Rahner [iv]

It was first used in a papal context by Pope Benedict XIV in 1748 and then by Pope Leo XIII in 1885. The title was also used by Pope John Paul II and is also found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.[v] This title became official during the Second Vatican Council when promulgated as such by Pope Paul VI.

Despite the controversial nature (Protestant disagreement), for me, it is not only recorded in the Gospels, but it is also a premise of logic.

If:

1. You accept the definitions provided above and
2. You subscribe to the belief that the church is the Mystical Body of Christ and
3. you believe that you are a member of that Mystical Body through your membership of the church militant and
4. that Christ is God in the second person and you agree
5. that Mary is Mater Christi / Mater Dei, then
6. you must agree, Mary is Mater Ecclesia – the Mother of the Church.

Mary becomes our Mother, the Mother of the Church, in virtue of our membership and part of Christ’s eschatological family.[vi] Jesus willed to give Mary as a mother to the early Church, when, from the cross, he looked at his mother and said, “Woman, behold, your son” (John 19:26). And to the beloved disciple, “Behold, your mother” (John 19:27).[vii]

To paraphrase Looney:

As a mother, Mary cares about the Church at-large and also for each individual member.

Her example of faith encouraged the Church in the past and continues to do so to this very day. She shows the way, making herself the example to follow – from her, we learn how to live a life of virtue. However, we can only learn from her if we invite her into our lives, just as St. John did. Talk to her as your mother, because that is who she is — she is our mother and the Mother of the Church.[viii]

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[i] https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/theotokos

[ii] https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Theotokos&oldid=126811

[iii] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestorianism

[iv] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_of_the_Church

[v] https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2C.HTM

[vi] http://www.catholicdigest.com/faith/spirituality/mother-of-the-church/

[vii] http://www.catholicdigest.com/faith/spirituality/mother-of-the-church/

[viii] http://www.catholicdigest.com/faith/spirituality/mother-of-the-church/

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Bibliography

1. Andrew M. Greenwell, Esq. (2013, March 13). Hail Mary: Kecharitomene, A Unique Word for a Unique Lady. Retrieved September 22, 2019, from Catholic Online: https://www.catholic.org/news/hf/faith/story.php?id=50095
2. Catholic Church. (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd ed. ed.). (U. S. Conference, Ed.) Washington DC: Libreria Editrice. Retrieved April 04, 2019
3. Fr. Edward Looney. (2019, June 9). Mother of the Church. Retrieved Nov 8, 2019, from Catholic Digest: http://www.catholicdigest.com/faith/spirituality/mother-of-the-church/
4. Fr. William G. Most. (1990). The Catholic Church is the Mystical Body of Christ. Retrieved Nov 8, 2019, from EWTN Global Catholic Network: https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/teachings/catholic-church-is-the-mystical-body-of-christ-89
5. OrthodoxWiki contributors. (2019, July 2). Theotokos. Retrieved July 30, 2019, from OrthodoxWiki: https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Theotokos&oldid=126811
6. The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version (Second Catholic Edition ed.). (2006). San Francisco, USA: Ignatius Press. Retrieved July 29, 2019
7. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, June 10). Hypostasis (philosophy and religion). Retrieved August 10, 2019, from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostasis_(philosophy_and_religion)&oldid=901252076
8. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, July 30). Mary, mother of Jesus. Retrieved July 30, 2019, from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mary,_mother_of_Jesus&oldid=908491530
9. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, October 22). Mother of the Church. Retrieved November 8, 2019, from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Mother_of_the_Church&id=922492266
10. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, August 05). Tektōn. Retrieved August 10, 2019, from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tekt%C5%8Dn&oldid=909461853
11. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, June 5). Theotokos. Retrieved July 30, 2019, from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Theotokos&oldid=900475991
12. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, July 29). Veneration of Mary in the Catholic Church. Retrieved July 30, 2019, from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veneration_of_Mary_in_the_Catholic_Church
13. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, July 12). Visitation (Christianity). Retrieved July 30, 2019, from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Visitation_(Christianity)&oldid=905878464

 

 

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Mary – Full of Grace, Mother of God and Mother of the Church (Part 1)

In a bucolic village in Palestine called Nazareth, there lived a Galilean Jewish peasant girl by the name of Mary. Tradition has it that she was the daughter of St’s Anne and Joachim.

Mary was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter [i] from the same area. The Gospel of Luke begins the account of Mary’s life with the Annunciation when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary: [ii]

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said:

“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” … And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. [iii]

Even though this could have meant a huge scandal, Joseph bravely took Mary into his house and treated the infant Jesus as his own.

Although understandably apprehensive at first, Mary became fully aware of the gravitas and the enormity of the task given to her by God.

Mary – Full of Grace

The Catholic Church teaches that Mary is a creature and NOT a divine being [iv] as so many fundamentalists would have you believe of Catholic belief and practice. This is an important concept, needed when trying to grasp the place of our blessed mother in the scheme of things.

But, though a creature, Mary occupies a unique place in the history of humankind. God chose Mary from the depths of all time and eternity, to be the willing receiver of the Holy Spirit and to bear His Son—the Salvation of man!

It is to this uniqueness that the Archangel Gabriel, at the Annunciation, addresses Mary using the phraseology (in Luke’s Greek):

Chaire, kecharitōmenē, ho kyrios meta sou!

Pronounced: key-car-it-oh-may-nay

Translated as: Hail, "Full of Grace", the Lord is with you!

Or in Latin: Áve, grā́tiā plḗna, Dóminus tḗcum!

To quote Greenwell: [v]

Kecharitōmenē is who Mary is, and not only what she has.
She is Kecharitōmenē as a result of that "singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race,"

… ‘all generations will call me blessed…’ says Mary, and rightly so, for such an honour has never been bestowed upon any creature before, since and certainly, ever will be again. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that this honour is singularly unique in all of the history of humanity, bar the incarnation itself! [vi]

What the Angel Gabriel wants to communicate to Mary and to us is that, in the word Kecharitōmenē, Mary has a unique name, a unique title, a unique role in sacred history, and so—though human—is a unique being in the economy of salvation.

Mary is she whose very name, whose very title, whose very office, whose very person is to have been endowed with grace in anticipation of her role as Mother of God and Mother of the Church.[vii]

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• This biopic on Mary will be concluded in the next post.

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Notes

[i] Carpenter was probably a misnomer – Joseph would more likely be know as a ‘tekton’, The Ancient Greek noun tektōn (τέκτων) is a common term for an artisan/craftsman, in particular a carpenter, woodworker, mason, builder or teacher engineer. (Wikipedia contributors, 2019)

[ii] (Wikipedia contributors, 2019)

[iii] (The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version, 2006, pp. Lk. 1:26-31)

[iv] “God sent forth his Son,” but to prepare a body for him, he wanted the free cooperation of a creature. For this, from all eternity God chose for the mother of his Son a daughter of Israel, a young Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, “a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary” (Catholic Church, 2000, p. CCC 488)

[v] (Andrew M. Greenwell, Esq., 2013)

[vi] I have excluded Jesus in His humanity, who is our Lord and Saviour because of His hypostasis. ( (Wikipedia contributors, 2019, p. Hypostasis)

[vii] (Andrew M. Greenwell, Esq., 2013)

Bibliography

1. Andrew M. Greenwell, Esq. (2013, March 13). Hail Mary: Kecharitomene, A Unique Word for a Unique Lady. Retrieved September 22, 2019, from Catholic Online: https://www.catholic.org/news/hf/faith/story.php?id=50095
2. Catholic Church. (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd ed. ed.). (U. S. Conference, Ed.) Washington DC: Libreria Editrice. Retrieved April 04, 2019
3. OrthodoxWiki contributors. (2019, July 2). Theotokos. Retrieved July 30, 2019, from OrthodoxWiki: https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Theotokos&oldid=126811
4. The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version (Second Catholic Edition ed.). (2006). San Francisco, USA: Ignatius Press. Retrieved July 29, 2019
5. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, June 10). Hypostasis (philosophy and religion). Retrieved August 10, 2019, from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hypostasis_(philosophy_and_religion)&oldid=901252076
6. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, July 30). Mary, mother of Jesus. Retrieved July 30, 2019, from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mary,_mother_of_Jesus&oldid=908491530
7. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, August 05). Tektōn. Retrieved August 10, 2019, from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tekt%C5%8Dn&oldid=909461853
8. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, June 5). Theotokos. Retrieved July 30, 2019, from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Theotokos&oldid=900475991
9. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, July 29). Veneration of Mary in the Catholic Church. Retrieved July 30, 2019, from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veneration_of_Mary_in_the_Catholic_Church
10. Wikipedia contributors. (2019, July 12). Visitation (Christianity). Retrieved July 30, 2019, from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Visitation_(Christianity)&oldid=905878464

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In Search of my King

What a special time of the year, yet it is another where the significance has been lost on commercial and secular interests. Indeed, it is certainly meant to be a joyous time, a time of celebration but… in remembrance of the salvation of man.

O, where has my King gone?

Christmas, the celebration and joy of the birth of our Salvation, yet it has become a time of indulgence, high spirits and the exchange of the mandatory gifts – a consumerist society’s reflection of ‘the good times’.

O, where has my King gone?

Is then, the exchange of gifts and meaningful celebration wrong? No certainly not, providing it remains an expression of love between one another – a sentiment central to Christ’s teaching and the true spirit of Christmas. The act of celebration and the action of giving should be seen as symbolic of the unequalled gift of love given to us by God.

So when this time of the year becomes an exercise in consumerism and we lose sight of the original meaning and spirit of Christmas, Christians should rightly feel offended or, in many instances, ashamed. I do… for Christmas celebrates the birth of my King, am I living up to it?

O, where has my King gone?

However, all is not lost. For God, in His infinite love and wisdom has reconciled Himself to man through the incarnation of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

“I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people; for this day is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the City of David.” Luke 2:10-11[i]

Born into poverty, made all the more poignant by the circumstances surrounding His Nativity – Jesus, carpenter and itinerant preacher, was God made man. He was to be and is the Salvation of man, the reconciliation of man unto God; He is … the bringer of the good news – the Messiah, the Anointed One of God.

“…Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal to God: But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.” Philipians 2: 5-8[ii]

O, where has my King gone?

He has not gone – He is and always will be here, calling to those who would listen. It is we who turn our eyes from Him who would save us from our own degradation. It is He who would release us from our slavery to a temporal master. We need only say:

Here I am Lord, turn not your gaze from me, draw me unto you, for in you and you alone will I find fulfillment and complete joy.

Hail to my King, for I have found Him.

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[i] The Holy Bible. Douay Rheims Translation.§ Page 75 – NT::Luke Chapt. 2: 10-11

[ii] The Holy Bible. Douay Rheims Translation.§ Page 232 – NT::Philippians Chapt. 2: 5-8

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