6 yr old nephew with challenging theology question!

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Yesterday after Mass we were talking about the Sacrament of Reconciliation. After a while my middle child asked how Mary could be born without sin. I explained that God prepared her that way because she was to be the mother of Jesus. My daughter asked “Why didn’t God make ALL of us that way?”
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Answer?
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What a coincidence! My 6-year old nephew asked: Why Mother Mary’s eyes color blue and she looks like a Hollywood actress (Caucasian feature) even if she comes from Middle East?
 
This depiction of Mary doesn’t look like that at all

http://www.ilianrachov.com/ikons/im...tochova.privat collection.hamburg.germany.jpg

There are many ways Our lady is depicted, and they usually reflect the culture they are in or where the artist is from. Also, in Marian apparitions (approved ones of course;)) Mary has come to people in many different skin eye and hair colors. Look at Our lady of Guadalupe…She has dark hair, olive toned skin and brown eyes, much like the women of Mexico which is where she appeared to Juan Diego. One can only assume this is so that she appears familiar to the people she’s appearing to.

 
God chose to make Jesus mother very very special because her son was going to be God himself. This particular mode of God’s operation (to create Mary free from the stain of sin) was the exception, not the rule. Since all of us are born with original sin, (and Mary would have been too, had God not intervened), God would have had to make us all sinless from the very moment of our conception, would have meant violating our free will in order to do so. Despite the fact that babies have no free will per se, they grow to become adults, and humans beyond the age of reason do have free will. Why doesn’t this same principal apply to Mary? Because in redeeming her beforehand by the crucifixion of her son Mary was predisposed to accept all of God’s graces (unlike us, who reject them all the time thru sin). The other part of it, I imagine is that Jesus willed to suffer and die a horrible death to show us just how abhorrent sin is to God. Hope this helps. I know it’s a lot for a 6 year old, but try explaining it this way: if every day was your birthday, your birthday wouldn’t be special would it? And if it’s not special, then what’s the point of having a birthday? Poor analogy, I know, but it’s all I can come up with right now…😉
 
alitaptap said:
What a coincidence! My 6-year old nephew asked: Why Mother Mary’s eyes color blue and she looks like a Hollywood actress (Caucasian feature) even if she comes from Middle East?
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you might want to enlarge his view from the few images he has seen to include the hundreds of icons, depictions, statues and apparitions which depict Mary as seen through the eyes of many different cultures and ethnic groups. ditto btw for images of Our Lord.
 
LOL! The Virgin Mary can appear in anyway she wants-I’m sure in Guadalupe (sp?) she appeared hispanic…in China, she’s probably chinese…

But when The Virgin Mary was “alive” and in the 1st century-she WAS probably middle eastern looking.
 
My husband once told me that different appartions of the Blessed Mother show her as the ethnicity of the individual(s) to whom she is appearing. That is, she appeared Hispanic in Guadalupe, Irish at Knock and so on. I don’t know it that’s true, but as another poster said, it makes sense. Really, as she is our Mother, wouldn’t it be odd to not recognize her?
 
Jesus speaks to us through our Blessed Mother Mary wherever we are!

Just open your heart to the Perfect & Infinite Love!!!

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark
 
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