Mary sinless? But she got anxious. Anxiety is a sin

[TK421]

Catholics affirm that Mary was sinless. However, to worry, to be anxious, to be fearful, is forbidden numerous times in the scriptures (in fact, something along the lines of “do not fear” is referred to 366 times!). Clearly, anxiety is a sin.

I’ve heard this from respected people before (Kimberly Hahn mentions it in her book on parenting), but it is only a sin if we allow it to take over our life and it becomes disordered, which leads to despair. I don’t think any priest is going to tell a penitent that it was a sin if they happened to feel anxious in a difficult situation.

A parent experiencing a sudden shock is perfectly human and innocent.

Peace.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

A parent experiencing a sudden shock is perfectly human and innocent.

Yeah, when we see parents being interviewed on the TV news because their child has suddenly gone missing and they just want him or her back in one piece, and they are clearly anxious and upset, I don’t think anybody is pointing at them and saying, “Look at those sinful people. They better get right with God and become calm ASAP.”

 

[TK421]

I would go further and say there are some situations where it would be questionable if a person didn’t experience some level of distress.

What were they suppose to do? This?

Mary: “Joseph, have you seen Jesus?”
Joseph: “Nope”.
Mary: “Okay.”

Really? I think any parent who temporarily loses their child experiences that moment of white hot anxiety in the pit of their chest.

 

[Cuddles57]

Anxiety a sin? Oh no. For sure, I have a first class ticket right to the infernal gates.

 

[esieffe]

Mary was concerned. Concerned that danger was so close on their way from Herod’s grasp, concerned for the comfort of her child. Mary also knew her Holy family had God on their side.

 

[esieffe]

Chuck, your looking for loopholes that aren’t there.

 

[LaughingBoy1503]

Do I hear you right that we can disobey Jesus not be sinning? He said, “Do not worry…” Matthew 6:25 Or disobey the Apostle Paul’s injunction, “do not be anxious about anything” (Phil 4:6) and not be sinning?

You are calling Jesus Himself a sinner because He was so anxious about His arrest and Crucifixion that He sweated blood, which actually can happen and only happens with intense stress and anxiety.

 

[littlekitten]

Clearly, anxiety is a sin

Clearly, breathing is a sin.
Seriously, this forum is full of scrupulous people who build scrupulous in others.

 

[TK421]

Please, I intend no offense. I’m a huge sinner and I myself struggle with anxiety. My question is honest. If anyone can refer me to a Catholic theologian who wrote about this I’d appreciate it.

Of course not. None taken. It was a perfectly reasonable question and people like you are why this website exists in the first place.

 

[chaz]

I’m not convinced that in all HIs troubles, Jesus was “anxious.” That seems to be an inference. I haven’t found that specific word attributed to him. I’ll gladly stand corrected if you can direct me to something. Seems to me a person can face a lot of mental anguish, as He did, and yet not be worried about the outcome or what’s going on. He was taking the whole sin of the world onto Himself, He knew exactly what He was doing and what was to happen to Him. I don’t see that as “He was worried.”

 

[chaz]

Right on. Thanks.

 

[Vico]

Catholics affirm that Mary was sinless. However, to worry, to be anxious, to be fearful, is forbidden numerous times in the scriptures (in fact, something along the lines of “do not fear” is referred to 366 times!). Clearly, anxiety is a sin.

Consider the following when Jesus went missing for three days in Jerusalem at age 12: Luke 2:48 (NRSV) "When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” Note: not just “your father” but "your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.”

Have any Catholic theologians spoken to this? I’d like to know how they explain it.

Oxford Dictionary

anxiety, noun
2 [countable] a worry or fear about something

• If you’re worried about your health, share your anxieties with your doctor.

Philippians 2

12 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, (as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but much more now in my absence) with fear and trembling work out your salvation. 13 For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to his good will.

 

[do_justly_love_mercy]

to worry, to be anxious, to be fearful, is forbidden numerous times in the scriptures (in fact, something along the lines of “do not fear” is referred to 366 times!). Clearly, anxiety is a sin.

No, clearly anxiety is not a sin. This is pretty offensive and potentially quite dangerous if you talking to people who may suffer from anxiety. I know that among evangelical Christians it is actually quite common to attribute any mental health condition to a lack of faith. This doesn’t help anyone. Quite the opposite, in fact.

If you tell somebody not to be afraid, it doesn’t logically follow that being afraid is a sin. Where are you getting this from? It is entirely natural to encourage somebody not to experience negative emotions. We sometimes say something like, “Please don’t be sad”, “Please don’t be afraid”, “Try not to worry”, “Don’t despair”, and so on. It doesn’t mean that having these feelings is wrong, just that we encourage each other as far as humanly possible to be happy, confident, and optimistic.

Mary was a human being and experienced the full range of human emotions. Many Christians, not only Catholics, identify strongly with the sufferings that she went through as a mother, the grief that pierced her heart like a sword. It is natural for parents to be anxious, and I am sure that Mary must have experienced particular anxieties, because there were signs and prophecies throughout Jesus’ life that foretold his suffering and death. It would be entirely normal for a mother to feel this way. The fact that she was conceived without sin and gave birth as a virgin and understood that Jesus was the son of God did not mean that she would experience emotions differently compared with other human beings. Similarly, Jesus himself is portrayed as experiencing normal human emotions, e.g. during the agony in the garden.

 

[LaughingBoy1503]

I’m not convinced that in all HIs troubles, Jesus was “anxious.” That seems to be an inference. I haven’t found that specific word attributed to him. I’ll gladly stand corrected if you can direct me to something. Seems to me a person can face a lot of mental anguish, as He did, and yet not be worried about the outcome or what’s going on. He was taking the whole sin of the world onto Himself, He knew exactly what He was doing and what was to happen to Him. I don’t see that as “He was worried.”

You seem to be making up your own definition of anxiety. Even if The Bible does not say “Jesus was anxious” He, literally would have to be full of anxiety to begin to sweat blood. Regardless of if he knew the outcome of what was going on. Remember, The Bible does not literally use the word “Trinity” but we can know it exists by reading The Bible in its entirety. Likewise, we can know Jesus was anxious, regardless if The Bible clearly says “HE WAS ANXIOUS” or not.

Lets look at the original greek…

The word used in Luke 2:48 may be translated in some English translations as “Anxious” but in the Original Greek the work is “odynōmenoi”" The meaning "To pain either bodily or mentally; Pass. To be in agony, be tormented.
It is used 4 times in The New Testament. Luke 2:48, Luke 16:24 and 25(The rich man asked told Abraham that he was in Anguish and Abraham used the word “tormented”) and in Acts 20:38 Paul told his friends they would never see him again and they were distressed.

You see… The same word in Greek that Mary says she was was only used 3 other times in scripture and in none of those times was the same word used by Jesus or Paul to command people to not be anxious.

The word, in the original greek that Jesus used in Matt 6:25 is… merimnaó which is to be anxious or solicitous. And it is used 19 times in scripture, including where you mentioned… Phil 4:6.

So you see… sometimes English translations of The original Bible language (greek) fall a bit short. Clearly we can see that what Mary experienced and what Jesus told us not to do are completely different things.

Does this help at all?

 

[chaz]

Thanks for this Scripture, Vico. However, I understand Paul’s use of “fear” in the verse to reflect the oft repeated injunction in the OT to “fear the Lord.” I differentiate that from “be afraid of the Lord.” So I hear the Apostle Paul saying something like, “in deep, reverent submission, and with trembling work out…” That strikes me as being quite different from “be afraid.”

 

[chaz]

Very helpful. Thank you for this.

 

[Cathoholic]

chaz . .

Do I hear you right that we can disobey Jesus not be sinning? He said, “Do not worry…” Matthew 6:25 Or disobey the Apostle Paul’s injunction, “do not be anxious about anything” (Phil 4:6) and not be sinning?

First of all. . . Welcome to CAF Chaz.

Glad you are here.

In your OP you asked . . .

Catholics affirm that Mary was sinless. However, to worry, to be anxious, to be fearful, is forbidden numerous times in the scriptures (in fact, something along the lines of “do not fear” is referred to 366 times!). Clearly, anxiety is a sin.

Consider the following when Jesus went missing for three days in Jerusalem at age 12: Luke 2:48 (NRSV) "When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” Note: not just “your father” but "your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety .”

Have any Catholic theologians spoken to this? I’d like to know how they explain it.

I don’t know how many theologians have spoken to this, but I don’t think they need to.

Let’s take a closer look.

LUKE 2:48 (RSVCE) 48 And when they saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.” (Greek = odynōmenoi).

Anxiously can merely mean “with sadness”. Not some sort of un-trusting attitude.

Listen to St. Paul speak to the elders at Ephesus in saying his final farewell to them as he knows he is going off to die. And how the elders are saddened.

ACTS 20:36-38 36 And when he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And they all wept and embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 sorrowing (Greek = odynōmenoi) most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And they brought him to the ship.

Would you say the elders of Ephesus are falling into sin here?

Hopefully not.

Other translations capture this sorrow dimension as well.

LUKE 2:48 (KJV) 48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

LUKE 2:48 (ASV) 48 And when they saw him, they were astonished; and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I sought thee sorrowing.

LUKE 2:48 (DRV) 48 And seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him: Son, why hast thou done so to us? behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

.

There is no evidence of sin here.

They had an appearance of an emotion (“behold”).

Pretty hard to have an appearance of untrusting in God that someone can “behold”.

Pretty easy to have an appearance of sorrow (tears, frowns, look of concern, etc.) that someone could “behold”.

LUKE 2:48 (DRV) 48 And seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him: Son, why hast thou done so to us? behold thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing .

 

[chaz]

Excellent. Thank you for this info.

 

[pulchraesamicamea]

Um.

Anxiety is an emotion. Please keep in mind that the brain is an organ. If it goes wrong due to a stressful situation, it creates a physiological and psychological response. It’s like being anxious before tests.

 

[Vico]

Thanks for this Scripture, Vico. However, I understand Paul’s use of “fear” in the verse to reflect the oft repeated injunction in the OT to “fear the Lord.” I differentiate that from “be afraid of the Lord.” So I hear the Apostle Paul saying something like, “in deep, reverent submission, and with trembling work out…” That strikes me as being quite different from “be afraid.”

There should be a respectful fear of loosing the state of grace: to guard.

Haydock Commentary, Phillipians 2

Ver. 12. With fear and trembling. That is, be equally upon your guard against presumption and despair. S. Paul is anxious to inspire a just confidence in Jesus Christ, but he is not less solicitous to root out all self-confidence arising from our supposed merits or excellence.