Questions about Mary

[Angela77]

Despite my being Catholic, I do not understand a lot about Mary and would like to know more.

My basic question is, “What’s the big deal with Mary?”

What Biblical evidence is there for how important she is? Also, what evidence is there of her importance from the early days of the Church?

Also, when did the Hail Mary originate, and when did the Rosary originate?

Thank you in advance! I know the answers must be out there because the Church always has good reasons for Her teachings; I just don’t always know them.

 

[JM3]

amazon.com/Mystery-Mary-Paul-Haffner/dp/1595250085/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362367918&sr=1-2&keywords=the+mystery+of+mary

vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19670513_signum-magnum_en.html

vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_p-vi_exh_19740202_marialis-cultus_en.html

 

[Kopratic]

The importance of Mary can be seen as early as Genesis 3:15.

And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall [a]bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.

{New American Standard Bible}

Enmity is defined as “a feeling or condition of hostility,” {from dictionary.com}. That is, the woman and her seed must be the exact opposite of what the serpent and his seed are. Who is the serpent? The Devil. What is his seed? The answer is twofold: sin and death. Who is the woman? It appears at first to be Eve, and in a way it is. However, in its truest since it is about Mary – i.e., the new Eve. What is her seed? The answer is also twofold: grace and life – i.e., Jesus Christ. We receive a very big clue from Jesus himself that Mary is “the woman” by his addressing her as “Woman” during the wedding feast at Cana and at the foot of the cross. This form of address to a mother would have been seen as rather odd, but Jesus was giving his mother honor by calling her “Woman.” We again see her later in Revelation 12 as the “woman clothed with the sun…”

Through Mary, the world received its Savior, Jesus Christ. She is the Mother of God {Theotokos as the Eastern Catholics call her} and the mother of us all {John 19:27}.

She was full of grace by a singular act of God at the moment of her conception. {A popular analogy is that she was saved from falling into a mud pit. She still needed a savior.} The angel Gabriel addresses her by this title: “Hail, full of grace,” during the Annunciation. The Greek, kecharitomene, is difficult to translate into English. Basically, it means that Mary was full of grace before she met the angel. {Most people will cite this as evidence for her Immaculate Conception – i.e., being conceived without the stain of original sin.} If she is “full of grace,” there is no room for sin.
Mary is also the ark of the covenant. In Revelation 11:19, the ark of the covenant is seen in the temple; it is no coincidence that this appears immediately before Revelation 12. The ark of the Old Covenant was the dwelling place of God and was made very precisely. Mary, being the new ark, is thus also the dwelling place of God. It is only fitting that God would wish to dwell in a place of perfection.

As for the Hail Mary, the first half is a compilation of the angelic salutation of Gabriel and the greeting of Elizabeth: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.”
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
The latter half is simply asking for her intercession “now and at the hour of our death.”

I must confess that I’m not too good at explaining the origins of the rosary.
It was given to St. Dominic through an apparition he had of Mary. It is simply a form of prayer meant to meditate on the mysteries of Jesus.

The Early Church Fathers wrote highly of Mary. St. Jerome’s "The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary is just one example. You can find many more writings at newadvent.org/fathers/index.html.

I would like to make one final note. While the Church teaches that Mary is highly important, she does not teach that we must go to Mary. Oftentimes, you may hear people ask, “Why can’t you just go directly to the Father?” The answer is that you can! However, it is also permissible to go through Mary. Any devotion to Mary is encouraged but not required. The four infallible dogmas on Mary are this: She is the Mother of God. She is a Perpetual Virgin. She was conceived without the stain of original sin: Immaculate Conception. She was assumed, body and soul, into heaven at the end of her earthly life: The Assumption. These four divine revelations are what the Church requires belief of.

Hopefully, this short {in the grand scheme of things} answer will help you somewhat. I suggest reading St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary and Scott Hahn’s Hail Holy Queen.

God bless!

 

[Prairie_Rose]

** I suggest reading St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary** and Scott Hahn’s Hail Holy Queen.

I second this recommendation!!

 

[fred_conty]

Despite my being Catholic, I do not understand a lot about Mary and would like to know more.

My basic question is, “What’s the big deal with Mary?”

What Biblical evidence is there for how important she is? Also, what evidence is there of her importance from the early days of the Church?

Also, when did the Hail Mary originate, and when did the Rosary originate?

Thank you in advance! I know the answers must be out there because the Church always has good reasons for Her teachings; I just don’t always know them.

Angela, try this site, it is easy to read about Mary.

davidmacd.com/catholic/mary_in_the_bible.htm

 

[bzkoss236]

The importance of Mary can be seen as early as Genesis 3:15.
{New American Standard Bible}

Enmity is defined as “a feeling or condition of hostility,” {from dictionary.com}. That is, the woman and her seed must be the exact opposite of what the serpent and his seed are. Who is the serpent? The Devil. What is his seed? The answer is twofold: sin and death. Who is the woman? It appears at first to be Eve, and in a way it is. However, in its truest since it is about Mary – i.e., the new Eve. What is her seed? The answer is also twofold: grace and life – i.e., Jesus Christ. We receive a very big clue from Jesus himself that Mary is “the woman” by his addressing her as “Woman” during the wedding feast at Cana and at the foot of the cross. This form of address to a mother would have been seen as rather odd, but Jesus was giving his mother honor by calling her “Woman.” We again see her later in Revelation 12 as the “woman clothed with the sun…”

Through Mary, the world received its Savior, Jesus Christ. She is the Mother of God {Theotokos as the Eastern Catholics call her} and the mother of us all {John 19:27}.

She was full of grace by a singular act of God at the moment of her conception. {A popular analogy is that she was saved from falling into a mud pit. She still needed a savior.} The angel Gabriel addresses her by this title: “Hail, full of grace,” during the Annunciation. The Greek, kecharitomene, is difficult to translate into English. Basically, it means that Mary was full of grace before she met the angel. {Most people will cite this as evidence for her Immaculate Conception – i.e., being conceived without the stain of original sin.} If she is “full of grace,” there is no room for sin.
Mary is also the ark of the covenant. In Revelation 11:19, the ark of the covenant is seen in the temple; it is no coincidence that this appears immediately before Revelation 12. The ark of the Old Covenant was the dwelling place of God and was made very precisely. Mary, being the new ark, is thus also the dwelling place of God. It is only fitting that God would wish to dwell in a place of perfection.

As for the Hail Mary, the first half is a compilation of the angelic salutation of Gabriel and the greeting of Elizabeth: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.”
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.”
The latter half is simply asking for her intercession “now and at the hour of our death.”

I must confess that I’m not too good at explaining the origins of the rosary.
It was given to St. Dominic through an apparition he had of Mary. It is simply a form of prayer meant to meditate on the mysteries of Jesus.

The Early Church Fathers wrote highly of Mary. St. Jerome’s "The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary is just one example. You can find many more writings at newadvent.org/fathers/index.html.

I would like to make one final note. While the Church teaches that Mary is highly important, she does not teach that we must go to Mary. Oftentimes, you may hear people ask, “Why can’t you just go directly to the Father?” The answer is that you can! However, it is also permissible to go through Mary. Any devotion to Mary is encouraged but not required. The four infallible dogmas on Mary are this: She is the Mother of God. She is a Perpetual Virgin. She was conceived without the stain of original sin: Immaculate Conception. She was assumed, body and soul, into heaven at the end of her earthly life: The Assumption. These four divine revelations are what the Church requires belief of.

Hopefully, this short {in the grand scheme of things} answer will help you somewhat. I suggest reading St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary and Scott Hahn’s Hail Holy Queen.

God bless!

And don’t forget Luke 1:48, “…for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.”

All generations will call her blessed. And in Revelation we see Mary as the Queen of Heaven, clothed with the Sun.

 

[Kopratic]

And don’t forget Luke 1:48, “…for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.”

All generations will call her blessed. And in Revelation we see Mary as the Queen of Heaven, clothed with the Sun.

Yes, thank you! I was going to say something about that, but for some reason I got side-tracked and forgot. I guess I forgot that I hadn’t actually typed it up. xD

 

[Della]

St. Alphonsus de Liguori wrote: The Glories of Mary in which he cited the main Marian doctrines/dogmas, their scriptural references as well as citations from saints, doctors and bishops of the Church up until his time. The link goes to a free pdf text. I think you would find it helpful. The book can also be purchased. Just do a google search for the title.

 

[frjohnmaryt]

Despite my being Catholic, I do not understand a lot about Mary and would like to know more.

My basic question is, “What’s the big deal with Mary?”

What Biblical evidence is there for how important she is? Also, what evidence is there of her importance from the early days of the Church?

Also, when did the Hail Mary originate, and when did the Rosary originate?

Thank you in advance! I know the answers must be out there because the Church always has good reasons for Her teachings; I just don’t always know them.

JM3 and Kopratic have given good articles and discussion to help you to deepen your understanding about the Love of God, in Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit in the Incarnation. That is about Salvation. The Bible tells us that, explicitly and implicitly. However, Mary has a role in that Salvafic act of God for humanity. I hope these articles, discussion and the Bible will help you respect and love of the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God. That is “not a big deal,” it is Catholic Faith and teaching.
In Christ and Mary

 

[Inego_de_Loyola]

Despite my being Catholic, I do not understand a lot about Mary and would like to know more.

My basic question is, “What’s the big deal with Mary?”

What Biblical evidence is there for how important she is? Also, what evidence is there of her importance from the early days of the Church?

Also, when did the Hail Mary originate, and when did the Rosary originate?

Thank you in advance! I know the answers must be out there because the Church always has good reasons for Her teachings; I just don’t always know them.

This prayer is where I truly learned the place of Mary, as it makes clear that Jesus is of one substance with the father in his divine nature, and in a similar manner of one substance with his mother in his human nature.
Quicunque Vult (Athanasian Creed):
If anybody wants to be saved, first of all it is necessary that they hold the Catholic Faith.
Because unless everyone keeps this Faith completely and purely, without doubt they shall not be saved.
And the Catholic Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither mixing up the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.
For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is all one, the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal.
What the Father is, that is what the Son is, and also what the Holy Spirit is.
The Father was not created by anyone, the Son was not created by anyone, and the Holy Spirit was not created by anyone.
The Father is beyond our understanding, the Son is beyond our understanding, and the Holy Spirit is beyond our understanding.
The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, and the Holy Spirit is eternal.
And yet they are not three who are eternal, but one who is eternal.
And they are not three who are beyond our understanding, nor three who were not created by anyone, but one uncreated, and one beyond our understanding.
So in the same way the Father is Almighty, the Son is Almighty, and the Holy Spirit is Almighty.
And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God.
And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
So in the same way the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Spirit is Lord.
And yet they are not three Lords, but one Lord.
For just as the Christian Truth forces us to acknowledge each Person in and of himself to be both God and Lord, so the Catholic Religion forbids us to say there are three Gods, or three Lords.
The Father is from no one, neither created, nor begotten.
The Son comes from the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten.
The Holy Spirit is from the Father, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
And in this Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less than another;
So that in all things, as was said before, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
Whoever wants to be saved must thus think of the Trinity.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation also to believe correctly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Human;
God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Human, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world;
Perfect God and perfect Human, continually existing as a rational soul and human flesh together;
Equal to the Father, as God; and inferior to the Father, as human.
Who although he is God and Human, yet he is not two, but one Christ;
One, not by changing the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the Humanity into God;
One altogether; not by mixing up the Substance of God and Human, but by uniting them in one person.
For as the rational soul and flesh together in one person is one human, so God and Human together in one person is one Christ;
Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead.
He ascended into heaven, he sits at the right hands of the Father, God Almighty, from whence he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
At whose coming all persons shall rise again with their bodies and shall give account for their own works.
And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
This is the Catholic Faith, without which there is no salvation.

 

[Jordan_Rizk]

youtube.com/watch?v=kUdYeYy3NQA

One of the greatest Catholic videos on the Blessed Mother.

 

[mikeeh]

Mary is the first tabernacle of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[otjm]

Not even all Dominicans hold that Mary gave St Dominic the Rosary.

The better thinking seems to be that the initial start of the Rosary was among the laity, who said 150 Our Fathers. They did so as a means of prayer, as they were uneducated and were not able to pray the Psalms, as the monks did.

Over time the Rosary has taken different forms, and there have been different mysteries said with it.

The Rosary is a private devotion; that is, it is not an official liturgy of the Church; however it is acknowledged as the most widely spread and loved devotion.

What is amazing, since it is a private devotional prayer, is the reaction of some who style themselves as traditionalists, who outright (and at times with some vehemence) reject the Luminous Mysteries. In doing so, they appear to be treating the Rosary as something that was always set in stone (it wasn’t) and seem to be elevating it far above a private devotion.

It can be a very meditative prayer,but when said in a group it sometimes seems to take on an almost sing-song approach (which drives me batty).

 

[Thomas_Casey]

These are good questions for apologetics.

 

[Goya]

Despite my being Catholic, I do not understand a lot about Mary and would like to know more.

My basic question is, “What’s the big deal with Mary?”

What Biblical evidence is there for how important she is? Also, what evidence is there of her importance from the early days of the Church?

Also, when did the Hail Mary originate, and when did the Rosary originate?

Thank you in advance! I know the answers must be out there because the Church always has good reasons for Her teachings; I just don’t always know them.

St. Thomas Aquinas gives us great perspective:

THE ANGELIC SALUTATION

This salutation has three parts. The Angel gave one part, namely: "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women."[1] The other part was given by Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, namely: "Blessed is the fruit of thy womb."[2] The Church adds the third part, that is, “Mary,” because the Angel did not say, “Hail, Mary,” but “Hail, full of grace.” But, as we shall see, this name, “Mary,” according to its meaning agrees with the words of the Angels.[3]

“HAIL MARY”

We must now consider concerning the first part of this prayer that in ancient times it was no small event when Angels appeared to men; and that man should show them reverence was especially praiseworthy. Thus, it is written to the praise of Abraham that he received the Angels with all courtesy and showed them reverence. ***But that an Angel should show reverence to a man was never heard of until the Angel reverently greeted the Blessed Virgin saying: “Hail.” ***

THE ANGEL’S DIGNITY

In olden time an Angel would not show reverence to a man, but a man would deeply revere an Angel. This is because Angels are greater than men, and indeed in three ways. First, they are greater than men in dignity. This is because the Angel is of a spiritual nature: “Who makest Thy angels spirits.”[4] But, on the other hand, man is of a corruptible nature, for Abraham said: "I

will speak to my Lord, whereas I am dust and ashes."[5] It was not fitting, therefore, that a spiritual and incorruptible creature should show reverence to one that is corruptible as is a man. Secondly, an Angel is closer to God. The Angel, indeed, is of the family of God, and as it were stands ever by Him: “Thousands of thousands ministered to Him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before Him.”[6] Man, on the other hand, is rather a stranger and afar off from God because of sin: “I have gone afar off.”[7] Therefore, it is fitting that man should reverence an Angel who is an intimate and one of the household of the King.

Then, thirdly, the Angels far exceed men in the fullness of the splendor of divine grace. For Angels participate in the highest degree in the divine light: “Is there any numbering of His soldiers? And upon whom shall not His light arise?”[8] Hence, the Angels always appear among men clothed in light, hut men on the contrary, although they partake somewhat of the light of grace, nevertheless do so in a much slighter degree and with a certain obscurity. It was, therefore, not fitting that an Angel should show reverence to a man until it should come to pass that one would be found in human nature who exceeded the Angels in these three points in which we have seen that they excel over men–and this was the Blessed Virgin. To show that she excelled the Angels in these, ***the Angel desired to show her reverence, and so he said: “Ave (Hail).” ***

*Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum. *

 

[Inego_de_Loyola]

What is amazing, since it is a private devotional prayer, is the reaction of some who style themselves as traditionalists, who outright (and at times with some vehemence) reject the Luminous Mysteries. In doing so, they appear to be treating the Rosary as something that was always set in stone (it wasn’t) and seem to be elevating it far above a private devotion.

I must confess that I am one of those folks who don’t use the luminous mysteries, and I think you’re giving us an undeserved bad rap. It isn’t a necessary part of the rosary, but rather it is an optional addition*. I prefer not to make use of that option for few reasons.

I. It breaks the imagery of the 150 angelic salutations representing the 150 psalms of David.
II. I personally do believe the story of it’s being delivered by Mary to Saint Dominic, and also in the endorsement it has received from more recent private revelations, so I prefer to keep to the form which I believe has come from the blessed hands of our lady.
III. As someone with friends spanning from the charismatic renewal to strict TLM only traditionalists, I leave it out so that it shan’t be a stumbling block for my brethren.

*Rosarium Virginis Mariae: “I believe, however, that to bring out fully the Christological depth of the Rosary it would be suitable to make an addition to the traditional pattern which, while** left to the freedom of individuals and communities**, could broaden it to include the mysteries of Christ’s public ministry between his Baptism and his Passion.” [Emphasis Mine]

 

[annietl]

Just being the mother of Jesus is enough right there. Does your own mother have importance to you? Of course! Why? Because she is your mother, she loves you, she took care of you and gave birth to you. She is of great importance…therefore, Mary is of great
Importance, because she gave birth to our Lord and is free from original sin.

 

[frjohnmaryt]

I must confess that I am one of those folks who don’t use the luminous mysteries, and I think you’re giving us an undeserved bad rap. It isn’t a necessary part of the rosary, but rather it is an optional addition*. I prefer not to make use of that option for few reasons.

I. It breaks the imagery of the 150 angelic salutations representing the 150 psalms of David.
II. I personally do believe the story of it’s being delivered by Mary to Saint Dominic, and also in the endorsement it has received from more recent private revelations, so I prefer to keep to the form which I believe has come from the blessed hands of our lady.
III. As someone with friends spanning from the charismatic renewal to strict TLM only traditionalists, I leave it out so that it shan’t be a stumbling block for my brethren.

*Rosarium Virginis Mariae: “I believe, however, that to bring out fully the Christological depth of the Rosary it would be suitable to make an addition to the traditional pattern which, while** left to the freedom of individuals and communities**, could broaden it to include the mysteries of Christ’s public ministry between his Baptism and his Passion.” [Emphasis Mine]

The luminous mystery does not break away with the 150 psalms of David but bring more light to enlighten them more brightly. It is only the Pope who can add more another mystery or more mysteries. Therefore all Catholics are to pray the luminous mystery so that they can be enlightened by that same light of Christ brought forth to and for the salvation of the world by His Holy Mother Mary the Queen of angels.
In Christ and Mary

 

[Inego_de_Loyola]

Therefore all Catholics are to pray the luminous mystery so that they can be enlightened by that same light of Christ brought forth to and for the salvation of the world by His Holy Mother Mary the Queen of angels.

Pope John Paul II disagreed with you regarding the underlined portion.

 

[frjohnmaryt]

Pope John Paul II disagreed with you regarding the underlined portion.

Pope John Paul II does not disagree with me. I think he sees the light by adding more another mystery and would be very happy to those who pray that mystery more fervently, a mystery he intended for all Catholics for the love of Christ, his Holy Mother Mary and the whole Church.
By the way an indication of the number of the paragraph you quoted from the article would be good.
In Christ and Mary