The Mother of God

[Mickey]

sonseeker:

Jesus is God; He is self-existing; He is eternal; He has no mother.

This has nothing to do with the Nestorians. You must believe God has a mother, or other of your beliefs cannot stand. I do not have to believe that. Mary is listed as the Mother of Jesus, a singular and unique man. Fully God, fully man. How can Mary be the mother of God who has always existed? It is a mystery to me.

I am answering the question posed at the top of the thread. You don’t have to agree with my answer.

Bill

Bill,

Correct, you don’t have to believe that Mary was the mother of God…you have free will. But it has everything to do with the Nestorian heresy. As Jim explained, you can not separate the divine and human natures of Jesus. The Bible tells us that Jesus was carried in Mary’s womb. The Bible tells us that Jesus is God the Son. No. you won’t see the phrase “Mother of God” but neither do you see phrases such as “The Holy Trinity”. Like others have stated, most protestants accept this, so your jab at Catholics needing to believe this to support other beliefs, does not hold water. You really should do some study and prayer about this. Like Nestorian, once you question the hypostatic union, all hell could break loose. (pun intended).

 

[Scott_Waddell]

God is a Trinity: One nature in three Divine persons.
The person of the Father is God
The person of Jesus is God
The person of the Holy Spirit is God

One who gives birth to a person is that person’s mother.
Mary gave birth to the person of Jesus.
Therefore, Mary is the Mother of God.

Every major Reformer (Luther, Calvin, Melanchthon, Zwingli, etc.) accepted Mary as Mother of God. If one claims they are not Nestorian or that Nestorius has nothing to do with it, then denying it is truly a modern-day invention.

Scott

 

[Palatine]

EA_Man:

Yes, you’ve pegged me correctly. I believe that Mary and Joseph had children as a result of natural relations. I’m sorry, that’s as polite as I know how to be and still be exact about it.

As for your question regarding Jesus’ statement to John:

Matthew 12:48-50
He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” The short answer here is that Jesus left His mother in the care of one of His “real” family members, not with one of His earthly family. After all who be more willing to do God’s will?

Careful of overliteralizing here: God is our Father, Jesus is our brother, isn’t Mary our Mother…Are God and Mary married?

God is spirit. He is Divinity. Mary is created. She is of a different order than God.

Wow, it’s amazing how fast people can respond sometimes. You guys rock! A lot of other people already answered to if Mary had other children question, so I won’t bother with that.

That’s a real interesting interpretation, which makes a lot of sense too. But…doesn’t that support my statement as Mary as the Mother of all disciples (us as well)? If Jesus gave Mary to his “real” family members (the earliest Christian community), as you put it, doesn’t that make her the mother of all Christians? I can see if you disagree with this, and then it becomes a matter of how literal or figurative to take Jesus’ words…

However, and don’t take this the wrong way, but saying Mary and God are married if God is Father and Mary is mother is a type of overliteratation in itself. Whether or not we agree on the role Mary plays in Salvation-history, it is heresy (I would think for both Protestants and Catholics) to say that Mary did not give birth to Jesus, and therefore His mother, and we know that God is our Father, so the two statements are something we can agree on withtout necessarily saying that God had to “marry” Mary. Of course, we could always start debating Mary as the Mother of God, and God as Mary’s Father, and get into a whole big mess (actually…let’s not to do that, my head hurts already thinking about it…)

It’s funny if you think about all the various metaphors we in the Catholic Church use anyway. Jesus’ bride is the Church, and the Church is the body of Christ…does that mean Jesus is marrying Himself? No, I’m just having some fun there. But, technically speaking, there is no marriage after Ressurection:

Matthew 22:30 - “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.” (Thank you Bible.com!)

The mystery of Mary as our Mother (and in fact, God as our Father, since if you stop to think about it, is quite the concept!) will always be debated and analyzed, as well as metaphors vs. literality (is that a word?), but in the end, it comes down to a matter of trust and faith in God’s word. (both Biblical and Holy Tradition…but that is a debate for another day…)

Also! Please don’t forget about the other half of my post, I realy am curious to see the difference we’ve been discussing!

Until the next one,
God bless

 

[Axion]

sonseeker:

Jesus is God; He is self-existing; He is eternal; He has no mother.

You are in danger here of falling into Major Heresy. To deny Jesus has a Mother is to deny His **incarnation ** - to deny He is a human being, fully man as well as God.

To deny that is to deny the atonement and the redemption, since if Jesus is not a real man, and Son of Mary, David and Adam, then His death could not pay the price for the sins of men.

A desire to downgrade Mary can lead you to falling out of Christianity altogether.

This has nothing to do with the Nestorians. You must believe God has a mother, or other of your beliefs cannot stand. I do not have to believe that. Mary is listed as the Mother of Jesus, a singular and unique man. Fully God, fully man. How can Mary be the mother of God who has always existed? It is a mystery to me.

You deny any connection with the Nestorians, - and then repeat the Nesorian Heresy!

You say that Mary is Mother of Jesus, but she cannot be Mother of God. And to state that is to divide Jesus into two persons - one of whom has Mary as His mother, the other who doesn’t.

Do you see? By dividing Jesus in two, you deny the incarnation - that Jesus **became ** man. At the incarnation God the Word took on a human nature and human body from Mary, to be united **permanently ** to His divine nature. He became one person, Jesus Christ, God the Son. That person is God the Son and fully man, His mother - mother of ALL of Him is Mary.

She is mother of God the Son. Mother of God.

 

[sonseeker]

Scott, your syllogism is flawed.

You said:
Scott Waddell:

One who gives birth to a person is that person’s mother.
Mary gave birth to the person of Jesus.
Therefore, Mary is the Mother of God.[bold ital mine]

To keep the syllogism correct you should have said Mary is the Mother of the Person of Jesus.

Here is a more accurate syllogism:

Jesus is God who became flesh [man](Jn 1:14).
Jesus became flesh through Mary [man](Lk 2:7).
Therefore, Mary is the Mother of Jesus [man](Jn 2:1, 3).

*Mother of Jesus *is the consistent title applied to her by the Gospel writers, when emphasizing that point.

(See also my response to Mickey about the Chalcedonian definition)

Bill

 

[sonseeker]

You said:

…you can not separate the divine and human natures of Jesus…

…your jab at Catholics needing to believe this to support other beliefs, does not hold water…

I don’t believe that I have stated anywhere that Jesus two natures are separate. If I have, please point it out to me.

As far as “your jab,’’ why do you take a factual statement and call it a jab? I am not jabbing; it is a fact.

Here is the Council of Chalcedon statement regarding Nestorianism:

Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D)

Therefore, following the holy fathers, we all with one accord teach men to acknowledge one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, at once complete in Godhead and complete in manhood, truly God and truly man, consisting also of a reasonable soul and body; of one substance with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his manhood; like us in all respects, apart from sin; as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten, for us men and for our salvation, of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer; one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation; the distinction of natures being in no way annulled by the union, but rather the characteristics of each nature being preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence, not as parted or separated into two persons, but one and the same Son and Only-begotten God the Word, Lord Jesus Christ; even as the prophets from earliest times spoke of him, and our Lord Jesus Christ himself taught us, and the creed of the fathers has handed down to us.[bold ital mine]

Theotokos, does not mean “Mother of God,” rather it means literally, “God-bearer.” I can agree with God bearer. The definition above bears this out: as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten,… of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer;…, Mother of God would be mater theou, as used by Cyril of Alexandria at the Council of Ephesus (430), which was rejected by the Council, and if memory serves me, by the Chalcedon Council as well. However, it did find its way back in at a later date. I do not remember off the top of my head when.

Jesus is nowhere in Scripture called “God the Son,” rather He is called “The Son of God.” The only way Mary could be the Mother of God, is if she were pre-existent, and equal to God, which she is not. Perhaps you should study as well.

Bill

 

[sonseeker]

Axion:

You are in danger here of falling into Major Heresy. To deny Jesus has a Mother is to deny His **incarnation **- to deny He is a human being, fully man as well as God.

To deny that is to deny the atonement and the redemption, since if Jesus is not a real man, and Son of Mary, David and Adam, then His death could not pay the price for the sins of men.

A desire to downgrade Mary can lead you to falling out of Christianity altogether.

You deny any connection with the Nestorians, - and then repeat the Nesorian Heresy!

You say that Mary is Mother of Jesus, but she cannot be Mother of God. And to state that is to divide Jesus into two persons - one of whom has Mary as His mother, the other who doesn’t.

Do you see? By dividing Jesus in two, you deny the incarnation - that Jesus **became **man. At the incarnation God the Word took on a human nature and human body from Mary, to be united **permanently **to His divine nature. He became one person, Jesus Christ, God the Son. That person is God the Son and fully man, His mother - mother of ALL of Him is Mary.

She is mother of God the Son. Mother of God.

See posts #103 and #104 above.

Bill

 

[JimG]

If Mary is not the Mother of God,
then Jesus is not God.

If Jesus is God,
then Mary must be the Mother of God.

The Second Person of the Trinity, who IS God
chose to have a mother, and chose his mother

Then, having selected His mother, He preserved her from sin.
He was her Savior–his death on the cross preserving her from sin from the very instant of her conception.

 

[Detroit_Sue]

april_hosen:

Every human has made a mistake or has sinned theres no getting around that. I dont know what Marys sins were but I’m positive she had sinned. Mary was not the equivilant of God on any factor-that was point. She was human, thats why she died. Jesus didnt die. God never died. Do you see where I’m gettin at?

With all due respect, this is kind of an arrogant comment. God hates sin. He would not allow himself to be born of a sinful vessel. Mary was not just a nice Jewish girl. She was chosen before the earth was formed to bear God in human form to become the Savior of the world. No one ever said that she was equal to God.

Also, she did not die. There is proof that others were “assumed” into heaven without dying either, those being Abraham and Elijah (Gosh, now I’m not sure if it was Elijah, but I think it was).

 

[Mickey]

sonseeker:

You said:

I don’t believe that I have stated anywhere that Jesus two natures are separate. If I have, please point it out to me.

You said, "You must believe God has a mother, or other of your beliefs cannot stand." What do you mean by that? It sounded like a jab. What is “other” of your beliefs?

Here is the Council of Chalcedon statement regarding Nestorianism:

sonseeker:
Theotokos, does not mean “Mother of God,” rather it means literally, “God-bearer.” I can agree with God bearer. The definition above bears this out: as regards his Godhead, begotten of the Father before the ages, but yet as regards his manhood begotten,… of Mary the Virgin, the God-bearer;…,

Thank you. I am familiar with the council of Chalcedon. Regardless of how you see it, one who bears God in the womb, gives birth, and nurtures the Child, is the Mother of God. Furthermore, it was the council of Ephesus that dealt with the Nestorian heresy. Nestorius could not bring within a framework of a single, clearly conceived personality the two natures of Christ which he distinguished with so admirable a realism. This is a quote from the book, “The First Seven Ecumenical Councils–Their History and Theology”: "As the bishops came forth from the Church, called Mary, after a long days work, the people of Ephesus cheered them and led them to their lodgings in a torchlit procession. For the common people, Christ had defeated heresy; Mary, Mother of God had triumphed over Nestorius".

sonseeker:

Jesus is nowhere in Scripture called “God the Son,” rather He is called “The Son of God.”

Oops, I forgot you were a sola scripturist. Jesus says, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.”
The Trinity is one in substance and undivided. God the Father, God the son, and God the Holy Spirit.

sonseeker:

The only way Mary could be the Mother of God, is if she were pre-existent, and equal to God, which she is not.

I believe this has already been addressed. When the Word was made flesh, Mary became the Mother of God. This is a Divine mystery, a mystery which is accepted throughout the majority of Christiandom. May I ask you a question my friend? Unless you have derived this unpopular theology of Mary not being the Mother of God on your own accord, where did you learn it? And who taught this to you?

sonseeker:

Perhaps you should study as well.

I shall. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

(NO offense to any Catholics!! Because as long as you’re with Jesus the rest of the stuff doesnt matter.)
First off Mary was just another tool of God. That doesnt make her on the same plataeu as Jesus Christ or higher.

No instructed Catholic would think she was even His equal by nature or by grace: let alone higher than He. However, He did “obey his parents” - so, even though she is by nature nothing at all (just like any other created being), He Who is both her Creator and her Lord did truly subject Himself to her in “the days of his flesh”.​

Scripture says as much - so we have to listen to it, and draw the conclusions. ##

She was a way another way of proving that Jesus was God by God planting a seed in a virgin and then have Jesus enter theworld through the miracle of a virgin giving birth. Yes she gave birth to Jesus, but that doesnt put her on the same level of holiness as God.

Of course it does not - it means only that she is indescribably blessed and “more glorious than the seraphim”. But it is inconceivable that she should be even remotely as holy as God; for she has been granted holiness, whereas God is the Holy One, to Whom it belongs to be Holiness without limit. She is only a Saint - He is God Almighty. That is the difference.​

Mind you Mary made mistakes.
-April:wave:

She was not exempted from the need to learn (“disciple” = “learner”); she too needed to grow in grace, just as her Son did - for she is not greater than her Master, just as we are not.​

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

april_hosen:

Every human has made a mistake or has sinned theres no getting around that. I dont know what Marys sins were but I’m positive she had sinned. Mary was not the equivilant of God on any factor-that was point. She was human, thats why she died. Jesus didnt die.

The NT says this -​

Rom 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Rom 14:15 But if thy brother be grieved with [thy] meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.

1 Cor 8:11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

1 Cor 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

Rom 8:34 Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Rom 14:9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

2 Cor 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

God never died. Do you see where I’m gettin at?

However, the man Who is God, did die And that man, is Jesus Who is the Christ​

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

EA_Man:

I don’t have any problem with the title Mother of God - theokotos.
That’s what Mary was, the mother of Our Lord.
BUT - I do not accept the teaching of the Immaculate Conception, The Assumption of Mary, her perpetual virginity, and Marian apparitions.

I’m not trying to offend anyone here, but it’s been my experience in the Catholic church that although the Catechism states that worship is to be given to God alone, that people do pray TO Mary. I’m not saying it’s everyone or even the majority, but I know it because they have told me as much.

I’m not interested in definitions and delineations of dulia, hyper-dulia, and latria - again sorry. I have seen some very untenable explanations of what some of this “Mary worship” is supposed to be. One explanation was that we should pray to Mary to intercede with Jesus for us because Jesus was just waiting to smite us all and that Mary would be able to persuade Him to have mercy on us.

Heard that one - insufficiently Biblical, IMHO.​

How about this: Mary intercedes for us, because she loves us, which she could not in anyway do if the Blessed Trinity (Who is God) did not love us first ?

IOW - Mary’s love for us (and ours for her) is the result of the Love of God within her, which, like us, she receives as a wholly unmerited gift.

This Mary versus Jesus idea seems to be a Catholic equivalent of the notion that the Father and Jesus are opposed. Both nightmares are just that - nightmares; not the reality of God’s unconditional love for each and every one of us. If God loves us - His Saints cannot not do so. ##

If there is one Mediator between God and man - Jesus, do we now by the above explanation also have Mary (and / or many other Mediators) between us and Jesus who is the Mediator between Mary and God?
My mother-in-law recently told my daughter that she can pray TO Mary. This woman claims to be Catholic, but she believes in reincarnation!

The Saints - all of them - are “in” Christ. Instead of thinking of a chain (which is an inert and lifeless thing) of mediators, perhaps we should go back to the Pauline metaphor of the Body. The Life is one - the limbs and other body-parts are many, various, work in harmony and co-operation for a shared purpose, and don’t hinder one another. The brain does not work although the Body is alive, and in opposition to it, but because the Body is alive, and to further that life.​

So: the mediation of Mary and the others is not an obstacle to, or hindrance to, or substitute for, the all-sufficient activity of Christ: but a way in which Christ works, even now. It is evidence of the working of Christ, just as the activity of our bodies is of its life. ##

I just can’t support that.

 

[marty1818]

slinky1882:

Out of curiosity, where do you get that John the Baptist was born without the stain of Original SIn??? Thanks and God Bless.

The following quote was taken from newadvent’s website at newadvent.org/cathen/08486b.htm

“Now during the sixth month, the Annunciation had taken place, and, as Mary had heard from the angel the fact of her cousin’s conceiving, she went “with haste” to congratulate her. “And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant” – filled, like the mother, with the Holy Ghost – “leaped for joy in her womb”, as if to acknowledge the presence of his Lord. Then was accomplished the prophetic utterance of the angel that the child should “be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother’s womb”. Now as the presence of any sin whatever is incompatible with the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in the soul, it follows that at this moment John was cleansed from the stain of original sin.”

Noticed that St. John the Baptist was not conceived sinless, but he was born sinless.

matt

 

[mercygate]

sonseeker:

Actually, I understand the doctrine; I just don’t agree with it.

Respectfully,
Bill

With deepest respect: You do not.

 

[JPhoenix75]

mercygate:

With deepest respect: You do not.

This is sad. How can he say that Jesus is not God the Son, the 2nd Person in the Trinity?. I wonder just how many Protestants don’t think the Jesus is God. Didn’t Thomas say “My lord and my God.” after he said he touched Jesus’s wound. Oh, wait, I found it in Scripture but I did not qoute it verbatim. Jesus is the Word of God made Flesh and that is even stated in John’s Gospel. Jesus is God. Period. It’s in Scripture, sonseeker.

He does not indeed understand, mercygate.

 

[Peace-bwu]

EA_Man:

God is spirit. He is Divinity. Mary is created. She is of a different order than God.

No need to remind Catholics that Mary was created, we already believe this. God created Mary to be the mother of His only Son.

Jesus could have come as an adult, he was God. He could have chosen to do everything in a completely different way. He chose to have a mother and step-father, he chose to come as a baby, to be in the womb, to be a fertilized egg, to be a zygote, an embryo, a late term fetus, and a helpless newborn baby, to breastfeed, to go through the innocence of childhood, adolescence, puberty, to feel pain, sadness, grief, laughter and love. He could have conquered evil a million times over in a much “easier” way, but He chose to die at the hands of evil people who should have loved him and stay on that cross, Jesus could have taken Himself off in a nanosecond, but it was part of God’s plan for us, every moment of Christ’s life teaches us something.of the dignity of life, of His plan for our lives. There is a running theme throughout Scripture of Covenants and family dynamics. God has been pounding a simple yet infinitely mysterious message in our brains about the love of a family who follows the Will of God, God wants us to be enfolded in that family, but in more ways than we realize. When studying Scripture we find family to take on numerous definitions. Looking at scripture in this way, any Christian, whether protestant or Catholic can find a running plan, and see that same theme in His plan for us, it is a great comfort.

Catholics believe that, by Mary being the mother of the savior, she is mother to us all who have chosen to follow Jesus. Please rest assured that we believe she was God’s most perfect creation, Mary was God’s answer to the flawed Eve, because instead of being blinded by Eve’s desire to follow her own will, and virtually be her own god, Mary was full of Grace and the desire to do God’s Will. Jesus was her Son and also her Savior, She had to be “clean” for her womb to be the perfect Ark of the Covenant to hold the perfect “Manna” bread of heaven, to hold the commandments and Word, not of stone, but of flesh. Her perfect tabernacle housed the Lamb of God.

Just imagine the Awe the Angel Gabriel must have felt to see the son of God present in a womb of a human woman, She had to be full of Grace to be able to have Jesus growning in her womb. She had to be sinless, nothing else makes any sense. She was saved by her own Son at her conception. Just imagine being Gabriel, knowing the face of God, and how amazing it must have been to see God made man, a tiny baby in the womb of a humble human woman!

Catholics do not even have to believe in Marion apparitions to be Catholic, the church says it is worthy of belief, and I agree. I have seen the fruits of it, the conversions of hearts to loving Jesus, I have seen miraculous conversions and the people I am talking about have a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ than they ever imagined. I was always skeptical, was suspicious, questioned, didn’t understand, didn’t feel the need for a devotion to Mary. I have since had a change of heart. All I can tell you is that the Holy Spirit is dwelling in my heart like never before, I have always had a relationship with Christ since I was a little girl, but it is deeper now and still growing. I honestly believe that this is in part because of Eucharistic adoration and praying the rosary. I promise you that I do not worship Mary, but I also attest that she has brought me closer to her Son.

 

[Peace-bwu]

I went without praying the rosary for years. I went to a predominately protestant high school and was severly criticized for being Catholic, I didn’t know how to defend the church, because I didn’t feel confident in my knowledge, I just knew what hey were saying couldnt’ be right. it made me question alot of things about the Church, and I backed off from praying the Rosary. I went to a Catholic college hoping it would help me to understand Catholocism more, but the oppsite happended. Reading about Martin Luther and other more modern protestant theologians made me begin to have thoughts of relativism. I quit going to Mass regularly, I felt lost and sad, I began to search on my own, reading books on apologetics, reading the great debates, finding the Catholic Catechism and apologetics. It took a few years, but I had a full on adult conversion, full circle, back to the Church. Moral issues I thought I disagreed with, especially birth contol, homosexual issues, I understand now. This Grace is from God. I can still remember the first time I decided to pray the rosary, for the first time since I was a teenager. I felt the presence of Mary, and then I felt the presence of Jesus, It was like my heart was on fire, as I contemplated the various mysteries. I went throught them all. I can’t describe how this Grace has transformed my life. Sure, when I was in highschool and college, I believed in God, I told myself I would die for Jesus, I read the Bible and prayed, I went to Mass, I had faith that if I died I woudl go to heaven, I said the creed…

The deep prayer of the rosary, brought Christ to me on a whole new level. You don’t have to agree with me, or even believe me, but I am telling you 'tis true.

Mary always appears to the humble, uneducated and pious.
Her message is always one that will bring us closer to her Son.
You will know them by their fruits. There have been so- called “Marion apparitions” that have been declared false by the Church, very few have been declared worthy of belief. You will know them by their fruits.

 

[Peace-bwu]

EA_Man:

My mother-in-law recently told my daughter that she can pray TO Mary. This woman claims to be Catholic, but she believes in reincarnation!

I just can’t support that.

reincarnation is an extreme heresy, It is nowhere in Catholic belief, doctrine or even on the minds of most Catholics.

Unfortunately in our popular culture we have alot of evil wrapped in an appealing package, and alot of times it is on daytime TV !!!

Your mother- in - law is astray for believing this and I hope you and your wife are correcting her. Beg her to go talk to her priest about it. PLEASE don’t blame the Catholic Church for you MIL’s wayward beliefs!

 

[Mickey]

Peace-bwu:

No need to remind Catholics that Mary was created, we already believe this. God created Mary to be the mother of His only Son.

Jesus could have come as an adult, he was God. He could have chosen to do everything in a completely different way. He chose to have a mother and step-father, he chose to come as a baby, to be in the womb, to be a fertilized egg, to be a zygote, an embryo, a late term fetus, and a helpless newborn baby, to breastfeed, to go through the innocence of childhood, adolescence, puberty, to feel pain, sadness, grief, laughter and love. He could have conquered evil a million times over in a much “easier” way, but He chose to die at the hands of evil people who should have loved him and stay on that cross, Jesus could have taken Himself off in a nanosecond, but it was part of God’s plan for us, every moment of Christ’s life teaches us something.of the dignity of life, of His plan for our lives. There is a running theme throughout Scripture of Covenants and family dynamics. God has been pounding a simple yet infinitely mysterious message in our brains about the love of a family who follows the Will of God, God wants us to be enfolded in that family, but in more ways than we realize. When studying Scripture we find family to take on numerous definitions. Looking at scripture in this way, any Christian, whether protestant or Catholic can find a running plan, and see that same theme in His plan for us, it is a great comfort.

Catholics believe that, by Mary being the mother of the savior, she is mother to us all who have chosen to follow Jesus. Please rest assured that we believe she was God’s most perfect creation, Mary was God’s answer to the flawed Eve, because instead of being blinded by Eve’s desire to follow her own will, and virtually be her own god, Mary was full of Grace and the desire to do God’s Will. Jesus was her Son and also her Savior, She had to be “clean” for her womb to be the perfect Ark of the Covenant to hold the perfect “Manna” bread of heaven, to hold the commandments and Word, not of stone, but of flesh. Her perfect tabernacle housed the Lamb of God.

Just imagine the Awe the Angel Gabriel must have felt to see the son of God present in a womb of a human woman, She had to be full of Grace to be able to have Jesus growning in her womb. She had to be sinless, nothing else makes any sense. She was saved by her own Son at her conception. Just imagine being Gabriel, knowing the face of God, and how amazing it must have been to see God made man, a tiny baby in the womb of a humble human woman!

Catholics do not even have to believe in Marion apparitions to be Catholic, the church says it is worthy of belief, and I agree. I have seen the fruits of it, the conversions of hearts to loving Jesus, I have seen miraculous conversions and the people I am talking about have a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ than they ever imagined. I was always skeptical, was suspicious, questioned, didn’t understand, didn’t feel the need for a devotion to Mary. I have since had a change of heart. All I can tell you is that the Holy Spirit is dwelling in my heart like never before, I have always had a relationship with Christ since I was a little girl, but it is deeper now and still growing. I honestly believe that this is in part because of Eucharistic adoration and praying the rosary. I promise you that I do not worship Mary, but I also attest that she has brought me closer to her Son.

Dear Peace-bwu,

Thank you for that post. It was moving and heart warming.
God Bless you!