The Only Way to Jesus is Through Mary?

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This morning I was listening to a podcast of EWTN Open line, dated 3/16/2011. Fr. Mitch Pacwa was the host.

I heard something that disturbed me greatly and I am wondering if this is a standard Catholic teaching or his opinion.

A caller asked if the Catholic church believes that the ONLY way to Jesus is through Mary. The Fr. Pacwa replied that is true. Then he said, “That is not to say you can’t pray directly to Jesus. However, it is through Mary that we know Jesus because Jesus came through Mary’s Flesh”.

The caller asked him the same question in different ways and at the end he sighed and sounded upset as he said, “I hope my brother is listening to this. This is why I am not coming back to the Catholic church”.

I was deeply disturbed by the priest’s answer. Is that really the Catholic teaching? That the only way to Jesus is through Mary?

I don’t want this to be a discussion on the Veneration of Mary. That is a whole other topic.

Yes, Mary deserves a place of honor. But I believe I can go through Jesus directly and Jesus never, ever taught that anyone had to go through him.

What are your opinions?

Thanks for helping to teach me.
 
I get what Fr. Mitch was saying, it’s one of those cases where a question is asked specifically to illicit a response.
 
Well, I don’t really understand the full context of what was being asked.

To go to Jesus through Mary can mean different things. Ultimately, God took Flesh from the Virgin Mary and so everything we know about Jesus the Incarnate Divine Son of God ultimately has to do with that.

Jesus’ words and actions were all made possible by His Incarnation. His Body and Blood are also Mary’s. In that sense, there is nothing we can do in terms of our faith and devotion to Christ that doesn’t, at one and the same time, have to do with His Mother (and “Mother of Jesus” is mentioned eight times in the Gospel to signify a very special relationship)>

IF the caller meant to ask whether we can go to Jesus directly - well, yes we do. We approach God and Christ in the Sacraments, prayer etc. And we do so always within the spiritual/ecclesial context of the Body of Christ.

Just like Mary nurtured the Body of Christ 2,000 years ago, so too she continues to nurture us as members of her Son’s Body that is the Church.

Mary and the Saints and also the Church mediates the salvation of Christ to us. The whole point of the Incarnation is that salvation is mediated and that we ourselves, having been borne up on the Arms of God’s redeeming love, are called to become mediators of that same salvation to others, that same salvation in which we participate by our response of a living faith.

To go to Christ directly is to already be brought into a special relationship with His mother, the mediator of His Divine Incarnation, and the Saints. Christ was not a human person - He was/is a Divine Person who took on our nature and having done so, transfigured/deified it.

One might say that God could have achieved His Incarnation without any mediator. True. But we know He didn’t. And under the Cross He did say to John and through John to us all, “Behold your mother!”

We should take time to reflect on what a spiritual mother truly is and how this role is specially related to the Mother of our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

To reflect on her role in Christ’s life is to reflect more deeply on the Humanity of Jesus. The Protestant Reformers themselves tended to fall into a kind of “monophysism” by emphasizing Christ’s Divinity to the detriment of His Humanity.

Our reflection on the role of the Virgin Mary shows that Jesus truly did love His mother (how could it be otherwise?). It is she who tells us, “Do whatever He tells you.” It is she who stands at the foot of His Cross (the Fathers taught that she was drenched in the blood of her crucified Son at that time as she stood) and when all His disciples, save for one, ran away. And it is she who leads us to ponder “all these things in” our hearts. It is she who finds Jesus in the Church/Temple, who adores Him in the manger and at His Resurrection, no longer in the swaddling clothes, but in the bright vestments of His Glory. It is she who continues with the Apostles in prayer at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, adoring her Son and our God Who ascended to heaven and sits at the Right Hand of the Father.

It is finally she whose heart is pierced with a sword so that the thoughts of all of us may be laid bare.

Where Jesus is, there you will also find Mary. And if we begin our Christian path with Mary - she will only lead us to her Son.

I lost my way to Christ once. I turned to Mary because of my youthful devotion to her - and she took me right back to her Son.

The Mother of the Incarnate God - hmmm, lots of food for thought and reflection there that brings us into the Heart and loving Arms of the Lord Jesus.

Alex
 
TrueLight said:
This morning I was listening to a podcast of EWTN Open line, dated 3/16/2011. Fr. Mitch Pacwa was the host.

I heard something that disturbed me greatly and I am wondering if this is a standard Catholic teaching or his opinion.

A caller asked if the Catholic church believes that the ONLY way to Jesus is through Mary. The Fr. Pacwa replied that is true. Then he said, “That is not to say you can’t pray directly to Jesus. ** However, it is through Mary that we know Jesus because Jesus came through Mary’s Flesh”.**

The caller asked him the same question in different ways and at the end he sighed and sounded upset as he said, “I hope my brother is listening to this. This is why I am not coming back to the Catholic church”.

I was deeply disturbed by the priest’s answer. Is that really the Catholic teaching? That the only way to Jesus is through Mary?

I don’t want this to be a discussion on the Veneration of Mary. That is a whole other topic.

Yes, Mary deserves a place of honor. But I believe I can go through Jesus directly and Jesus never, ever taught that anyone had to go through him.

What are your opinions?

Thanks for helping to teach me.
Click to expand...
The highlighted sentence is true, but it is an accidental fact. The incarnation happened in this way, but Mary was only a small part of the process.

As for the topic on the same way we could say the only way to Jesus is through the Jews, because Mary was Jew, God elected the Jews to be His Nation to provide the requirement for the incarnation: everyone born into a nation.

In the reality the incarnation could happen without the Jews, without Mary, e.g. as the firstborn of Eve.
 
I was told once by a Protestant, in the context of a discussion like this, that in a Catholic book, he’d read that God did what Mary tells him. It just sounds bonkers. Eventually I found out what book he had read it in, and it turned out it was true, the book was reflecting on the Holy Family and the child Jesus kenotic relationship with His parents.
 
Alexander_Roman said:
Well, I don’t really understand the full context of what was being asked.

To go to Jesus through Mary can mean different things. Ultimately, God took Flesh from the Virgin Mary and so everything we know about Jesus the Incarnate Divine Son of God ultimately has to do with that.

Jesus’ words and actions were all made possible by His Incarnation. His Body and Blood are also Mary’s. In that sense, there is nothing we can do in terms of our faith and devotion to Christ that doesn’t, at one and the same time, have to do with His Mother (and “Mother of Jesus” is mentioned eight times in the Gospel to signify a very special relationship)>

IF the caller meant to ask whether we can go to Jesus directly - well, yes we do. We approach God and Christ in the Sacraments, prayer etc. And we do so always within the spiritual/ecclesial context of the Body of Christ.

Just like Mary nurtured the Body of Christ 2,000 years ago, so too she continues to nurture us as members of her Son’s Body that is the Church.

Mary and the Saints and also the Church mediates the salvation of Christ to us. The whole point of the Incarnation is that salvation is mediated and that we ourselves, having been borne up on the Arms of God’s redeeming love, are called to become mediators of that same salvation to others, that same salvation in which we participate by our response of a living faith.

To go to Christ directly is to already be brought into a special relationship with His mother, the mediator of His Divine Incarnation, and the Saints. Christ was not a human person - He was/is a Divine Person who took on our nature and having done so, transfigured/deified it.

One might say that God could have achieved His Incarnation without any mediator. True. But we know He didn’t. And under the Cross He did say to John and through John to us all, “Behold your mother!”

We should take time to reflect on what a spiritual mother truly is and how this role is specially related to the Mother of our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

To reflect on her role in Christ’s life is to reflect more deeply on the Humanity of Jesus. The Protestant Reformers themselves tended to fall into a kind of “monophysism” by emphasizing Christ’s Divinity to the detriment of His Humanity.

Our reflection on the role of the Virgin Mary shows that Jesus truly did love His mother (how could it be otherwise?). It is she who tells us, “Do whatever He tells you.” It is she who stands at the foot of His Cross (the Fathers taught that she was drenched in the blood of her crucified Son at that time as she stood) and when all His disciples, save for one, ran away. And it is she who leads us to ponder “all these things in” our hearts. It is she who finds Jesus in the Church/Temple, who adores Him in the manger and at His Resurrection, no longer in the swaddling clothes, but in the bright vestments of His Glory. It is she who continues with the Apostles in prayer at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, adoring her Son and our God Who ascended to heaven and sits at the Right Hand of the Father.

It is finally she whose heart is pierced with a sword so that the thoughts of all of us may be laid bare.

Where Jesus is, there you will also find Mary. And if we begin our Christian path with Mary - she will only lead us to her Son.

I lost my way to Christ once. I turned to Mary because of my youthful devotion to her - and she took me right back to her Son.

The Mother of the Incarnate God - hmmm, lots of food for thought and reflection there that brings us into the Heart and loving Arms of the Lord Jesus.

Alex
Click to expand...
What a beautiful summary of Mary’s participation in the life of her son. Thank you.
 
TrueLight said:
This morning I was listening to a podcast of EWTN Open line, dated 3/16/2011. Fr. Mitch Pacwa was the host.

I heard something that disturbed me greatly and I am wondering if this is a standard Catholic teaching or his opinion.

A caller asked if the Catholic church believes that the ONLY way to Jesus is through Mary. The Fr. Pacwa replied that is true. Then he said, “That is not to say you can’t pray directly to Jesus. **However, it is through Mary that we know Jesus because Jesus came through Mary’s Flesh”.
**
The caller asked him the same question in different ways and at the end he sighed and sounded upset as he said, “I hope my brother is listening to this. This is why I am not coming back to the Catholic church”.

I was deeply disturbed by the priest’s answer. Is that really the Catholic teaching? That the only way to Jesus is through Mary?

I don’t want this to be a discussion on the Veneration of Mary. That is a whole other topic.

Yes, Mary deserves a place of honor. But I believe I can go through Jesus directly and Jesus never, ever taught that anyone had to go through him.

What are your opinions?

Thanks for helping to teach me.
Click to expand...
I do not know what was the question asked. Maybe you can post it and see it in the context it was asked.

I think what Fr. Pacwa was saying, that it was through Mary’s obedience that Jesus came to earth and became man. Mary was the God-bearer, or Theotokos. And that is how we came to know Jesus.

Yes, you certainly can go directly to Jesus. But when I need comforting, I go through His mother.
 
I heard Fr Mitch as well. While it was a little confusing, upon reflection, I saw nothing incorrect in his statements. He seemed to be saying that Mary’s fiat allowed for Jesus’ incarnation. And, until too late, I am not certain that he understood from the caller the set-up of the question.
 
TrueLight said:
This morning I was listening to a podcast of EWTN Open line, dated 3/16/2011. Fr. Mitch Pacwa was the host.

I heard something that disturbed me greatly and I am wondering if this is a standard Catholic teaching or his opinion.

A caller asked if the Catholic church believes that the ONLY way to Jesus is through Mary. The Fr. Pacwa replied that is true. Then he said, “That is not to say you can’t pray directly to Jesus. However, it is through Mary that we know Jesus because Jesus came through Mary’s Flesh”.

The caller asked him the same question in different ways and at the end he sighed and sounded upset as he said, “I hope my brother is listening to this. This is why I am not coming back to the Catholic church”.

I was deeply disturbed by the priest’s answer. Is that really the Catholic teaching? That the only way to Jesus is through Mary?

I don’t want this to be a discussion on the Veneration of Mary. That is a whole other topic.

Yes, Mary deserves a place of honor. But I believe I can go through Jesus directly and Jesus never, ever taught that anyone had to go through him.

What are your opinions?

Thanks for helping to teach me.
Click to expand...
I am not sure if this answers your question, but the Church does not teach that veneration of Mary is a requirement for salvation or that Catholics must pray to Mary. The Church also does not teach that we can only approach God through the intercession of Mary. On the contrary, the Church teaches that “Mary’s function as mother of men in no way obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power.” It might be helpful to take a look at the section of the Catechism that discusses Mary. It is available here:

vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2C.HTM
 
laszlo said:
The highlighted sentence is true, but it is an accidental fact. The incarnation happened in this way, but Mary was only a small part of the process.

As for the topic on the same way we could say the only way to Jesus is through the Jews, because Mary was Jew, God elected the Jews to be His Nation to provide the requirement for the incarnation: everyone born into a nation.

In the reality the incarnation could happen without the Jews, without Mary, e.g. as the firstborn of Eve.
Click to expand...
I completely agree with this.

The strange thing is that the Priest had about three opportunities to clarify but I felt he kept on saying “Yes the only way through Jesus is through Mary” almost to make a point. Then he would add, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go directly to Jesus.
 
Alexander_Roman said:
Well, I don’t really understand the full context of what was being asked.

To go to Jesus through Mary can mean different things. Ultimately, God took Flesh from the Virgin Mary and so everything we know about Jesus the Incarnate Divine Son of God ultimately has to do with that.

Jesus’ words and actions were all made possible by His Incarnation. His Body and Blood are also Mary’s. In that sense, there is nothing we can do in terms of our faith and devotion to Christ that doesn’t, at one and the same time, have to do with His Mother (and “Mother of Jesus” is mentioned eight times in the Gospel to signify a very special relationship)>

IF the caller meant to ask whether we can go to Jesus directly - well, yes we do. We approach God and Christ in the Sacraments, prayer etc. And we do so always within the spiritual/ecclesial context of the Body of Christ.

Just like Mary nurtured the Body of Christ 2,000 years ago, so too she continues to nurture us as members of her Son’s Body that is the Church.

Mary and the Saints and also the Church mediates the salvation of Christ to us. The whole point of the Incarnation is that salvation is mediated and that we ourselves, having been borne up on the Arms of God’s redeeming love, are called to become mediators of that same salvation to others, that same salvation in which we participate by our response of a living faith.

To go to Christ directly is to already be brought into a special relationship with His mother, the mediator of His Divine Incarnation, and the Saints. Christ was not a human person - He was/is a Divine Person who took on our nature and having done so, transfigured/deified it.

One might say that God could have achieved His Incarnation without any mediator. True. But we know He didn’t. And under the Cross He did say to John and through John to us all, “Behold your mother!”

We should take time to reflect on what a spiritual mother truly is and how this role is specially related to the Mother of our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

To reflect on her role in Christ’s life is to reflect more deeply on the Humanity of Jesus. The Protestant Reformers themselves tended to fall into a kind of “monophysism” by emphasizing Christ’s Divinity to the detriment of His Humanity.

Our reflection on the role of the Virgin Mary shows that Jesus truly did love His mother (how could it be otherwise?). It is she who tells us, “Do whatever He tells you.” It is she who stands at the foot of His Cross (the Fathers taught that she was drenched in the blood of her crucified Son at that time as she stood) and when all His disciples, save for one, ran away. And it is she who leads us to ponder “all these things in” our hearts. It is she who finds Jesus in the Church/Temple, who adores Him in the manger and at His Resurrection, no longer in the swaddling clothes, but in the bright vestments of His Glory. It is she who continues with the Apostles in prayer at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, adoring her Son and our God Who ascended to heaven and sits at the Right Hand of the Father.

It is finally she whose heart is pierced with a sword so that the thoughts of all of us may be laid bare.

Where Jesus is, there you will also find Mary. And if we begin our Christian path with Mary - she will only lead us to her Son.

I lost my way to Christ once. I turned to Mary because of my youthful devotion to her - and she took me right back to her Son.

The Mother of the Incarnate God - hmmm, lots of food for thought and reflection there that brings us into the Heart and loving Arms of the Lord Jesus.

Alex
Click to expand...
I agree that this is indeed beautifully said. A nice portrait of Mary.

However, I can’t really wrap my mind about this part: “And if we begin our Christian path with Mary - she will only lead us to her Son.” At least not right now.

I am already a Christian, but if I met someone who was interested in Christianity, I would start with Christ.
 
Gene_Church said:
I heard Fr Mitch as well. While it was a little confusing, upon reflection, I saw nothing incorrect in his statements. He seemed to be saying that Mary’s fiat allowed for Jesus’ incarnation. And, until too late, I am not certain that he understood from the caller the set-up of the question.
Click to expand...
You may be right. He seemed to not understand why the caller abruptly hung up or what the big deal was for him.
 
TMC said:
I am not sure if this answers your question, but the Church does not teach that veneration of Mary is a requirement for salvation or that Catholics must pray to Mary. The Church also does not teach that we can only approach God through the intercession of Mary. On the contrary, the Church teaches that “Mary’s function as mother of men in no way obscures or diminishes this unique mediation of Christ, but rather shows its power.” It might be helpful to take a look at the section of the Catechism that discusses Mary. It is available here:

vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2C.HTM
Click to expand...
Thank you. Difficult read, but I am trying.
 
Years and years ago, I saw Father Pacwa in a debate with Walter Martin on the John Ankerberg show. Walter Martin isn’t half the scholar Father Pacwa is, but Father Pacwa is so oblivious to the effect of his words, seeming to revel in his esoteric musings with no regard as to their meaning to the general public and overall effect, that Walter Martin put him in the same appalling light that this “Mary is the only way to Christ” response of his on EWTN did. Sorry we don’t have Bishop Sheen with us today but I will note his programs are on the internet/YouTube. Sheen makes it look easy…and what a scholar! I haven’t seen the “Mary is the only way to Christ” thing but would humbly suggest that it would take a real bigot to let one priest’s misfire overtake their common sense. This is the 2,000 year old Church founded by Jesus Christ on the Rock. Don’t use Pacwa as an excuse, please, dear soul. You know better. See you at Easter, I hope and trust.
 
TrueLight said:
I agree that this is indeed beautifully said. A nice portrait of Mary.

However, I can’t really wrap my mind about this part: “And if we begin our Christian path with Mary - she will only lead us to her Son.” At least not right now.

I am already a Christian, but if I met someone who was interested in Christianity, I would start with Christ.
Click to expand...
As we should! By “Christian path,” I mean our devotional life in those who are already baptized Christians etc.

Whether it is Mary or the Saints or the Church or the neighbour who took an interest in my spiritual life - Christianity is always mediated.

God chose not to appear in the Heavens to save us, but to come to us in a manger in Bethlehem and to endure public ridicule and even torture for our salvation.

And He also chose not to appear to the world in His Resurrection, but only to some (the New Testament refers to a group of 500 witnesses).

Christ comes to us through His Mother Mary and He gives her to us under His Cross.

She is our model when it comes to meditating on Christ in our hearts.

There is the quaint story of a medieval young man who rejected Christ and His church - but couldn’t bring himself to reject Mary.

He then realized that if he were going to continue in his relationship with Mary that he had to come back to Christ and the Church. He prayed and asked Mary to help him repent well of his sins ,. . .

Erasmus of Rotterdam wrote concerning Protestant iconoclasm - he has Mary speaking to them and has her say “If you wish to throw me out of the Church, well then, I hold Jesus in my arms and I will not let Him go.” Erasmus has this Marian discourse end with Mary putting a question to the Protestants that when she is gone from them with her Child, they will have a church without Christ.

Alex
 
Alexander_Roman said:
As we should! By “Christian path,” I mean our devotional life in those who are already baptized Christians etc.

Whether it is Mary or the Saints or the Church or the neighbour who took an interest in my spiritual life - Christianity is always mediated.

God chose not to appear in the Heavens to save us, but to come to us in a manger in Bethlehem and to endure public ridicule and even torture for our salvation.

And He also chose not to appear to the world in His Resurrection, but only to some (the New Testament refers to a group of 500 witnesses).

Christ comes to us through His Mother Mary and He gives her to us under His Cross.

She is our model when it comes to meditating on Christ in our hearts.

There is the quaint story of a medieval young man who rejected Christ and His church - but couldn’t bring himself to reject Mary.

He then realized that if he were going to continue in his relationship with Mary that he had to come back to Christ and the Church. He prayed and asked Mary to help him repent well of his sins ,. . .

Erasmus of Rotterdam wrote concerning Protestant iconoclasm - he has Mary speaking to them and has her say “If you wish to throw me out of the Church, well then, I hold Jesus in my arms and I will not let Him go.” Erasmus has this Marian discourse end with Mary putting a question to the Protestants that when she is gone from them with her Child, they will have a church without Christ.

Alex
Click to expand...
Pray for me. I cannot fathom this.

One thing I hear people say is that Mary was obedient and she said yes. True, but if an archangel appeared to me and said the God of Abraham is going to father a child through me and he will be the child of the most high, and I will be the mother of this child, most likely I would say, “Yes!”

Seriously, who would say no to that? That’s better than your child marrying a prince!

I might be scared and uncertain, but God chose me. me, little ole Mary!

Joseph is the one who deserves praise for agreeing to marry a pregnant woman.
 
TrueLight said:
Pray for me. I cannot fathom this.

One thing I hear people say is that Mary was obedient and she said yes. True, but if an archangel appeared to me and said the God of Abraham is going to father a child through me and he will be the child of the most high, and I will be the mother of this child, most likely I would say, “Yes!”

Seriously, who would say no to that? That’s better than your child marrying a prince!

I might be scared and uncertain, but God chose me. me, little ole Mary!

Joseph is the one who deserves praise for agreeing to marry a pregnant woman.
Click to expand...
If I were a woman I would hope I would say yes. But without knowing the Gospel - and only knowing the Old Testament, which Mary clearly knew (see her Magnificat prayer), would you really have enough faith to say Yes like Mary did?

I think I would be more like Zebedee.

Agree on St Joseph. 👍 That took faith and guts.

Jesus chose to come to us through Mary. He could have come to us in many other ways, but he came as naturally as He could. And we should do the same.

I think this focus on the Holy Family was also deliberate by God…teaching us about His own Trinitarian nature (an eternal exchange of love between persons) by coming to us from a family.
 
It is sad how a simple devotion to Mary as part of a complete belief in the Redeemer Christ should become something in the church like a political struggle. For further reading around this there is another thread going about Mary co-redemtrix im sure both these threads are related. i have posted my views there.

Love and Respect
 
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