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JohnPaul
Guest
Since Catholics give Mary the title of Mother of God, why don’t they give her mother the title of 'Grandmother of God?
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cazayoux
Guest
It was her cousin Elizabeth that called her this. We do not see anyone called the ‘grandmother of my Lord’ in scripture.
Salut!
michel
po18guy
Well-known member
Since the child Jesus was of the Holy Spirit, and placed, by Divine Will and Mary’s “Fiat” in her womb, no one is considered a maternal grandmother. Likewise, Joseph is never considered the true “father” of Christ, even though that is exactly how he functioned on earth. Mary certainly had a mother, and Joseph acted as father, but their roles were functional, rather than titular in nature.
Christ’s peace.
Christ’s peace.
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hawkeye
Guest
I’ve always know her as Saint Anne, what about the other in-laws, Saint Joseph I mean, where would it end, I mean the “grandfather of God” ?
As has been said, Elizabeth called Her the mother of my Lord, that doesn’t mean we all need to verbally proclaim each-others title along the family chain, if so where would it all end.
This only forcefully forges the great title of Mary as being the Mother of Our Saviour, after-all it’s in the Bible.
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LilyM
Guest
The title ‘Mother of God’ was declared dogmatically at the Council of Ephesus primarily to clear up some controversies about the nature of Christ.
There were various heresies of the time that, on the one hand denied that Christ was true Man, on the other denied that He was truly God, and on the third hand denied that the Divine and Human natures were inseparably (hypostatically) united in the one person of Jesus Christ.
Since Apostolic teaching is that Christ is both true Man and true God, united in the one person, of which person Mary is the Mother, giving her the title of Mother of God makes these points clearer.
No such purpose is served by calling St Anne ‘grandmother of God’, though in effect she was, I guess
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deb1
Guest
What many people don’t understand it that the term Mother of God is meant to show respect for Jesus’s divinity. So, its all about Jesus not Mary.
St Anne carried Mary, not Jesus in her womb. Mary is not God, nor divine. Jesus is the one who we are honoring when we use the term Mother Of God.
There is no need for the term Grandmother of God.
St Anne carried Mary, not Jesus in her womb. Mary is not God, nor divine. Jesus is the one who we are honoring when we use the term Mother Of God.
There is no need for the term Grandmother of God.
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Joe_Kelley
Guest
My grandmother always regarded Saint Anne as the patroness of grandmothers.
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Angelos
Guest
The term Mother of God was an inaccurate translation of the Greek term THEOTOKOS into Western languages. In Greek, Theotokos Maria does not mean “Mary, the Mother of God”, but “Mary, the God-bearer”. However, the Mother of God can be used as an honorary title while addressing Mary since bearing and motherhood are linguistically and indispensably associated.
Thus, we cannot claim anyone to be the grandmother (Anna) of God, cousin (John the Baptist) of God, or even ancestor (Abraham, David) of God because only Mary was involved in the act of bearing (giving human body to) God the Son on earth.
Thus, we cannot claim anyone to be the grandmother (Anna) of God, cousin (John the Baptist) of God, or even ancestor (Abraham, David) of God because only Mary was involved in the act of bearing (giving human body to) God the Son on earth.
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NotWorthy
Guest
I’m sorry, but Joseph was more than just the “titular” father. In taking Mary into his home, Joseph became the legal father of Jesus. Jesus’ role as Messiah would have been null and void among ancient Jews if this didn’t happen, for He could not claim the title “Son of David” if Joseph was not His adopted father.
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AmbroseSJ
Guest
I don’t think “Mother of God” is an inaccurate translation of Theotokos. It may not be literal, but it is accurate. Nestorius would not allow that the Virgin Mary was the mother of God. He would allow that she was the mother of the Christ only. “The Mother of God” goes to the very heart of the Nestorian Heresy, and that is what the council of Ephesus condemned. So therefore “Mother of God” is the most accurate English translation of the greek Theotokos, and that is why we use it.
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onaquest
Guest
This is my own relationship reflected with St Ann, but perhaps it is her humility that she would have taught the Blessed Virgin that keeps her in the background with no special title. She and Joachim take a backseat to the glory of the Immaculate Conception and yet they were an integral part in normal human relations to bring about this miracle.
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bpbasilphx
Guest
Actually, the dismissal formula of Byzantine services invokes “ancestors of God Joachim and Anna.”
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Angelos
Guest
Nevertheless, Nestorius was Greek, and the term he objected to was Theotokos (God-bearer), not “Mother of God”. Nestorius wanted to replace the very word Theotokos (God-bearer) with Christotokos (Christ-bearer) since he believed and contended that Mary bore only Christ, not the eternal Logos, the second divine person.I don’t think “Mother of God” is an inaccurate translation of Theotokos. It may not be literal, but it is accurate. Nestorius would not allow that the Virgin Mary was the mother of God. He would allow that she was the mother of the Christ only. “The Mother of God” goes to the very heart of the Nestorian Heresy, and that is what the council of Ephesus condemned. So therefore “Mother of God” is the most accurate English translation of the greek Theotokos, and that is why we use it.
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VociMike
Guest
Because it would do nothing to further help us grasp the Incarnation.
po18guy
Well-known member
I was trying, poorly again, to say Joseph was not strictly a titular father, but also a physically functioning father, for Christ’s good, and the benefit of the eyes that watched. But, that also fanned the flames of doubt about Christ’s identity:
Matthew 13:54-56 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”
Mary and Joseph knew, respectively through the Angel’s appearance or the Angelic vision, the Child’s origin and what He was. The world would see only the physical structure of a biological family, even though spiritually, nothing like it had ever, or would ever be seen again. Could this have been done to ensure that those who believed did so out of great faith? If Christ had come first on the clouds of Heaven, all would have believed, and no faith would have been required.
Perhaps the very method of the incarnation, and Jesus’s earthly life was the Lord’s test of our faith in Who He is.
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