For the Mary Challenged
(Clarifications on Mary, Our Lady, The Virgin Mother of God)
Catholics do not worship Mary.
- Catholics know that their salvation is through Christ alone. Had Mary
given birth to a different child, not the Son of God, we would not be saved.
Similarly, had Christ been born to Jessica or Pamela instead of Mary, we would have
still been saved by
Christ. Therefore, our salvation is and always has been only through
Christ.
- Catholics simply pray to Our Lady for intercession.
Our Lady can only lead a soul to Christ.
- Mary was a human just like us except in regards to sin.
- Mary cannot dwell within you as Christ/God dwells within you.
- Mary is not divine.
Graces provided by God to Mary
- Mary accepted God as no other human has or will (at least here on
earth).
- Other
than Christ, Mary is one of only three "people" in heaven with a body at this
time (The Assumption). This fact does not make Mary better than anyone
on the "divine" scale. She is still fully human. This
is just a grace given to her by God. Note: The other two people who are in
heaven are Enoch and Elijah. As in the Bible: Enoch [Genesis 5:24] &
Elijah [2nd Kings 2:11].
- Mary was immaculately conceived and kept from sin through special graces
from God (Immaculate Conception). Again, this does not allow Mary to climb the
"divine" scale. It is just a grace provided to her by God.
Mary provides an incredible perspective of Christ's love and
life
- Mary is a mother.
- Mary sees Christ as
only a mother can see and feel for her child.
- Mary embodies humility and weakness. She would never stand before
Christ or God.
- She sees Our Lord through the passionate eyes of his mother.
- Mary would never get in the way of a soul going to her son (Christ and
God).
- Mary is the ultimate instrument of God. She was prepared and
"used" by God in order to make possible The Salvific Event. Her
humility in this process makes her a wonderful example of true Christian
love. Mary's life is an example of how to empty ourselves and allow Christ
to enter us for the sake of the entire world. Mary is not divine! Mary is
human and that is the true beauty of her reality.
The Protoevangelium (Gen. 3:15)
Mary as the
second Eve through God's grace. (the very first prophecy about Christ in the
Bible!)
Mary's rosary helps us glimpse the intensity & drama of Our Lord's
life
- Joyful: We are drawn closer to Christ through the joy of a young Mary as she
experiences the fulfillment of the Old Covenant, through the Annunciation,
the Visitation and the Nativity. We feel the pride and the completeness as Joseph and Mary present and find
Our Lord in the temple.
- Sorrowful: We feel the depth of sorrow for Christ's tragic suffering as we see the
Agony, the Scourging, the Crowning with Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross
and the Death on the Cross through His mother's eyes.
- Glorious: We are brought to new heights as we witness Christ's glory of the
Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost. Then we come to understand the
depth of Christ's love for us as we meditate on the Assumption and
Coronation of His mother.
- Luminous: We are brought closer to
Mary's Son, His incredible gifts of spiritual-human melding called the
Sacraments and the Kingdom of God. These mysteries take us on a journey
through Christ's Baptism, His first miracle prompted by his mother's request
during a Marriage celebration, the Proclamation of our
source/goal/drive/everything, His true essence as God-man glorified and his
ultimate union with living humans called the Eucharist.
Note: The above ideas have helped
me become more open to
Mary. If you are beyond a personal search and want to delve into the roots
of Mary and the Catholic Church, look to the Early Fathers of the Church and
other great Catholic minds.
The following links provide some thoughts of great Catholic minds on Mary: