The Mother of the Son: The Case for Marian Devotion

CatholicEducatorsResourceCenter.org ^ | 2004 | Mark Shea

[pieces of time]

Now your getting into some deep Theology. In my belief of the Trinity I don't look at Christ as a mediator or intercessor. Rather as Savior and Truth, God the Son. I pray to God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

[Sybeck1]

From the Bible Anser Man, heard across the nation on many stations at 6 PM eastern:

Statement: CP0807

THE MARY OF ROMAN CATHOLICISM



Both Catholics and Protestants recognize Mary as the mother of Jesus Christ. However, beyond this, their views are vastly divergent. Just how different are they?

Of the many issues which divide Catholics and Protestants, the question of Mary’s status within the church is definitely one of the most prominent ones. In fact, the beginning of the problem can be traced all the way back to the Council of Chalcedon, which took place in 451 A.D. Here, Mary was officially given the title Theotokos (which means “God-bearer” or “mother of God”). Well, this designation was meant to underscore the fact that Jesus is God in the flesh — one person who possessed two distinct natures, rather than two persons who were somehow joined together. Unfortunately, the title paved the way for extreme Marian devotees to filter into the church.

In confessing Mary to be “the mother of God,” we simply mean that it was within Mary’s womb that the eternal Son became united to a human nature and entered the world as theantropos, the God-man. Mary was truly Jesus’ mother, but let’s make an important distinction here — she was Christ’s mother with respect to His humanity and not His deity. We affirm with Catholics that Mary was indeed “blessed among women” (Luke 1:28). After all, God chose her to give birth to the Messiah. But we firmly disagree with those Catholics who hold that Mary deserves to be exalted or venerated because of her unique relationship with Christ. Jesus Himself, in several instances, down played His physical relationship with His mother while at the same time emphasizing His spiritual relationship with all believers (Matt. 12:46-50; Luke 11:27-28).

Unfortunately, the exalted position that Mary holds in the Catholic church has given rise to several unwarranted doctrines. One of them is that Mary remained a virgin throughout her lifetime (cf. Matt. 1:25; 13:55-56). Another is that she herself was conceived without sin (cf. Rom. 3:23); and also that she was assumed or taken up to heaven either before she died or shortly thereafter. It’s important to note that this is a far cry from the Mary of the Bible — a Mary who saw herself simply as God’s humble servant (Luke 1:38, 48), a sinner who (like you and I) was also in need of a savior (Luke 1:47). These are important issues, and we simply can’t just afford to ignore them.

On the Mary of Roman Catholicism, that’s the CRI Perspective. I’m Hank Hanegraaff

[pieces of time]

(smile) I got the same thing.

[PleaseNoMore]

Absolutely NOT true. Be sure to read all the way through. It isn't a complicated piece. It is very self explanatory.

The following list of quotes and prayers to Mary can all be found in the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary (LOOTBVM), 1988 ed., compiled and edited by John E. Rostelle, O.S.A. These will help reinforce the overall present-day picture Catholicism projects about Mary, which is also found in other Catholic sources. (This book carries the Nihil Obstat and the Imprimatur.)

Virgin of virgins,
I choose you today
as my sovereign, my queen, my empress,
and I declare myself, as I am in fact,
your servant and your slave.
I invoke your royal name of Mary,
that is, sovereign Lady,
and beg of you with all my heart
to admit me into the privileged circle
of your family
as one of your servants,
to do your will as a humble slave and loving child.

... During my whole life
rule over me
as your servant and slave. At the hour of my death,
as I hope for
at the end of my loving servitude
among the privileged members of your family,
receive my soul
and escort it
into the presence of God (pp. 106-108).

Apparently, from the above, there are some Catholics who have given themselves to their sovereign, Mary, to be her slave. The same also wrongly think they are Mary’s child and shockingly want Mary to receive their souls at the hour of their death:

Holy Mary,
my Queen and sovereign Lady,
I give you myself,
trusting in your fidelity and your protection.
I surrender myself entirely
to your motherly tenderness,
my body, my soul,
all that I am, all that I possess,
for the whole of this day,
for every moment of my life,
and especially at the hour of my death.

I entrust to you once more
all my hopes, all my consolations,
all my anxieties, all my troubles,
my life, my dying breath,
so that by your prayers and merits,
I may have, in all I do, one only goal,
your good pleasure and the holy will of your Son (pp. 126, 127).

Praise to Mary, Heaven’s Gate,
Guiding Star of Christians’ way,
Mother of our Lord and King,
Light and hope to souls astray (p. 134)

As Christians look to God, Catholics look to Mary:

My Lady,
my refuge, life, and help,
my armor and my boast,
my hope and my strength,
grant that I may enjoy
the ineffable, inconceivable gifts of your Son,
your God and our God,
in the heavenly kingdom.
For I know surely
that you have power to do as you will ... (p. 135).

Memorare

Remember, most loving Virgin Mary,
never was it heard
that anyone who turned to you for help
was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence,
though burdened by my sins,
I run to your protection
for you are my mother.

Mother of the Word of God,
do not despise my words of pleading
but be merciful and hear my prayer.
Amen (pp. 186,187).
As Catholics would pray to Mary and ask her to be merciful and hear my prayer, the Bible shows that King David prayed to God the same exact words:

Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer (Ps. 4:1).

Under the section of Prayers To The Blessed Virgin Mary in LOOTBVM various ones are cited:

Ancient Prayer to the Virgin

We turn to you for protection,
holy Mother of God.
Listen to our prayers and help us in our needs.
Save us from every danger, glorious and blessed Virgin (p. 186).
Again, Mary is prayed to and trusted in for protection and help instead of God, as the Bible teaches.

Again, we read the same in the following prayer to Mary:

Mary, Help to Those in Need

Mary is prayed to and trusted in for more than just protection and help, as shown in the following prayer:

Holy Mary,
help those in need,
give strength to the weak,
comfort the sorrowful,
pray for God’s people,
assist the clergy,
intercede for religious.
May all who seek your help experience your unfailing protection.
Amen (p. 187).

Prayer To Mary

Next we have, in part, the Prayer to Mary which was composed by Pope John Paul II for the Marian year.

... Sustain us, O Virgin Mary, on our journey of faith and obtain for us the grace of eternal salvation. O clement, O loving, O sweet Mother of God and our Mother Mary (p. 188).

So, according to the supreme teacher in Catholicism, we should pray to Mary to receive what we need for eternal salvation (grace).

Here are some actual prayers from real people on an internet message board:

Mother, you have been with me till now. Be there with me and unite me and prem to marriage. Mother, bless us to become one.

Submitted by: Shilpa D.
Posted: 2004-12-10

Dear Blessed Mother, thank you so much for the good news today about my health. I still need your help. Please pray for our financial situation. Send us the money so after almost two years I will see my children and my father who has cancer. I have been away from my country and my family for so long now that I really suffer. Thanks.

Submitted by: c
Posted: 2004-12-09

Please Mother Mary, help my son with the right job. He is so desperate. Everying is possibe to you through your precious son, Jesus. My son is so desperate. As a loving mother you know haw hard it is to bear when a son is desperate. Please I beg you help him. I do not know where to go. Thank you.

Submitted by: CG
Posted: 2004-12-03

“JESUS & MARY, I THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP ESPECIALLY FOR HELP WITH MY FINANCES. I PRAISE YOU & THANK YOU!!!!!!!!”

Submitted by: R.A.H.
Posted: 2004-11-28

“I ask the Blessed Mother to heal my family, all of us, to pray for us to keep us safe and a special blessing for Adara and her pain and struggles as she faces life as a teenager.”

Submitted by: Lucille
Posted: 2004-11-15

Please Mother Mary, help my son with the right job. He is so desperate. Everying is possibe to you through your precious son, Jesus. My son is so desperate. As a loving mother you know haw hard it is to bear when a son is desperate. Please I beg you help him. I do not know where to go. Thank you.

Submitted by: CG
Posted: 2004-12-03
Submitted and prayed by Priests:

O Virgin Mother,
In the depths of your heart you pondered the Life of the son you brought into the world. Give us your vision of Jesus and ask the Father to open our hearts, that we may always see his presence in our lives, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, bring us into the joy and peace of the kingdom, where Jesus is Lord forever and ever. Amen

--Fr. Rob Jack, June 10, 1998

Most Holy and Immaculate Virgin, Help of the Christians, we place ourselves under your motherly protection. Throughout the Church's history you have helped Christians in times of trial, temptation and danger. Time and time again, you have proven to be the Refuge of sinners, the Hope of the hopeless, the Consoler of the afflicted, and the Comforter of the Dying. We promise to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, your Son, to proclaim His Good News of God's love for all people, and to work for peace and justice in our world. With faith in your intercession, we pray for the Church, for our family and friends, for the poor and abandoned, and all the dying. Grant, O Mary, Help of Christians, the graces of which we stand in need. (Mention your intentions.) May we serve Jesus with fidelity and love until death. Help us and our loved ones to attain the boundless joy of being forever with our Father in heaven. Amen.

Mary, Help of Christians, pray for us!

Discalced Carmelite Friars
Holy Hill, Hubertus, WI 53033

That last one is a doozy. Notice that the things this man asks Mary to do are the very same things that the word of God tells us Jesus can and will do.

[Pyro7480]

If you believe in Mary's intercession (which you obviously do not), then all of those titles make sense.

[PleaseNoMore]

So, you ascibe to Mary the very attributes and abilities of Christ?

[Pyro7480]

No, but her prayer is so effacious that she is able to obtain all these things from her Son, Jesus Christ.

[PleaseNoMore]

So, her Son pays more attention to her prayers than He does those of others? I thought that He was not a respector of persons. Either He is or He isn't. There is no room for a "he isn't...but..." reply. Jesus is either what He says He is or not. He is either sovereign or not.

[Pyro7480]

How is Jesus "not sovereign" because He respects His Mother above others? I don't know if you got the "memo," but heaven is not a democracy. There is a definite hierarchy. God is at the top, then the faithful departed, then the angels.

[Salvation]

**Nowhere did Jesus say that Mary was the mother of all Christians. Nowhere.**

Absolutely he did through the beloved disciple John!

25

¹⁰ Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala.

26

When Jesus saw his mother ¹¹ and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son."

27

Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

And the accompanying Biblical footnote:

¹¹ [26-27] This scene has been interpreted literally, of Jesus' concern for his mother; and symbolically, e.g., in the light of the Cana story in John 2 (the presence of the mother of Jesus, the address woman, and the mention of the hour) and of the upper room in John 13 (the presence of the beloved disciple; the hour). Now that the hour has come (John 19:28), Mary (a symbol of the church?) is given a role as the mother of Christians (personified by the beloved disciple); or, as a representative of those seeking salvation, she is supported by the disciple who interprets Jesus' revelation; or Jewish and Gentile Christianity (or Israel and the Christian community) are reconciled.

[Salvation]

** I thought that He was not a respector of persons.**

You think that Jesus Christ would not respect his Mother? You need to rethink your words, perhaps.

[Pyro7480]

"And He [Jesus] went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them." -Luke 2: 51.

If Jesus was subject to Mary and Joseph on earth, and He is true God, then it makes sense that He would still, in accordance with His will, would hear the intercession of, at the very least, Mary and St. Joseph.

[Pyro7480]

Luke, for instance, likens her to the Ark of the Covenant in recording that the Holy Spirit "overshadowed" her. The same word in Greek is used to describe the way the Shekinah (glory of God) overshadowed the tabernacle in Luke 1:35. Likewise, John makes the same connection between Mary and the Ark of the Covenant when he announces in Revelation 11:19-12:2:

Did PleaseNoMore even read this part of the article at the start of this thread? I will refer you to the Book of Exodus where very specific instructions are given for the construction of the Ark. If God specified that with the Ark that contained His written word, one must think that He would have had taken as much, if not more care, for the New Ark that bore the Word Made Flesh.

[pieces of time]

I really have to get going, although I'd love to continue this. You bring up some very thought provoking points that stretch what I often take for granted as Faith. But I must confess, my faith is simple.

Mary was conceived without the Original Sin (brought upon us by Adam and Eve) because Mary was to carry and raise Jesus, God the Son. Mary was "FULL of Grace".

I don't pray TO Mary. I ask Mary to carry my prayers to God, as a mother would ask her children or spouse for something on my behalf. An example would be the Wedding Feast at Cana. I was taught, "To Jesus, through Mary"


I ask Mary to help me to be more like her, in that she readily accepted God's will. "Be it done unto me according to Thy word". Can you imagine THAT kind of Faith in God?
Mary is not equal to God, but as the Mother of Jesus she is the closest to God of all the Holy ones.

As to the prayers and petitions: "receive my soul and ESCORT IT into the PRESENCE of GOD". We are not saying that Mary is the be all, end all. It's a "human" plea: mother, help me (by the example of you willingness) to reach God. All of the other prayers follow suit. We are asking Mary to guide us to God. When a child (of any age) hurts themselves or is in trouble they cry for their mother for comfort and guidance. Mary raised the human Jesus, we ask her to help us to follow, as closely as a human can, the path of her Son. She was there!
Don't know if this makes any sense. As I said, my faith is simple.

[ScottM1968]

Intercessory prayer through the dead outside of Christ has no basis in Scripture.

[ScottM1968]

She replied to herself four times before anyone else had posted.

That was what I was commenting on. It was not merely once, twice, or three times.

[ScottM1968]

She has no prayer to give on our behalf.

She is dead and cannot be asked.

[ScottM1968]

There is nothing in Scripture to support dead people throughout time as being able to now pray on our behalf.

They are dead and Scripture shows no way for those in Heaven to speak on our behalf.

[No_Outcome_But_Victory]

After your abusive post to Salvation, I am inclined not to care what you think.

[Pyro7480]

Intercessory prayer through the dead outside of Christ has no basis in Scripture.

Perhaps it's because you have an incomplete Bible.

So he armed every one of them, not with defence of shield and spear, but with very good speeches, and exhortations, and told them a dream worthy to be believed, whereby he rejoiced them all. Now the vision was in this manner. Onias, who had been high priest, a good and virtuous man, modest in his looks, gentle in his manners, and graceful in speech, and who from a child was exercised in virtues holding up his hands, prayed for all the people of the Jews. After this there appeared also another man, admirable for age, and glory, and environed with great beauty and majesty. Then Onias answering, said: This is a lover of his brethren, and of the people of Israel: this is he that prayeth much for the people, and for all the holy city, Jeremias, the prophet of God. Whereupon Jeremias stretched forth his right hand, and gave to Judas a sword of gold, saying: Take this holy sword, a gift from God, wherewith thou shalt overthrow the adversaries of my people Israel. Thus being exhorted with the words of Judas, which were very good, and proper to stir up the courage, and strengthen the hearts of the young men, they resolved to fight, and to set upon them manfully: that valour might decide the matter, because the holy city, and the temple were in danger. 2 Machabees 15: 11-16

How can Jeremiah talk to Judas if Jeremiah was dead?