Joseph Hollcraft MA
Theological Foundations CCP 210
Week 9: November 1, 2007

IX. Mary's obedience of faith becomes a lesson into the uncalculated surrender that we are to offer in our own surrender to the Father's will…Mary's role in the Church is inseparable from the union she has with her son and her mediation is bound by this relationship. We are to consider our own ascent of faith and how we ought to include Mary, as “she is mother to us in the order of grace” (CCC 968). We shall discover the beauty of Mary's role in the Church through a careful consideration of D octrine and Dogma.

A. The Mother of God . The first and foremost truth that everything else flows from is she is the Mother of God. This truth is that Mary is the Mother of Jesus, who is God the Son made man (CCC 466, 495). Scripture references to her Motherhood and its dogmatic definition.

1) Lk.1.35... “…therefore the one born of you will be called the Son of God. ” This is the angel Gabriel's greeting to Mary. Simply, Mary is the mother of Jesus, Jesus is God, and Mary is the Mother of God. There are several scriptural references to Mary as the other of Jesus.

a. Mt.2.13; 2.20; Jn.2.3; Acts1.14... “Mary, the mother of Jesus.”

2. Council of Ephesus in 431was the ecumenical council that the definition of Mary as Mary the Mother of God or “God bearer” was defined.

a. Gal.4.4... “When in the fullness in time God sent his only son born of a woman.” Mary is mother of both humanity and divinity, not just humanity! The human nature of Jesus is inseparably united to the divinity of Jesus.

B. Perpetual Virginity . This Dogma proclaims that the Blessed Virgin Mary was always a virgin, before, during, and after the birth of Jesus Christ (CCC 499-501). This definition was defined in 654 at the Lateran Synod. Let us now look at the three stages of her virginity: before, during and after.

1) Virginity before his birth was universally accepted as a Christian truth.

a. Is.7.14; Lk.1.27... “Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son.”

b. Lk.1.34... “ I know not man.” This was a statement made in antiquity to say that I will not know man in the past, present, and future.

2) Virginity during his birth. This is the most difficult to understand. St. Thomas summarizes this best when he states that “like light passes through a glass window without harming it so does Jesus enter into the world without physical harm to Mary.”

a. Paul's usage of the verb gennoa … “to be born” vs. ginomai “to come into existence.” Paul uses the verb gennoa 33 times and the reference was never to Mary and Christ.

1. Gal.4.23... “to be born”…for Ishmael and Jacob--but never Christ.

2. Early apologists always accepted this as a universal teaching as Mary and her perpetual virginity.

3) Virginity after her birth focus on her “ever” virginity. What about the fact that Mary had brothers?

a. Mt.12.46;13.55; Mk.3.31... The Gk. Word for brothers is “Adelphous” which actually means “cousin, or close relative.” In ancient Hb. There was no direct word for cousin.

b. “first-born” was a term used in ancient Israel to the child who received the Father's blessing-its application was never the one who was first chronologically.

c. “Until”…here the Greek word illustrates a period of change without change in the future. Up to not up to and through (cf. 2 Sam 6 and Michal).

1. Dead Sea Scrolls affirms vowed virginity in many sects of the time of Mary.

2. Without the lusts of the flesh so without the labors of the flesh.

C. Immaculate Conception. In 1854, Pius IX defined this dogma . This dogma proclaims the Mary from the first instant of conception was preserved immune from all stain of sin through the merits of Jesus Christ (CCC 490-493). Scriptures affirming her stainlessness

1). Lk.1.28... "Hail full of grace" ( Gk.) kecharetomene. This is a perfect participle, which means it is an action completed in the past. The Latin is gracia plena, which actually means "to grace or to endow." This angelic greeting points to her Immaculate Conception as she was endowed with the fullness of grace from the beginning. Mary became impregnated with grace through her ear...Lk.1.35

a. Gn.18.3...Sarah "found grace" ... Mary was full of grace!!!

2). Gn.3.15... "I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers." -- protoevangelium or the first gospel. Pius XII remarks that enmity would not be complete if their was the slightest stain of Mary. As Eve was the instrumental cause of the loss of grace, so Mary was the instrumental cause of the restoration of grace.

a. Wis.7.26...Mary is seen as the "spotless mirror."

b. Rev.12.1... “The woman clothed with the sun.” Her Immaculate rays are fiery with the rays of her Immaculate Son.

1. Mt.1.22 ... “God is with us”… Mary bringing forth God's son. Jesus is honoring the fourth commandment. Hb translation for the word honor is “the glory of God,” the Immaculate Conception is the glory of God…magnificat.

a. Jn.19.25-27...universality of John and Mary.

b . Ex.3.1...Moses prefigures Mary as holding the presence of God without corruption. Therefore, it is the same with Mary…Mt.1.22.

1. Note must be perfect in all things, especially lady poverty so that her womb may be empty and pure for purity to be conceived.

D. Assumption. Pius IX defined this in 1950. This dogma proclaims that the Immaculate mother, ever virgin, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. Assumption was the fruit of her Immaculate Conception and her meritorious yes (CCC 966). Mary, the new eve, becomes the restorer of grace. What is the support from Scripture and Tradition?

1. Lk.1.28... “Hail, full of Grace.” Mary's fullness of grace is one of the foundational passages to Her I. Conception. Assumption proceeds from her fiat in the fullness of grace.

2. Rev.12.1... “And the woman was crowned with 12 stars.” This passage illustrates her crowning glory in heaven and her Queenship.

a. Ps.131.8... “Arise O'Lord into your resting place, where you and the ark which you have sanctified.” This foreshadows Mary's sanctification through Jesus Christ and her future resting place.

3. Support from the Tradition of the Church of the Assumption of Mary can be found as early as St. Gregory of Tours who died in the late 6 th century. As well as other church fathers, St. John Damascene and St. Andrew of Crete to name a few.

a. Liturgical feast days were offered up to Mary as Queen of the Assumption as early as the 6 th and 7 th century.

4. Mary's Assumption is intricately bound to the Immaculate Conception. Paul reminds us in Rom.5.8 that death is the fruit of Original Sin and the Assumption preserves Mary from this death.

a. Had Adam and Eve not sinned they two would have enjoyed an Assumption without the corruption of their bodies.

b. Pius XII in Munificentissimus Deus exemplifies this unique relationship.

XX. Maternal Mediation: “Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation…therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles: Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix” (CCC 969).

A. Coredemptrix …Latin translation co comes from the Latin word cum meaning “ with“ , trix is the female suffix.

1. Gn.3.15...first sign of battle with Satan. Just as a woman was intricately involved with tree in the loss of grace so is another woman involved with a tree in the restoration of grace. Irenaeus is quoted: “death by a virgin, life by a virgin.” As we experience death through Eve, so we experience life through Mary.

a. Medieval poets capture the idea of Mary and Eve. With “Eva” as the mother of the living (Jn.19.26) we have a reversal of fortunes with the greeting of Gabriel…Lk.1.28... “Ave”

2. Is.7.14; 53...suffering servant.

3. Lk.2.35... Presentation with Simeon… “A sword will pierce your heart.”

a . A prophetic message that Our Lady will endure suffering.

4. Jn.19.25-27... In Hebrew antiquity, when someone is being offered they also offered up family member. Crowning his redemptive work with his mother present.

B. Mediatrix of Grace (note words above-CCC 969--to mediation).

1. 1 Tim.3.15... “Christ Jesus is the one mediator to God.” Mary uniquely plays a role in the mediation in her fiat as she alone possesses the title of the mother of God.”--JPII

a. consider the mediation of the priesthood instituted by Christ.

b. 1 Cor.3.9... “We are co-workers in the building of the Kingdom.”

c. 2 Ptr.1.4... “We are partakers in divine nature.”

d. Lk.1.41... Mary is found mediating the Trinity.

e. Jn.2.1-10... “…do whatever he tells you.” Mary's mediation leads to divinity.

f. Acts 1.14...Mary's presence in the upper room brings down the spirit. Earliest frescoes of Our Lady in the catacombs have pictures of this scene inthe upper room. Just as Mary is overshadowed with the Holy Spirit during the Annunciation of Jesus so is Mary overshadowed with the Holy Spirit during the birth of the Church.

1. Lk.1.35... “Cloud of spirit will overshadow you.” Cloud is a sign of God's fidelity. The shekinah cloud in Ex.24.16 and 1 kings8.11 was the glory and fidelity of the Lord. In Kings, it fills the temple. Therefore, in Mary the glory cloud fills the first temple--the womb of Mary (cf.Mt.1.22).

2. Num.11.24...the elders are bringing down the spirit.

3. 1 Kgs. 18.24...Elijah bringing down the fire.

4. Gn.11...There is a reversal of fortune and the tower of Babel with the gift of tongues.

C. Advocate (note words above-CCC 969--to advocacy). A term that in the Latin is the same word we get lawyer. Our Lady is our advocate in heaven.

1. The most significant role of the Queen Mother in heaven was that of advocacy.

2. Jn.2.1-10... Again, Mary is interceding as advocate for the people. Mary as the mercy regent of the Kingdom of David .

a. The secret to the Son's heart is always through the mother.

3. Old Covenant typology revealing the advocacy of the mother.

a. Rebekah interceding for Jacob

b. Mothers who were barren bringing forth children: Sarah (Isaac), Manoah's wife (Samson), Hannah (Samuel), and Elizabeth (John). The mother's instinct is to plead for her children.