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Unveiling Mary in Doctrines and Piety

Discover the revered role of Mary in Catholic doctrines and popular piety, exploring her portrayal in the Bible, early church beliefs, perpetual virginity, and the Eve-Mary antithesis.

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Unveiling Mary in Doctrines and Piety

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  1. Catholic Doctrines Veneration of Mary

  2. Mary in the Bible • Birth narratives of Matthew & Luke • Two greetings to Mary • Angel: “Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:28 KJV) • Vulgate “Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” • Elizabeth: “Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb” (Luke 1:42 KJV) • Rosary: The “Hail Mary” assumes that Mary is full of grace that she can impart to the one praying for her intercession

  3. Mary in the Bible • Birth narratives of Matthew & Luke • The Virgin Conception • Fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14 (see Matt. 1:22-23) • Joseph “kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus” (Matt. 1:25) • The natural reading indicates that after she gave birth, he assumed normal marital relations • Furthermore, Jesus is described as Mary’s “firstborn son” (Luke 2:7)

  4. Mary in the Bible • Seeking the boy Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:48) • At the wedding in Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine (John 2:1-5) • In Nazareth, Jesus’ listeners referred tohim as “the carpenter’s son” & then mentioned his mother Mary, his brothers – James, Joseph, Simon & Jude – and his sisters (Matt. 13:55-56) • At the cross, where Jesus entrusted her into John’s care (John 19:26-27) • In the Upper Room (Acts 1:14) • The last mention of Mary in the Bible

  5. Mary in Popular Piety • Infancy Gospel of James • Written mid-second century by an anonymous author • Mary’s birth to Joachim & Anne, who was barren • Her childhood & dedication to the Temple • Her betrothal at 12 years old to Joseph • Joseph was portrayed as a widower with sons & daughters – explaining away Jesus’ siblings mentioned in the Gospels • Her miraculous delivery of Jesus • First depiction of Mary as virgin before, during & following the birth of Jesus

  6. Virginity & Celibacy in the Early Church • Biblical rationale • In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul suggested a preference for celibacy/virginity • Those who chose not to marry had greater freedom to serve the Lord • In the pastoral epistles, Paul lists the role of widows, who do not remarry but devote their lives to ministry • Jesus declared that in the kingdom, “they neither marry nor or given in marriage” (Matt. 22:30) • 400 AD – Jerome interpreted the Parable of the Soils – the good soil that produced 30-fold = marriage; 60-fold = widowhood; 100-fold = virginity

  7. Virginity & Celibacy in the Early Church • Outside influences • Greek Dualism – matter is evil; only spirit is good • Religious traditions included sacred virgins, celibate priests & eunuchs • Clerical celibacy • Influenced by monasticism – the denial of fleshly desires & comforts • Papal mandates • 600 AD, Gregory 1 promoted clerical celibacy, which did not become a universal expectation in the West until the 12th century • Failure to comply to clerical celibacy led to corruption, immorality, illegitimate children & distrust by laity

  8. Perpetual Virginity of Mary • Jerome (383 AD): “The mother of the Son of God, who was a mother before she was a bride, continued a Virgin after her son was born” • Pope Siricius (399 AD): He rejected “the idea that any other offspring should come from the same virginal womb from which Christ was born according to the flesh. For the Lord Jesus would not have chosen to be born of a virgin if he had judged that she would be also so incontinent as to taint the birthplace of the body of the Lord, the home of the eternal king, with the seed of human intercourse” • Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274): “Mary gave birth in miraculous fashion without opening of the womb and injury to the hymen & consequently also without pains”

  9. Eve-Mary Antithesis • Justin Martyr (160 AD): The first church father to contrast Eve & Mary • Eve, who was a virgin, believed the lies of the serpent & brought forth disobedience & death • The Virgin Mary believed the good tidings of the angel Gabriel & brought forth the One who would destroy the serpent & offer new life • Justin also was the first church father to refer to Mary as the Virgin

  10. Eve-Mary Antithesis • Irenaeus (180 AD): In his doctrine of salvation, Mary parallels Eve • Eve disobeyed & became the cause of death for herself & the human race; Mary obeyed & became the cause of salvation for herself & the human race • Just as the human race fell into the bondage of death by means of a virgin, so it was rescued by a virgin • Tertullian (200 AD): Just as the first Adam was formed from virginal soil, so the new Adam was formed from the virginal ground of Mary

  11. Theotokos • “Bearer of God” – The title was intended to affirm that the person that Mary bore was truly God • Nestorius, Archbishop of Constantinople, preferred Christotokos, “bearer of Christ” • He was concerned that Theotokos minimized Jesus’ humanity • In 431 AD, the Council of Ephesus proclaimed Theotokos as the proper title of Mary • Theotokos is still in use today in the East, but in the West, it has been replaced by “Mother of God”

  12. Immaculate Conception • In 1854, Pope Pius IX declared the infallible dogma of Mary’s Immaculate Conception • One of only two infallible declarations by a pope • “The Most Holy Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace & privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin”

  13. Immaculate Conception • Exempting Mary from original sin was inconsistent with the universality of original sin & the necessity of redemption for all human beings • Exempting Mary from original sin is unnecessary for the doctrine of Jesus’ freedom from original sin • Mary herself confessed her need for a Savior – “My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46)

  14. Bodily Assumption of Mary • In 1950, Pope Pius XII declared the infallible dogma of Mary’s Bodily Assumption • Second of only two infallible declarations by a pope • “The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body & soul into heavenly glory”

  15. Bodily Assumption of Mary • The pope purposely did not specify whether the assumption took place before or after Mary’s death • The place of Mary’s assumption is claimed for both Ephesus (House of the Virgin Mary) & Jerusalem (Tomb of Mary or Dormition Abbey) • The Feast of Assumption is celebrated on August 15 • The rationale for the Assumption includes Mary’s perpetual virginity, her immaculate conception & her fullness of grace (Luke 1:28)

  16. Mediatrix & Co-Redemptrix • In 1891, Pope Leo XIII stated: “Mary is the intermediary through whom is distributed unto us this immense treasure of mercies gathered by God, for mercy & truth were created by Jesus Christ.Thusas no man goeth to the Father but by the Son, so no man goeth to Christ but by His Mother” (On the Rosary) • The Rosary: “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, & blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now & at the hour of our death. Amen.”

  17. Mediatrix & Co-Redemptrix • Mary’s cooperation in the incarnation earned her the title Co-Redemptrix • Mary by her entering into the sacrifice of her Son for humans made atonement for the sins of humans & cooperates in the redemption of humanity • Mary is Mediatrix of all graces by her intercession in heaven • The Bible says: “For there is one God & one mediator also between God & men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5)

  18. Queen of Heaven • In 1954, Pope Pius XII stated: “Mary is called Queen of Heaven because her son, Jesus Christ, is the king of Israel and heavenly king of the universe” • “From the earliest ages of the Catholic Church a Christian people has addressed prayers & hymns to the Queen of Heaven, the Mother of the Divine King, Jesus Christ” • “Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, reigns with a mother's solicitude over the entire world, just as she is crowned in heavenly blessedness with the glory of a Queen”

  19. Veneration of Mary • Ludwig Ott: “In view of her dignity as the Mother of God & her fullness of grace, a special veneration is due to Mary” • This veneration is substantially less than the adoration which is due to God alone, but is higher than the veneration that is due to angels & to the other saints

  20. Veneration of Mary • Norman Geisler: There appears to be little distinction between the intensity of this veneration of Mary & the worship of God • The veneration of Mary, more than any other Catholic doctrine, creates a division between Evangelicals & Catholics

  21. The Bible affirms … • Mary was the most blessed woman in history • She was a virgin when she conceived Jesus • She was the mother of the God-man, Jesus Christ • She was a great model of the Christian life, a noble & virtuous woman • She was a person in need of redemption, which was secured only through Jesus Christ

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