Since about the fourth century, Catholic and Orthodox Christians have given Mary a special place of honor in their faith lives. On the other hand, Protestant Christianity is, for the most part a Maryless Christianity. Protestants wonder why Catholics pay so much attention to Mary since she isn't featured very much in the bible. Some Protestants think that Catholics worship Mary. This perception is reinforced when Catholics are seen kneeling in prayer before the statues of Mary and when she is carried in procession as if she were some kind of goddess. Finally, Protestants wonder why Catholics hold certain beliefs about Mary which seem to have no basis in the Scriptures.

Until the recent past, tendency in Catholicism was to emphasize Mary's privileges (e.g., her Immaculate Conception - i.e., Mary's sinlessness) so much that her humanity and likeness to us were almost lost sight of. Today, Mariology (the theological study of Mary) and Marian devotion is more Christ-centered, scripturally based and more in touch with the humanity of Mary. This approach makes it much easier for Protestants and Catholics to dialogue about the role of Mary in Christianity.

In this bulletin we will examine the role of Mary in Catholicism, Catholic beliefs about Mary, Marian Devotion and Marian Apparitions.

Mary, One Who Shares Our Struggles

When we only emphasize the titles and privileges of Mary, she could easily become someone distant from us and difficult to identify with. On the other hand, when we look at the picture of Mary portrayed in the Scriptures, we quickly see a woman who is our sister because of her life experiences.

Mary was still a teenager when God asked her to become the Mother of the Messiah by the power of the Holy Spirit. We can only imagine how she tried to explain to Joseph, family and neighbors, that her pregnancy was caused by the Holy Spirit and not by having sexual relations with a man. For a brief period of time Mary was an "unwed mother". We can assume she experienced all the things women experience during pregnancy.

When she finally gave birth to her son, it was in an old, cold stable and without the help of a doctor or midwife. When Herod threatened the life of Jesus, Mary and her family had to flee to a foreign country where they were most likely treated like "migrants" or "outsiders". After Joseph died, Mary was a "widow" and a "single parent". For thirty years, Jesus lived a very quiet and ordinary life. During those years Mary must have often wondered what was so different about this son of hers. When he did go public, she must sometimes have wondered why he was saying and doing things very contrary to the tradition she was raised in. Finally, she watched her only son being slandered, plotted against and brutally crucified as a criminal.

When we mediate on the life experiences of Mary, we see how right Simeon was when he said that a "sword of sorrow" would pierce her heart. (Lk. 1:35) Mary's trials and tribulations should draw her close to us irrespective of our Christian upbringing.

Woman of Faith, Model Disciple

Over the centuries many titles have been given to Mary to describe who she is. Today, our church more and more uses the titles, "Woman of Faith" and "Model Disciple". To describe Mary's role and place in the Christian life. Mary is called a Woman of Faith because in and through all her trials she never doubted God. She trusted that he would be faithful to his Word. (Lk. 1:15). At the Annunciation (Lk 1:28-38), Mary was called to trust that she could conceive a child through the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit. If she could trust god on that Word, she could trust him on anything, and she did.

Mary is also a Model Disciple because she was totally open and responsive to God's Word. She had conceived the Word of God in her heart long before she conceived it in her womb. Mary is also the Model Disciple because of the way she kept trusting in the midst of experiences she did not understand (Lk. 2:50). Mary also showed herself to be a Model Disciple by remaining faithful to Jesus to the very end. "Standing by the cross was his mother (John 19:25).

Mary, Mother of the Church

Catholics also call Mary Mother of the Church, and since the church consists of the people who believe in Jesus, Mary is also our Mother. Just as the Israelites called Abraham "our father in faith," so do we call Mary the mother of all believers in Jesus. When he was on the cross Jesus looked at John (a symbol of all believers) and said, "There is your Mother," and he said to Mary, "Woman, there is your son" (John 19:26-27). Scholars tell us that when Jesus called Mary "woman" he was referring to her role as Universal Woman. Catholics affectionately call Mary "Our Blessed Mother." Mary reveals to us the motherly side of God's love. Without devotion to Mary our spirituality and approach to God would be totally masculine.

Four Doctrines About Mary

We have now looked briefly at some of the many titles that our church has given to Mary which, in turn, should help you to see how we look at Mary and her role in our life. Now we will look at four special beliefs or dogmas which the Catholic Church holds and teaches about Mary.

Mary, The Mother of God

This doctrine or belief about Mary resulted from the church's reflection on the twin natures of Christ. If Jesus is both God and Man, then it is logical to conclude that Mary is the Mother of both the divine and human Jesus. This doctrine does not state that Mary gave birth to God. The Council of Ephesus (431 A.D.), which solemnly defined this belief about Mary, was careful to state that Mary is the Mother of God, "according to the flesh," to clarify that Mary is in no way the source of Jesus' divinity.

Perhaps Elizabeth, inspired by the Holy Spirit, was the first person to recognize Mary's special privilege. When Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth greeted her with these words: "Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:43). The church celebrates this Feast of Mary on January 1.

The Perpetual Virginity of Mary

The Catholic Church believes and teaches that Mary remained a virgin all her life. Other Christians wonder why Catholics believe this since Scripture speaks about the "brothers and sisters" of Jesus (Matthew 13:55-56). Our church responds to this objection by drawing on the findings of contemporary biblical studies which tell us that the words used for brother and sister in the Bible were also used to refer to close relatives; e.g., cousins. Also, if Mary had other children, surely Jesus would have entrusted the care of his mother to Them and not to John, the beloved disciple (see John 19:16).

A recent study on Mary in the New Testament (Paulist Press) by leading Catholic and Protestant theologians states that we cannot either prove nor disprove from the New Testament the belief about Mary's perpetual virginity. Due to the silence of Scripture on this matter, we must rely on the testimony of Sacred Tradition. Since at least the 4th Century, Tradition has held that Mary remained a virgin all her life. Even the first Protestant reformers, Martin Luther and John Calvin, affirmed their belief in Mary's perpetual virginity.

Finally, many writers point out that Mary's spiritual virginity is much more important than her physical virginity. Her physical virginity is an outward sign of her "spiritual virginity," a phrase used to describe a life totally consecrated and devoted to God.

Mary's Immaculate Conception

This belief does not mean that Mary was conceived in a miraculous way like she conceived Jesus. Rather, this belief holds that Mary was born without original sin. Or to put it in a positive way, Mary was born "full of grace," i.e., her union with God was never at any moment damaged by sin. On the other hand, Mary did suffer "the consequences of original sin," i.e., sickness, suffering and even death. Mary was a fully human person who shared in the pain and suffering which exists in our world because of sin, but she never contributed to the sin of the world. Mary is our sister in suffering but not in sin and evil.

The Catholic Church states that this belief about Mary is a "fitting" one. It is "fitting" that God would choose to send his all-holy and sinless Son to us through a human vessel who was totally free from all sin.

The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception does not deny that Mary needed the saving grace of Jesus. Just as Jesus was conceived in a very unusual and spectacular way, Mary was saved in a very unusual and spectacular way. Protestant theologian Donald Dawe, writing on this doctrine states: "The grace of God that comes to us through Jesus flowed backward in time to Mary to prepare her for her role in the Incarnation. This is what is celebrated in the Immaculate Conception." We must remember that the concept of time is a human construct by which God is not limited. God lives in a timeless eternal now.

In 1858, four years after our church defined the doctrine of Immaculate Conception, Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes, France. During one of her apparitions Mary told Bernadette her name. She said, "I am -the Immaculate Conception." Bernadette, a young, uneducated peasant girl, had never heard of these words before and did not know what they meant. Since Mary's apparition to Bernadette at Lourdes, many medically verified, miraculous healings have occurred there. The church celebrates this Feast of Mary on December 8.

Mary's Assumption In Heaven

In 1950 Pope Pius XII solemnly declared to the Catholic world:

In speaking, thus, our Universal Shepherd was declaring the Assumption of Mary to be an article or dogma of Catholic faith. The Pope's declaration did not answer the question of whether Mary actually died or not prior to her Assumption.

When Pius XII declared the Assumption of Mary to be a dogma or doctrine of the church, he was not proposing for belief a tenet of faith that Catholics had never heard of before. Belief in Mary's Assumption into heaven goes back to at least the sixth century.

If Mary was without sin there was no reason for the resurrection of her body to be delayed. As with the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, our church believes that it was "fitting" that the body which tabernacled or housed the Savior of the World should not suffer decay. It is "fitting" that she who gave birth to Jesus should be with him bodily in heaven where she adores him in the glory of his risen and glorified body. In reflecting about this doctrine of our church, it may be helpful to keep in mind that it is not without precedence. The Hebrew Scriptures tell us that both Enoch (Genesis 5:24 & Sirach 49:14) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:1-12) were taken bodily into heaven.

In the doctrine of the Assumption, the church tells us that God wishes to save not just our souls but also our bodies. Mary in her heavenly state stands as a symbol of the first fully-redeemed person-soul and body. Mary's assumption is a reminder of what is in store for all of us. The church celebrates this feast of Mary on August 15.

We Look to Scripture and Tradition

Christians who look to the Bible alone for the source of their beliefs wonder why Catholics hold certain beliefs that are not stated explicitly in the Scriptures. Catholic Christians look to the Bible and Sacred Tradition as the source of their beliefs and practices. When the church set down in writing the message of Jesus, she did not intend to say to her contemporaries or future generations, "You must only believe what is explicitly stated within the pages of these 27 books of the New Testament." For Catholics, a belief is only nonscriptural if it is out of harmony with the message of the written Word of God. (See my bulletin on The Catholic Church and The Bible for a fuller discussion of the relationship between the Bible and Tradition.)

Devotion to Mary

The heart of devotion to Mary and Marian spirituality does not consist primarily in particular prayers to Mary but rather in "doing what Jesus tells us" (Jn. 2:5). The true devotees of Mary are those who listen to the Word of God and allow it to transform their lives.

Catholics believe and understand (though we may not always express it well) that Jesus alone is our intercessor and mediator before God. We know that he alone can grant us blessings and grace. But, just as all believers share in the High Priesthood of Jesus (1 Peter 2:5), all share in his intercessory and mediatory role. We join our prayers to those of Jesus and ask him to bless us, protect us, guide us, etc. If we do not hesitate to ask sinful brothers and sisters on earth to intercede for us, surely we shouldn't hesitate to ask Mary, the pre-eminent member of our community, to intercede for us. The only difference between Mary's prayer for us and other people's prayer is that Mary's prayer on our behalf is exceedingly more powerful because of her closeness to God. The power of Mary's intercession is seen at the Wedding Feast of Cana when Mary interceded with Jesus on behalf of a young couple. Because of Mary's intercession, Jesus worked his first miracle even though "his hour had not yet come" (John

2:4).

Finally, Catholic talk about "praying to" Mary should always be translated as asking Mary "to pray for us." In the "Hail Mary" we pray: "Holy Mary, pray for us sinners. . ." Catholics worship God alone. We honor Mary because God honored her in choosing her from among all women to be the mother of our Redeemer. Mary is God's masterpiece. In singing the praises of Mary we are singing the praises of God who did great things in and through her. Surely, we shouldn't think that God is in any way slighted because we love and venerate his Son's mother.

Two Marian Prayers

Two of the best-known and loved Marian prayers are the "Hail Mary" and "The Rosary." Non-Catholics are usually surprised when they realize that the first part of the "Hail Mary" is taken directly from Scripture.

The Rosary

The Rosary is a Christ-centered and biblically based prayer prayed in honor of Mary. It is Christ-centered and biblically-based because during the Rosary we meditate with Mary on Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious events in the life of Jesus. Thirteen out of the fifteen "mysteries" of the Rosary are mentioned in the Bible.

Statues & Medals of Mary

For Catholics, statues, images and medals of Mary are visible reminders of someone very special in our spiritual lives. If we can carry pictures of loved ones in our wallets and place them on the walls of our homes and offices, then surely it is okay for us to have visible reminders of the most perfect Christian who ever lived. If we lay wreaths before our national heroes surely it is right for us to lay a wreath or bouquet before Mary, the Mother of our Redeemer. Catholics kneel and pray before statues as a mark of respect. But we do not intend to worship statues, nor do we believe that statues have any spiritual power in or of themselves.

Apparitions of Mary

In the Bible, we read how God sometimes sent angels to earth to deliver his message to people. In the Gospel, we read how Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus and the Apostles on Mount Tabor (Matt. 17:1-8). Also, the Apostles' faith in the Resurrection of Jesus was built up by the several appearances of Jesus to his disciples. Hence, we shouldn't be surprised if God continues to send heavenly messengers to earth to speak his Word and encourage us in our journey to him.

Usually, the "visitations" of Mary have a biblical pattern to them. Mary appears to poor, simple and humble people. Following the apparition(s), there is a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit which leads to a multitude of conversions, healings, joy and a spirit of praise. Mary's message is usually about the need for prayer, repentance and conversion. Within seven years of Mary's apparition to Juan Diego in Guadalupe, Mexico, eight million native Indians were converted and baptized.

This aspect of Catholic life and devotion belongs to the realm of private revelation. The "contents" of private revelations are not an essential part of our Catholic faith. Catholics do not have to believe in apparitions or their messages even when the church approves of a particular apparition. When the church gives her official approval to a particular apparition, she is saying two things: There is nothing in the message that contradicts Catholic faith and, hence, if these teachings are followed, they will lead to our sanctification. Secondly, the Church is publicly declaring that the location of the apparition is a legitimate place to go on a pilgrimage.

The apparitions of Mary which are most widely known and recognized by our official church are: Guadalupe in Mexico; Lourdes in France; Knock in Ireland and Fatima in Portugal.

Conclusion

After Joseph found out that Mary was with child, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and told him not to be afraid to take Mary into his home (Matt. 1:20). Neither should we hesitate to take Mary into our homes and hearts and to ask her to befriend us and pray for us as we seek to follow in the footsteps of her son, Jesus.

©Fr. Eamon Tobin

Suggested Reading: Catholic and Christian, Alan Schreck, Servant Books, Ann Arbor, MI.

(For more information about this bulletin series, contact: Ascension Catholic Church, 2950 N Harbor City Blvd., Melbourne, FL 32935 Tel. (321) 254-1595)