Mary

Mother of God

Mother of the Church

Many Protestant apologists claim that Catholic veneration of and doctrines about the Blessed Mother are late inventions of the Church that have no justification in Scripture.  As Dr. Scott Hahn explains in an excellent lecture available on video, nothing could be further from the truth.  The Catholic Church’s teachings about Mary are completely based in Scripture and they have been taught in some form since the very beginning of the Church.  In fact, there is extensive evidence in the writings of the Church Fathers of the first few centuries that Marian doctrines were widely taught and accepted by the faithful.[1]

Impact of Mary on the Early Church

Beliefs about Mary in the early Church had a huge impact on the development of Christological doctrines and the resolutions of some of the heresies in the early Church.  For example, when the Council of Ephesus resolved the Nestorian heresy, the bishops affirmed that Mary was Theotokos (Mother of God), not just Christotokos (Mother of Christ).  Mary was the mother of a person not just the mother of a nature, and that person, Jesus, was divine.  Therefore, Mary truly was the Mother of God and Jesus, her son, was clearly fully human as well as clearly divine.[2]

As Mary’s role as Mother of God was affirmed, devotion to her grew dramatically.  Churches dedicated to Mary were built throughout the early Church.  She was recognized as the model disciple, intercessor, and loving mother that Jesus gave us to emulate.  In short, Mary also became recognized as the Mother of the Church.  She guides the Church to Jesus showing us how to follow Him, and telling us, as she did at the Wedding of Cana, “Do whatever He tells you.” (Jn 2:5)

Scriptural Basis of Marian Doctrine and Related Christology

Although there are only approximately fifteen Scripture passages that reference Mary, each one tells us something very important about Mary’s role in the Church.  According to Dr. Hahn, some of the important truths that we learn about Mary can be summarized as follows:

- Mary is the new Arc of the Covenant.  In Revelation, the heavens open and the Arc of the Covenant (long lost to history after the destruction of Jerusalem) is seen.  The very next passage speaks of the woman clothed with the sun - - Mary.  These passages are not unrelated.  Mary is the Arc of the New Covenant.

- Mary is the New Eve.  Both at the Wedding at Cana and at His crucifixion, Jesus refers to Mary as “woman”, which can sound very strange to modern ears.  But, the Church Fathers clearly recognized that title as a reference to the woman named in Genesis.  Mary is the New Eve who unties the knots of sin that Eve created with her disobedience.

- Mary is the Immaculate Conception.  When the angel at the Annunciation addressed Mary as "full of grace", he was affirming that Jesus' saving act had already been applied to Mary preserving her from original sin.  Hence, Mary, untainted by sin, could become the Mother of God.[3]

As Dr. Hahn repeatedly emphasizes, through Scripture we see in Mary the model of true discipleship because “her prerogatives are not primarily physical but spiritual, they are not primarily biological, they are truly theological.”[4]

In summary, from the earliest days of the Church, teachings about Mary both confirmed and complemented Christological dogmas.  Mary, always points us back to Jesus.  That is her special role - - bringing her adopted children to her divine Son.   We recognize the tremendous gift the Apostles received in spending three years with Jesus during his earthly ministry.  Consequently, no one questions the value of the Apostles to the Church or their importance in God’s plan.  Mary carried Jesus in her womb for nine months and lived with him in the Holy Family for thirty years.  How could the Church not affirm the value of her example, love, and intercession?

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[1] Scott Hahn, “Hail, Holy Queen,” Serviam Ministries: Mercy and the Kingdom Conference, EWTN On Location, (May 2, 2015), Video, https://gloria.tv/media/Kn64F4EPr97

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

Bibliography

Hahn, Scott. “Hail, Holy Queen.” Serviam Ministries: Mercy and the Kingdom Conference. EWTN On Location (May 2, 2015). Video. https://gloria.tv/media/Kn64F4EPr97