The Bible elevates Mary who always points everyone to her Son, Jesus
Mary was integral or present at the major moments in the life of Jesus: His Incarnation, the visitation to Elizabeth, His birth, His escape into Egypt, His presentation in the temple, His finding in the temple, His entire childhood into adulthood, His first miracle, His way of the cross, His death on the cross, and His sending of the Holy Spirit. The closer we get to Mary, the more she draws us to Jesus, Messiah and Savior of all people.
–Angel Gabriel said to Mary: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee (Lk. 1:28) –Jesus is God, full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14), but Mary is the only mere human in Scripture given the name full of grace– (NOTE: St. Jerome (d.420) translated the Greek, kecharitomene: full of grace.)–
–Angel Gabriel also said to Mary: Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end (Lk. 1:31-34)–
–Mary asked: “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” (Lk. 1:34) Her question reveals that Mary had consecrated her virginity to God and wanted to remain a virgin–
–Angel Gabriel said: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you (Lk. 1:35); –Mary is the only human to be infused with the Son of God by the Holy Spirit–
–Mary said: I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word (Lk. 1:38) –Mary is truly Mother of God since she is the mother of the eternal Son of God made man, who is God himself (CCC,509). Mary’s Yes was the most important decision by any human being that brought Jesus and the Good News into the world–
–The Catholic Catechism says: God sent forth His Son (Gal. 4:4; Heb. 10:5), but to prepare a body for Him, He wanted the free co-operation of a creature. For this, from all eternity God chose for the mother of his Son a daughter of Israel, a young Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, “a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.” The Father of mercies willed that the Incarnation should be preceded by assent on the part of the predestined mother, so that just as a woman had a share in the coming of death, so also should a woman contribute to the coming of life (CCC 488)–
–When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb (Lk. 1:41), saying: For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy (Lk. 1:44). –An unborn baby, John the Baptist, leaped at Mary’s voice–
–Elizabeth said to Mary: Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb (Lk. 1:42) –What other mere human is most blessed? God protected Mary so satan could not corrupt her. How can everyone not see how essential it is that the holy God had to be nurtured in a womb for nine months and be born
by a woman without sin?–
–Elizabeth said to Mary: And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? (Lk. 1:43) –This confirms that Mary is mother of God since Jesus is the Son of God, not the mother of the Blessed Trinity, but of Jesus who is God–
–Elizabeth recognizes Mary as the new Ark of the Covenant. –The original Ark contained the 10 Commandments in stone, manna, and Aaron’s rod (a sign that he was high priest). Mary contained Jesus: the living Word of God, the living bread from heaven, and Jesus, the true high priest–
–Elizabeth said to Mary: Blessed are you who believed (Lk.1:45) –In contrast to the non-belief of Zechariah (Lk.1:20)–
–Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord (Lk. 1:46) –Mary’s soul magnifies or amplifies the Lord, not herself. No other creatures in the world ever humbled themselves as much as she did. Mary defers or refuses praise directed at her and she refers all praise to God–
–Mary said: From now on will all ages call me blessed (Lk. 1:48) –Do you call Mary: the Blessed Virgin Mary?–
–Mary said: The Mighty One has done great things for me (Lk. 1:49) –Starting with being conceived without sin (her Immaculate Conception) to be a fitting throne where Jesus reigned for nine months. Mary’s Immaculate Conception is consistent with the doctrine of Original Sin since original sin is transmitted by physical generation, therefore Jesus, who was born without sin, would have to be born from a human being with a soul that is spotless. Mary is that pure and spotless vessel: the woman who overflows with God’s grace since she is full of grace (Lk. 1:28)–
–Mary was redeemed in a more exalted manner than anyone else. She said, My spirit rejoices in God my Savior (Lk. 1:47). She never had original sin and she was saved from all sin by the saving grace of Jesus. The shepherds told Mary and Joseph that the angels said they would find the Messiah, Savior and Lord, lying in a manger–
–Mary said: He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly (Lk. 1:49); –Mary is most lowly. No other creatures in the world ever humbled themselves as much as she did–
–The Bible says that Mary (not Joseph and Mary, or just Joseph) kept all these things in her heart (Lk. 2:11-19)–
–Simeon said to Mary: And you yourself a sword will pierce (Luke 2:35); –The Bible says a sword will pierce Mary’s heart, not Joseph’s heart. Mary is the most perfect disciple of Jesus Christ. This prophecy proves that Mary suffered with Jesus. In addition, the Blessed Virgin Mary revealed to St. Bridget (1303-1373) that this grief pierced her soul for the rest of her life. How much would you suffer if you knew for certain your totally innocent and beloved child, who is also Almighty God, was to die a horrible death by the humanity He created?–
–The Word became flesh (Jn. 1:14) through Mary’s Yes: May it be done to me according to your word (Lk. 1:38)–
–Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the temple astounding teachers with His answers. Mary (not Joseph) told Him they were looking for Him with great anxiety. –The Bible says Mary (not Joseph) kept all these things in her heart (Lk. 2:51)–
–Mary said to Jesus at the marriage at Cana: They have no wine. (Jn. 2:3) –Jesus, being God, certainly would have known the wine was running out even before Mary noticed it, but Mary is the only one who spoke up and told Jesus, because only Mary at Cana knew who the real Father of Jesus was–
–Jesus said to Mary: Woman, how does your concern affect Me? My hour has not yet come (Jn. 2:4) –Mary knew what His mission was or she would have asked: What hour has not yet come? It is almost as if she were offering Him up and giving Jesus a mother’s permission to start His mission, which she certainly knew would mean that she would no longer have Him to herself, since countless people would now crowd around Him to receive the Word of God and the outpouring of His love–
–Mary said to the servants, even though she did not receive a positive response from Jesus: Do whatever He tells you (Jn. 2:5) –Mary showed complete trust that Jesus would do as she asked and Jesus did as Mary asked even though His hour had not yet come and He had not yet performed any miracles–
–Jesus changed water into wine: Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs (Jn. 2:11) –Only because Mary interceded for the couple and asked Him, which she did because only she knew that He could perform a miracle and would help a poor family who could not afford very good wine and not even enough wine to serve the wedding–
–A woman from the crowd called out to Him, Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed. Jesus replied, Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it. (Lk. 11:27-28) –Jesus praised Mary for her faith & fiat (let it be done to me) and for hearing and keeping the word of God as his first disciple–
–When Jesus worked miracles, the Jewish witnesses said something that elevated Mary: What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary… (Mk. 6:2-3) In those days, it was not at all customary to refer to a man as the son of his mother, but rather the son of his father. The witnesses had no idea that Joseph was not His actual father, so it is astounding that they refer to Jesus as the son of Mary.
–Jesus on the cross said to his mother: Woman, behold, your son. (Jn. 19:26) –Jesus gave His mother to every person. The greatest treasure on earth that Jesus was closest to was His mother, whom He offered to us. Jesus really loves and treasures His mother. He is so giving and sharing that He gives her to us as our mother too. We are called to imitate her. He knows she understands our problems. He knows she can help us. She is our model and guide to bring us closer to Him–
–Jesus said to the Apostle John: Behold, your Mother (Jn. 19:27) –Even though John’s own mother, Salome, was present. (See Mk. 15:40; 27:56.) There were many women there…Among them…the mother of the sons of Zebedee–
–After the ascension of Jesus, Mary was praying with the apostles in the upper room preparing for Pentecost (Acts 1). –Mary gave great comfort and encouragement to the Apostles–
–After the fall of Adam and Eve, God said: I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers (Gen. 3:15). The Magisterium and Sacred Tradition says this is the first promise of a Redeemer and the woman refers to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and all those who follow Him. This is primarily why Jesus called Mary woman at Cana (Jn. 2:4) and at the cross (Jn. 19:25). She is also the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. (Rev.12:1) From all eternity God chose Mary for the mother of His Son, Jesus. Adam named his wife Eve, because she is mother of all the living. (Gen. 3:20) Mary is the mother of all those who are fully alive in Christ (Gen. 3:15)–
MARY IS A VERY SPECIAL HUMAN BEING BECAUSE JESUS –CO-ETERNAL SON OF GOD– IS MOST SPECIAL. The Catholic Catechism says: What the Catholic faith believes about Mary is based on what it believes about Christ, and what it teaches about Mary illumines in turn its faith in Christ (CCC,487). Mary is the New Eve (Jn. 19:26-27) because Jesus is the New Adam (1Cor.15:45). Mary is much greater than the first Eve who was created without Original Sin. So Mary had to be created without Original Sin and she was preserved from all sin from the moment of her conception. Before she was born, she was redeemed by Jesus, the Savior of all people. Mary is the most perfect disciple of Jesus Christ. How can everyone not see how essential it is that the holy God had to be nurtured in a womb for nine months and be born by a woman without sin and without even an inclination to sin (concupiscence)? Every person is born into the world with a mission from God. Mary was born into the world with a very special mission that no other person was prepared for like she was. God created Mary as a worthy dwelling place for His son, Jesus Christ. By the power of God, Mary was conceived without sin like Adam and Eve (until they disobeyed God). Mary’s Immaculate Conception is an infallible doctrine promulgated by Pope Pius IX, ex cathedra (from the chair of St. Peter) on December 8, 1854. The Papal Bull reads: We declare, pronounce and define that the doctrine which asserts that the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, was preserved free from every stain of original sin is a doctrine revealed by God and, for this reason, must be firmly and constantly believed by all the faithful… With these words, Pope Pius IX in Ineffabilis Deus, declared Mary’s Immaculate Conception to be dogma. Pius was simply affirming a long-held belief of many Christians East and West before him, that Mary was conceived free of the stain of original sin, on account of Christ’s work, in order to bear God-made-flesh. Mary is the Immaculate Conception as she herself told St. Bernadette at Lourdes, France in 1858: I am the Immaculate Conception. If you do not honor Mary, you do not fully honor Jesus. She –and no other person– gave Jesus human life and she was the very first to give Him her entire life.
Pope Benedict XVI wrote: The Church neglects one of the duties enjoined upon her when she does not praise Mary. She deviates from the word of the Bible when her Marian devotion falls silent. When this happens, in fact, the Church no longer even glorifies God as she ought…. In order to praise Mary correctly and thus to glorify God correctly, we must listen to all that Scripture and tradition say concerning the Mother of the Lord and ponder it in our hearts. Thanks to the praise of “all generations” since the beginning, the abundant wealth of Mariology has become almost too vast to survey. (Mary: The Church at the Source, 2005)
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