Devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus, is not the exclusive privilege of the Roman Catholics. The Eastern Orthodox Church has a more, if not equally, solemn tradition of devotion to Our Lady. It is a pity that the Bachelor Degree Course on Religious Sciences which I am now attending, will not offer Mariology until the College is able to sign up a qualified theologian. In the meantime, there is not much I can do except saying the rosary.
Some Christians, especially the evangelical ones, accuse the Catholic Church in creating a Mary different from the Mary in the gospels. The Catholic Church is also guilty of giving Mary many titles, such as Mother of God, which they think she does not deserve. Mary was only a human like anyone of us, a creature of God. How could a creature be the Mother of the Creator? I think the problem arises from their inadequate understanding of the miraculous being of Jesus.
Jesus is both God and man. His divinity and humanity resides, not just in the same body but also in the same person. Moreover, his divinity and humanity are not separated. The former does not overwrite the latter and the latter does not contaminate the former. The incarnated Son of God is such a miraculous being. He has to be this way. Otherwise, salvation is impossible. All these theological reflections are the fruit of hard work of theologians from the latter centuries. These opinions are based on the gospels but not found in the gospels.
When we come to Mary, the mother of Jesus, we cannot evade the question whether Mary is the mother of the human Jesus or the mother of the divine Jesus. But such a question is wrong from start because we are attempting to separate the divinity from the humanity of Jesus. In order to "protect" the inseparable dual natures of Jesus, the Church in the 4th century declared that Mary is the Mother of God! Therefore, whether you like it or not, Mary is the Mother of God. It is the fruit of the human struggle to understand the true nature of Jesus.
Jesus is both God and man. His divinity and humanity resides, not just in the same body but also in the same person. Moreover, his divinity and humanity are not separated. The former does not overwrite the latter and the latter does not contaminate the former. The incarnated Son of God is such a miraculous being. He has to be this way. Otherwise, salvation is impossible. All these theological reflections are the fruit of hard work of theologians from the latter centuries. These opinions are based on the gospels but not found in the gospels.
When we come to Mary, the mother of Jesus, we cannot evade the question whether Mary is the mother of the human Jesus or the mother of the divine Jesus. But such a question is wrong from start because we are attempting to separate the divinity from the humanity of Jesus. In order to "protect" the inseparable dual natures of Jesus, the Church in the 4th century declared that Mary is the Mother of God! Therefore, whether you like it or not, Mary is the Mother of God. It is the fruit of the human struggle to understand the true nature of Jesus.
Today is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Rodney Ho, a non-Catholic colleague of mine, has done some research on the topic and led the Centralized Morning Prayer. From him, I now know that the devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary has a lot to do with winning battles! The first edition of the Catholic Encyclopaedia provides the following information.
In 1213, St. Dominic said the rosary and the battle of Muret against the Albigensian heretics was won.
In 1517, people in Rome said the rosary and the naval battle of Lepanto against a Turkish fleet was won.
In 1716, the battle at Peterwardein in Hungary against the Turks was won on the feast day of Our Lady of the Snows etc.
What an impressive CV!
Though we need not fight any battles nowadays, it is spiritually fruitful to say the rosary, to meditate on the life cycles of our Lord. On the cross, our Lord gave us his mother to be the mother of us all. After the ascension of Jesus, Mary our mother, stayed with her children to invoke the descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14, 2:1). Mary is truly the channel of God's love and grace.
In 1213, St. Dominic said the rosary and the battle of Muret against the Albigensian heretics was won.
In 1517, people in Rome said the rosary and the naval battle of Lepanto against a Turkish fleet was won.
In 1716, the battle at Peterwardein in Hungary against the Turks was won on the feast day of Our Lady of the Snows etc.
What an impressive CV!
Though we need not fight any battles nowadays, it is spiritually fruitful to say the rosary, to meditate on the life cycles of our Lord. On the cross, our Lord gave us his mother to be the mother of us all. After the ascension of Jesus, Mary our mother, stayed with her children to invoke the descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14, 2:1). Mary is truly the channel of God's love and grace.
Dear Lord, I thank You for your generosity in giving us Your mother. May she continue to take care of her children, lead us towards Christ. Amen.
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