Our Lady and the bible

BY FR RALPH DE HAHN

There still prevails both in Catholic and non-Catholic circles a basic ignorance of Mary’s distinctive role in our redemption, an essential role ordained by God himself and very strongly supported by sacred Scripture.

“Mary’s role is very clearly defined in any authentic Christian Bible: she is the mother who gave birth to the very Son of God. ” (Photo: Gunther Simmermacher)

True, she is not very prominent throughout her son’s public life; however there is no denying she is very much present in the most significant events of his 33 or so years on earth.

We encounter her in the Archangel Gabriel’s announcement of the Saviour’s coming, in his birth (and that of John the Baptist), in the presentation in the temple with Simeon and Anna, in the flight from king Herod, at the wedding feast at Cana, at his death on Calvary, and, of course, in his glorious resurrection and the fulfilment of the promise at Pentecost.

Even from the second and third centuries the early Fathers saw Mary as the “Second Eve”, and at the Council of Ephesus in 431 she was dogmatically declared “Mother of God”.

The Church cannot be accused of idolatry in the worship of Mary. Of course, Catholics do offer her special veneration, but never is she honoured or exalted as equal to God, nor in opposition to him, nor even confused with that supreme worship due only to the almighty and eternal God.

Mary’s role is very clearly defined in any authentic Christian Bible: she is the mother who gave birth to the very Son of God.

Her son, Jesus, claims and proves that he is from God and equal to the Father (Jn 14:11). Therefore, Mary is the mother of the God-man in the mystery of the Incarnation.

The title “Mother of God” will sound impossible to many an ear and intellect, but in this amazing communication of heaven and earth, Mary plays a unique role—as ordained by her Creator, for to deny her that title one must also deny either that Jesus had a human mother or that Jesus her son is truly God, or that Jesus Christ was ever truly human!

Consequently, one would have to reject the inspiration and authenticity of the Bible as the Word of God. Even non-Catholics would not go that far.

We see here a unique relationship of Mary with the Blessed Trinity: she is the chosen daughter of the Heavenly Father, the spouse of the Holy Spirit, and the mother of the Son. She is the mother of the Redeemer and therefore the mother of all the redeemed (Jn 19:26).

Without doubt this young virgin is richly endowed; “Hail, you are full of grace”, was the angel’s greeting.

Jesus refers to his mother as the woman both at the beginning and the end of his public ministry (in Cana and at the crucifixion). Mary herself also needed a Saviour for she prayed “my soul rejoices in the Lord who is my Saviour” (Lk 1:47).

An artwork in Dormition Abbey on Jerusalem’s Mount Zion, where Our Lady fell asleep, depicts this very well: in it, it is Jesus who is holding his mother; it’s a role-reversal that explains her need for salvation.

The Church, therefore, accepts the testimony of Scripture and tradition, and declares unconditionally that Mary is the Immaculate Conception, mother and perpetual virgin, the unblemished temple of the living God, assumed into heaven body and soul.

Jesus loved his mother; how can we not love her? To reject her is surely also to reject the real Jesus, son of Mary. This mother had a special bond with her divine son; he was the obedient son. We see her powerful influence (inspired by the Holy Spirit, of course ) over his mission. When, at the age of 12 he was over-anxious to “be busy about my Father’s business” in the temple of Jerusalem (Lk 2:49), Mary gently asked him to come home, for his hour had not yet come.

Then at Cana, when the wine ran short and the guests were still arriving at the wedding feast, it is Mary who instructed the stewards to “do whatever he tells you”, thus permitting her son to reveal himself, “and his disciples began to believe in him” (Jn 2:11).

For Catholics this is not just a special Marian devotion, something attached to our dogmatic faith. No, Mary is an essential figure in the biblical story of salvation, cooperating perfectly in God’s eternal plan.

She is the woman of flesh and blood whom the Father willed should be his mother. While the apostle Thomas would cry, “my lord and my God” (Jn 20:28), this chosen mother would cry: “My Son and my God!”