Ch. XX Truths about BVM p 196-205

CHAPTER XX

TRUTHS ABOUT THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

“And the angel being come in, said unto her:

Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” Luke 1:28

“Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son;

and thou shalt call his name Jesus.” Luke 1:31

“And she (Elizabeth) cried out with a loud voice, and said:

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” Luke 1:42

“Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid;

for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” Luke 1:48

Please note that the source of much of the information in this Chapter comes from the excellent book: “Catholicism and Fundamentalism” Chapter 22 by Karl Keating. He starts this Chapter out with the following comment:

“The Marian doctrines are, for fundamentalists, among the most annoying of the doctrines people identify as peculiarly Catholic. Fundamentalists disapprove of any talk about Mary as the Mother of God, and the Mediatrix, as the Mother of the Church; they disbelieve in her Immaculate Conception, do not think she was assumed into heaven, and hold that she was not a lifelong virgin.”

The Immaculate Conception:

“The Doctrine of The Immaculate Conception holds that Mary, in the first instant of her conception was, by a singular grace and privilege of Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, preserved exempt from all stain of original sin.”

In Luke 1:28 the Angel Gabriel (during The Annunciation) greeted Mary with “Hail full of Grace”. It comes from the Greek word kecharitomene. This Greek word indicates a perfection of Grace. A perfection that must be perfect extensively. The Grace Mary enjoyed must not only have been as “full” or strong or complete as possible at any given time, but it must have extended over the whole of her life, from conception. This is the sense of the Greek word used by the Angel Gabriel to describe Mary. In English it is best described as “full of Grace”. This is the translation used in the Douay-Rheims Version, which was translated from St. Jerome’s Latin Version “The Vulgate”. In order to be “full of Grace” one must be free of all sin, at all time. Hence Mary’s soul was preserved from Original Sin as a Great Gift from God, Who was preparing Her to be the Mother of Jesus. Her soul was never to be in the slightest way under the influence of Satan!

The new American Bible and the Protestant Bibles translate Luke 1:28 as “rejoice oh highly favored daughter”! These translations are imperfect and give the impression that Mary is no different than other women in the Bible that were “highly favored”, such as Elizabeth or Sarah.

Non-Catholic objections to The Immaculate Conception:

1. “All have sinned.” Rom 3:23

Mary was not sinless as Catholics claim because Romans 3:23 says: “All have sinned, and do need the Glory of God.” Since Mary was a sinner, she could not have been Immaculately Conceived.

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CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

Many non-Catholics think the phrase “all have sinned” means more than all have Original Sin. They think it means that all have committed Actual Sins and that Mary must have therefore committed Actual Sins.

What about a child, below the age of reason, they can’t sin, because sinning requires the ability to reason, to know an act is a sin and to intend to do it anyway. Therefore Romans 3:23 does not mean “all commit Actual Sin” as some think. Paul’s comment in this passage refers not to absolutely everyone but to the mass of mankind. Which means that young children and other special cases, such as Mary, would be excluded without having to be singled out.

2. Mary said she needed a Savior, only sinners need a Savior.

Read Luke 1:47 “And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior”. Mary admitted she needed a Savior. Only sinners need a Savior. Therefore Mary was a sinner like all of mankind.

CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

Yes, Mary required a Savior. Like all descendants of Adam, by her nature she was subject to the necessity of contracting original sin. But by a special intervention of God, undertaken at the instant she was conceived, she was preserved from the stain of Original Sin and certain of its consequences. She was therefore redeemed by the Grace of Christ, but in a special way, by anticipation. The Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception thus does not contradict Luke 1:47.

3. Mary said she was “lowly” therefore sinful.

Read Mary’s own words about herself in Luke 1:48 (King James Version): “For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed”.

William Wordsworth in “The Virgin” described Mary as “our tainted nature’s solitary boast”. How could this be, if she understood herself to be lowly, does not that mean that she understood herself to have sinned?

CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

The Douay-Rheims Version of Holy Scripture has a more accurate translation of Luke 1:48

“Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from hence forth all generations shall call me blessed.”

True a sinful and proud person is considered a “low life” by those who know them. A good and holy person will be blessed with the Virtue of Humility and will also consider themselves “little” or “low”. It is not surprising that sinless Mary “our tainted nature’s solitary boast” would have a profound Humility. She being so Holy and thereby having a clearer understanding of the Greatness of God would realize her “lowliness” compared to Him.

In Matthew 11:29 Jesus says: “Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart; and you shall find rest to your souls.” In this passage Jesus also describes Himself as “Humble” and He certainly was without sin! If Jesus describes Himself as “lowly”, there can be no argument against Mary describing herself the same way.

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4. The Catholic Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was invented by Pope Pius IX in 1854.

CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

Non-Catholics are often under the impression that no dogma is believed, until the Pope or an ecumenical council issues a formal statement about it. This is wrong. A formal statement about a dogma, is usually made when a controversy arises around it. The Church then searches the Traditional belief on the controverted subject and then issues a formal statement, as to the True belief that has been handed down to us from the Apostles. This is what Pope Pius IX did in 1854, when he issued the statement on the Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, that all Catholics now must accept. Thanks to Pope Pius XI, for Catholics, this Doctrine is no longer debatable.

In 1950 Pope Pius XII, in another exercise of papal Infallibility, defined that Mary, “after the completion of her earthly life” - note the silence regarding her death - “was assumed body and soul into the glory of Heaven”. In short Her body was not allowed to corrupt; it was not allowed to remain in a tomb.

Non-Catholic objections to The Assumption:

1. What makes you Catholics think that Mary did not die?!

CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

Catholics do not think that Mary did not die. Whether Mary died or not, has not been definitively revealed to us. The general consensus is that Mary did die and that Her body was Assumed (taken) up into Heaven. Perhaps someday a future Pope will make an Infallible statement on it, then we will know for sure if Mary died. For now it is opened to debate, but the general opinion is that She like Christ, died. While Christ rose from the dead and Ascended into Heaven on His own power, Mary was Assumed into Heaven by the power of God.

2. Where is the Doctrine of the Assumption found in the Bible?

CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

There are no Scriptural Proofs for the Doctrine of the Assumption. The Bible is silent as to what happened to Mary. The silence of Holy Scripture about a Doctrine is no proof against it. The silence of Holy Scripture about a Doctrine is no proof for it either. Silence is just silence and nothing more. John 20:30 and John 21:25 tell us that not all is in Scripture. Some Truths are passed on through Traditional teachings of The Church from the Apostles (the first Bishops), who received it from Christ.

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Matthew 27:52-53 describes other souls being reunited with their bodies at the death of Christ:

“And the graves were opened: and many bodies of the saints that had slept arose, And coming out of the tombs after his resurrection, came into the holy city, and appeared to many.”

If God did this then, to the bodies of “the saints”, He certainly could do it for Mary, His Greatest Saint!

3. But how do you know that Mary was Assumed into Heaven?

CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

1. We know it from the Traditional Teaching of the Church handed down to us from the Apostles.

2. We know it from the Infallible Declaration of Pope Pius XII in 1950. Pope Pius XII said that the Assumption is really a consequence of the Immaculate Conception.

3. We know it from the absence of Relics of Mary. From the first, Catholics have homage to saints and eagerly gathered up and saved their relics. Cities claimed the tombs of various saints. Rome claims the tombs of Peter and Paul. Even our little Chapel in Mexico, Missouri has relics of various saints including a piece of bone from St. Mary Magdalen, who was a cousin of the Blessed Virgin and lived at the time of Christ! But there are no relics of Mary!! Surely The Church who so reverently venerated, highly prized and guarded the relics of Her Saints, many unknown, would hold in the highest honor, relics of “our tainted nature’s solitary boast”, if She had them!! But they are gone, every one, Assumed into Heaven by Almighty God.

Mary is The Mother of God!

Jesus Christ is God and the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. During the Incarnation, Christ became man. Mary is the Mother of Jesus. Jesus is God, therefore Mary is the Mother of God.

Non-Catholic objection to calling Mary the “Mother of God”.

1. God existed before Mary, how can she be His Mother!

You Catholics elevate Mary too much! How can Mary, one of God’s creatures, be the Mother of God, when God existed before Mary!?

CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

True, God existed before Mary. Before the Incarnation, none of the three Divine Persons in God had a human body. God so loved us that He sent The Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, Jesus Christ to become man, and die for us and thereby Redeem mankind. At the Incarnation, “The Word was made flesh and became man.” Mary was his Mother. She nourished him and provided the material for his human body, both before and after birth, just like all Mothers do. Mary is just as much the Mother of Jesus, as all mothers are of their children. Mary provided the material and nourishment for God’s body, when God took on human flesh. She therefore is the Mother of God in every sense of the word. True, God existed before Mary, but not in the Flesh, that was given to Him by Mary His Mother.

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Mary the Mediatrix of all Graces:

Her status as Mediatrix of all Graces exists in a double sense.

1. She gave the world its Redeemer, the source of all graces, and in this sense she is the channel of all graces. The Church contrasts Mary’s obedience, which was perfectly free, with Eve’s disobedience.

2. Mary is Mediatrix of all Graces because of her intercession for us in heaven. Through God’s Will, Grace is not conferred on anyone without Mary’s cooperation.

Non-Catholic objection to Mary being the Mediatrix of all Graces:

1. “Mediatrix” is just feminine for “Mediator”. There is only one Mediator between God and man and that is Jesus Christ. See 1 Tim. 2:5.

CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

This objection was covered in detail in Chapter XVIII - The Communion of Saints. Christ, the GOD-man, is the only Mediator who could reopen the “Gates of Heaven” (Redeem mankind) after the sin of Adam. This is the sense and meaning of the passage in 1 Tim. 2:5. It does not preclude a subordinate “mediation”, which is encouraged when we ask the Saints or a friend to pray for us. Our modest “mediation” is entirely dependent on Christ.

2. Where does the Bible say that Mary is “Mediatrix of all Graces”?

CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

Again, Scriptural proof for this Doctrine is lacking. As John 20:30 and John 21:35 tells us everything is not in the Bible.

1. We know however, that Mary is Mediatrix of all Graces because The Catholic Church has told us so. The Catholic Church is the Church established by Christ and no other. See Chapter VI - Which Is The Church Established by Christ?” for a detailed discussion of this Truth.

2. Theologians refer to a mystical interpretation of John 19:26 (“Woman behold thy son, son behold thy mother”), an interpretation that sees John as the representative of the human race, and Mary thus becoming the spiritual mother.

This Doctrine is therefore accepted ultimately, on the Authority of the Church rather than on the Authority of clear Scriptural references.

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Mary’s Perpetual Virginity:

When Catholics call Mary a Virgin, they mean she remained a virgin throughout her life.

Non-Catholic Objections to Mary’s Perpetual Virginity:

1. Scripture tells us in many places that Mary had other children after Christ. For example:

“Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joseph, and Jude, and Simon? Are not also his sisters here with us.” Mark:6,3.

CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

In Holy Scripture, the terms “brother”, “sister”, and “brethren” did not necessarily mean close relatives, but also was used for distant relatives (cousins, aunts, uncles) and sometimes only a distant kinsman and even an unrelated friend. For example:

Lot is described as Abraham’s “brother” in Gen. 14:14, but Lot was the son of Aran, Abraham’s deceased brother (Gen. 11:26-28); this means Lot was really Abraham’s nephew.

Jacob is called the “brother” of his Uncle Laban (Gen. 29:15).

Even today we call Priests, and Nuns and Monks Father, and Sister and Brother when they are not related to us. Many non-Catholics call each other “brother” and “sister”. Many blacks call each other “brother”.

Therefore in Biblical times as well as modern times, these terms are often used to mean other relationships than close relatives. All these passages that non-Catholics quote to prove Mary had other children do not prove it at all.

While Christ was dying on the Cross, Scripture tells us that Christ entrusted His Mother to the beloved Apostle John. If Christ had other brothers, they would have taken care of their Mother and Christ wouldn’t have had to ask John to take care of her. This proves that Mary did not have other children.

2. What about Matthew 1:25 which says:

“And he (Joseph) knew her (Mary) not till she brought forth her first born son.”

Doesn’t the word “till” mean that after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph lived together as husband and wife and had a second born and perhaps a third born?

CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

The word “till” has a different meaning today than it did in Biblical times. Today “till” means “until”. In Biblical times, it meant only that some action did not happen up to a certain point; it does not imply that the action did happen later, which is the modern sense of the term. For example:

“Michal the daughter of Saul had no children until the day of her death” (2 Sam 6:23). Are we to assume she had children after her death?

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The raven that Noah released from the Arc “went forth and did not return till the waters were dried up upon the earth” (Gen.8:7). In fact, we know the raven never returned at all.

“And they went up to mount Sion with joy and gladness, and offered holocaust, because not one of them was slain till they had returned in peace” 1 Macc.5:54. Does this mean the soldiers were slain after they returned from battle?

Therefore we can see that the word “till” in Holy Scripture does not mean “until” as in modern times.

3. Jesus is often called the “first born” son of Mary. He would not be called the “first born” unless Mary had other children.

CATHOLIC RESPONSE:

Under the Mosaic law, it was the “first born” son that was to be sanctified (Ex 34:20). Therefore the first male child of a marriage was termed the “first born” even if he turned out to be the only child of the marriage.

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QUESTIONS

Apologetics Chapter XX - TRUTHS ABOUT THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

(10 point each)

1. Write your name so I can read it.

2. Circle “T” or “F” when the following statements are True or False:

T F The Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception concerns the “Virgin Birth” of Jesus.

T F The Blessed Virgin Mary was sinless all her life.

T F The Blessed Virgin Mary had only one child - Jesus.

T F Mary is Truly “The Mother of God”!

T F The Doctrine of the Assumption concerns the transport of Mary’s Body up into Heaven.

3. A non-Catholic points to Romans 3:23 where it says “all have sinned” and therefore every human being, that ever existed, has sinned including Mary. How would you answer them?

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4. A non-Catholic, points out that in Luke 1:47, Mary admitted she needed a Savior. Only sinners need to be saved. Therefore Mary like the rest of us sinned. How would you answer them?

5. A non-Catholic says that Wordsworth was wrong is describing Mary as “our tainted nature’s solitary boast” because Mary herself, admitted how really low her life was in Luke 1:48. How would you answer them?

6. The Catholic Doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was invented by Pope Pius IX in 1854. How would you answer this charge?

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7. Why do Catholics think Mary did not die? What would you say?

8. How do you know Mary was assumed into Heaven? This Doctrine is not found in the Bible.

9. How can Mary be The Mother of God who created Her?!

10. Mark 6:3 tells us that Mary had other children and that Christ’s brothers were James, Joseph, Jude and Simon. How would you answer them? (Use back of page if you need more room.)

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