Mary, Mother of Jesus

MARY: The Roles of the Blessed Virgin

I. Mary in the NT
A. Few references (Gospels, Acts)
B. Not always positively portrayed (Mark 3:21-35)…she is never described as an unbeliever though.

II. Church Writings and Fathers
A. Extracanonical texts which include Mary; Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Latin Pseudo-Matthew, the Gospel of Mary, Acts of Pilate, Protevagelium of James).
B. In the 2nd century only three mention Mary; Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr and Irenaeus.
C. Mary is always seen in light of Christ; nothing is hers alone, all refers to Christ (Mariological Christology).

III. Vatican II
A. Council debated where to include Mary (her own document of within that of the Church , Lumen Gentium). Closest vote of all, 1114 to 1074, decided to place her within LG, in chapter 8.

IV. Mother of God
Theotokos, “she who brings forth God” (431 CE, Council of Ephesus).

V. Mother of the Church
A. Not explicitly in Vatican II documents (it is implicitly stated). Pope Paul VI declared Mary to be the Mother of the Church, following the lead of LG which had implied that Mary was the Mother of the Church.
B. Theologians see this title in the action of Jesus giving the Beloved Disciple to his mother at Crucifixion (John 19:25-27).
C. Mary and Church parallel one another: (1) virgins who promote Jesus; (2) Mary physical mother of Christ, Church spiritual mother of Christ; (3) Both are signs of the redemptive power of Christ; (4) Both are involved in the economy of salvation.

VI. Disciple of the Church
A. Mary receives the angel Gabriel and the message of the LORD. “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38). She gave her loving ascent to the will of God.
B. Augustine: Mary is the “…preeminent and altogether member of the Church…cooperated out of love so that there might be born in the Church the faithful…”

VII. "Type" of the Church
A. Mary represents the Church, she points to it.
B. The Church follows the example of Mary.
C. The Mary is the archetype that the Church ascends to.