Anthony and Kathy Craddock wrote: |
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Dear AskACatholic.com/CPATS.ORG Apologists,
Do you know of an answer to give to this person.
A Protestant friend said:
| The problem with the Roman Catholic
concept of Mary has to do with their continued
insistence, which is getting more widespread,
that she somehow had a role in our salvation — that
belongs to Jesus alone. Nevertheless,
they say now she is Co-Redemptrix. (Even the Pope is leaning
that way, seeing he has given his pontificate
to Mary — not Jesus!) She was
just a woman. We should think of
her more as a gestational mother — seeing
cloning and artificial insemination is
something our modern world is aware of
and something that is not foreign
to us. She was not born sinless and is
not on a par with Jesus. |
We are thankful for your site and we hope to get people's intuitive
juices flowing and show them that some things,
that we just take for granted, are flawed ideas
that are grandfathered to us by
our family and culture.
Mother Mary is a very
dangerous myth that needs to be dispelled
before people act on her being an equal with
Jesus Christ. The idea has already been
floating around for years and it's just a
matter of time before her role as Co-redeemer
becomes Roman Catholic dogma.
Anthony and Kathy
|
| { How do you answer these objections to Mary's Motherhood and her role as co-redemptrix with Jesus? } |
Bob
replied:
|
Dear friends,
You are getting very bad information
from the Protestant source quoted.
First, Mary is a person, not an incubator
as our friend would suggest. God
is about relationships:
Honor your
Father and Mother — not your
Father and incubator.
Mary was called Blessed among
women because of her relationship
to Jesus, who is God, His Mother.
And He, more than any other, fulfilled
the commandment by honoring (and
the Hebrew word actually means to
bring glory upon) His Mother,
more than any other. We imitate Jesus
when we honor Mary.
She was God's
chosen ark. Have
your friend write down all the attributes
of the first ark, and then realize
that the second ark must have these
attributes even more fully, because
the second ark, Mary, holds the True
Bread from Heaven, the Good Shepherd,
and the Word of God. To show Mary
is the ark use common sense:
- Wouldn't God create something
more spectacular than the first
Eve to bear his own Son?
cf. Revelation 11:19 and then chapter 12:1.
- Who is the woman, who is the
ark?
Lastly, Paul said that we make
up what is lacking in the suffering
of Christ with our suffering.
(Colossians 1:24)
- Can we possibly add to the efficiency
of Christ's salvific work?
The answer is Yes, if it is Christ
working in us. God has chosen to
make all of us part of his salvific
plan. It doesn't take away from what
He did, rather, it brings Him greater
joy to have His children participate
in His saving work. Therefore, Mary
also participated, in a singular
way, because God could only have
one mother.
That's right God, Jesus,
has a mom. She raised Him, loved
Him, taught Him, and suffered with
Him. He didn't need an incubator.
Mothers rock!
Peace,
Bob K.
|
Eric
replied:
|
Anthony and Kathy —
Sounds like these folks, who want
to see Mary as a mere gestational
mother, are falling into the Nestorian
heresy: denying that we can call
Mary the Mother of God. This might
be a fruitful point to carry on the
discussion. Here are a few suggested
points:
- Mary was the mother of Jesus,
who is true God and true man,
in exactly the same fashion as
your mother was the mother of
you. Just as your mother was not
the origin of your soul, so Mary's
motherhood does not imply that
she was the origin of Jesus' soul.
At the same time, motherhood is
a relationship to a person, and
just as you wouldn't say your
mother was the mother of your
human nature, it would be wrong
to say that Mary was merely the
mother of Jesus' human nature,
and it would be right to affirm
that she is the mother of the
Second Person of the Trinity.
Again, not in the sense that she
originated the Second Person of
the Trinity, but in the sense
that she gave birth to Him, nursed
Him, and changed His diaper. And
since Jesus is fully God, it is
right to call her Mother of God — which in fact says more
about Jesus than it does about
Mary. For example, is says
that He was God from the moment
of His conception, i.e. not from
any point later in his life, and
that He is true God and true man,
and many other principles fundamental
to orthodox Christianity.
- The word co- in co-redemptrix and
in other terms means "with" (from
Latin "cum").
It implies a subordinate role,
not an equal role. We as Catholics
believe that all believers are
co-redeemers with Christ (Colossians 1:24). Mary is just co-redemptrix
par excellence. All of us are "co-workers
with God" (2 Corinthians
6:1, 1 Corinthians 3:9), and so
we have a role in the salvation
of others.
Heck, that's what evangelism
is all about: participating in
the saving work of Christ by bringing
people to the fount of salvation.
The concept of co-redemption is not new to Evangelicals,
it's just language they aren't
familiar with.
- Everything that we apply to Mary
we apply to the Church as well,
and in a sense, to all believers.
By exalting Mary, we are really
acknowledging the lofty position
Christ has raised us up to, more
than we are making her more than
human or distinguishing her from
us.
Hope this helps,
Eric
|
Anthony
and Kathy replied:
|
Hi, guys —
Mother Mary is a very dangerous myth
that needs to be dispelled before
people act on her being an equal
with Jesus Christ.
Anthony and Kathy
|
Eric
replied:
|
First of all, this would be contrary
to the teaching of the Church.
"No creature could ever be
counted along with the Incarnate
Word and Redeemer"
(Lumen Gentium #62). |
Moreover,
"The Church does not hesitate
to profess [the] subordinate role
of Mary, which it constantly experiences
and recommends to the heartfelt
attention of the faithful, so
that encouraged by this maternal
help they may the more closely
adhere to the Mediator and Redeemer" (Ibid.). "We
meditate on the very lofty dignity
conferred upon a creature, but
not put at the same level as the
Divine Persons."
(Pope St. John Paul II, Wednesday Audience,
October 22, 1997). |
If people put Mary on the level of
Christ, it is due to their own ignorance
more than anything.
Second, Mary is our Mother according
to Scripture in two ways:
- one, since Christ is our brother,
Mary is therefore our mother,
and
- two, in Revelation 12, it portrays
Mary as the woman clothed with
the sun, and it says that her
children are those who obey God's
commandments and hold to the testimony
of Jesus (Revelation 12:17).
Hope this gives you some ideas on
addressing these issues with your
correspondent.
Yours in Christ,
Eric Ewanco
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