the third article: born of the virgin mary: 6th week of easter tuesday
The
many titles by which we honor Mary flow from this article of faith – Jesus was
born of the Virgin Mary. That is why the
first title given to her by the early Church was theotokos – Mary is the Mother
of God. No, she is not just the mother of
Christ or the mother of Jesus. But above
all she is also the Mother of God for she is the Mother of Jesus who is both
God and Man. Theotokos – this title was
given by the Council of Nicea, the first ecumenical council in the year 325
AD.
Then
from this title Mary will be given the title Ever Virgin, meaning that Mary was
a virgin before her conception of Jesus, during her conception and after giving birth to
our Lord. Some protestants would say
that Mary was a Virgin before and during but not after the birth. But the orthodox church, even the Anglicans
and the Lutherans and of course us Catholics believe and uphold that Mary was
Ever-Virgin – she had no relations with Joseph in reverence to a womb made holy
by the presence of Jesus who stayed in there for nine months. Then ,after these, the rest of the titles and
recognition of privileges will follow, the most important of which are the
Immaculate Conception and the Assumption into heaven.
If
you notice these are never privileges taken singly. These are never privileges given to Mary for
her own sake. No. They are always in reference to Christ. They are always in reference to Jesus. Why is she Mother of God? Because of Jesus. Why is she Ever-Virgin? Because of Jesus who occupied and sanctified
her womb. Why is she immaculately
conceived? Because Mary must be
sanctified, for Jesus who is all holy will ask for her flesh. Why was she assumed into heaven? Because of what Jesus did for her. Mary is not about Mary. Mary is always about Jesus. Her life, her
holiness, her virginity, even her miracles and her love for us points us always
to Jesus. She is odigatria – she is one
who shows us the way to Jesus. That is
why for me the best image of the Blessed Mother is of her holding her Son as if
she is presenting to us Jesus – not herself but Jesus.
So
in our devotion to Mary it is always good to ask – diin si Jesus sa imo
debosyon kay Mary? Where is Jesus in
your love for Mary. Is the Mary you are
devoted to point you to Jesus? Does she
lead you closer to Jesus? Did she make you grow in love more and more with
Jesus? Because if Mary does not lead you
to Jesus something is wrong with that devotion.
If Mary does not lead us to the Eucharist, then something is wrong with
your devotion to her. If she does not
lead you to read your bible, to meditate on the word of God, if she does not
lead you to fall in love with the word of God in the bible, then there is something
wrong with our devotion to the Blessed Mother.
Mary would always lead us to Jesus – amo ina ang talaksan sang aton
debosyon kay Mary because that is her life, that is the life of the Blessed
Virgin Mary. Her life is a reference to
Jesus.
Today
in our responsorial psalm we are reminded that it is the right hand of the Lord
which saves us. Only Jesus can save. Mary can only lead us to Jesus. She has done so by praying for us, and even
by intervening in our human history by her apparitions. But above all Mary leads us to Jesus by her example
– by her obedience to the Word, by her trust even if she could not understand,
by her fidelity and loyalty following him even when all others abandoned him.
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