Our Beautiful Lady, the Blessed Virgin
I was reading Scott Han's first pages of "Hail, Holy Queen" which opened my eyes to the closeness of a mother to her child. It is so close that an infant doesn't distinguish the mother as another person but as part of himself. A baby falls asleep on the chest of the mother, while listening to her heart beat! These are all beautiful images, but what makes Mary different from all other mothers?
The Catholic Church has given Mary beautiful names that seem radical to many Christians. "Queen of the Heavens", "Mother of God", "Mother of Mercy", "The New Ark of the Covenant" .... the Dogmas of the Church are difficult to comprehend if you are not willing to listen. If you do and you open your heart and pray that His Holy Spirit may come, and of course if God reveals it to you, then you will notice that everything fits in perfect harmony. I don't want to argue about what is right and what isn't, only what the Church teaches. I write only for the sake of pouring my thoughts down.
Mary fills the pages of the bible from the beginning to the end-- even though her name might not be mentioned, she is there and is always pointing us to Christ. Please keep in mind that this is only a small concentration of a couple of parts in the Bible. If you would like a more thorough research on Mary, I suggest you begin with Hail, Holy Queen by Scott Hahn and go from there.
Mary fills the pages of the bible from the beginning to the end-- even though her name might not be mentioned, she is there and is always pointing us to Christ. Please keep in mind that this is only a small concentration of a couple of parts in the Bible. If you would like a more thorough research on Mary, I suggest you begin with Hail, Holy Queen by Scott Hahn and go from there.
1. ADAM AND EVE IN GENESIS
I'm going to begin with Genesis -- the first book in the Bible. Here were are introduced to original sin, but in the first chapters we are also introduced to how God already had a plan established in order to save us. I like this quote, which is usually used in weddings:
"Then the man said, 'This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.' " (Gen 2:23)
This is the first exclamation of Adam when he sees what God has given him as his companion. It is interesting how God, having so much love for us became man and died for us, and can say the same exclamation about His spouse-- The Church, "this at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh"! But anyways, let's not get too hasty, there's so much to say but we need to be to the point.
After Adam and Eve were tricked by the serpent and ate from the forbidden tree of good and evil, God finds them and curses the snake saying this:
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel." (Gen 3:15)
There are some arguments about the translation of "he" or "she" (ipsa conteret caput tuum), but either way this phrase is the first time God reveals his plan -- the protoevangelium! Note how the woman and the person ("he") are in the same context. We know clearly from St. Paul that "Adam, [was] a type of the one who was to come." (Rom 5:14) Paul also mentions something important to remember, "For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's [Jesus's] obedience the many will be made righteous" (Rom 5:19). Let's remember, who gave the fruit to eat to Adam? Eve. Both of them disobeyed, but Eve was tricked and sinned first. Remember, Adam's action condemned us to sin, but Christ's obedience to the Father brought us to redemption. Also, Eve's disobedience brought about the condemnation of man, but Mary's obedience to God (through the Archangel Gabriel, Lk 1:38) brought about God's Will and the Savior of the world. Jesus is the new Adam and Mary is the new Eve, but let's explore these more.
Lastly, from Genesis, an interesting sentences comes up:
"The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living things." (Gen 3:20)
The name "Eve", or "jawwah" is explained from the root "jayah," meaning "to live." A mother gives birth, a new life. So also Mary gave birth to Jesus, who gives us a new life. Paul talks about us being new creatures in Christ (2 Co 5:17), having a new life. Let's continue...
2. "WOMAN, BEHOLD YOUR SON" -- AT CALVARY
At the moment when everything seemed lost, when Jesus, dying, hung from the Cross, something very interesting happens.
" When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. " (Jn 19:26-27)
This isn't the first time that Mary is called 'Woman', which is a reference to Genesis. At the wedding at Cana, Jesus says to Mary, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come" (Jn 2:4). Overall, the whole Gospel of John is in a way a re-Genesis. Consider how the Gospel begins.. "In the beginning was the Word.." (Jn 1:1) and how Genesis begins, "In the beginning when God created..." (Gen 1:1). There is a clear parallel of Mary and the Woman in Genesis, who was Eve. But, why the word 'mother'? Yes, Mary was the mother of Jesus, but was Jesus just looking out for His mother as he hung on the Cross? Jesus gave his mother to his beloved disciple, and in a way to all of us. Just as Eve was the "mother of all living things", so is Mary the mother of all friends and believers of Jesus, all of his followers. Let's look at one last part in the bible....
3. THE WOMAN AND THE DRAGON IN REVELATION
Turning to the last book in the bible we find a strange narration. Chapter 12 talks about a great sign
"A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth" (Rev 12:2)
Talk about royalty -- a crown? moon under her feet? Who is this person? We know that she is a Woman who is pregnant. hmm.. this 'woman' noun sounds like Genesis again. This gets more interesting... the dragons comes and stands before the woman who was about to bear a child...
"And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne" (Rev 12:5).
The child is also royalty then! Ruler of all the nations! This child is Jesus and this woman is Mary. Who else was taken to God's throne but Jesus, and who else gave birth to such child but Mary? It is interesting to see the continuation of the title 'woman' even in Revelations. But one last thing relating to motherhood. After the dragon could not get to the woman,
"Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus." (Rev 12:17)
We get a clear answer to this woman's children. Who keeps the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus? His followers, His friends... us Christians. The Church teaches that Mary is our heavenly mother.
CONCLUSION
Jesus shared everything with us, and he wants to share also His mother -- the one who gave birth to him, who nurtured him from birth, who taught him to stand up, who was by his side on his first miracle (the Wedding at Cana), who followed him during his Passion, who was at the foot of the Cross in Golgotha, who was with His disciples at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to them, who is now praying for us and for mercy on this world.
To many the Blessed Virgin Mary might be an obstacle, but hopefully one day we will all realize that she is only a tender mother who wants to bring her Son to our lives. She is the eternal handmaiden of God, below Jesus, but also a queen. Just as Solomon ruled with his mother, Bathsheba, and she interceded for Adonijah (1 Kings 2:17), so Mary intercedes for us.
I'm going to begin with Genesis -- the first book in the Bible. Here were are introduced to original sin, but in the first chapters we are also introduced to how God already had a plan established in order to save us. I like this quote, which is usually used in weddings:
"Then the man said, 'This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.' " (Gen 2:23)
This is the first exclamation of Adam when he sees what God has given him as his companion. It is interesting how God, having so much love for us became man and died for us, and can say the same exclamation about His spouse-- The Church, "this at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh"! But anyways, let's not get too hasty, there's so much to say but we need to be to the point.
After Adam and Eve were tricked by the serpent and ate from the forbidden tree of good and evil, God finds them and curses the snake saying this:
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel." (Gen 3:15)
There are some arguments about the translation of "he" or "she" (ipsa conteret caput tuum), but either way this phrase is the first time God reveals his plan -- the protoevangelium! Note how the woman and the person ("he") are in the same context. We know clearly from St. Paul that "Adam, [was] a type of the one who was to come." (Rom 5:14) Paul also mentions something important to remember, "For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's [Jesus's] obedience the many will be made righteous" (Rom 5:19). Let's remember, who gave the fruit to eat to Adam? Eve. Both of them disobeyed, but Eve was tricked and sinned first. Remember, Adam's action condemned us to sin, but Christ's obedience to the Father brought us to redemption. Also, Eve's disobedience brought about the condemnation of man, but Mary's obedience to God (through the Archangel Gabriel, Lk 1:38) brought about God's Will and the Savior of the world. Jesus is the new Adam and Mary is the new Eve, but let's explore these more.
Lastly, from Genesis, an interesting sentences comes up:
"The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living things." (Gen 3:20)
The name "Eve", or "jawwah" is explained from the root "jayah," meaning "to live." A mother gives birth, a new life. So also Mary gave birth to Jesus, who gives us a new life. Paul talks about us being new creatures in Christ (2 Co 5:17), having a new life. Let's continue...
2. "WOMAN, BEHOLD YOUR SON" -- AT CALVARY
At the moment when everything seemed lost, when Jesus, dying, hung from the Cross, something very interesting happens.
" When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. " (Jn 19:26-27)
This isn't the first time that Mary is called 'Woman', which is a reference to Genesis. At the wedding at Cana, Jesus says to Mary, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come" (Jn 2:4). Overall, the whole Gospel of John is in a way a re-Genesis. Consider how the Gospel begins.. "In the beginning was the Word.." (Jn 1:1) and how Genesis begins, "In the beginning when God created..." (Gen 1:1). There is a clear parallel of Mary and the Woman in Genesis, who was Eve. But, why the word 'mother'? Yes, Mary was the mother of Jesus, but was Jesus just looking out for His mother as he hung on the Cross? Jesus gave his mother to his beloved disciple, and in a way to all of us. Just as Eve was the "mother of all living things", so is Mary the mother of all friends and believers of Jesus, all of his followers. Let's look at one last part in the bible....
3. THE WOMAN AND THE DRAGON IN REVELATION
Turning to the last book in the bible we find a strange narration. Chapter 12 talks about a great sign
"A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth" (Rev 12:2)
Talk about royalty -- a crown? moon under her feet? Who is this person? We know that she is a Woman who is pregnant. hmm.. this 'woman' noun sounds like Genesis again. This gets more interesting... the dragons comes and stands before the woman who was about to bear a child...
"And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne" (Rev 12:5).
The child is also royalty then! Ruler of all the nations! This child is Jesus and this woman is Mary. Who else was taken to God's throne but Jesus, and who else gave birth to such child but Mary? It is interesting to see the continuation of the title 'woman' even in Revelations. But one last thing relating to motherhood. After the dragon could not get to the woman,
"Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus." (Rev 12:17)
We get a clear answer to this woman's children. Who keeps the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus? His followers, His friends... us Christians. The Church teaches that Mary is our heavenly mother.
CONCLUSION
Jesus shared everything with us, and he wants to share also His mother -- the one who gave birth to him, who nurtured him from birth, who taught him to stand up, who was by his side on his first miracle (the Wedding at Cana), who followed him during his Passion, who was at the foot of the Cross in Golgotha, who was with His disciples at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to them, who is now praying for us and for mercy on this world.
To many the Blessed Virgin Mary might be an obstacle, but hopefully one day we will all realize that she is only a tender mother who wants to bring her Son to our lives. She is the eternal handmaiden of God, below Jesus, but also a queen. Just as Solomon ruled with his mother, Bathsheba, and she interceded for Adonijah (1 Kings 2:17), so Mary intercedes for us.
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