Feasting On Fridays

AssumptionToday is Friday, but there’ll be no fasting today because today is the Feast Day! Today we celebrate the Assumption/Dormition of the Blessed Virgin. In case you were wondering, yes, it’s a Holy Day of Obligation/Opportunity.

To prepare for Mass today, I’d invite you read yesterday’s post from Joe Heschmeyer over at Shameless Popery. Joe includes the text of a homily by St. Gregory the Wonder-Worker from the mid-200s..

“When I remember the disobedience of Eve, I weep. But when I view the fruit of Mary, I am again renewed”

“… For from Mary, the divine fountain of the ineffable Godhead, gushes forth grace and free gift of the Holy Spirit. From a single Holy Virgin the Pearl of much price proceeded, in order to make alive once more the first-created man that was dead through sin…”

“Holy and wise in all things was the all-blessed Virgin; in all ways peerless among all nations, and unrivaled among women”

If you’d like to read more, thanks to Joe the entire homily is available here

Quick Apology: Is Mary “Mother of God”?

Objection

In today’s post I’d like to offer a quick apology to the following objection:

“Mary is the mother of Jesus, she’s not the ‘Mother of God'”

The idea being expressed here was championed by Nestorius in the 5th Century and condemned at the Council of Ephesus (AD 431). Unfortunately, this is a sentiment often expressed by many Protestants when they hear Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians refer to Mary as “Mother of God”.

Response

In responding to this objection, I simply put forward a few logical statements:

1. Jesus is God

2. Mary gave birth to Jesus

3. Therefore, Mary is the mother of God

I then ask the person with whom I am speaking to identify the perceived error. Does he deny that Jesus is God? Does he deny that Mary gave birth to Jesus? If Jesus is God and Mary gave birth to Him, doesn’t “Mother of God” seems to be an appropriately descriptive title?

To put it in terms of Scripture, in Luke’s Gospel, St. Elizabeth says to Mary “And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43). Is Elizabeth’s “Lord” God? Yes or No? If her “Lord” is God then Mary is “the mother of [her] Lord[/God]”.

One might also consider the Deuteronomic command to “Honour your father and mother” (Deuteronomy 5:16). As we all know, Jesus fulfilled the Law perfectly. So, in fulfilling this command, whom did He honour?

Contrary to what is often proposed, Mary being “Mother of God” does not make her greater than Jesus. It simply establishes her relationship with her Son and Saviour and, like the pronouncements of the Council of Ephesus, safeguards the Church’s teaching concerning the divinity of Christ.

Mother of God

Does God share His glory?

There are some posts to which I regularly refer/hyperlink during apologetic discussions. Many of these kinds of posts are now found in this blog’s sidebar. 

I link to such posts because it saves me from repeatedly writing the same explanation, and it also helps limit the highjacking of the discussion thread with side issues. If someone wants to dispute the particular assertion then they have an entire blog post in which to do it where I make my case.

Today’s post is one of those posts which I think I’ll be linking to regularly…

Last week I was dialoguing with a commenter by the name “Sola Fide” and he made the assertion which I’ve heard many times before:

Sharing the glory of Christ with a human is idolatry… You are sharing the glory of Christ with Mary…
– User “Sola Fide”

Although it comes from admirable intentions, statements like this are rather mind-boggling when one considers the Biblical data available. Does the Bible ever speak about God sharing His glory with mere creatures? The short answer is, yes…

Glory

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