The Role of Mary in the Catholic Church Part 1

How could so many get it wrong for so long?  Wow!  How could they?

 

True Christianity is sometimes hard to find.  So many people going to church.  So many people regarding themselves as followers of Christ, as true believers in the one true God.  So many doing the same thing, week after week.  And yet their religious practices are often far from the truths that are clearly and repeatedly presented in the scriptures, God's word to mankind.

 

Before we begin to discuss this topic, let's review some basic truths in the Bible.  Over and over the scripture declares:

 

Christ is the sole mediator between God and man.

Scripture is the sole basis for our knowledge, our understanding of God.

The Bible is the word of God, the one and only true God revealed to us by His Holy Spirit.  

 

Therefore, anything that goes counter to the Bible or is added, for whatever reason, is not pleasing to God.

 

Yet what has happened in certain churches?  Over the years, in some cases, over the centuries, pious devotions, practices of all sorts have crept into and in some cases taken center stage in the religious ideas and practices of that church.

 

One of these ideas and resultant practices is the devotion to Mary, the mother of Jesus.  One of the most serious stumbling blocks when trying to defend or explain the Catholic church to non-Catholics is the question of Mary and her role in our salvation.  Non-Catholics are often quoted as saying the Catholics worship Mary.  That seems outrageous and yet where do the Non-Catholics get that idea?

 

Well, to begin, think of all the Catholic Churches named after Mary, and all the schools.  Consider also all the feast days of the Church honoring Mary, giving her special devotion.  Look and see the constant string of devotions and feasts that occur all year long.  The entire month of May is dedicated to Mary and the saying of the Rosary gets great prominence.  This widespread devotion is truly remarkable and deep seated and in the view of some non-Catholics not found anywhere is the Bible.

 

Again, how did so many get it wrong for so long?

 

If we look back a few centuries in the history of the Catholic church, we see a clear progression of elevating the mother of Jesus into an ever increasing and higher position in the church with the abundance of devotion that were added over the centuries.

 

Over the course of many, many years the progression has been constant.  One feast after another is announced by the papacy.  So many of Mary's virtues and aspects of the Bible are given special emphasis and recognition.  And the tendency is to add more and more feast days in her honor.  Where was the devotion to Christ, the recognition and worship of God the Father in all this?

 

Then there were the appearances of Mary to specific individuals in Mexico and France and other places, some the Church "verified," some they rejected as not true.

 

The devotion to Mary accelerated with these events.  Many Catholics now much prefer going to France or Mexico for their spiritual inspiration, motivation.  The sites of these appearances of Mary hundreds of years ago have become increasingly popular.  Trips to Israel, on the other hand, have not had this increase in popularity in the Catholic church.

 

The devotion to Mary, "Mother of God" continued and continues to be increasing.  The direction and the intensity was clear and unchanging.  There was more attention and devotion to Mary.  Well, you say, what's wrong with that?  The answer is:  it is very wrong and very out of proportion.  

 

Christ has always been and continues to be the central person in the redemption of mankind.  He took on human form, having existed for all eternity in union with God the Father.  He lived a perfect life, full of rejection and hatred.  He was brutally beaten and crucified, suffering the most horrific  death any human being could endure.  He indeed suffered more grievously than did Mary.  Yes Mary suffered, but nothing compared to the suffering of Christ.  Much more importantly, Christ was and is God.  His suffering saved mankind, including Mary herself.  Mary's suffering could not even save Mary.  

 

Christ's suffering and death brought about the redemption of mankind.  Mary's did not.  We have only ONE savior, redeemer of mankind and His name is Jesus.  Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  God did not send His angels to save us.  He did not send anyone else but His Son Jesus.  He was the only one who could save us and He was the only one who did save us.

 

Was Mary's role important?  Yes, very important, yes we should honor her.  Should we pay her great respect?  Yes.  But should we overstate or misrepresent her role in redemption?  No.  So where does Mary fit in to the redemption of mankind?  She was simply a humble, holy, willing human being used by God to be a vessel through which Christ was born.  Her role in this regard is absolutely important and essential to the incarnation of Jesus.  Redemption of mankind would not have been achieved without her.  But overstating the case is not appropriate and this is exactly what happened over a period of hundreds of years.  Ever increasing and preoccupation with Mary.  This seeming glorification of the mother of Jesus is not something that can be found in the Bible.

 

Our entire Christian faith is founded upon and gets all its truth from the Bible.  None of this excessive devotion is present in the Bible.  If the attention to Mary is given more and more emphasis, then it's entirely possible that attention to Christ is lessened. This is exactly what has happened.  Will all the observations about Mary's role in our salvation, the overemphasis on her part in redemption, will they make a difference, any difference?  Perhaps to many Mary will make no difference at all.  To some it may get them to think through this important development in Christianity and to become more knowledgeable about what the Bible actually says and make a change.  Will people ever begin to rethink what has happened over the last 10 centuries and even before that to see the progression away from Christ alone as Savior and come to a better understanding of that?

 

May the eyes and the understanding of the spirit of religious leaders at all levels in the Roman Catholic Church and those in a position to make changes in the current corrupt practices of the Church be opened.  May they be willing to make the changes necessary to create a church that is pleasing to almighty God.  

 

Mary was simply a humble, holy, willing human being used by God to be a vessel through which Christ was born.  Her role in this regard is absolutely important and essential to the incarnation of Jesus.  Redemption of mankind would not have been achieved without her.  But, overstating the case is not appropriate and this is exactly what has happened over the period of hundreds of years.  Ever increasing attention and preoccupation with Mary.  This seeming glorification of the mother of Jesus is not something that can be found in the Bible.  In fact, Jesus himself said that whoever does the will of His Father in heaven is his brother, sister and mother.   

 

"46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

 

48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”  Matthew 12:46-50

This is also found in the gospel of Mark:

31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

 

33 “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

 

34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”  Mark 3:31-35

Yet another passage in Luke confirms this:

19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

 

21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”  Luke 8:19-21

Our entire Christian faith is founded upon, is based upon, and gets all its truths from the Bible.  None of this excessive devotion is present in the Bible.  If the attention to Mary is given more and more emphasis, then it is entirely possible that attention to Christ is lessened and this is exactly what has happened.