11:10 p.m. - Friday, Mar. 05, 2004
There's Something About Mary: Part Deux
I know that as I am making my journey towards Catholicism and, quite likely, the priesthood, my non-Catholic Christian friends must be having a lot of questions about Catholic theology. For my non-religious friends, bear with me as my journal entries may get ever more theological.
For those with questions, if you're really interested in learning, I suggest picking up a copy of The Catechism of the Catholic Church, available at any bookstore. You may also look around some websites such as catholic.org or americancatholic.org for Catholic apologetics. Bear in mind that my meager attempts at answering theological questions are relatively brief and are coming from someone who's not even taken a catechism class yet! These are simply the discoveries that I have been making. They may make sense to you and they may not. That's okay. I'm just letting you know where I'm coming from.
The biggest question and/or struggle that most evangelicals have with Catholicism is the position of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Many non-Catholics believe that she is worshipped alongside or even above Jesus, citing the phrase "mother of God." This is a misconception. The phrase first came into parlance when an early heretical teaching arose that claimed that Jesus was not fully God. The term refers to the fact that Jesus, being fully God, was conceived in Mary's womb by the Holy Spirit, and was birthed and nurtured, or "mothered" by Mary. "Mother of God" in no way implies that she is somehow equal with God. She calls herself His servant by saying that she is the "handmaiden" of the Lord.
Mary is not worshipped. She is venerated. Some may think this is only mincing words, but there is a significant difference. To "venerate" someone is to regard them with respect and reverence. I venerate my Pastor as a godly man. That does not mean I worship him (Sorry, John!). I look to him as an example of love and godliness. Mary, as the one who said "yes" to God and in so doing brought the Eternal Word into the world, is venerated as the ultimate example of what serving God should be. We say "yes" to him, and he uses us to show himself in this world.
This same veneration is what is accorded to the saints. They are not worshipped as little dieties. They are venerated for the examples set forth in their lives.
Catholics believe that Mary, like Eve, was an immaculate creation, meaning that she was free from original sin. If this is so, evangelicals reason, then why would she need a saviour? Mary, too, was saved by God's grace, but in a different way. Think of it this way. If I fall into a pit and someone throws me a rope, I am saved from that pit. But would I not be just as "saved" from that pit if someone had either covered the hole or held me back from it before I fell? This is how Catholics think of Mary's salvation. By God's grace, she was spared the stain of sin.
These are only a couple of points to think about. Whole books have been written on this theology, so obviously I can barely scratch the service in this little journal. On top of all that, it's now after midnight, and I'm stinkin' tired! There are plenty of other questions and concerns you may have. I'm obviously coming to some conclusions of my own, but I urge you to look around for yourself before you ask me. While I am learning as much as I can, I'm still only learning.
Also remember that the bottom line of all this is the person of Christ. Without him, and without his love, all of this is meaningless.
Peace and All Good.
Aaron.
