“Mary was just a vessel”
No, Mary was not “just a vessel”. Mary is the mother of God. Before you jump to saying “she’s the mother of Jesus, not of God”, let’s clarify: is Jesus God? Yes. Is Mary the mother of Jesus? Yes. Therefore, Mary is indeed the mother of God. To say she isn’t, is to say that Jesus’ two natures of God and man, 100% each, are separate. This heresy was condemned long, long ago. Jesus has two natures, yet he is one person. The natures are not separable.
As seen in the few scriptures I posted, Mary is spoken to with honor, she is spoken of with dignity. She is indeed special - not “just a vessel” like many claim. Scripture even says she is “blessed among women” and “all generations shall call me [Mary] blessed”.
You wouldn’t even call your own mother just a vessel, your mother is special to you - why would you say that the mother of God is not special? How do you think Jesus who is God takes that? To belittle his own mother beneath your own mother.
Mary was conceived without sin because of the role she was to partake in. Luke 1:28 says either “o favored one” or “full of grace” in English, and both phrases come from the Greek word “kecharitomene”, which is the perfect participle of “filled with grace”. This means she was filled with grace for all time, past, present, future. She was filled with grace from the moment of her existence, and grace drives out sin. She is without any personal or original sin. This sounds quite special to me.
Mary is the Queen Mother. She is the Queen of heaven. In davidic kingdoms, the mother of the king was deemed the Queen. Thus, she is the Queen of Heaven, as Jesus is the King.
Mary is the new Ark of the covenant. In the Old Testament, Eve brought forth sin; in the New Testament, Mary undoes those knots that Eve created; Mary brings forth the solution to sin.
We Catholics **DO NOT** worship Mary. We do not give her the glory that is only due to God. What we do is venerate her, meaning, we show her a lot of respect because of who she is, because of who her son is.
To wrap up, I’m going to mention that this whole “she was just a vessel” attitude is a new attitude that springs from American Protestantism. It is NOT held by the early church. If you value tradition and sticking to the values that Christ instilled in the church, you will honor his mother.
To respect Christ, is to honor his mother.
#christian #catholic #marymotherofgod #blessedvirginmary #protestant #bible #jesus #church
Mary, mother of Jesus and recognized as the Mother of God, holds a significant place in Christian theology. The doctrine of the Theotokos, or God-bearer, affirms her role in the incarnation of Jesus. Historical context shows that early church fathers, such as St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, deeply respected Mary for her unique participation in the divine plan of salvation. The title of 'Queen of Heaven' is grounded in her maternal connection to Jesus, further enriching her status in the faith. Many scripture references highlight her special blessings, including Luke 1:28, where the angel Gabriel addresses her as 'full of grace.' Furthermore, Mary symbolizes the new Ark of the Covenant, bearing the Christ child, thus bridging both the Old and New Testaments. For many Christians, especially Catholics, honoring Mary is vital as it acknowledges her pivotal role in redemption history while adhering to Jesus’ teachings. Veneration of Mary serves to deepen one’s relationship with Jesus, ensuring reverence is directed toward God alone, as the Catholic Church teaches. In understanding Mary's rightful place in Christianity, modern believers are encouraged to reflect on her virtues of faith, obedience, and openness to God’s will.
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