A friend told me once: “Mary is NOT the Mother of God, that’s blasphemous!” Very calmly, I answered him: “Tell me then, WHO is Jesus Christ?”
Should Mary be called ‘Mother of God?’ This was the question Thomas Aquinas asked in Article 4 of Question 35 in Part 3 of his Summa.
Early heretics in the 10-12th century argued that Mary gave birth only to Christ’s human nature and not His divine nature. See how this heretical position was already present during medieval times? This is why it is so important to know our history!
Aquinas responds:
“Human mothers give birth not to natures, but to persons. In Mary’s case, the person of Christ, who possessed both Divine and Human Nature.”
Aquinas further notes,
“We do not find it in Scripture that the Blessed Virgin is the Mother of God, yet we do find it expressively said that Jesus Christ is TRUE GOD (1 John 5:20) and that the Blessed Virgin is Mother of Jesus Christ (Matt 1:18). Therefore from the words of Scripture, it follows from NECESSITY that she is the Mother of God.”
Simple and brilliant logic. Tinkering with Marian dogma tinkers with Christ Himself (thus, my answer to my friend).
That being said, one must note that when the Catholic Church confers the title Mother of God on Mary, we do not mean that she is superior or equal to God. Mary is still a creature (duh!). However, she was the SUBJECT OF UNION between God and Man.
This title is thus fitting for a Blessed woman like her. This is why Luke says ‘All generations will call her Blessed!’ (Lk 1:46-49). And why shouldn’t we, when her ‘Yes’ to God brought Christ into the world!
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4 thoughts on “Mary, Mother of God”
In speaking with Protestants, it always best to quote the Bible. Thus, the Bible tells us that Elizabeth was inspired by the Holy Spirit himself to say these words: “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” —Luke 1:43. In other words, the Holy Spirit was telling us through Elizabeth that Mary is indeed the mother of God and that this is due to her faith as one who is full of grace as the Angel Gabriel declared in the same chapter.
In Luke 1:43, Elizabeth calls Mary the mother of my Lord.
The word Lord there is Kurios and does not mean that that elizabeth was calling Jesus God.
the word only means master.
Thomas delineated between the word Lord and God by calling Jesus both Lord AND God, so these are not synonomous.
also abraham was called Lord, that does not make abraham God.
I calmly say, why then did Jesus call himself the son of man, and who were Mary’s parents?