How can Mary be called mother of God...

Many would say that Mary is the mother of Jesus, and Jesus is God, hence Mary is the mother of God. BUT we must ask ourself, how many percent was Jesus God and how many percent was He man. I would say He was 100% God and 100% man...(maybe you may defer). Every body agrees Mary was a virgin, and was honoured to be choosen amoug many women to give brith to Jesus.

God had to sent His beloved Son, to be born a human birth. But Jesus was didnt orginate in the womb of Mary. Reason been that Jesus is God, and God didnt orginate in the womb of Mary...Jesus the human man, seed was planted in Marys womb. Mary was merely a vessel choosen by God. She passed on no genes to Jesus, for if she did then Jesus would have been stainedwith the sin of Adam passed on to Him. YES...Mary was special, but she was also a sinner, like you and me, “Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”...thus causing her to pass away, (”for the wages of sin is death”).

Some say that we must thank Mary, for she gave us Jesus...does this mean if Mary didnt agree to give birth to Jesus, God would not been able to send His Son...

-- nolan (nolannaicker@webmail.co.za), August 04, 2004

Answers

"I would say He was 100% God and 100% man...(maybe you may defer)".

A: No, I do not "defer", for this is exactly what the Holy Catholic Church teaches. And since Jesus is 100% God, there is no possible way that the woman who gave birth to Him did not give birth to God. It is true that God did not "originate" in the womb of Mary. But that is completely beside the point. God chose to be BORN of Mary, and the woman one is born of is by definition one's mother. Therefore the woman God was born of is God's mother. Obviously God existed before this event. But He didn't have a mother before His conception in the womb of Mary. No-one has a mother before they are conceived. God had a mother once He became man, yet in becoming man He never ceased being God for a single moment. Therefore the son of Mary was both fully God and fully man from the moment of His conception. Therefore the child Mary gave birth to was fully God and fully man. Therefore Mary was the mother both of God and of man.

"She passed on no genes to Jesus, for if she did then Jesus would have been stainedwith the sin of Adam passed on to Him."

A: We know nothing of the genetic makeup of Jesus. Therefore it is fruitless to engage in speculation. But I will anyway. Every person has genes from both his/her mother and father. Since Mary was the mother of Jesus and God was His Father, it is most likely that God used an ovum from Mary, with her genes, and then supplied whatever more was necessary to bring about fertilization. If He didn't do that, Mary would not be the mother of Jesus. She would simply be a surrogate. As for the nature of the genes God directly supplied, there is no way of knowing that for it has not been revealed, so again there is little point in speculating.

Inheriting the sin of Adam has absolutely nothing to do with genes. It is a spiritual matter, not a biological matter. The genes of Adam and Eve were not altered by their sin. Their relationship with God was altered. And Mary, as a human being, would be subject to that same spiritual "inheritance", and could be freed from it only by the direct action of God - an action which God chose to take at the moment of Mary's conception.

"does this mean if Mary didnt agree to give birth to Jesus, God would not been able to send His Son... "

A: No it doesn't. It means that in all likelihood God would have asked another woman to be His mother, and that woman would be the mother of God. Perhaps He would have done that the following year. Or 1,000 years later. Or 4,000 years later - in which case we would all be either Jewish or pagan.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), August 04, 2004.

That's a terrific explanation, Paul.

It's fool-proof and simple. Even the Old Testament narratives give testimony to Mary's unique role in salvation history, starting with Genesis. In our New Testament the Most Blessed Virgin is again revealed as the most exalted woman of all. We hear it from the mouth of God Himself, by the words of an angel.

The Church, then, has no other choice but to extol Jesus' holy mother and teach us everlasting devotion to her. Because God's Will and His Word are unchanging.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), August 04, 2004.

Nolan,

Is Mary Virgin after Jesus?

Here is a great thread in which people answer many questions about Mary. If you wish to understand something about her, please first go read this thread, then feel free to ask specific questions or clarifications based on what Catholics said there in support of the Mary doctrines.

On that thread, you may wish to especially note the questions of a non-Catholic inquirer, Paul W., which begin June 22, 2004. There are many good answers there from Catholics.

God bless,

-- Emily ("jesusfollower7@yahoo.com), August 04, 2004.

Like I stated that Jesus was 100% God as well as 100% man, and the virgin Mary did give birth to the 100% man Jesus, not the 100% Jesus,(God). You agreed with me “It is true that God did not "originate" in the womb of Mary”, but you state, “But that is completely beside the point.” THAT IS THE POINT. If Jesus, (God) did not originate in the womb of Mary, how can she claim to be mother of God.

You say “Obviously God existed before this event. But He didn't have a mother before His conception in the womb of Mary”. You contradict, yourself...to say God had was conceived in the womb, you are saying He was created/originated in the Womb.

“Therefore the son of Mary was both fully God and fully man from the moment of His conception. Therefore the child Mary gave birth to was fully God and fully man.”

“The son of Mary was not fully God from the moment of His conception”...He was God before that...like you said...He did not originate.

Mary did give birth to the human man Jesus, but not Jesus, God.

Mary being human, would have “inherited” the “sin” spiritual gene...so if Jesus had any part of Mary...He would have been tainted with sin...but we know Jesus was without...sin.

Apart from Acts 1:14, Mary is not mentioned anywhere outside the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.  Even in the Gospels, her spiritual power and authority are almost non-existent.  Neither Jesus, nor Paul, nor any other biblical writer ever gave Mary the place or devotion that the Catholic Church has given her.  The New Testament epistles (letters) were written for the spiritual guidance of the Church, and have a great deal to say about doctrine and worship.  Her absence from the epistles must then call into doubt the role that Catholics ascribe to her.

Is she ever referred to as the Mother of God... please give me that verse.

Thanks Nolan

-- nolan (nolannaicker@webmail.co.za), August 05, 2004.

Just as a though experement, let us consider reincarnation...

For those who beleive in it ( And I am not sigestign you do, just bare wit me) the soul elads many lifetmes. However, each lifetime begins at conception. The onception is the conception of that spacific life, not the origionation fo the Soul.

Noentheless, though the soul did not origionate int he womb of the mother, Sh is still the mother of that person fr that lifetime.

Likewise, Mormons beleive in Preexistance of the soul, thus, the soul exists in a spiritual state before coneption of a body for it to occupy.

In both cases the spirit exists before it enters the womb, it preexists.

However, in both cases, te woman who gives Birth to the body that the soul occupies is still refered to as the mother of said child, even if she did not origionate the soul.

Now, what does htis have to do with the discussion? we arent new agers and we arent Mormons... nonetheless, teir is a commonality here.

Well, the ocncept is the same. God is a spirit, Jessus is God incarnate, God's spirit in a human frame. Tis Human frame passed through the woman knwon as Mary.

Just liek the reincarnation beleif, and exaclty like the Mormon beleif, God, as a spirit, existed before this event, but nonehteless his earthly life was conceved inside Mary's womb. Notwithstandign his preexistance, his life began inside Mary as a man.

Jesus was 100% God, therefore by logical extension the conception of Jesus, by miracle, was the conception of the life God woudl elad as a man, thus, Mary was the Mother of God, as God was the soul that indwelled Jesus the christ.

Its nott hat compelcated Nolan, even I get it...

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), August 05, 2004.

"If Jesus, (God) did not originate in the womb of Mary, how can she claim to be mother of God."

A: Because your definition of "mother" - "the one in whose womb one originates" - is inaccurate as it pertains to Jesus Christ. The accurate universal definition of "mother", which pertains to every human being who has ever lived including Chtist, is - "the one who gives birth to a person", or "the one through whom a person enters the world". That is clearly the relationship of Mary to Jesus Christ.

"You say “Obviously God existed before this event. But He didn't have a mother before His conception in the womb of Mary”. You contradict, yourself...to say God had was conceived in the womb, you are saying He was created/originated in the Womb."

A: You are trying to define Jesus Christ in terms of ordinary human beings! Don't you think that God becoming man was an exception to the rule? A unique event in the history of the world? Obviously you and I did not exist before our conception, because we are not God. The second Person of the Trinity did exist before His conception because He IS God. But He did not have a mother until his conception in the womb of Mary. What is so difficult to understand about that?

“The son of Mary was not fully God from the moment of His conception”...He was God before that...like you said...He did not originate."

A: That is absolutely correct. I didn't mean to imply otherwise, though I can see where my statement could be misinterpreted. Since He was fully God from all eternity, therefore it is also true that He was fully God "from the moment of His conception". I didn't mean that He became God at the moment of His conception, but only that He was fully God at every moment that He was also man.

"Mary did give birth to the human man Jesus, but not Jesus, God."

A: That heretical position, called Nestorianism, was condemned by the Christian Church in the 5th century. Jesus Christ is ONE Person. There are not two separate Jesus's. That one Person had two natures, but those two natures were absolutely inseparable as they were part of ONE Person, and a person cannot be divided. No woman can give birth to part of a person. Everything Jesus Christ did was done by God, and everything Jesus Christ did was done by a man, because Jesus Christ was BOTH God AND man at every moment after His conception. If Jesus preached, God preached and man preached. If Jesus died on the Cross, God died on the Cross and man died on the Cross. If Jesus stubbed his toe, God stubbed his toe and man stubbed his toe. And if Jesus was born of Mary, God was born of Mary and man was born of Mary.

Mary being human, would have “inherited” the “sin” spiritual gene...so if Jesus had any part of Mary...He would have been tainted with sin...but we know Jesus was without...sin.

A: There is no such thing as a "spiritual gene". However, Jesus would have been tainted with sin if Mary had been tainted with sin ... but we know Jesus was without ... sin ... therefore ... Mary MUST have likewise been without sin by the grace of God, which is exactly what the Catholic Church teaches. You have discovered the necessity of the Immaculate Conception on your own!

"Is she ever referred to as the Mother of God... please give me that verse."

A: Yes, she is. She is referred to as the mother of Jesus, and Jesus IS GOD. Incidentally, is there a verse that says every Christian belief has to be backed up by a verse??

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), August 05, 2004.

If the Bible can refer to Jesus as both the Son of God, as well as God, why then does it only refer to Mary as mother of Jesus, and NOT mother of God.

why is she not mention, outside Matt, Mark, Luke, John, and the one verse in Acts, in the New Testament....

Nolan

-- nolan (nolannaicker@webmail.co.za), August 05, 2004.

Hi Nolan,

Luke 41-46 (KJV)

"And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,..."

I think the Lord means God in these verses.

-- Andy S ("ask3332004@yahoo.com"), August 05, 2004.

"If the Bible can refer to Jesus as both the Son of God, as well as God, why then does it only refer to Mary as mother of Jesus, and NOT mother of God".

A: Maybe because the Apostles knew Him as "Jesus", not as "God"?

"why is she not mention, outside Matt, Mark, Luke, John, and the one verse in Acts, in the New Testament.... "

A: Because those are the parts of the Bible that describe her role in salvation history. What purpose would there be in repeating the same information in other books of the Bible? Why is Peter mentioned only in those same books and his own letters? Why is Paul mentioned ONLY in the book of Acts, other than in his own letters? Was Paul unimportant to the Church? Is that how you assess the importance of a particular teaching or a particular person? By how many books of the Bible they appear in? Why is the Resurrection described in only 4 of the 27 New Testament books? Because it is unimportant? No. Because that is completely adequate to let us know what God wanted us to know about that event. Sorry but this question doesn't make a bit of sense to me. Incidentally, "Christian" is mentioned only 3 times in the entire Bible, but I think being a Christian is very important, don't you?

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), August 05, 2004.

Sorry to nitpick Paul, but Paul was mentioned in Peters letters, and Peter in Pauls...

Thouhg not much a mentin, they where mentioend.

2 Peter 3: 15

5. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

Paul mentioend Peter as well, since he " withstood him face to face."

Galatians chapters 1 and 2 meniton Oaul and the confeence of Jerusalem...

A sample. form chapter 1 Galatians.

17. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. 18. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. 19. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother. 20. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

Their are other verses, but Peter is mentione dby paul, and Paul by Peter.

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), August 05, 2004.

also, Paul mentioend the Ressurectiin in Corinthians...

-- ZAROVE (ZARFF3@JUNO.COM), August 05, 2004.

Nolan,

Mary is mentioned elsewhere.

Revelation 11:19-12:2 (plus more later in the same passage)
19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

Furthermore, she is the New Testament fulfillment of several Old Testament types, such as Queen Mother (Israel's Kings), Ark of the Covenant, and the New Eve. Thus the ideas about her permeate all over Scripture.

-- Emily ("jesusfollower7@yahoo.com), August 05, 2004.

The Mother of God is definitely called so by the archangel Gabriel. It is unmistakably revealed she is to be the mother;

Of whom? The Son of God. If then, she's the only mother JESUS has, as the Holy Bible says for certain, God's Mother is Mary.

Her intercession for the faithful is revealed anecdotally in the gospel of John; chapter 2, :1 through :9

John who came to know the Mother of God intimately; after Christ commended her to his filial care. Who ought to know better the holiness of Mary?

Luke has all her OWN testimony in the Holy Spirit, as source for the conception, birth and childhood of Jesus. He met Mary. If he hadn't, Luke could never have learned the many details of Jesus' infancy.

But no other disciple came to know her better than Luke and John did. Other apostles wrote little of her. But what we know of Mary is completely apostolic, therefore the truth. Which means that to question why the Bible scarcely ''mentions Mary'' is absurd. Her immense grace and holiness is plainly written. This has always been sufficient for the faithful follower of Christ.

To call one's self a Bible Christian and not know every great thing about Mary's life is inexcuseable. Her story is VERY scriptural. It's the obstinate non- Catholic who fails to recognise her. --May God grant His grace to these protestors.

-- eugene c. chavez (loschavez@pacbell.net), August 05, 2004.

Sorry guys...i did not read that she was called mother of God.

-- nolan (nolannaicker@webmail.co.za), August 06, 2004.

Theotokos was a doctrine agreed at a very early ecumenical council of the church. Even my very low church presbyterian friends do not deny this as being correct. To say otherwise is heresy as you are denying the divinity of Christ.

Remember was a time in the church when there was no bible in the modern sense.

-- Hugh (hugh@inspired.com), August 06, 2004.

Nolan,

I think Hugh makes some good points. Mother of God does not mean that Mary created God. She gave birth to Jesus, who is God.

What's your take on Luke 1:43?

-- Andy S ("ask3332004@yahoo.com"), August 06, 2004.

Brother Andy S

To say someone was conceived, means to say someone was created or originated. God was not conceived...

But this debate is fruitless if we can not understand, how many percent was Jesus man...and God.

My brother, i am glad...you apply your mind, and not subscribe to others

Think about.

-- nolan (nolannaicker@webmail.co.za), August 06, 2004.

To say that a mere human being was conceived means that he/she came into existence. To say that God was conceived means that He became man. But in becoming man He didn't become any less God. You are trying to re-create God in our own image and likeness.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), August 06, 2004.

Nolan,

I think we're in agreement that God was never created, He always was, always is, and always will be.

We also agree that Jesus is 100% man and 100% God.

If the term Mother of God is understood as saying that Mary gave birth to Jesus (100% man and 100% God), then I think we can also agree on this.

If, however, the term Mother of God is understood to mean that Mary somehow had a part in the creation of the infinite God (which is not Catholic teaching, as Paul M pointed out), then this understanding is flawed and I think we can agree that it is incorrect.

The Catholic understanding of the term Mother of God is that Mary gave birth to Jesus who is 100% man and 100% God. She is His mother because she gave birth to Him. Your disagreement with this term seems to stem from your definition of "mother." Have I stated your position correctly?

-- Andy S ("ask3332004@yahoo.com"), August 06, 2004.

Nolan, Conceived des not mean crezted. As I exlaiend, a soul can conceivabley be in existance before it is conceived in the womb, which is a central tenet of Mormon theology as well as many other faiths. Likewise, soem Chrisaisn beelive souls pre-exist, thus conception is not strictly speakign the moment of creation by nessesity.

Even f you beelive you did not exist till you are conveceinved, this does not automatclaly rle out Mary as the Mother of God, since God is a Unique case.

Coneived merely means that one is frmed in the womb, rather or not the soul existed before is irrelevant. Se know God existed before htis, but this does not negate the reality that God was conceived, f his own vlition, inside the womb of a Virgin, named Miriam, or Mary. He took the name Jesus, Jesus was God, Mary was he mother of Jesus, thus the Mother of God.

Just like my name s Zarove, and another Screenname of mine is Queitzelquatle. My mother is the mother of Zarove AND queitzelquatle. Callign her the mother of Queitzelquatle is the same as callign her the mother of Zarove. Callign Mary the mother of Jesus is the same as callign her the Mother of God.

As to the spacigic reference, well, do you beleive in the trinity? If so, why? The spacific term " Trinity" is not foudn in scripture either.

The conclusion is based on scripoture, you can fidn evidence for the tthree persons as one Gpod in scripture, but the spacific term "Trinity" is missing form the scrptures, and by thr same logic you apply tot he Mother of God title offered Mary, namely that the spacific title is not foudn in scrupture, then you must also abandon the Trinity, as the spacific TERM is not found in scripture.

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), August 06, 2004.

"Conceived" does indeed mean "created", for ordinary human beings. A soul is an integral part of a human being, and comes into existence at the same moment the biological entity comes into existence. The soul of a person pre- existing his/her body is no more possible than the body of a person pre- existing his/her soul. God creates a whole person, and that person is composed of body and soul.

What Nolan seems unable to accept is that Jesus Christ was a unique exception to the rule. The second Person of the Trinity did pre-exist His conception, but at that time He had only one nature, a divine nature which never had an origin. His conception meant taking upon Himself a new, additional nature, a human nature (for which He required a human mother). At the moment of His conception, His human nature came into existence. At the moment of our conception, our human nature also came into existence; however, that is the only nature we have. Therefore no part of an ordinary human being exists before the moment of conception.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), August 06, 2004.

Paul, I think you missed the poin of my post. I was tryign to get Nolan to understand the concept...

-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), August 06, 2004.

ZAROVE, I did understand the intent of your post, and I agreed with it, except for your statement that "a soul can conceivabley be in existance before it is conceived in the womb". That is contrary to Catholic teaching, hence my post on the subject.

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), August 06, 2004.

A woman is a man’s mother either if she carried him in her womb or if she was the woman contributing half of his genetic matter or both. Mary was the mother of Jesus in both of these senses; because she not only carried Jesus in her womb but also supplied all of the genetic matter for his human body, since it was through her—not Joseph—that Jesus "was descended from David according to the flesh" (Rom. 1:3).

-- - (David@excite.com), August 07, 2004.

Some qoates from the early Fathers of the Church:

The Church Fathers, of course, agreed, and the following passages witness to their lively recognition of the sacred truth and great gift of divine maternity that was bestowed upon Mary, the humble handmaid of the Lord.

Irenaeus

"The Virgin Mary, being obedient to his word, received from an angel the glad tidings that she would bear God" (Against Heresies, 5:19:1 [A.D. 189]).

Hippolytus

"[T]o all generations they [the prophets] have pictured forth the grandest subjects for contemplation and for action. Thus, too, they preached of the advent of God in the flesh to the world, his advent by the spotless and God-bearing (theotokos) Mary in the way of birth and growth, and the manner of his life and conversation with men, and his manifestation by baptism, and the new birth that was to be to all men, and the regeneration by the laver [of baptism]" (Discourse on the End of the World 1 [A.D. 217]).

Gregory the Wonderworker

"For Luke, in the inspired Gospel narratives, delivers a testimony not to Joseph only, but also to Mary, the Mother of God, and gives this account with reference to the very family and house of David" (Four Homilies 1 [A.D. 262]).

"It is our duty to present to God, like sacrifices, all the festivals and hymnal celebrations; and first of all, [the feast of] the Annunciation to the holy Mother of God, to wit, the salutation made to her by the angel, ‘Hail, full of grace!’" (ibid., 2).

Peter of Alexandria

"They came to the church of the most blessed Mother of God, and ever- virgin Mary, which, as we began to say, he had constructed in the western quarter, in a suburb, for a cemetery of the martyrs" (The Genuine Acts of Peter of Alexandria [A.D. 305]).

"We acknowledge the resurrection of the dead, of which Jesus Christ our Lord became the firstling; he bore a body not in appearance but in truth derived from Mary the Mother of God" (Letter to All Non- Egyptian Bishops 12 [A.D. 324]).

Methodius

"While the old man [Simeon] was thus exultant, and rejoicing with exceeding great and holy joy, that which had before been spoken of in a figure by the prophet Isaiah, the holy Mother of God now manifestly fulfilled" (Oration on Simeon and Anna 7 [A.D. 305]).

"Hail to you forever, you virgin Mother of God, our unceasing joy, for unto you do I again return. . . . Hail, you fount of the Son’s love for man. . . . Wherefore, we pray you, the most excellent among women, who boast in the confidence of your maternal honors, that you would unceasingly keep us in remembrance. O holy Mother of God, remember us, I say, who make our boast in you, and who in august hymns celebrate your memory, which will ever live, and never fade away" (ibid., 14).

Cyril of Jerusalem

"The Father bears witness from heaven to his Son. The Holy Spirit bears witness, coming down bodily in the form of a dove. The archangel Gabriel bears witness, bringing the good tidings to Mary. The Virgin Mother of God bears witness" (Catechetical Lectures 10:19 [A.D. 350]).

Ephraim the Syrian

"Though still a virgin she carried a child in her womb, and the handmaid and work of his wisdom became the Mother of God" (Songs of Praise 1:20 [A.D. 351]).

Athanasius

"The Word begotten of the Father from on high, inexpressibly, inexplicably, incomprehensibly, and eternally, is he that is born in time here below of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God" (The Incarnation of the Word of God 8 [A.D. 365]).

Epiphanius of Salamis

"Being perfect at the side of the Father and incarnate among us, not in appearance but in truth, he [the Son] reshaped man to perfection in himself from Mary the Mother of God through the Holy Spirit" (The Man Well-Anchored 75 [A.D. 374]).

Ambrose of Milan

"The first thing which kindles ardor in learning is the greatness of the teacher. What is greater than the Mother of God? What more glorious than she whom Glory Itself chose?" (The Virgins 2:2[7] [A.D. 377]).

Gregory of Nazianz

"If anyone does not agree that holy Mary is Mother of God, he is at odds with the Godhead" (Letter to Cledonius the Priest 101 [A.D. 382]).

Jerome

"As to how a virgin became the Mother of God, he [Rufinus] has full knowledge; as to how he himself was born, he knows nothing" (Against Rufinus 2:10 [A.D. 401]).

"Do not marvel at the novelty of the thing, if a Virgin gives birth to God" (Commentaries on Isaiah 3:7:15 [A.D. 409]).

Theodore of Mopsuestia

"When, therefore, they ask, ‘Is Mary mother of man or Mother of God?’ we answer, ‘Both!’ The one by the very nature of what was done and the other by relation. Mother of man because it was a man who was in the womb of Mary and who came forth from there, and the Mother of God because God was in the man who was born" (The Incarnation 15 [A.D. 405]).

Cyril of Alexandria

"I have been amazed that some are utterly in doubt as to whether or not the holy Virgin is able to be called the Mother of God. For if our Lord Jesus Christ is God, how should the holy Virgin who bore him not be the Mother of God?" (Letter to the Monks of Egypt 1 [A.D. 427]).

"This expression, however, ‘the Word was made flesh’ [John 1:14], can mean nothing else but that he partook of flesh and blood like to us; he made our body his own, and came forth man from a woman, not casting off his existence as God, or his generation of God the Father, but even in taking to himself flesh remaining what he was. This the declaration of the correct faith proclaims everywhere. This was the sentiment of the holy Fathers; therefore they ventured to call the holy Virgin ‘the Mother of God,’ not as if the nature of the Word or his divinity had its beginning from the holy Virgin, but because of her was born that holy body with a rational soul, to which the Word, being personally united, is said to be born according to the flesh" (First Letter to Nestorius [A.D. 430]).

"And since the holy Virgin corporeally brought forth God made one with flesh according to nature, for this reason we also call her Mother of God, not as if the nature of the Word had the beginning of its existence from the flesh" (Third Letter to Nestorius [A.D. 430]).

"If anyone will not confess that the Emmanuel is very God, and that therefore the holy Virgin is the Mother of God, inasmuch as in the flesh she bore the Word of God made flesh [John 1:14]: let him be anathema" (ibid.).

John Cassian

"Now, you heretic, you say (whoever you are who deny that God was born of the Virgin), that Mary, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, cannot be called the Mother of God, but the Mother only of Christ and not of God—for no one, you say, gives birth to one older than herself. And concerning this utterly stupid argument . . . let us prove by divine testimonies both that Christ is God and that Mary is the Mother of God" (On the Incarnation of Christ Against Nestorius 2:2 [A.D. 429]).

-- - (David@excite.com), August 07, 2004.

Nolan, would one dare say that his or her mother is only the mother of their body? So then, since God is the one who creates the soul then my mother is really only the mother of my physical body and I cannot call her "My mother." Yet such talk is nonesense. I suggest a great book my Dave Armstrong (a former Protestant) "A Biblical Defense of Catholicism." The Chapter on Mary is excellent!

May the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

-- Jason (Enchanted fire5@yahoo.com), October 28, 2004.

Nolan, I was adopted as a child. Does that make me any less my mother's child? I wasn't even born of her like God was of Mary, but she is still my mother in every aspect of the word. Christ, God was BORN of the Virgin Mary! Christ the man was concieved in the womb of the Blessed Mother Mary. Christ was 100% man and 100% God. So not only did She carry Him in her body for 9 months and give an actual birth to Him, she raised Him. She nursed Him at her breast, she changed His diapers, she put clothes on Him, she cleaned His house, made His meals, she washed His clothes, gave Him baths, she wiped His tears, kissed His boo boos, taught Him about His Father in heaven, she prayed with Him, she loved Him; her Son very much. She felt the pains of His sufferings! Now I am a mother of 4 soon to be 5 children and I can tell you right now that they are indeed mine from all of the above statements, and I think if the Blessed Mother were standing before you now and you told her that she was not God's mother, she'd tell you the same thing I just did. I hope and pray that you come to an understanding of what is possible with God and that Mary IS the Mother of Him that is 100% Christ the man and 100% God.

Thanks and glory be to God!

-- Suzanne (james-betsy@sbcglobal.net), October 28, 2004.