Mary

1. Mother of God/Queen Mother (Ark of the New Covenant)

There is no affection due to Mary which is afforded beyond anything more than being the greatest of all Christian and the first to receive Christ. She is the woman, more than a vessel, through whose cooperation the Second person of the Trinity was made God-man. She is not God nor a deity, "praying" to her, just as with the rest of the saints, is only ever an indirect connection to God. This is mentioned in part on the previous page.

Sacred Scripture

1. Genesis 3:15

   1. It seems clear that there would be no greater enmity between Jesus and Satan, yet it seems "the woman" woman is not referring to Eve or else why not say her name, moreover why would we perhaps wince at the idea of Jesus being called Son of Adam or Son of Eve? It seems that this is because their likeness to God has been lost.

2. Galatians 4:4-5

   1. We cannot say that Christ possesses a human creature nor that He descended from the heavens with a human body. Rather if He is Divine at all and wished to show it, He would not have been born exclusively of two human parents. Rather, how God willed it is that Christ was born of only a woman. Thus, everything of Christ's humanity came from Mary.

3. Luke 1:43

   1. Elizabeth addresses Mary as "Mother of my Lord"

   2. David does a similar move for the Ark in 2 Samuel 6:9

   3. John the Baptist leaps in Elizabeth's womb and David dances before the Ark (2 Samuel 6:14, Luke 1:44)

4. Revelation 12:1-17

   1. Resonates undeniably with Genesis 3:15 as it certainly demonstrates agony

5. 2 Tim 4:8, Jas 1:12, 1 Pet 5:4, Rev 2:10 - coronation awaits saints

6. More on the Queen Mother

Christology

Fr. John Hardon says, "Mary is truly Theotokos in two ways: she contributed everything 'to the formation of Christ's human nature that every other mother contributes to the fruit of her womb; and she conceived and bore the Second Person of the Trinity, not of course according to the divine nature but according to the human nature which the Logos assumed." (Read more here)

In addition to scripture, there really is not much left wanting in proving these titles/aspects of Mary as She relates to Christ. The facts from scripture are pretty straightforward that way. The hinge pin of this dogma, though, is Christ Himself. If we believe Christ is Divine with two natures one human and the other Divine, and we know the prophecy that Christ was to be born of a virgin and this Jesus is the Christ, then it is clear insofar as Jesus in His hypostatic union is God, Mary is the Mother of God.

It is important to note that though divinity and humanity are distinct in concept and hitherto in reality, but they are one in Christ, so all that is human genetically and biologically came from Mary, and arguably her fullness of nature which sin did not besmirch, His divinity though did not come from Mary. To claim that Divinity was imparted to Mary that she may produce something Divine would be to claim Mary as God and forget about the Holy Spirit in the equation. So it really is not Nestorianism to claim that what is human in Christ came from Mary, because they are joined in Him and that is make Mary Mother of God. If one claimed that Mary gave birth to something human and his divinity is not finally United to his humanity, that would be Nestorian. Jesus is God (hypostatically joined in humanity and the fullness of Divinity) and Son of Mary and Mary is the Mother of God, that is Catholicism. Christ was not implanted in the womb by the Holy Spirit or else he did not truly take on humanity, which would mean we could not be saved since He never assumed our nature. If we are saved by Christ, He is our brother and He was born of Mary who is both our Mothers.
"We confess, then, our Lord Jesus Christ, the unique Son of God, perfect God and perfect man, or a reasonable soul and body; begotten of the Father before (the) ages according to the Godhead, the same in the last days for us and for our salvation (born) of Mary the Virgin according to the manhood; the same consubstantial with the Father in the Godhead, and consubstantial with us in manhood, for a union of two natures took place; understanding of the unconfused union we confess the holy Virgin to be theotokos, because God the Word was made flesh and lived as man, and from the very conception united to himself the temple taken from her. As to the evangelical and apostolic phrases about the Lord, we knew that theologians treat some in common, as of one person, and distinguish others, as of two natures, and interpret the God-befitting ones in connection with the Godhead of Christ, and the humble ones of the manhood." Cyril of Alexandria

Magisterium

1. Second Vatican Council Lumen Gentium prar. 63, 66

2. John Paul II Mulieris Dignitatem, 4.

3. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 495.

4. Paul VI, Marialis cultus.

2. Conceived without Sin and Perpetually Free of sin (Immaculate Conception)

Sacred Scripture

1. “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” Luke 1:28: This salutation is given by the angel Gabriel to Mary at the Annunciation of the Lord

   1. "Hail Mary, Full of Grace the Lord is with you" this is from the common Catholic prayer known as the "Hail Mary"

   2. "Ave gratia plena: Dominus tecum: benedicta tu in mulieribus" This is the quote from the Vulgate (ca. A.D. 382) from Luke 1:28. In this verse, the Latin literally translates "full of grace" from "gratia plena"

   3.  Interestingly, the Latin word "plena" meaning "full" is not translated in even the Catholic versions of the Scripture. Moreover, an English translation of "Benedicta tu in mulierbus" is not found in many of the English translations, however, it is in the New King James Version and the King James Version

      1. Blessed are you among women in the Latin appears twice in the first chapter of Luke once with an angel and once with another woman, if this was so well known by those who encountered Mary, it is without a doubt true

   4. Angels, when addressing major Biblical figures, sometimes (as with Noah above) will say "You have found favor [or grace]" but to be full of grace or even to be called the one who is favored as in most English translations is no small thing.

      1. Genesis 6:8 "Noe vero invenit gratiam coram Domino" (VUL) literally translates to " Noah truly found 'eye grace' with the Lord"

      2. "Gratia" is what is translated as "grace" according to tradition

   5. Ex 25:11-21 - Ark made of purest gold for God’s word, the corresponds to reasoning point 1 below

   6. Verse used as antithesis.

      1. Rom 3:23 - it is a bit moot to claim that Paul would have intended to include our would-be singular exception in the context, claiming "Mary too has sinned" is beyond the purview of His purpose here. Moreover, the Church does not claim that Mary did not need a Savior

      2. Lk 1:47 - As in subpoint 1, the Church does not claim that Mary did not need a Savior

Church Fathers/History

• St. Irenaeus (View)

  • It is fascinating to read the conclusion He comes to. which paired with St. Paul, forms a concept of how God redeems us, by bringing the sin inside out from itself. It makes perfect sense that if Christ is the Adam conceived without Sin, then that Mary would be the Eve conceived without sin, and that the very logic that subjected man to sin by the choice of one woman and man, it would be subjected to God's grace through the choice of a sinless woman and Man.

Click Here for More 

Reasoning

1. Why would God not adorn His bearer, as He did with His Ark of the Covenant? If God is love and we love our mothers, how much more would He?

2. It seems sin usually fits into the divine plan but what if preserving the source of the Divine Son's humanity is not only possible (as it would seem is with God) but fitting?

   1. "For it is reasonable to believe that she, who brought forth "the Only-Begotten of the Father full of grace and truth," received greater privileges of grace than all others: hence we read (Luke 1:28) that the angel addressed her in the words: "Hail full of grace!" Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Third Part, Q. 27, A. 1

3. The humanity of Christ is the humanity of Mary, therefore the flesh of Mary necessarily must be preserved, at least as far as Christ's birth, from the stain of sin.

   1. Original sin is "transmitted" not "committed." - God does not often override the order He has established but this would have been a transcending of time and biology, extending the grace of Christ's sacrifice back through His mother.

   2. Christ had two natures one Divine and One human forming a single person of the Trinity.

   3. Human nature was made from a single human on account of the virgin birth of Christ as foretold in Isaiah 7:14.

4. Considering the above, she is honored as the highest of all saints, Queen.

Magisterium

1. Ineffibilis Deus (1854) (Infallibly declared ex-cathedra with the input from the world's Bishops, in this document, as a response to many petitions of much of the faithful to do so)

2. Second Vatican Council Lumen Gentium  63-65

3. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 490-493

3. The Perpetual Virginity

Sacred Scripture

1. We know that she was at least a virgin until Christ's birth (Luke 1:27-34).

   1. We also know this from prophecy (Isaiah 7:14) thus if Jesus was not born of a virgin, we would not be able to call Him Christ.

2. John 19:26-27 - Jesus gives care of Mary to John, not one of his supposed “brothers”

   1. Gen 14:14 - Lot, Abraham’s nephew (Gen 11:26-28), described as Abraham’s brother

   2. Gen 29:15 - Laban, Jacob’s uncle, calls Jacob his “brother”/"Kinsmen"

   3. Mary wife of Cleophas and “sister” of the Virgin Mary (Jn 19:25) is the mother of James and Joseph (Mk 15:47; Mt 27:56) who are called the “brothers of Jesus” (Mk 6:3).

   4. Acts 1:12-15 - "Brothers" is used here also, very clearly not refering to even blood relatives

3. Rev 11:19-12:3 - Mary is the Ark of the New Covenant and it would be unfitting for her sacred womb to be violated

   1. Cf. 1 Cor 15:25 - he must reign until has enemies underfoot 

Church Fathers/History

This dogma is taught by:

1. Clement of Alexandria (d. 215)

   1. As Model of the Church

2. Chalcedon A.D. 451

3. Second Council of Constantinople A.D. 553

4. First Council of the Lateran A.D. 1123

5. Read More by Clicking Here

Magisterium

1. Second Vatican Council Lumen Gentium, 64-65.

2. John Paul II Mulieris Dignitatem, 4.

3. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 496-501.

4. The Assumption

Sacred Scripture

1. Gen 5:24; Heb 11:5; 2 Kings 2:1-13 - Enoch and Elijah were assumed bodily into heaven

2. Psalm 132 the ark's presence in the Eternal dwelling of Zion

3. Mt 27:52 - many saints who had fallen asleep were raised 

4. 1 Thess 4:17 - caught up to meet the Lord in the air 

5. 1 Cor 15:52 - we shall be instantly changed at the last trumpet 

6. Rom 6:23.- for the wages of sin is death 

7. Rev 11:19-12:1 - Ark in Heaven = woman, clothed with sun

8. From reason of the other assumptions, theology of death, and the aforementioned Dogmas and their reasoning:

Magisterium

1. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 966, 974.

2. Munificentissimus Deus (November 1, 1950), PIUS XII, 41-48

Reasoning

1. Adam's role was to provide, protect, and spiritually lead Eve. Is it not fitting that the New Adam protect the New Eve from death which is the wages of sin which she was preserved from as seen above?

Church Fathers/History

1. There is no historical reference to relics of Mary unlike Peter, the Cross of Jesus, etc. This is considering there were two tombs associate with her one in Ephesus and Jerusalem

2. In St. Epiphanius’ classic Panarion (“bread box”) or Refutation of All Heresies, written about AD 350, this early Church Father affirms belief in the Assumption:

   1. Like the bodies of the saints, however, she has been held in honor for her character and understanding. And if I should say anything more in her praise, she is like Elijah, who was virgin from his mother’s womb, always remained so, and was taken up, but has not seen death (Panarion 79).

3. There is also a writing from the Early Church which is believed to be written by an early Church Theologian. It is not necessarily authoritative, but it does add some perspective. Read here

   1. The stories told do striking sound like that of the Ark of the Covenant

What makes this dogma essential to the Christian Faith?

The connection between Christ's identity and the New Covenant role of both Him and Mary is essential to the Christian faith, and this correlates directly to these dogmas. One may question whether the logical connection is close enough to constitute this sort of essential correlation. However, the sources consulted and the historical constancy of the Church on the matter testify to its legitimacy and therefore make up for whatever uncertainty one may feel. God is Love Itself, and it is unthinkable the vessel through which His Beloved is not only brought to Him but Saved, would merely be treated as another among the Beloved. Justice and Charity would both have it that the New Eve would have a primacy akin to though certainly not before Christ's. If Christ's flesh was first to enter eternity, it follows that she from whose flesh He received His (1) would be taken up with Him (4), preserved from all stain/corruption (2), and even perpetually virgin (3).