One
Mother Mary in the
mystery of salvation
The story of Mary begins within the
mystery of God's plan of salvation. At the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel
announced that Mary would become the mother of the Saviour: "Hail, full of
grace, the Lord is with you." 1
Mary's response was one of complete
surrender: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me
according to your word." 2 Her consent was not merely a private act of
devotion. Through her fiat she freely co-operated with God's plan for
the Incarnation.
Jesus Christ, the eternal Son, took
human flesh in her womb. Therefore, Mary became Mother of God, a truth solemnly
affirmed by the Council of
Ephesus in 431.
Mary’s motherhood is inseparable from
Christ. Everything that is extraordinary about Mary flows from the grace of God
given to her because of Christ. She accompanied Jesus throughout His earthly
life: at Bethlehem, at Cana, during His ministry, and finally beneath the
Cross.
At Calvary, Mary's union with Christ
reached profound depth. She stood under the Cross as Mother, while witnessing
the suffering and death of her Son. The gospel of John records Christ's words: "Dear
woman, behold, your son;” 3 and to
the beloved disciple: "Behold, your mother." 4
The Church has traditionally understood these words as having significance beyond the immediate relationship between Mary and John.
In the beloved disciple, the Church
sees the disciples of Christ, and therefore Mary is received as a spiritual
mother. Mother Mary’s motherhood thus began with Christ and extends towards His
Mystical Body - the mystical union of all Christians into a spiritual body with
Jesus as their Head.
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1. 1. The Bible; Luke 1:28
2. 2. Luke 1:38
3. 3. John 19:26
4. 4. John 19:27
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