Behold Your Mother:An Introduction to Mariology

Part 4: The Nativity Storiesby Søren Filipski

The Joyful Mysteries

• The Annunciation• The Visitation• The Nativity• The Presentation• The Finding of Jesus

in the Temple

Lumen Gentium 53The Virgin Mary, who at the message of the angel received the Word of God in her heart and in her body and gave Life to the world, is acknowledged and honored as being truly the Mother of God and Mother of the Redeemer.

Lumen Gentium 53Because of this gift of sublime grace she far surpasses all creatures, both in heaven and on earth. At the same time, however, because she belongs to the offspring of Adam she is one with all those who are to be saved.

Lumen Gentium 53

She is “the mother of the members of Christ… having cooperated by charity that faithful might be born in the Church, who are members of that Head.”

Lumen Gentium 53

Wherefore she is hailed as a pre-eminent and singular member of the Church, and as its type and excellent exemplar in faith and charity.

Lumen Gentium 53

The Catholic Church, taught by the Holy Spirit, honors her with filial affection and piety as a most beloved mother.

Sandro Botticelli, The Annunciation, 1489/90

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. (Luke 1:26-27)

Chaĩrē“Hail (Chaĩrē), full of grace...” (Luke 1:28)

“I bring you good news of a great joy.” (Luke 2:10)

The disciples were joyful when they saw the Lord. (John 20:20)

“I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” (John 16:22)

Benedict XVIJoy appears in these texts as the particular gift of the Holy Spirit, the true fit of the redeemer. … Its content is also present in the fundamental word that serves to designate the entire Christian message: Gospel—good news.

Benedict XVI

Rejoice, daughter of Zion; shout, Israel … the King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst. (Zeph 3:14, 17)

Benedict XVI

Here Zephaniah is alluding to a passage in the book of Exodus which speaks of God dwelling in the ark of the Covenant as dwelling in Israel’s “womb.”

Kecharitomēnē

“Full of Grace”“Highly Favored/Graced”

“The one who is having been graced”

Henry Ossawa Tanner, The Annunciation, 1898

But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. (Luke 1:29)

Pietro Perugino,The Annunciation of Mary, 1489

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most

High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will

be called holy, the Son of God.(Luke 1:35)

William Brassey Hole, Annunciation 1846-1917

Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. (Luke 1:38)

“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” (Matt 1:20-21)

The Visitation

Lorenzo Monaco,The Visitation, 1405

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!(Luke 1:42)

Benedict XVIThe Magnificat—a portrait, so to speak, of her soul—is entirely woven from threads of Holy Scripture, threads drawn from the Word of God.

-Deus Caritas Est 41

Magnificat

• Herself (1:46-49)• In the poor and humble (1:50-53)• In the people of Israel (1:54-55)

Mary glorifies God’s mercy and power accomplished in:

Luke 1:46-49My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden.For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed;

for he who is mighty has done great things for me,and holy is his name.

Luke 1:50-53And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation.He has shown strength with his arm,he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts,he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree;he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.

Luke 1:54-55

He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.

Benedict XVIHere we see how completely at home Mary is with the Word of God, with ease she moves in and out of it. She speaks and thinks with the Word of God; the Word of God becomes her word, and her word issues from the Word of God.

Benedict XVIHere we see how her thoughts are attuned to the thoughts of God, how her will is one with the will of God. Since Mary is completely imbued with the Word of God, she is able to become the Mother of the Word Incarnate.

-Deus Caritas Est 41

Matthew’s Genealogy

• Sets of fourteen generations:Abraham – David – Deportation – Christ

• Four women mentioned:Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba

Jesus’ Descent from David

Legally through Joseph, “the husband of Mary of whom Jesus was born.” (Matt 1:16)

Also through Mary: “descended from David according to the flesh.” (Rom 1:3)

Beth-Lehem

• Birthplace of David

• Jesus laid in a manger

And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. (Luke 1:16)

But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. (1:19)

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceed-ingly with great joy; and going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. (Matt 1:11)

The Presentation in the Temple 1460-75

And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. (Luke 2:22)

Mosaic Law… as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord,” and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

(Luke 2:23-24; Exod 13:2, 12)

But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he permitted Him. (Matt 3:15)

Neonian Baptistery, Ravenna. Dome Mosaic: Baptism of Christ, 451-75

Galatians 4:4

In the fullness of time, God sent forth his Son, born of

woman, born under the law.

Giovanni Bellini, The Presentation at the Temple, c. 1460

“Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.“(Luke 2:34-35)

Lumen Gentium 58In the public life of Jesus, Mary makes significant appearances. This is so even at the very beginning, when at the marriage feast of Cana, moved with pity, she brought about by her intercession the beginning of miracles of Jesus the Messiah.

Lumen Gentium 58In the public life of Jesus, Mary makes significant appearances. This is so even at the very beginning, when at the marriage feast of Cana, moved with pity, she brought about by her intercession the beginning of miracles of Jesus the Messiah.

Lumen Gentium 58In the course of her Son's preaching she received the words whereby in extolling a kingdom beyond the calculations and bonds of flesh and blood, He declared blessed those who heard and kept the word of God, as she was faithfully doing.

Lumen Gentium 58After this manner the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross, where she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, …

Lumen Gentium 58… grieving exceedingly with her only begotten Son, uniting herself with a maternal heart with His sacrifice, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this Victim which she herself had brought forth.

Lumen Gentium 58Finally, she was given by the same Christ Jesus dying on the cross as a mother to His disciple with these words: “Woman, behold thy son.”

John Paul IIUndoubtedly, we find here an expression of the Son’s particular solicitude for his Mother, whom he is leaving in such great sorrow. And yet the “testament of Christ’s Cross” says more.

John Paul IIJesus highlights a new relationship between Mother and Son, the whole truth and reality of which he solemnly confirms. One can say that if Mary's motherhood of the human race had already been outlined, now it is clearly stated and established.

John Paul IIIt emerges from the definitive accomplishment of the Redeemer's Paschal Mystery. The Mother of Christ, who stands at the very center of this mystery – a mystery which embraces each individual and all humanity-is given as mother to every single individual and all mankind. …

John Paul IIAnd so this “new motherhood of Mary,” generated by faith, is the fruit of the “new” love which came to definitive maturity in her at the foot of the Cross, through her sharing in the redemptive love of her Son.

-Redeptoris Mater