Essay: Blessed Woman - A Case for Mary's Place in Christianity
This essay was written for my Final Argument Paper in English this past semester. I chose for my argument: The importance of the Virgin Mary in Christianity.
Blessed Woman:
A Case for Mary's Place in Christianity
English Composition 2
Instructor: Scott Reichel
Submitted: May 05, 2006
Imagine for a moment a young girl, possibly around the age of sixteen. Her life, up until then, had been simple and would not be considered amazing by most. This was about to change, because she had just discovered that she would give birth to a son who would not only be the Son of God, but God himself. Her life was no longer simple as, with her husband, she gave birth in a cold and dirty barn. In her arms slept Jesus Christ, who would grow to be the salvation of mankind. Truly, this was no ordinary woman. She was amazing, drawing great honor from those around her and Christians today. Her name was Mary.
The sound of a congregation praying in unison as the words, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 673), fill the air. A group of young children looking up to find a vision of a young woman, clothed in robes and glowing like the sun, standing before them. A woman sitting in the hospital, smiling down at the infant she holds in her arms.
All of these are examples of how Mary is evident in the lives of Christ followers. Across the world millions of people continue to find their way to God, with the help of this wonderful woman. Yet, what is it about Mary that causes intrigue and awe among those that follow the teachings of her son, Jesus Christ? There are so many answers to this question and all lead to the fact that Mary is an essential part of the Christian faith, along with its history and culture.
It should be stated that, within this essay, the followers of Christ are grouped into the category of Christian, instead of being divided into Protestant and Roman Catholic. It is true that the Roman Catholics have placed a great deal of emphasis on Mary (Collins & Price 149), much more than most Protestant denominations, but the fact remains that members of both ‘sides’ follow the teachings of the Bible and Jesus Christ, which makes them equally Christians. Both Protestants and Catholics acknowledge the importance of Mary in their lives, leaving no need to separate their identities.
Within the faith of every Christian Mary is present, through her personal connection to each aspect of their faith and through her relationship with Christ, himself. Those that push against such an acknowledgement have many arguments on their side, but no case could compare to the proof of Mary’s importance.
One of the first proclamations against Mary was the Nestorian movement, which began around 431 AD (Schroeder). The leader of this group claimed that Christ was not one person, but two separate creatures. He claimed that there was a human nature that did normal activity and God, which performed divine deeds. Through this teaching, Nestorius taught that Mary was only the mother of Christ’s human side and was, therefore, not important. While the Nestorian movement was claimed heresy in the late 400s and Nestorius was excommunicated from the Church, the followers of this belief system have continued to survive into the twenty-first century (“Christian” 3).
This argument claims that Mary only gave birth to Christ’s human nature, yet when a woman has a child she doesn’t give birth to merely the nature of that child, but the person that child is, both body and soul. To claim that Christ is separate would in turn deny the unification of Jesus Christ, the person and God (“Mary”). The overall argument of the Nestorian movement is merely speculation and is, therefore, not something that can be proven or properly argued against.
In ancient Babylonian mythology there was a goddess, Ishtar, that was given the titles ‘Great Mother Goddess’ and ‘the Divine Virgin’ (Schroeder). A person may ask himself or herself what this has to do with Mary, and rightly they should. Many believe that the height in which Mary is viewed was based off of these myths. They insist that when the church began to spread, pagan groups saw an opportunity to transfer their own religion and mix it with that of Christianity (Hahn 112). In the end, this would mean that Mary is merely the shadow of the religions of the ancient world.
This idea may be true or it may not. The fact remains, however, that many converts who were not from a culture that worshipped such a goddess saw in Mary an important figure. It is easy to generalize such a claim if a person only looks at one region.
The most common argument against Mary is that those that honor her are guilty of idolatry, or the worship of any being or thing aside from God (Mateo XI). This is easily rebuked by clarifying the definition of worship. The term worship meant, for many centuries, to honor or show respect for someone. This is shown when someone calls a judge “Your Honor”. That person is not worshipping the judge, he is merely showing his respect. The term worship has been applied in this way to Mary (“Saint”).
The weakest of cases given against Mary is one that contradicts itself: The symbol of the Virgin Mary is being used to keep women under control and reign in on the chances they may have within the church (Russell). If this were true then would many Christians consider Mary as the perfect example of the faith and holiness that a human can achieve (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 191)? No, in fact if she were being used as a way to repress women then she would not be held at such high esteem.
The essence of every Christian’s faith is held within the Bible, which dictates what Christians should believe and the laws they must follow. Due to the importance Mary has in the scheme of God’s plan, she is spoken of within the Bible. Through this sacred text Christians can fully understand the position Mary holds in their lives.
God chose Mary as the mother of Jesus Christ. Out of the hundreds of women in that region alone, she was picked. This was not a random person, suddenly plucked out of their peers and given a job to do. For the plan that God had and the important deeds that Christ had to perform, the woman who would give birth to him had to meet God’s requirements. The woman who did this was Mary. This is first shown in the way the archangel Gabriel greets Mary: “Hail, O favored one! The Lord is with you! Blessed are you before all other women!” (Holy Bible, Luke. 1.28.).
Mary is constantly referred to as ‘blessed’ throughout the Bible and for good reason. It is common knowledge among all Christians that she gave birth, as a virgin, to Jesus Christ. It is because of this that she has become a representation of all mothers, worldwide. When Christians turned to Mary they see the tenderness and love of a mother (Garesche 4). In the end, being closer to her brings Christians closer to Christ himself, for she is his mother.
Since the Bible’s creation, Mary has been consistently active in the development of the church and the lives of those that believe. Many of the decisions the church has made have been because of Mary’s role. In fact, many of the counsels held discussed how to dictate the position Mary held in the Christian doctrine (“Christians” 3; Collins & Price 62).
Even during the Protestant Reformation, when groups of people were breaking away from the church, Christians in general were steady in their love for Mary, the mother of Christ. Martin Luther, who is often considered the father of the Reformation, openly called Mary the Mother of God in both his sermons and written word (Mateo 6).
One of the greatest things about Mary is that she presents herself in a personal matter, bringing a closer relationship between her and those that honor her. Out of the many experiences Christians have throughout their lifetimes, seeing a vision of Mary is probably the most amazing. Throughout the spread of the Christian church Mary has repeatedly appeared to mankind, most often in times of social turmoil (Sparrow 18). These apparitions of Mary not only helped ease the souls of those around her, but also served to help the advancement of Christianity.
Shortly after the Spanish conquest of Mexico, in the year 1531, Mary appeared to a newly converted man on his way to Mexico City. Juan Diego saw a beautiful woman standing on a hillside who introduced herself as the Virgin Mary. She proceeded to tell him that a church should be built on that very spot. Juan proceeded to inform the local priest and after presenting a collection of roses that had grown in the midwinter, which fell away from his shirt to reveal a painting of Mary praying, the building of the church was permitted (Sparrow 27-28). The painting, which has not faded in over four hundred and fifty years, is now displayed in the very cathedral Mary requested to be built.
Thanks to this church many people have been converted in Mexico to Christianity. The vision of Mary gave this region a feeling of comfort, showing that Mary was also their mother and was looking after them.
Such motherly protection is not uncommon in the relationship Christians hold with the Virgin Mary. This sort of security has also manifested itself in vague ways. For example, in the year of 1871 a group of children in Pontmain, France, saw an apparition of Mary outside a barnyard. Below her feet were three phrases: “But pray my children,” “God will soon answer you,” and “My son allows himself to be moved.” These may seem like simple messages, but they were severely relevant to the situation that this village found themselves in. Napoleon III had just declared war and the Germans were within a few miles from Pontmain. Within a few weeks of this vision, the soldiers withdrew and peace was declared (Sparrow 39-40).
Many may claim that these two events are not related, but it is the power of the events that hold meaning. The people that saw Mary on that night believed peace had been declared because they prayed and truly held to her message. When it comes to any religious experience it is what people feel, not what is fully explainable, that is important.
Another apparition of Mary coincided with war. During the year of 1917 in Fatima, Portugal, three children saw a vision of Mary while attending their cattle. Portugal was in the midst of political warfare and the First World War was being waged across Europe. As per usual, Mary appeared to the children during a time of great social unbalance, bringing with her a sense of hope. Throughout the span of apparitions seen in Fatima seventy thousand people saw various phenomena take place, which are believed to have heal many of witness’ medical problems. Before the last vision, Mary told the children that the First World War would soon end, but a more terrible war would follow it (Sparrow 123-126). Not long after the war ended, the Second World War began.
Other visions of Mary brought about more physical events. In 1830 Catherine Laboure received a vision of Mary that told her to have a medal created with Mary’s image upon it. This medal would become known as the Miraculous Medal. When a plague of cholera attacked Paris in 1832 those that wore this medal appeared to be immune to the disease. Today millions of people continue to wear the Miraculous Medal (Sparrow 49-50). There was also the apparition seen by Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, which resulted in Bernadette digging into the dirt in order to reveal an underground spring. Miracles have repeatedly occurred at this very spring, out of which flows 27,000 gallons of water daily (Sparrow 95-97).
There are many more stories of Mary appearing to people, either bringing gifts or giving those that witness these visions a sense of contentment and happiness. Through these visions churches have been built and, due to a tangible gift received by St. Dominic, the rosary (a circular string of beads with a crucifix that helps a person keep count during prayer) presented to the Christian people (Sparrow 73).
Even if a person does not receive a direct vision of Mary there is still that sense of connection between her and those that follow the teachings of Christ. It is believed by many that the members of mankind that are without a mother, whether due to neglect or death, God has given them a universal mother (Garesche 24). A child that would normally never experience the love of a mother can feel the warmth of a different mother, that is the mother of Jesus Christ. Truly, anyone that has experienced such warmth does love her. If there is no love for Mary then she simply becomes a normal, random female. Yet, as the mother of Christ, Mary cannot be a random body. The love she had for her son and the important role that God gave her proves this.
It is often said that Mary is the example of womanhood (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 192). Everything that she represents has become the definition of what a woman is meant to be. Mary, in the simplest terms, is a person of trust, love, tenderness, virtue, and dignity (Garesche 108). The Christian culture has long ago expected women to follow in Mary’s footsteps and be all of these things. This is evident in the role women have traditionally played: the mother, the homemaker, and the wife.
Yet, is Mary only an example for these types of women? What about the women that are in business or politics? Mary is not simply tender; she is strong. Imagine what it must have been like for Mary to stand and watch her son being crucified (Holy Bible John. 19.25.), knowing that she could not help him. She had the strength, though, to suffer through Christ’s trials with him. Perhaps God knew that she possessed this inner power and this is why God chose her to be Christ’s mother. Seeing her ability to withstand such emotional turmoil women are able to find their day-to-day lives easier to deal with.
Another group of women that can find happiness in Mary’s sight is those that consider themselves feminists. Many think that just because Mary is presented as a sweet and kind female she is not powerful and strong. Yet, it is because of her position in the church that women have such important roles. Women can find that because Mary stood out to God in the midst of many, they too have the ability to be different from the typical social crowd.
Regardless of the reason Mary was picked, her existence has opened up a whole new way for mankind to develop a connection to God through Christianity. In fact, she helps keep our gaze fixed on Christ in heaven (Garesche 50). Christ grew from an infant to a child and, finally, into an adult with Mary watching him through a mother’s eyes. She must have been fascinated by his mere existence. After all, she “was [Christ’s] only tie with the children of Adam” (Garesche 51), meaning she was his only genetic link with the rest of humankind. If Christians could think along the same lines and become captivated by the existence of Christ, then their eyes would certainly be fixed on Jesus Christ.
Every one can find something in Mary that touches their heart, whether they reside in Rome or a small village in South America. She brings motherly affection to those that do not have a mother. She presents herself as a role model for women across the world. The ways that she shows herself, either through apparitions or what is told about her in the Bible, brings hope to Christians.
Her role cannot be denied, for within the Christian church she has presented a perspective that has aided the church’s development and the happiness of the Christian people. To say that she is not important is to say that what she gave to mankind in the form of her son is insignificant. Christians should acknowledge that God chose her and through his grace she is unparalleled by any other woman.
Works Cited
Christian History Time Line. California: Rose Publishing, 2004.
Collins, Micheal, and Matthew A. Price. The Story of Christianity: a Celebration of 2,000 Years of Faith. New York: DK Publishing, Inc., 1999.
Garesche, Edward F. A Marian Devotional. New Hampshire: Sophia Institute Press, 2002.
Hahn, Scott. Hail, Holy Queen: the Mother of God in the Word of God. New York: Doubleday, 2001.
Holy Bible: Amplified Translation. Michigan: Zondervan, 1987.
Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed. DC: United States Catholic Conference, 2000.
“Mary: Mother of God.” Mary and the Saints. 10 Aug. 2004. Catholic Answers. 28 Apr. 2006.
Mateo. Refuting the Attack on Mary: a Defense of Marian Doctrines. San Diego: Catholic Answers, 1999.
Russell, Jan J. “Mary: Mother . . . and Savior?” 6 Jan. 2001. Star Tribune. 28 Apr. 2006.
“Saint Worship?” Mary and the Saints. 10 Aug. 2004. Catholic Answers. 28 Aug. 2006.
Schroeder, John. “Scriptural Proof: Mary is Not the Mother of God.” 22 Nov. 2003. Contender Ministries. 26 Apr. 2006.
Sparrow, Scott G. Sacred Encounters with Mary. Texas: Thomas More, 2002.
Final Grade: Unknown, final class grade A.
(c) 2006 Jo Howard
Blessed Woman:
A Case for Mary's Place in Christianity
English Composition 2
Instructor: Scott Reichel
Submitted: May 05, 2006
Imagine for a moment a young girl, possibly around the age of sixteen. Her life, up until then, had been simple and would not be considered amazing by most. This was about to change, because she had just discovered that she would give birth to a son who would not only be the Son of God, but God himself. Her life was no longer simple as, with her husband, she gave birth in a cold and dirty barn. In her arms slept Jesus Christ, who would grow to be the salvation of mankind. Truly, this was no ordinary woman. She was amazing, drawing great honor from those around her and Christians today. Her name was Mary.
The sound of a congregation praying in unison as the words, “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee” (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 673), fill the air. A group of young children looking up to find a vision of a young woman, clothed in robes and glowing like the sun, standing before them. A woman sitting in the hospital, smiling down at the infant she holds in her arms.
All of these are examples of how Mary is evident in the lives of Christ followers. Across the world millions of people continue to find their way to God, with the help of this wonderful woman. Yet, what is it about Mary that causes intrigue and awe among those that follow the teachings of her son, Jesus Christ? There are so many answers to this question and all lead to the fact that Mary is an essential part of the Christian faith, along with its history and culture.
It should be stated that, within this essay, the followers of Christ are grouped into the category of Christian, instead of being divided into Protestant and Roman Catholic. It is true that the Roman Catholics have placed a great deal of emphasis on Mary (Collins & Price 149), much more than most Protestant denominations, but the fact remains that members of both ‘sides’ follow the teachings of the Bible and Jesus Christ, which makes them equally Christians. Both Protestants and Catholics acknowledge the importance of Mary in their lives, leaving no need to separate their identities.
Within the faith of every Christian Mary is present, through her personal connection to each aspect of their faith and through her relationship with Christ, himself. Those that push against such an acknowledgement have many arguments on their side, but no case could compare to the proof of Mary’s importance.
One of the first proclamations against Mary was the Nestorian movement, which began around 431 AD (Schroeder). The leader of this group claimed that Christ was not one person, but two separate creatures. He claimed that there was a human nature that did normal activity and God, which performed divine deeds. Through this teaching, Nestorius taught that Mary was only the mother of Christ’s human side and was, therefore, not important. While the Nestorian movement was claimed heresy in the late 400s and Nestorius was excommunicated from the Church, the followers of this belief system have continued to survive into the twenty-first century (“Christian” 3).
This argument claims that Mary only gave birth to Christ’s human nature, yet when a woman has a child she doesn’t give birth to merely the nature of that child, but the person that child is, both body and soul. To claim that Christ is separate would in turn deny the unification of Jesus Christ, the person and God (“Mary”). The overall argument of the Nestorian movement is merely speculation and is, therefore, not something that can be proven or properly argued against.
In ancient Babylonian mythology there was a goddess, Ishtar, that was given the titles ‘Great Mother Goddess’ and ‘the Divine Virgin’ (Schroeder). A person may ask himself or herself what this has to do with Mary, and rightly they should. Many believe that the height in which Mary is viewed was based off of these myths. They insist that when the church began to spread, pagan groups saw an opportunity to transfer their own religion and mix it with that of Christianity (Hahn 112). In the end, this would mean that Mary is merely the shadow of the religions of the ancient world.
This idea may be true or it may not. The fact remains, however, that many converts who were not from a culture that worshipped such a goddess saw in Mary an important figure. It is easy to generalize such a claim if a person only looks at one region.
The most common argument against Mary is that those that honor her are guilty of idolatry, or the worship of any being or thing aside from God (Mateo XI). This is easily rebuked by clarifying the definition of worship. The term worship meant, for many centuries, to honor or show respect for someone. This is shown when someone calls a judge “Your Honor”. That person is not worshipping the judge, he is merely showing his respect. The term worship has been applied in this way to Mary (“Saint”).
The weakest of cases given against Mary is one that contradicts itself: The symbol of the Virgin Mary is being used to keep women under control and reign in on the chances they may have within the church (Russell). If this were true then would many Christians consider Mary as the perfect example of the faith and holiness that a human can achieve (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 191)? No, in fact if she were being used as a way to repress women then she would not be held at such high esteem.
The essence of every Christian’s faith is held within the Bible, which dictates what Christians should believe and the laws they must follow. Due to the importance Mary has in the scheme of God’s plan, she is spoken of within the Bible. Through this sacred text Christians can fully understand the position Mary holds in their lives.
God chose Mary as the mother of Jesus Christ. Out of the hundreds of women in that region alone, she was picked. This was not a random person, suddenly plucked out of their peers and given a job to do. For the plan that God had and the important deeds that Christ had to perform, the woman who would give birth to him had to meet God’s requirements. The woman who did this was Mary. This is first shown in the way the archangel Gabriel greets Mary: “Hail, O favored one! The Lord is with you! Blessed are you before all other women!” (Holy Bible, Luke. 1.28.).
Mary is constantly referred to as ‘blessed’ throughout the Bible and for good reason. It is common knowledge among all Christians that she gave birth, as a virgin, to Jesus Christ. It is because of this that she has become a representation of all mothers, worldwide. When Christians turned to Mary they see the tenderness and love of a mother (Garesche 4). In the end, being closer to her brings Christians closer to Christ himself, for she is his mother.
Since the Bible’s creation, Mary has been consistently active in the development of the church and the lives of those that believe. Many of the decisions the church has made have been because of Mary’s role. In fact, many of the counsels held discussed how to dictate the position Mary held in the Christian doctrine (“Christians” 3; Collins & Price 62).
Even during the Protestant Reformation, when groups of people were breaking away from the church, Christians in general were steady in their love for Mary, the mother of Christ. Martin Luther, who is often considered the father of the Reformation, openly called Mary the Mother of God in both his sermons and written word (Mateo 6).
One of the greatest things about Mary is that she presents herself in a personal matter, bringing a closer relationship between her and those that honor her. Out of the many experiences Christians have throughout their lifetimes, seeing a vision of Mary is probably the most amazing. Throughout the spread of the Christian church Mary has repeatedly appeared to mankind, most often in times of social turmoil (Sparrow 18). These apparitions of Mary not only helped ease the souls of those around her, but also served to help the advancement of Christianity.
Shortly after the Spanish conquest of Mexico, in the year 1531, Mary appeared to a newly converted man on his way to Mexico City. Juan Diego saw a beautiful woman standing on a hillside who introduced herself as the Virgin Mary. She proceeded to tell him that a church should be built on that very spot. Juan proceeded to inform the local priest and after presenting a collection of roses that had grown in the midwinter, which fell away from his shirt to reveal a painting of Mary praying, the building of the church was permitted (Sparrow 27-28). The painting, which has not faded in over four hundred and fifty years, is now displayed in the very cathedral Mary requested to be built.
Thanks to this church many people have been converted in Mexico to Christianity. The vision of Mary gave this region a feeling of comfort, showing that Mary was also their mother and was looking after them.
Such motherly protection is not uncommon in the relationship Christians hold with the Virgin Mary. This sort of security has also manifested itself in vague ways. For example, in the year of 1871 a group of children in Pontmain, France, saw an apparition of Mary outside a barnyard. Below her feet were three phrases: “But pray my children,” “God will soon answer you,” and “My son allows himself to be moved.” These may seem like simple messages, but they were severely relevant to the situation that this village found themselves in. Napoleon III had just declared war and the Germans were within a few miles from Pontmain. Within a few weeks of this vision, the soldiers withdrew and peace was declared (Sparrow 39-40).
Many may claim that these two events are not related, but it is the power of the events that hold meaning. The people that saw Mary on that night believed peace had been declared because they prayed and truly held to her message. When it comes to any religious experience it is what people feel, not what is fully explainable, that is important.
Another apparition of Mary coincided with war. During the year of 1917 in Fatima, Portugal, three children saw a vision of Mary while attending their cattle. Portugal was in the midst of political warfare and the First World War was being waged across Europe. As per usual, Mary appeared to the children during a time of great social unbalance, bringing with her a sense of hope. Throughout the span of apparitions seen in Fatima seventy thousand people saw various phenomena take place, which are believed to have heal many of witness’ medical problems. Before the last vision, Mary told the children that the First World War would soon end, but a more terrible war would follow it (Sparrow 123-126). Not long after the war ended, the Second World War began.
Other visions of Mary brought about more physical events. In 1830 Catherine Laboure received a vision of Mary that told her to have a medal created with Mary’s image upon it. This medal would become known as the Miraculous Medal. When a plague of cholera attacked Paris in 1832 those that wore this medal appeared to be immune to the disease. Today millions of people continue to wear the Miraculous Medal (Sparrow 49-50). There was also the apparition seen by Bernadette Soubirous in 1858, which resulted in Bernadette digging into the dirt in order to reveal an underground spring. Miracles have repeatedly occurred at this very spring, out of which flows 27,000 gallons of water daily (Sparrow 95-97).
There are many more stories of Mary appearing to people, either bringing gifts or giving those that witness these visions a sense of contentment and happiness. Through these visions churches have been built and, due to a tangible gift received by St. Dominic, the rosary (a circular string of beads with a crucifix that helps a person keep count during prayer) presented to the Christian people (Sparrow 73).
Even if a person does not receive a direct vision of Mary there is still that sense of connection between her and those that follow the teachings of Christ. It is believed by many that the members of mankind that are without a mother, whether due to neglect or death, God has given them a universal mother (Garesche 24). A child that would normally never experience the love of a mother can feel the warmth of a different mother, that is the mother of Jesus Christ. Truly, anyone that has experienced such warmth does love her. If there is no love for Mary then she simply becomes a normal, random female. Yet, as the mother of Christ, Mary cannot be a random body. The love she had for her son and the important role that God gave her proves this.
It is often said that Mary is the example of womanhood (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 192). Everything that she represents has become the definition of what a woman is meant to be. Mary, in the simplest terms, is a person of trust, love, tenderness, virtue, and dignity (Garesche 108). The Christian culture has long ago expected women to follow in Mary’s footsteps and be all of these things. This is evident in the role women have traditionally played: the mother, the homemaker, and the wife.
Yet, is Mary only an example for these types of women? What about the women that are in business or politics? Mary is not simply tender; she is strong. Imagine what it must have been like for Mary to stand and watch her son being crucified (Holy Bible John. 19.25.), knowing that she could not help him. She had the strength, though, to suffer through Christ’s trials with him. Perhaps God knew that she possessed this inner power and this is why God chose her to be Christ’s mother. Seeing her ability to withstand such emotional turmoil women are able to find their day-to-day lives easier to deal with.
Another group of women that can find happiness in Mary’s sight is those that consider themselves feminists. Many think that just because Mary is presented as a sweet and kind female she is not powerful and strong. Yet, it is because of her position in the church that women have such important roles. Women can find that because Mary stood out to God in the midst of many, they too have the ability to be different from the typical social crowd.
Regardless of the reason Mary was picked, her existence has opened up a whole new way for mankind to develop a connection to God through Christianity. In fact, she helps keep our gaze fixed on Christ in heaven (Garesche 50). Christ grew from an infant to a child and, finally, into an adult with Mary watching him through a mother’s eyes. She must have been fascinated by his mere existence. After all, she “was [Christ’s] only tie with the children of Adam” (Garesche 51), meaning she was his only genetic link with the rest of humankind. If Christians could think along the same lines and become captivated by the existence of Christ, then their eyes would certainly be fixed on Jesus Christ.
Every one can find something in Mary that touches their heart, whether they reside in Rome or a small village in South America. She brings motherly affection to those that do not have a mother. She presents herself as a role model for women across the world. The ways that she shows herself, either through apparitions or what is told about her in the Bible, brings hope to Christians.
Her role cannot be denied, for within the Christian church she has presented a perspective that has aided the church’s development and the happiness of the Christian people. To say that she is not important is to say that what she gave to mankind in the form of her son is insignificant. Christians should acknowledge that God chose her and through his grace she is unparalleled by any other woman.
Works Cited
Christian History Time Line. California: Rose Publishing, 2004.
Collins, Micheal, and Matthew A. Price. The Story of Christianity: a Celebration of 2,000 Years of Faith. New York: DK Publishing, Inc., 1999.
Garesche, Edward F. A Marian Devotional. New Hampshire: Sophia Institute Press, 2002.
Hahn, Scott. Hail, Holy Queen: the Mother of God in the Word of God. New York: Doubleday, 2001.
Holy Bible: Amplified Translation. Michigan: Zondervan, 1987.
Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed. DC: United States Catholic Conference, 2000.
“Mary: Mother of God.” Mary and the Saints. 10 Aug. 2004. Catholic Answers. 28 Apr. 2006.
Mateo. Refuting the Attack on Mary: a Defense of Marian Doctrines. San Diego: Catholic Answers, 1999.
Russell, Jan J. “Mary: Mother . . . and Savior?” 6 Jan. 2001. Star Tribune. 28 Apr. 2006.
“Saint Worship?” Mary and the Saints. 10 Aug. 2004. Catholic Answers. 28 Aug. 2006.
Schroeder, John. “Scriptural Proof: Mary is Not the Mother of God.” 22 Nov. 2003. Contender Ministries. 26 Apr. 2006.
Sparrow, Scott G. Sacred Encounters with Mary. Texas: Thomas More, 2002.
Final Grade: Unknown, final class grade A.
(c) 2006 Jo Howard