Why is Mary considered Our Lady?

-Sasha-

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She is the mother of our Christ, the new Eve. Whereas our ancestral mother Eve gave consent to Satan's temptation and by doing so introduced death and sin into humanity, Mary's consent to God's will brought God into the flow of humanity, destroying the power of death and offering us reconciliation. She is honored because of what Christ accomplished for us, because of her role in helping His will be done.

So the relationship between her, Christ, and us is just that... She consented to God's will and bore Christ, Christ defeated death and offers salvation to all of us. She allowed herself to be as a vessel from which God's mercy could be poured out upon the earth.
 
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anna ~ grace

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She is the mother of our Christ, the new Eve. Whereas our ancestral mother Eve gave consent to Satan's temptation and by doing so introduced death and sin into humanity, Mary's consent to God's will brought God into the flow of humanity, destroying the power of death and offering us reconciliation. She is honored because of what Christ accomplished for us, because of her role in helping His will be done.

So the relationship between her, Christ, and us is just that... She consented to God's will and bore Christ, Christ defeated death and offers salvation to all of us. She allowed herself to be as a vessel from which God's mercy could be poured out upon the earth.
Yes.... I have also heard an analogy from a priest....

That whereas Eve brought death and separation from God by taking fruit from a tree, Mary brought life and reconciliation between God and men by consenting to the Fruit of her Womb (Christ) being placed, as it were, back on a tree (the Cross).
 
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Mark_Sam

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Yes.... I have also heard an analogy from a priest....

That whereas Eve brought death and separation from God by taking fruit from a tree, Mary brought life and reconciliation between God and men by consenting to the Fruit of her Womb (Christ) being placed, as it were, back on a tree (the Cross).
This analogy actually go way back, to St. Irenaeus (AD 130-202; disciple of Polycarp who was a disciple of St. John the Evangelist), who wrote in his Against heresies, III.22 (emphases mine):
In accordance with this design, Mary the Virgin is found obedient, saying, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” But Eve was disobedient; for she did not obey when as yet she was a virgin. And even as she, having indeed a husband, Adam, but being nevertheless as yet a virgin (for in Paradise “they were both naked, and were not ashamed,” inasmuch as they, having been created a short time previously, had no understanding of the procreation of children: for it was necessary that they should first come to adult age, and then multiply from that time onward), having become disobedient, was made the cause of death, both to herself and to the entire human race; so also did Mary, having a man betrothed [to her], and being nevertheless a virgin, by yielding obedience, become the cause of salvation, both to herself and the whole human race. And on this account does the law term a woman betrothed to a man, the wife of him who had betrothed her, although she was as yet a virgin; thus indicating the back-reference from Mary to Eve, because what is joined together could not otherwise be put asunder than by inversion of the process by which these bonds of union had arisen; so that the former ties be cancelled by the latter, that the latter may set the former again at liberty. And it has, in fact, happened that the first compact looses from the second tie, but that the second tie takes the position of the first which has been cancelled. For this reason did the Lord declare that the first should in truth be last, and the last first. And the prophet, too, indicates the same, saying, “instead of fathers, children have been born unto thee.” For the Lord, having been born “the First-begotten of the dead,” and receiving into His bosom the ancient fathers, has regenerated them into the life of God, He having been made Himself the beginning of those that live, as Adam became the beginning of those who die. Wherefore also Luke, commencing the genealogy with the Lord, carried it back to Adam, indicating that it was He who regenerated them into the Gospel of life, and not they Him. And thus also it was that the knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith.
 
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HardHead

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She is the mother of our Christ,
In this sense she is the mother of the King. In human terms, this makes her the Queen Mother, a title in a royal court that signifies the female parent of the King (or monarch in general). Canada has a Queen Mother as an example. Such roles often carry the appellation 'Lady' among others.

Personally, I see these titles as a simplification of the actual role of the Theotokos and what the reality of the divine 'court' is. I suppose that this is a mystery and that we will not know what this reality is, at least not fully.

I see the Theotokos as a profoundly holy and as an outstandingly spiritual person. I disagree with many protestants that say that she was only a passive gateway for the incarnation. Her agreeing for all of us to bring the Savior into the world is beyond important and cannot be overstated. This is not to suggest that she in any way eclipses Christ. Not at all. His work is supreme and her holiness is derived only from her relationship to Him.
 
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Albion

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Mary was the mother of Jesus but that is all. She isn't "our Lady" or any special role other than Christ's Earthly mother. Anything else is extra-biblical.
That's true, but this is an example of how humans heap more and more honors upon certain deceased people who are considered heroes of something or other.
It happens to political figures all the time.

Each generation outdoes the earlier ones with titles, rituals, memorials, and so on. So Mary became in the telling, ever-virgin, conceived without original sin, assumed bodily into heaven, the mother of everyone, Queen of Heaven, patron saint of the USA and a bunch of other things, dispenser of all graces, and lately the push has been on to declare her the co-redeemer of mankind (!).
 
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ewq1938

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So Mary became in the telling, ever-virgin, conceived without original sin, assumed bodily into heaven, the mother of everyone, Queen of Heaven, dispenser of all graces, and lately the push has been on to crown her the co-redeemer of mankind.

Sounds like pagan influences to me. Unfortunately such things tend to worm their way into Christian beliefs.
 
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Not David

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That's true, but this is an example of how humans heap more and more honors upon certain deceased people who are considered heroes of something or other.
It happens to political figures all the time.

Each generation outdoes the earlier ones with titles, rituals, memorials, and so on. So Mary became in the telling, ever-virgin, conceived without original sin, assumed bodily into heaven, the mother of everyone, Queen of Heaven, patron saint of the USA and a bunch of other things, dispenser of all graces, and lately the push has been on to declare her the co-redeemer of mankind (!).
Captain Queen of War.
To thee our captain Queen of war, the battle trophies won, thy people rescued by thine aid from peril, dedicate as our offering of thanksgiving, O Theotokos, as thou hast might which none by war can overcome, from all forms of danger hast thou delivered me, that I may cry unto thee: "Hail, O virgin, unwedded bride."
 
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prodromos

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Mary was the mother of Jesus but that is all. She isn't "our Lady" or any special role other than Christ's Earthly mother. Anything else is extra-biblical.
The New Testament canon is extra-biblical. Does that invalidate it?
 
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HardHead

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No, it isn't.

Where can I find a list of the books of the New Testament in the Bible?
Chapter and verse please.

Also, don't forget that Abraham had no bible at all never mind a canon that was a moving target to some degree. The Old Testament books were written many centuries after Abraham.

The main tradition was oral not written at that time. This did not make the tradition invalid at all. Abraham had no real trouble interacting with God without any written bible whatsoever.

This is so much the case that Abraham preceded all legality and outward symbols of his faith. Abraham’s faith and his understanding of what God wanted came first. The written law and the bible came after that. The bible is therefore an expression of faith and spiritual understanding.

This suggests that traditions that are not codified in the bible may indeed be holy and good. They can't be discounted and dismissed by default and should be considered at face value and examined openly and thoughtfully for validity.

This is also generally true of the apostles who had no New Testament at all to rely on at the time. They listened to God and did just fine.

Spiritual discernment is the key here. Abraham had that ability to a large degree and so did the apostles. The church is quite capable of this.
 
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zippy2006

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That's true, but this is an example of how humans heap more and more honors upon certain deceased people...

It is ironic that this is precisely the argument that liberal Protestants used to prove that Jesus was not divine.

"He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err." (Mark 12:27)
 
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Albion

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It is ironic that this is precisely the argument that liberal Protestants used to prove that Jesus was not divine.
Fortunately, there aren't too many of those people and hardly any churches which take that view.

That said, I must confess that I don't see how this issue relates to the idea of humans heaping honors after honors upon departed heroes of some cause or other until they become really extreme.
 
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Mary was the mother of Jesus but that is all. She isn't "our Lady" or any special role other than Christ's Earthly mother. Anything else is extra-biblical.

this is an example of how humans forget history and what their fore fathers believed and they diminish the honors due someone. It happens to political figures all the time.

Each generation outdoes the earlier ones by forgetting titles, rituals, memorials, and so on. So Mary who was always believed by / and taught by the Church as , ever-virgin, conceived without original sin, assumed bodily into heaven, the mother of everyone, Queen of Heaven, is all of a sudden a vessel who housed God. Look how much the protestant phenomena has changed their views of Mary: From Martin Luther and Henry VIII to current day. Rudderless ship is what comes to mind.
 
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zippy2006

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Fortunately, there aren't too many of those people and hardly any churches which take that view.

That said, I must confess that I don't see how this issue relates to the idea of humans heaping honors after honors upon departed heroes of some cause or other until they become really extreme.

Because as David's last post points out, many such honors are related to present-day interventions.
 
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Albion

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Because as David's last post points out, many such honors are related to present-day interventions.
What are you referring to? If I am reading the post you have in mind (#29), he seems to be talking about a prayer to a saint, which is admittedly dressed up with some strange title of honor. But really, that kind of prayer is an old practice and but one example among a bunch of honors and doctrines that are more recent and much more consequential and controversial.
 
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prodromos

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What are you referring to? If I am reading the post you have in mind (#29), he seems to be talking about a prayer to a saint, which is admittedly dressed up with some strange title of honor. But really, that kind of prayer is an old practice and but one example among a bunch of honors and doctrines that are more recent and much more consequential and controversial.
The hymn commemorates the miraculous intervention of the Virgin Mary in saving the city of Constantinople from an ongoing siege.
To Thee, the Champion Leader
 
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ewq1938

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this is an example of how humans forget history and what their fore fathers believed and they diminish the honors due someone. It happens to political figures all the time.

Each generation outdoes the earlier ones by forgetting titles, rituals, memorials, and so on. So Mary who was always believed by / and taught by the Church as , ever-virgin, conceived without original sin, assumed bodily into heaven, the mother of everyone, Queen of Heaven, is all of a sudden a vessel who housed God. Look how much the protestant phenomena has changed their views of Mary: From Martin Luther and Henry VIII to current day. Rudderless ship is what comes to mind.


Better than a sunken ship I would think. Anyways, that isn't true about a rudderless ship. Everything you listed above about Mary except that she was the mother of God the Son, is not biblical and are fabrications of men and not all the church believed those things and luckily not all do today.
 
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