About Mary

[Gregory Thompson]

What does the Orthodox church believe about Mary?
How is this different from the Catholic teaching?

 

[buzuxi02]

She is the Theotokos and ever-Virgin Mary. As a loving mother she prays to her Son on our behalf. That pretty much sums up the essentials.
Differs from RC:
We don't believe immaculate conception doctrine.
Something in the R.C. about Mary being a mediatrix. Whatever that is we don't have such a teaching or belief.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

She is the Theotokos and ever-Virgin Mary. As a loving mother she prays to her Son on our behalf. That pretty much sums up the essentials.
Differs from RC:
We don't believe immaculate conception doctrine.
Something in the R.C. about Mary being a mediatrix. Whatever that is we don't have such a teaching or belief.

Thank you for responding.
.
The mediatrix, is related to her role in our salvation in the Catholic teachings from what I've absorbed.
.
What I gather from what you said is that her current role is to pray for us from the cloud of witnesses in heaven.

 

[buzuxi02]

Correct. Prayer's of the heavenly saints, the Communion of the saints.Mary intercedes on our behalf.
At the wedding feast in Cana. Jesus mother came to him to intercede and produce more wine for the guests. After some hesitation Jesus relented to His mother's request. Mary then instructed the servants to do as Jesus tells them (John 2:3-5).
The servants are a type for us.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Correct. Prayer's of the heavenly saints, the Communion of the saints.
At the wedding feast in Cana. Jesus mother came to him to intercede on behalf of the guests to produce more wine. After some hesitation Jesus relented. Mary instructed the servants to do as Jesus tells them (John 2:3-5)

That sounds more balanced, Mary isn't God but a special relationship remains due to trust cultivated during their lifetime.

 

[ArmyMatt]

there is also no doubt for us that she died before her body was assumed into heaven. there is no gray area for us there.

and you can call her Mediatrix, but only in the sense of what buz said. she has boldness in her prayers before the Son whom she gave flesh. we do not tie it in to how grace is dispensed, which is where Rome gets it wrong.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Thank you.
.
Next question about Mary, what does "venerate" mean in that Mary is to be venerated?

 

[Lukaris]

Thank you.
.
Next question about Mary, what does "venerate" mean in that Mary is to be venerated?

I think it is to honor, emulate, love etc. as per the Lord on the cross telling his disciple to behold her. ( John 19:26-27 ).

 

[ArmyMatt]

Thank you.
.
Next question about Mary, what does "venerate" mean in that Mary is to be venerated?

we give her respect is due her. in Scripture she was venerated by the Archangel Gabriel, St Elizabeth, random people, and her Son.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

I think it is to honor, emulate, love etc. as per the Lord on the cross telling his disciple to behold her. ( John 19:26-27 ).

we give her respect is due her. in Scripture she was venerated by the Archangel Gabriel, St Elizabeth, random people, and her Son.

Thank you. I get from this to regard her as an example of how to be like with the other examples in the bible.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Thank you. I get from this to regard her as an example of how to be like with the other examples in the bible.

yep, she is the ultimate example of what we are all to be after her Son

 

[buzuxi02]

In Orthodoxy when we say venerate a saint (to give great honor and respect) it is not on account because the person is an elite or some highly esteemed dignitary. He is venerated because of his labors in magnifying Christ, showing us the Way. We do not venerate a saint in a vacuum but because by honoring and emulating them we are pointed to our common master all the more. It is a reciprocal action.

In Luke 1:48 Mary says, "Henceforth all generations shall call me blessed"... Well this transliteration is actually inaccurate. Mary used the word makariousin which is a future active verb. The word makario itself is interesting in the ways it was used in Greek thought (but that's a topic for another day).

What Mary is actually saying is "henceforth every generation shall bless me". To continually bless one does not mean to simply use the title "blessed" in front of Virgin Mary. It means to magnify her.

 

[HandstoWorkHeartstoGod]

Mary worship. How did it start? In ancient Rome, before Christian influence, Roman deities were worshiped. In Roman culture, groupings of divine male-female complements were made. Non-biblical Latin literature and art supported the worship of same. Greek influence then came to give these false gods the overlay of having emotions and relationships with one another.

Examine the following:

Jupiter - Juno
Neptune - Minerva
Mars - Venus
Apollo - Diana
Vulcan - Vesta
Mercury - Ceres
______________
Jesus - Mary

Because of this precedent, it became normal for the Church of Rome to accept Mary worship. It mirrored what came before. They were more comfortable with this so they added to Holy scripture, Mary worship. Rome would not be the first culture to add/mix Christian belief with current beliefs in that culture. Ask any missionary on that subject. Please understand that I am not attacking Catholics or Catholic understandings.

Jesus and Mary on equal terms as far as being worshiped, respected, or venerated is what is not right. Jesus and His Father deserve all the worship, respect and veneration of humankind.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Mary worship. How did it start? In ancient Rome, before Christian influence, Roman deities were worshiped. In Roman culture, groupings of divine male-female complements were made. Non-biblical Latin literature and art supported the worship of same. Greek influence then came to give these false gods the overlay of having emotions and relationships with one another.

Examine the following:

Jupiter - Juno
Neptune - Minerva
Mars - Venus
Apollo - Diana
Vulcan - Vesta
Mercury - Ceres

Because of this precedent, it became normal for the Church of Rome to accept Mary worship. It mirrored what came before. They were more comfortable with this so they added to Holy scripture, Mary worship.

We are not Rome ... but I seriously doubt that has anything to do with them either.

 

[ArmyMatt]

Mary worship. How did it start? In ancient Rome, before Christian influence, Roman deities were worshiped. In Roman culture, groupings of divine male-female complements were made. Non-biblical Latin literature and art supported the worship of same. Greek influence then came to give these false gods the overlay of having emotions and relationships with one another.

Examine the following:

Jupiter - Juno
Neptune - Minerva
Mars - Venus
Apollo - Diana
Vulcan - Vesta
Mercury - Ceres

Because of this precedent, it became normal for the Church of Rome to accept Mary worship. It mirrored what came before. They were more comfortable with this so they added to Holy scripture, Mary worship.

yeah, that isn't even accurate as far as paganism goes. plus the early Church made a distinction between latria (adoration, glorification, worship which is due God alone) and doula (veneration or respect), one that many protestants forget to look at.

 

[prodromos]

Because of this precedent, it became normal for the Church of Rome to accept Mary worship. It mirrored what came before. They were more comfortable with this so they added to Holy scripture, Mary worship.

Ah, no. There is no demonstrable link between pagan worship of false gods and the Christian veneration of the Saints.

 

[buzuxi02]

Most bible only believers have no idea that Jesus is the Logos which assumed human nature from Mary and made it his own. Many are nestorian-lite that is why they cant' understand the christological title of Theotokos. They more accurately think Jesus is an ordinary human person in which a divine spirit entered into him, not a hypostatic union. Hence Mary does not have any theological implication. From reading the bible only they assume Mary's womb simply created a temporal human hypostasis for the divine nature . This is why Sola scripture is not sufficient it has been detached from the actual practises and beliefs of the Christian community.

 

[HandstoWorkHeartstoGod]

Ah, no. There is no demonstrable link between pagan worship of false gods and the Christian veneration of the Saints.

Prove it!

 

[HandstoWorkHeartstoGod]

Most bible only believers have no idea that Jesus is the Logos which assumed human nature from Mary and made it his own. Many are nestorian-lite that is why they cant' understand the christological title of Theotokos. They more accurately think Jesus is an ordinary human person in which a divine spirit entered into him, not a hypostatic union. Hence Mary does not have any theological implication. From reading the bible only they assume Mary's womb simply created a temporal human hypostasis for the divine nature . This is why Sola scripture is not sufficient it has been detached from the actual practises and beliefs of the Christian community.

 

[prodromos]

Prove it!

Prove a negative? You are the one claiming a link between the two but have not provided anything to corroborate your claim. If anyone has any proving to do it is you.