Question about Mary

[Robskiwarrior]

Hi guys,

This isnt a start a flame war thread thing im just curious to know why Mary is so special to people.

I would like to hear why she is held in such high esteem - other than giving birth to the Messiah, from a personal view and maybe a Church view.

I was brought up Anglican you see I dont want to read the wonderful Wikipedia I just want some honest opinion as to why people hold her in such esteem

Thanks

- Rob.

P.S. no excuses to flaming and shouting or proving something for or against Mary - just give your opinion and leave other peoples thoughts alone start a new thread if anything pops up you want to debate... Thanks

 

[Robskiwarrior]

Ok this is my view - maybe I will start things off - but im sure someone can type faster than me somewhere lol

Mary was a very brave young lady, she got the message, took it and embraced it with excitment and joy! A very good model for us all. She loved God and served Him as best she could.

Now - for me this is kinda where it ends... I would rank myself the same as Mary in God's eyes. God uses us all in very different ways, it was her task to give birth to the Messiah. Its my task to do something else (not giving birth though - I hope... well that WOULD be a mirricle )

So thats my view. Look forward to reading more

 

[racer]

Ok this is my view - maybe I will start things off - but im sure someone can type faster than me somewhere lol

Mary was a very brave young lady, she got the message, took it and embraced it with excitment and joy! A very good model for us all. She loved God and served Him as best she could.

Now - for me this is kinda where it ends... I would rank myself the same as Mary in God's eyes. God uses us all in very different ways, it was her task to give birth to the Messiah. Its my task to do something else (not giving birth though - I hope... well that WOULD be a mirricle )

So thats my view. Look forward to reading more

Robski,

Just to save you some confusion and time, there is a whole mariology sub-forum under the Theology forum. You might as well cut, copy and paste these questions to a new thread in the Mariology area. Because, it's only a matter of time before a moderator moves it for youl

 

[Asinner]

She contained the Uncontainable. She is more spacious than the Heavens.

That is one reason she is special.

Love,
Christina

 

[racer]

She contained the Uncontainable. She is more spacious than the Heavens.

That is one reason she is special.

Love,
Christina

Poetic . . . but, literally true? Not quite, metaphorically speaking, you've got something there.

 

[Asinner]

Poetic . . . but, literally true? Not quite, metaphorically speaking, you've got something there.

I don't come up with this stuff on my own.

 

[racer]

I don't come up with this stuff on my own.

Really? Are you referring to my statement that it was poetic, or to my belief that it could only be so in a "metaphorical" sense?

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Originally Posted by Asinner
She contained the Uncontainable. She is more spacious than the Heavens.

That is one reason she is special.

Love,
Christina

I also view the "Mary" in the Bible as "metaphorical" just as Noah, Abraham, Isaac Jacob, David, Solomon, the Apostles, including Paul, as well as the Pharicees and priesthood, were also all "metaphorical".

John 8:42 Jesus then said to them, `If God were your father, ye were loving Me, for I came forth from God, and am come; for neither have I come of myself, but He sent me; 43 wherefore do ye not know my speech? because ye are not able to hear My Word. 44 `Ye are of a father--the devil,

Reve 16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the Name/Word of God who has power over these scourges; and they did not repent and give Him glory.

 

[Asinner]

Really? Are you referring to my statement that it was poetic, or to my belief that it could only be so in a "metaphorical" sense?

I was referencing this . . . "you've got something there."

 

[winsome]

Here are a few reasons why, from a Catholic perspective, Mary is so important.

1. Jesus personally gave us all Mary as our mother. We take this from the words of Jesus on the cross
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. (John 19:26-27)
Where John stands for the whole church.

2. Mary is the new ark of the covenant.
The ark of the old covenant contained:
a) the tablets of the law. Mary’s womb contained the Word of God who became man.
b) the manna from the desert. Mary’s womb contained the living bread that comes down from heaven.
c) the rod of Aaron the high priest. Mary’s womb contained Jesus, the supreme high priest.

3. Mary was sinless and was assumed body and soul into heaven. She is therefore the first of all creatures in heaven.

4. She is the new Eve. Her "yes" to God reversed the "no" of the first Eve

 

[simonthezealot]

I got nuttin'

 

[SharonL]

My opinion has always been the statement Jesus made in the Bible - "I will share my Glory with no-one"

Some churches and some people have Mary on the same level as Jesus and to me that is sharing the Glory of Jesus.

All the time spent praying to Mary is taking away from Jesus. If memory serves me right - the Rosery has over 100 Hail Mary's and only 17 Our Father's - I have just never understood taking so much praise and prayer away from Jesus.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

My opinion has always been the statement Jesus made in the Bible - "I will share my Glory with no-one"

Some churches and some people have Mary on the same level as Jesus and to me that is sharing the Glory of Jesus.

All the time spent praying to Mary is taking away from Jesus. If memory serves me right - the Rosery has over 100 Hail Mary's and only 17 Our Father's - I have just never understood taking so much praise and prayer away from Jesus.

I got nuttin'

I would think that after over a hundred "Mary" threads, someone would at least get something.

 

[ModernDaySpyridon]

She contained the Uncontainable. She is more spacious than the Heavens.

That is one reason she is special.

Love,
Christina

Poetic . . . but, literally true? Not quite, metaphorically speaking, you've got something there.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Nestorianism!

Jesus was fully God in the womb, as he was throughout his earthly life, and still is today. Mary did not contain the Father in her womb, but she did contain the Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, and the perfect Logos, within her.

1 Kings 8:28
"But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!"

That which the heavens could not contain, was contained within the womb of a young Jewish peasant girl, who by her act of ultimate submission, truly made our salvation possible (she did not effect our salvation, merely made it possible in a concrete sense). Mary wasn't just any "old girl": she was the burning bush, which burned with the uncreated light of God's presence, yet was not consumed. She was Jacob's ladder, by which God descended to earth to meet with a rebellious mankind. She was, as was said before, the New Eve, and through her "yes" our salvation was made possible.

 

[racer]

I was referencing this . . . "you've got something there."

Oh, okay!

 

[ModernDaySpyridon]

My opinion has always been the statement Jesus made in the Bible - "I will share my Glory with no-one"

Some churches and some people have Mary on the same level as Jesus and to me that is sharing the Glory of Jesus.

All the time spent praying to Mary is taking away from Jesus. If memory serves me right - the Rosery has over 100 Hail Mary's and only 17 Our Father's - I have just never understood taking so much praise and prayer away from Jesus.

I can't speak for the RCC, but I know that in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the understanding is that the Theotokos (God Bearer/our title for Mary) is honored and venerated for what she became in cooperation with God.

She is never to be worshipped (EVER!), and and she ever lives, we believe, to direct us to God and pray for us that we might be saved. We don't see it as taking away from God.

God is blessed and honored by the lives of his saints.

 

[racer]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Nestorianism!

Oh, please! I was talking about her statement that Mary was more spacious than the heavens . . . .

Jesus was fully God in the womb, as he was throughout his earthly life, and still is today. Mary did not contain the Father in her womb, but she did contain the Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, and the perfect Logos, within her.

And? Who's arguing with you about this?

That which the heavens could not contain, was contained within the womb of a young Jewish peasant girl, who by her act of ultimate submission, truly made our salvation possible (she did not effect our salvation, merely made it possible in a concrete sense). Mary wasn't just any "old girl": she was the burning bush, which burned with the uncreated light of God's presence, yet was not consumed. She was Jacob's ladder, by which God descended to earth to meet with a rebellious mankind. She was, as was said before, the New Eve, and through her "yes" our salvation was made possible.

So, where do you guys get this stuff? Because I pointed out that "Mary" the mortal woman who bore Jesus could only be more spacious than the heavens in a metaphorical sence, you classify me as a Nestorian? Jiminy!

I won't discuss/argue the point any further, because this topic clearly belongs in the Mariology sub-forum.

 

[sunlover1]

My opinion has always been the statement Jesus made in the Bible - "I will share my Glory with no-one"

Hi Sharon.
I feel this way too, but I think some people
don't see it that way, about the Glory
sharing I mean.

sunlover

 

[Asinner]

Hi Sharon.
I feel this way too, but I think some people
don't see it that way, about the Glory
sharing I mean.

sunlover

What verse are you both referring to?

Love,
Christina

 

[ModernDaySpyridon]

So, where do you guys get this stuff? Because I pointed out that "Mary" the mortal woman who bore Jesus could only be more spacious than the heavens in a metaphorical sence, you classify me as a Nestorian? Jiminy!

Sorry, I wasn't meaning to classify you as Nestorian, I misunderstood your statement.

However, although we don't mean that here womb was literally larger than the universe, God cannot be contained by the universe, and yet he was contained, fully, in the womb of Mary.

Not a metaphor...just a mystery.