Mary, Mother of God

by Fr. Peter Richard Kenrick (1840)

"Mary brought forth her first born son."—Luke ii. 7 

Mary is the mother of God, because she is the mother of Jesus Christ. In this Divine Saviour, the divine and human natures are united in an inconceivable manner, of which, however, we may form some idea, although imperfect, by considering the union of soul and body in man. This union is called hypostatic, or personal, because these different natures constitute the person of Christ. As soul and body, although so essentially different as to render their mutual influence on each other inconceivable, are yet so closely united as to form but one and the same person—man; so the divine and human natures, although infinitely distinct, are united in the manner abovementioned, and constitute one and the same person,—Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God, and consequently, Mary, who is His mother, is the mother of God. She is not, indeed, the mother of the divine nature, which exists from all eternity, and could not have had a beginning, as it cannot have an end. But, as in speaking of an ordinary parent, it is literally true to say, that she is mother of the child that she brings forth, although the soul, the more noble portion of man's nature, is nowise derived from her, but immediately created by God; so, in like manner, it is strictly and literally true to say, that Mary is the mother of God because she is the mother of Jesus Christ, who unites in his person the two natures of God and man. Hence holy Elizabeth, when visited by Mary, who had conceived the son of God, exclaimed: "Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke i. 43) The heretic Nestorius denied that Mary was the mother of God, and, by a necessary consequence, denied the hypostatic or personal union of the two natures of God and man in Jesus Christ. He thus made void the cross of Christ, since it is only this union which imparts an infinite value to the sufferings endured by Christ in his human nature. The church condemned this error in the General Council of Ephesus, which asserted the glorious privilege of Mary, by declaring her to be the Mother of God. 

We cannot conceive the greatness of Mary's dignity in being made the mother of God, but we may learn from her divinely inspired lips the cause of this mysterious elevation, which so far surpasses our limited conceptions. "The Lord," says she, in the canticle with which she responded to the pious congratulations of Elizabeth, "has regarded the humility of his handmaid." It was, then, the humility of Mary that, in a special manner, rendered her the object of God's complacency. If we are to form any estimate of the perfection of this virtue in her, by the elevated dignity with which God rewarded it, how great must have been the humility of her, who, enjoying more abundant graces than God had bestowed on any other creature, was still particularly agreeable to God by the humility with which her other extraordinary virtues were accompanied? St. Bernard, when inculcating the necessity of this virtue, says of Mary: "Without humility, I am certain that even her virginity would not have been acceptable to God; for although she pleased him by her virgin purity, still it was her humility that caused her to be made the Mother of God." 

By the mystery of the Incarnation, our nature has been wonderfully ennobled. Jesus Christ, as the son of Mary, is our brother, being made in all things like unto us,—without sin. If, then, the humility of Mary was so wonderfully rewarded, we should remember our obligation to practise this virtue, as that which will most assimilate us to our divine model, Jesus Christ, the first-born of many brethren, and to Mary, his mother by nature, and ours by adoption. This is the only condition on which we can hope to be co-heirs with him of that glory which he has acquired by humbling himself "to death, even to the death of the cross." (Philippians ii. 8) "Learn of me," says he, "to be meek and humble of heart" (Matthew xi. 29) Yes, let us learn humility from Him, who, — although the Lord of all, God of God, Light of Light,—annihilated himself, according to the expression of the Apostle, by taking on him the lowliness of our nature, and whose whole life was a continual practice of the most profound humility. What humility in Him, to be born of a poor virgin—to be esteemed the son of Joseph—to work at an humble trade—to choose poor fishermen for his companions—and end his life in the most humiliating, or, rather, ignominious manner! How strongly does this humility of Christ condemn our pride of birth and ancestry,—our ambition to occupy an elevated station,—and our excessive solicitude when our pride is attacked, by the injuries done to our good name. Ah! Let us look on the mysterious humiliations of the Son of God; let us look on the transcendent rewards he has bestowed on the humility of his Virgin Mother, and let us learn from her bright example to imitate Jesus, and "be meek and humble of heart." 

EXAMPLE

Esther Leggues was the daughter of protestant parents, residing at St. Malo. She received from heaven a very lively faith: from the age of five years she was fond of following the Catholic children to church; and even privately visited the Ursuline Nuns, for whom she contracted great esteem. At six years of age, she resolved to profess the Catholic religion, and began even then to abstain on the days commanded, without any regard to the presence of her parents, who used flesh meat. Her mother was so irritated at this, that she frequently struck her:—Esther remained firm, but conducted herself with great sweetness and respect for her parents. She continued daily to recite the Catholic prayers, and especially to address the mother of God in the words of the Angel: "Hail, Mary." 

One day, when her Catholic companions pretended to flee away from her as a Huguenot, —the name by which protestants were then known in France,—the poor child began to cry, and said, with tears in her eyes; "although all should abandon me, I will endeavour to secure my salvation as well as I can; and although alone, I will be protected by God, and assisted by the Blessed Virgin." 

From that period her young friends became still more attached to her, and favoured more and more her pious intentions. One of them kept her beads for her which Esther would have been afraid to have at home. At the age of ten years, this extraordinary child asked to receive confirmation from the bishop of St. Malo, who, seeing the liveliness of her faith, was unable to refuse her request, and accordingly confirmed her.

She promised to observe the laws of the church, even were her father and mother to kill her, as they sometimes threatened. Meanwhile her parents resolved to bring her to a protestant church. As soon as Esther was aware of this, she besought God to take her out of life; and her prayer was heard, for some short time after- wards she fell dangerously ill. When her companions visited her, she told them that her beads had been taken from her, but that she continued to recite the rosary, by reckoning the decades on her fingers. After a few days' sickness, she resigned her pure soul to the hands of her Creator, whom she had served so innocently, and loved with such early and strong affection.

PRAYER

O holy Mother of God, I am filled with confusion in appearing before one so humble and so holy as thou art, whereas I am nothing but pride and vanity. O thou blessed among women! I adore with thee the ineffable mystery of the incarnation of thy Son, and I beg of thee to obtain for me a lively sense of my obligation to imitate the humility which He teaches me, both in it, and in the other circumstances of His life and death. O Mary, pray to God for me, and pray without ceasing, as thou seest me surrounded with innumerable enemies. May I, through thy intercession, profit by the excess of thy Son's love: may I praise and serve Him on earth, and for ever be associated with thee in loving and enjoying Him in Heaven. Amen. 

PRACTICE

Spend five minutes before Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist, in meditating on the mystery of his incarnation.

ASPIRATION

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for me.