Mother of GOD

Would you get upset or jealous if your friend told you he thought your mother was an awesome lady? What if he said he loved your mother and complimented her? Would you get annoyed at that? If you did, that would be a problem. The contrary would most likely be true; it would be a great joy for you that someone appreciates your mother’s good qualities, respects her, and even loves her.

Mary was blessed by God to be the instrument by which he came into this world. However, she was not just a vessel used by God for one particular mission and then discarded. She actually became the Mother of God; it was her new identity. We know that because Mary was with Christ from the beginning of his life until the end, she was even with the apostles in the beginning of the life of the Church, and she is also with us in our journeys to Heaven. 

Yes, a mother gives birth one time, but her role and identity remain with her for the rest of her life and beyond. That was very much the case for Mary, as it is with all women. 

Obviously, we know that when we call her “Mother of God” we don’t mean that she existed before God or that she was the mother of the Father and Holy Spirit. She is the mother of Jesus, a man, but also the Son of God incarnate, sharing fully in the divinity of his Father and Holy Spirit. That means we can say Jesus is God because he has the same nature as his Father. He is a distinct person, but shares the same nature. It’s similar to the relationship you have with your father: you are two different human persons. 

However, you share the same human nature. Jesus received his whole humanity from Mary. Think about that. He doesn’t have an earthly father, so all his DNA comes from Mary. She was everything to him, and he to her. 

Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit when she exclaimed these words which reveal the truth about who Mary is and what her role was in God’s plan of salvation. 

When we praise Mary, Jesus doesn’t get jealous. He, too, honors his Mother and loves her. St. Maximilian Kolbe once said, “Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.” He was her only Son, and truly had a special place in her heart, as she did for his. 

Let’s not be afraid to be like Elizabeth and praise Mary, rejoicing at her presence in our lives. When she comes to visit us, she always brings Jesus, because her life is centered on Jesus and making him known and loved in the world.