Marian May
Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you’re curious about Mary yourself or looking to express your own devotion to someone else in a better way, here are a few answers to common questions.
How was Mary the Mother of God?
The first, and most obvious reason why The Virgin Mary is so important is because she was chosen to be the Mother of God. As a virgin, she gave the second person of the Trinity a physical body, nurtured Him as a baby, and raised Him. Since Jesus is fully God and fully man, the title “Mother of God” is an accurate statement. And a mortal giving birth to an eternal being is still an unfathomable miracle.
When the woman in the crowd touched the hem of Jesus’s garment, she was healed of a hemorrhage that doctors could not heal. If touching the hem of Our Lord’s garment could do that to a person who had faith in Jesus, what would carrying Our Lord in your womb for nine months do? What would living with Jesus, caring for Him, holding Him, and loving Him for thirty years after that do?
(For more information, see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 487-507)
Why is Mary celebrated so much?
Throughout the Old and New Testament, incredibly important faith leaders stumbled. Almost everyone fell short at some point when it came to faith. Adam and Eve, Jacob, Moses & Aaron, Joshua, Samson, King David, King Solomon, and more. Abraham trusted God fully, and thus was chosen to be the father of Israel. In the New Testament, when Mary is told by an angel that she will give birth to Jesus, she responds without an ounce of doubt. Instead, she only rejoices in being chosen to do God’s will.
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
(Luke 1:38, NABRE.)
Later in the Gospels, when Christ is preaching and a woman calls out “Blessed is the womb that carried you and the breasts at which you nursed.” He replied, “Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”(Luke 11:27-28, NABRE).
Not only does this tell us what makes someone great in the eyes of God, it tells us why Mary was so important to begin with. From the example of her perfect faith in God, we learn how to have Faith.
(For more information, see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 971)
Why do Catholics pray to Mary?
Catholics believe that the saints are alive because they are with God in heaven. Since Mary has had the greatest faith, she is the greatest saint who we ask to pray for and with us. In the Wedding At Cana, Mary saw the bride and groom were in need, and she spoke to Jesus on their behalf. We do the same when we pray to Mary and the saints, we ask for them to pray for us and with us to God.
We understand her intercessory role that she exercises from two perspectives: 1) her being our mother; and 2) from the perspective of the place Mary holds in the Mystical Body of Christ, the neck. Jesus is the Head, and Mary is the neck of the mystical body of Christ. All that comes from Christ flows through the neck, hence Mary’s role as mediatrix of all graces, to the rest of the body. And, all that the rest of the body offers to the Son come to Him through the neck, Mary. Hence, the expression of St. Louis de Monteforte: “To Jesus, through Mary” and the reciprocal is true to: “From Jesus, through Mary”.
(For more information, see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 964-970)
How is Mary our Mother?
Jesus died on the cross to pay the debt of sin. We who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, are baptized, and receive His sacraments now have the eternal life of Christ within us. Jesus saw fit to share all of His inheritance with us, including the love of His mother and foster father. At the foot of the cross, He said to Mary and John “Woman behold thy son. Son, behold thy mother.” After the crucifixion, the disciples took care of Mary as they would their own mother, and Mary loved the disciples as her own sons and daughters because they were all one family in Christ.
(For more information, see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 964-970)
How was Mary conceived without sin?
God saved Mary from original sin before she was born. A lifeguard could save someone from drowning by jumping into the water to get them, or by catching someone who was about to fall into the water. Because Christ needed to be the perfect sacrifice, Mary had to be conceived without sin.
Considering the sacrifice of Christ upon the True Cross, a sacrifice that had to be of a perfect, unblemished human nature to pay the debt of all sin: past, present, and future. Thus, Mary was immaculately conceived so she could offer her perfect humanity to the Second Person of the Trinity to become the sacrificial offering. It is from this foundation that we come to understand Mary’s motherhood and therefore the fact that Mary was essential to God’s plan for our salvation.
(For more information, see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 490-493)
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