This document discusses Mary, the mother of Jesus. It provides biblical passages that describe Mary's conception and bearing of Jesus, establishing her as the Mother of God. While Jesus is fully God and fully man, he was conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary's womb and born of Mary. The document also discusses how Mary serves as an example for Christians to imitate through hearing and obeying God's word, and spiritually giving birth to Christ through good works.
2. “Behold, you will conceive and bear a son” (Luke 1:31) “Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.” (Mt 1:20) “Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.” (Is 7:14)
5. "Can it indeed be that God dwells among men on earth? If the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you, how much less this temple which I have built!” (1 Kgs 8:27) “That which the heavens cannot contain, has become man in the womb of Mary!”
6. “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43) “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.” (John 2:1) “Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit.” (Mt 1:18) “Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son.” (Jn 19:25-26) Mother of Jesus
7. Jesus is true man Jesus is God Jesus is both God and man in the same person
8. GOD’S HUMILITY This is credible precisely because it is crazy It is certain precisely because it is impossible It is divine precisely because it is not what man would do
9. “You are my son; I have begotten you!” (Heb 1:5) “In the title Mother of God, all honor is included; no one could say anything greater of her, or to her, even if he had as many tongues as there are blades of grass or stars in the sky or grains in the sand in the sea. We must let our hearts reflect on what it means to be the Mother of God” MARTIN LUTHER
10. Ecumenical Title “We believe, teach and confess that Mary. . . is rightly called, and truly is, the Mother of God” (formula composed after Luther’s death) “In my opinion Mary is rightly called the Genetrix of God, the divine Theotokos, chosen even before she could have faith” - Zwingli “Scripture explicitly tells us that he who is to be born of the Virgin Mary will be called the Son of God and that the same time Virgin is the Mother of our Lord” - John Calvin
11. “What use would it be to me that Christ was born once of Mary in Bethlehem if he were not born of faith in my soul too?” - Origen “My mother and my brethren are those who hear the word of God and do it” (Luke 8:21) Imitation of Mary
12. Unfulfilled maternities: Abortion Test Tube Spiritual level those who conceive Jesus without giving him birth those who gave birth to Christ without having conceived him “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like.” (Jas 1:23-24) "Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Mk 7:6)
13. “We are mothers of Christ when we carry him in our hearts and bodies through divine love and a pure and sincere conscience, we bring him forth through works which must be a shining example to others. . . O, how blessed and dear, how pleasant, humble, peaceful, sweet, amiable and desirable above all things to have such a brother and such a son as Our Lord Jesus Christ!” St Francis of Assisi
14. “His Mother carried him in her womb, may we carry him in our hearts; the Virgin became pregnant with the Incarnation of Christ, may our heart become pregnant with faith in Christ; she brought forth the Savior, may our souls bring forth salvation and praise. May our souls be not sterile, but fertile for God” St Augustine
15. “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven” (Mt 5:16)