The shepherds arrived in Bethlehem – in a lowly manger to find a small family –Joseph there protecting Mary and Jesus – mother and Child – who is this child? –the Messiah? The Son of Man – the Son of God – claiming to be God – yet a son in the lineage of David – who really is this child?
It is the early 5th century – Christianity has been legal for just over one hundred years – but debates, challenges, questions, and controversies still rage on nonetheless – Many are about just who Christ is. Is he God or a Man? Or both? Yet how can he be both? – and is he a human person? Or a divine person? Or both? Something different entirely?
To answer this question – debate came down to what is Mary’s relationship to Christ - In 431 came down to a straightforward question – How is Mary’s Christ’s Mother? Can she be called the Mother of God? If she is the Theotokos, God Bearer, the Mother of God – then Jesus is a divine person, the second person of the Trinity taken on flesh. A divine person with a whole human nature – body, mind, and soul – yet still a divine person with a divine nature. By united human nature in the divine person – we are saved by being pulled into the inner life of God himself.
Yet others argued against his – one example is Nestorius – then the Patriarch of Constantinople – who argued that this was unacceptable - Mary could be called the Christokos – Christ-bearer – the Mother of Christ – but not Theotokos – God-bearer – the Mother of God.
For Nestorius – no human person could possibly be able to be the mother of God – for God is eternal. So he thought that Mary gave birth to the human nature of Christ – the anointed one, but not to the divine person, for a divine person, must be separate from human nature. Hence arguing that it was only possible to be the Mother of Christ.
No one knows for sure what Nestorius precisely meant– but this would seem to suggest that it is impossible for Jesus to bring us into the inner life of God because Christ – Jesus’ human nature, is separated from the divine person – the Son of God. – By only admitting Mary to be the Mother of Christ but refusing to recognize Mary as the Mother of God – Nestorius has reduced who Jesus is. – and denied part of the great mystery of Christ and how he saved us.
This is a question that may seem to be about Mary – but it is really about who Christ is – and it is the question before the Council of Ephesus in 431– A question answered firmly. What is Mary’s relationship to Christ – Mary is the Theotokos – the God-bearer – The Mother of God. For she gave birth to Jesus – the second person of the Trinity taken on human nature. Yes Jesus is eternal, existing from before time – but he has taken and human nature and was born of the virgin. – one from eternity has entered into time – Mary is his mother – and he is the second person of the Trinity - God – it is a great Mystery – but there is no other way to put this than to call Mary the Mother of God.
It is this title of Mary – Mother of God - that is most foundations – Her Immaculate Conception? – was so that she would be worthy of being the Mother of God – Her assumption into heaven? What else could be for the Mother of God? – her coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth? She is the Mother of God - What else could be? And Mary as Mother of the Church? The Church is the body of Christ, and Mary is his mother – She must be the Church’s mother – and our mother.
Today in the Catholic Church, there is little controversy about the importance of our blessed Mother – just see this feast day today. However, there are still those who squirm about the high status we give to Mary – yet, what else could be? – for to lower Mary is to lower Christ. Nestorius thought no human person could be the Mother of God – and by doing so, lowered who Christ was. – Mary is that important – for it is through her that God entered the world – being part of a family with a Mother – just as all the rest of us – he came into the world to save us.
On Christmas, we celebrated the birth of Christ – Emmanuel – God with Us – A feast that we have continued through the octave and will continue through the Christmas season. Today, it is exactly one week from Christmas Day – it is the octave day, the eighth day – It is on this day that Christ would have been circumcised and given the name Jesus by his parents. And it is on this day that we remember Mary, his mother – The Mother of God.
As we begin this new civil year – let us make a point to go to Christ’s mother – the Mother of God – our mother, – Mary. Let us talk to her and go to her as our mother. Perhaps this is praying a rosary every day. – or perhaps something much simpler – just a Hail Mary when getting out of bed and when going to bed. Or perhaps just in our own words, perhaps spending time in front of an image of Mary.
But no matter exactly how or in what words – let us turn to Mary our Mother – for there is no better way to Christ than through her – for she is his mother – In a great mystery - she is the Mother of God.