Transcript Adult Education Week - St Ann Catholic Church, Fayetteville

Pentecost – Mary in the
Upper Room
Mary in the Early Church
 Theotokos, Ever-Virgin, New
Eve
Mary in the Middle Ages
Mary and the Protestant
Reformation
Mary and the Modern
Church- Vatican II
The Marian Dogmas
Pentecost: The Birth
of the Church
Mary is joined with
the Disciples in
Prayer
She is there at the
command of her
Son…”behold your
mother.”
When they entered the city they went
to the upper room where they were
staying, Peter and John and James
and Andrew, Philip and Thomas,
Bartholomew and Matthew, James son
of Alpheus, Simon the Zealot, and
Judas son of James. All
these
devoted themselves with
one accord to prayer,
together with some
women, and Mary the
mother of Jesus, and his
brothers.... (there was a group of
about 120 persons in the one place).
(Acts 1:13-15)
 Luke / Acts
 At the Annunciation she accepts the role of
Mother of God
 At Pentecost she receives the role of Mother of the
Church
 At Nazareth, Mary received the Holy Spirit
and was empowered to carry Christ within
her womb
 At Pentecost she receives the Holy Spirit to fulfill her role
as the First Disciple
 At Bethlehem she carried the infant Christ
 At Pentecost she carries the infant Church
 Pauline Writings
 Paul never mentions
Mary by name
 Paul’s use of Mary to
explain Christ historically
 Galatians – “born of a
woman”
 Paul uses the concept of
the New Adam to speak
about Christ – (Romans)
 Early Church began to
speak of Mary as the
 “New Eve” is was
the first title given
to Mary
 Theotokos
 Elizabeth's cry, "And why is
this, that the mother of my
Lord should come to me?",
 Definition of Mary as the
Mother of God was
established as a touchstone
of orthodoxy. – Ephesus
431 AD and Chalcedon 451
AD
 Definition “Mother of God”
 Speaks of Jesus Divinity
 Luke 1:34 "How shall this be done, for I know not
man."
 Matthew 1 :25 “and knew her not until she had brought forth
her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.”
 The New Testament references Jesus' adelphoi, which
can mean either "brothers" or "kinsfolk" (not cousins)
 In 107, Ignatius of Antioch described the virginity of
Mary as "hidden from the prince of this world…
loudly proclaimed, but wrought in the silence of
God".
 Fifth Ecumenical Council of Constantinople in 553
 Before, during and after the Birth of Jesus
 Representations of Mary tell
the story…
 Eastern Church
 Mary is the gateway to
Christ
 It is Mary who presents
her Son to the world
 The Virgin Hodegetria
 ACTIVE ROLE
 Representations of Mary
reflect culture and time
 Representations of Mary tell the
story…
 Western Church portrays
Mary as the Throne of
Wisdom – Ark of the
Covenant
 New Titles develop
 Once attributed to the Holy




Spirit
“Seat of Wisdom”
Morning Star
All Chaste
All Fair and Immaculate
 The Rosary – St. Dominic
1214 AD
 The Angelus – 1254 AD
 A positive result
 Improved perception of
women across society.
 Church approval of the
veneration of Mary, and a
view of her as the
intercessor for sins, led to
more respect for women,
particularly those from the
upper reaches of society.
 Reformers such as Martin Luther, John
Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli
 Maintained the ancient dogmas concerning –
Mother of God, Ever Virgin, The Assumption,
The Immaculate Conception
 Later reformers lessened the significance of
Mary’s role in salvation history because it was
stressed by the Roman Catholic Church
 Saw contradiction in the Roman Catholic View
that Mary was in any way involved in the
mediation of Grace
 Catholic Counter Reformation
 Resurgence of Marian devotions
 Stress placed on Marian virtues
 Patience, purity, maternity,
endurance, virginity
 Francis de Sales, Theresa of Avila,
John of the Cross
 Refocused image of Mary as
disciple and image of the Church
 Mary as Protector and Mediator
 The Immaculate Conception of Mary
 Defines that Mary was without original sin and actual sin
 Rational: How could anyone but a holy soul, holy since
conception and throughout her whole life
 Mary was filled with every grace because she bore in her
womb the fountain of all graces, Jesus Christ
 Immaculate Conception defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854
 The Assumption
 Linked to “full of Grace” and by reason of Christ’s own death
and Resurrection and Ascention
 "having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed
body and soul into heavenly glory."
 Mary was transported into Heaven with her body and soul
united.
 Doctrine was defined by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950
 The Assumption of Mary into Heaven body and
soul
 Linked to “full of Grace” and by reason of Christ’s own
death and Resurrection and Ascention
 "having completed the course of her earthly life, was
assumed body and soul into heavenly glory."
 Mary was transported into Heaven with her body and
soul united.
 Doctrine was defined by Pope Pius XII on November 1,
1950
 Mary as a fellow member of the Church, not as a semi-
divine being
 Go back to what the scriptures state about Mary
 Warned Catholics not to place belief in Mary's power of
intercession over their belief in Jesus Christ as the one
mediator between God and humans.
 Model of a Christian, but she does not have any special
powers.
Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
For He whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.
Has risen, as He said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world
through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant
we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin
Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen