Honoring Mary

October 6th, 2006 · No Comments

I don’t have much time and don’t want to dig through this thread to find the most appropriate place to put this but I haven’t seen this mentioned so far and I’d like to just throw it into the mix. I know that even though as a evangelical-type Protestant I was very familiar with scripture that I completely missed things because the “authority” I listened to had very thoroughly inculcated a bias into me that prevented me seeing what might have otherwise been very plain indeed.

I have already briefly mentioned that in Luke 1:28 when the angel Gabriel greets Mary he uses a title instead of her name and that this is the only place in Sacred Scripture where an angel uses a title rather than a name for one of God’s creatures. “Fully-Graced One” as I have sometimes seen it rendered and that this title conveys a sense that she is not only now fully-graced but has always been and that this title cannot refer to her status as the Mother of God because she had not yet given her consent. It is from this passage that the scriptural basis for the Immaculate Conception is drawn.

Now let’s go to another passage of Sacred Scripture that I used to skip right over as interesting and primarily historical but with meditation and a loss of the previously mentioned inculcated bias….starts to look much, MUCH more interesting Luke 1:41-56…The Visitation.

Quote:

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit,
42 cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
43 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” 46 And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; 47 my spirit rejoices in God my savior. 48 For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. 49 The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him. 51 He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart. 52 He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. 53 The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy, 55 according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” 56 Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Please note that in verse 42 we are told that the things Elizabeth says and does here are done while she is filled with the Holy Spirit. It was the sound of Mary’s greeting that caused the baby John to leap in the womb of Elizabeth and not just the presence of Jesus. Elizabeth is HONORED by the visit of the Mother of her Savior….not just the fact that Mary brought Jesus to her. Remember Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit here so we cannot just chalk up what she says to cultural greetings. Elizabeth could have said “Who am I that you should have brought my Savior to me?” No…it is that the Mother of her Savior visits and not just the presence of the Savior. Next she says that Mary is blessed among women and so is her baby and she uses the very same word to describe both (remember she is FILLED with the Holy Spirit….we cannot easily turn away from her choice of words here). What an amazing parallel! Do I think that she is saying that Mary is divine….NO!!!….but do I think that she is honoring and venerating Mary because of who she is? YES!! Elizabeth clearly honors Mary here independent from the honor she gives Jesus in this encounter.

Tags: Uncategorized