QUOTE
From among the descendants of Eve, God chose the Virgin Mary to be the mother of his Son. "Full of grace", Mary is "the most excellent fruit of redemption" (SC 103): from the first instant of her conception, she was totally preserved from the stain of original sin and she remained pure from all personal sin throughout her life.
Mary is truly "Mother of God" since she is the mother of the eternal Son of God made man, who is God himself.
Mary "remained a virgin in conceiving her Son, a virgin in giving birth to him, a virgin in carrying him, a virgin in nursing him at her breast, always a virgin" (St. Augustine, Serm. 186, 1: PL 38, 999): with her whole being she is "the handmaid of the Lord" (⇒ Lk 1:38).
The Virgin Mary "co-operated through free faith and obedience in human salvation" (LG 56). She uttered her yes "in the name of all human nature" (St. Thomas Aquinas, S Th III, 30, 1). By her obedience she became the new Eve, mother of the living.
UNQUOTE
Mary in New Testament
God in His infinite wisdom, ensured that Mary is given minimum exposure in the New Testament.
Jesus never call Mary "Mother" in the New Testament.
Jesus said, 'Woman, what do you want from me? My hour has not come yet.' (John 2:4 New Jerusalem Bible)
Seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, 'Woman, this is your son.' (John 19:26 New Jerusalem Bible)
They were overcome when they saw him, and his mother said to him, 'My child, why have you done this to us? See how worried your father and I have been, looking for you.' He replied, 'Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?' (Luke 2:48-49 New Jerusalem Bible)
All who does the will of God is Jesus's brother, sister and mother. Mary also must do the will of God and obey her Lord, that is Jesus.
He was still speaking to the crowds when suddenly his mother and his brothers were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with him. But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, 'Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?' And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.' (Matthew 12:46-50 New Jerusalem Bible)
Now his mother and his brothers arrived and, standing outside, sent in a message asking for him. A crowd was sitting round him at the time the message was passed to him, 'Look, your mother and brothers and sisters are outside asking for you.' He replied, 'Who are my mother and my brothers?' And looking at those sitting in a circle round him, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. Anyone who does the will of God, that person is my brother and sister and mother.' (Mark 3:31-35 New Jerusalem Bible)
It happened that as he was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, 'Blessed the womb that bore you and the breasts that fed you!' But he replied, 'More blessed still are those who hear the word of God and keep it!' (Luke 11:27-28 New Jerusalem Bible)
Immaculate Conception
The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was defined by Pope Pius IX in his papal bull Ineffabilis Deus on 8th December 1854.
Assumption of the Virgin Mary
Pope Pius XII proclaimed the doctrine of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on 1st November 1950 in his papal bull Munificentissimus Deus. This dogma states that Mary, "after the completion of her earthly life was assumed body and soul into the glory of heaven." This means that Mary was assumed, body and soul, into heaven, just as Enoch, Elijah, without experiencing physical death.Mary glorified
The whole Trinity, O Mary, gave thee a name above every name, after that of thy Divine Son, so that in thy name every knee should bend, of things in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth.
Mary's Name Is Sweet in Life and in Death
The Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus de Liguori
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