The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friend,

From the womb of the Blessed Virgin came forth God and man. This dogma of the divine maternity of the Blessed Virgin was defined at the Council of Ephesus in 431. In 1931 the fifteenth centenary of this great Council, Pope Pius XI instituted today's feast.

Even as Jesus was subject to Mary and Joseph as so clearly illustrated in today's Gospel: "And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them.", today's Gospel also shows us that Jesus was subject to His heavenly Father: "Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?". We see in this a positive manifestation of both the divinity and humanity of Christ.

Mary bore Jesus in her womb and gave birth to Him. She therefore bore God because Jesus is God. Thus it must become obvious to all honest searchers for the truth that she is the mother of God.

The Council of Ephesus declared against Nestorius: "If any one does not confess that the Emmanuel (Christ) in truth is God and that on this account the Holy Virgin is the Mother of God _ since according to the flesh she brought forth the Word of God made flesh _ let him be anathema."

This dogma contains two truths we should understand: 1) Mary is truly a mother, that is, she contributed everything to the formation of the human nature of Christ, that every other mother contributes to the formation of the fruit of her body; 2) Mary is truly the Mother of God, that is, she conceived and bore the Second Person of the Divinity, not indeed according to the Divine Nature, but according to the assumed human nature.

"The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (St. Luke 1, 35)

"God sent His Son made of a woman." (Gal. 4, 4)

As we are members of the Mystical Body of Christ we must of necessity become children of Mary. "All of us who are united to Jesus Christ and are members of His Body were born of Mary, as a body is joined to its head. She is Mother of us all spiritually but truly Mother of the members of Christ." (Pope Pius XI, Encyclical Ad diem illum)

Mary is truly the instrument that God used to bring Himself (Jesus) to us. So it logically follows that she is likewise the instrument that we must use to bring ourselves to Him. If we wish to approach Jesus successfully the most direct method is obviously through His Mother. She is that link connecting humanity with the divinity.

All those who neglect or turn away from Mary of necessity neglect and turn away from Christ who is her Son. And so, Mary becomes a telling test of the true faith. All those religions that refuse to honor her must be false.

To be true children of God and the Church necessitates that we be true children of Mary. The Church has always honored her and called upon her intersession. She is invoked in necessities. Even in the Exorcism of the Church we find that she is invoked and we see that the devils fear and tremble at the mere mention of her name.

While putting our hope and trust in her intercession, we must likewise be cautious that we not sink into superstition. There are many who use the name of Mary without truly understanding or calling upon her. It is much as Our Lord said of Himself: "These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me." So there are many "Catholics" who repeat the Hail Marys of the rosary so many times but, never truly pray to Mary and ask her intercession.

Our hearts must be filled with the love of Mary while her name sweetly falls from our lips. When our prayers are offered in this way, it causes the devils to flee, and entices Mary to come to our aid. And when Mary comes to our aid and intercedes on our behalf, her Son can not refuse her.

Let us not hesitate to ask Mary for her assistance, she is our mother, and is anxiously awaiting our call for help. She loves her children and will obtain for them the most tremendous graces, it they will only acknowledge her as their mother and call upon her as her humble loving children.

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