I found this video at Conversion Diary, which is, in my opinion, one of the best blogs on the Internet. I also stole the title of the post, but what can I say...imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
For many people, Catholic teachings on Mary are some of the most 'Catholic' teachings out there. Personally, there were some things I was uncomfortable with at first, and even at my confirmation I wasn't totally impressed with Mary. As with many other points, the more I've studied, the more I've come to admire the beauty and truth of the Catholic doctrine.
Note that this video doesn't mention Catholicism at all: there's nothing from any pope, council, theologian (except John), or even the church fathers (except mentioning that we should read them). All the content of the video is taken from Scripture.
I'm impressed not just with the power of the content, but on how much is packed into 11 minutes. Still, there's a lot that can be said about Mary. The video says very little about the perpetual virginity of Mary, so I'd like to direct readers to Against Helvidius by St. Jerome, who covered the topic very thoroughly back in the fourth century.
I especially love the idea of the 'Ark of the New Covenant.' Veneration of Mary doesn't distract from the praise of God, because God is the glory of Mary, and admiration Mary is admiration of the beauty of God.
Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
I saw this video at ConversionDiary (from where I found your blog). As I said in my other comment, I'm in the Anglican church, and we don't 'do' Mary. Moreover I've always considered Marian doctrines as part of the 'downside' of having Tradition as an Authority alongside scripture. I just assumed that it was all made up by Church Fathers who wanted a pure and feminine figure to worship alongside the Father and the Son - ie a form of rank paganism.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I watched the video with growing excitement and awe. Oh, I thought, this actually begins to make sense... how beautiful.
Still, what about that whole 'eternal virgin' thing? How can the plain reading of Scripture regarding Jesus having brothers and sisters be so readily discarded?
But nevertheless, I will never again treat the feasts of Mary in the church with the smug disdain I once did...
Of course, there is no need for Mary's prayers if we are saved by faith alone. And I was just skimming over some Luther, and he explains in the middle of his commentary on Galatians that, as Paul says, the Law is a minister of sin, because it reveals our sins to us. Then he says, "All who say that faith alone in Christ does not justify a person, convert Christ into a minister of sin, a teacher of the Law, and a cruel tyrant who requires the impossible. All merit-seekers take Christ for a new lawgiver."
ReplyDeleteChrist merely becomes a different flavor of the Law if merit has anything whatsoever to do with our salvation. Christ is a new minister to sin, if merits must still be allocated after reception of grace. In this way Catholics do obscure the gospel!
But of course, if one views the teachings of the magisterium as something that is as binding as Scripture, by its own virtue, then one will not be persuaded by this logical argument. One will be forced to just say, "Well, your understanding of the gospel is wrong, because it doesn't correspond with the Magisterium's teachings." And that is why authority is soooooo critical. And that leads us right back to our e-mail debate/dialogue, Austin :)