What are your beliefs about the Blessed Virgin Mary?

That can be summed up to bad English translation. If you took the Greek writing and compared the words used for brothers of Christ it the same word we see used for cousins in the Greek Septuagint. So we can see it is a imprecise word to be translating as brothers. Now did he have cousins sure, and if the tradition is correct Joseph had children from a first wife who passed away so he would have brothers in that since.

A lot of people look at there English bible and act like it feel out of the sky from God's hands. It is written in a exact moment in time, in a language very different than English from a oral tradition that existed before it. So it has to be read in light of Reason and Tradition.

 

I think you nail it right there.
Mary obedience to God allowed the redemption of the world to happen. That is what makes her holy, makes her the New Eve.

 

She is clearly;
-a Virgin at the birth of Christ
-the Mother of God/Mater Dei/Theotokos
-The greatest of all the saints
-Worth of all honor

She was probably;
-Assumed into heaven

She was possibly;
-Perpetually a virgin

She was not and is not;
-Immaculately conceived
-Sinless
-Mediatrix/Co-Redemptrix

 

I would largely echo JoeLaughon's views, except I'd upgrade "perpetually a virgin" to probably and downgrade "assumed into heaven" to possibly. I am not awfully comfortable however with veneration of or devotions to saints in general but would see their role more as a good example to follow.

 

For those who think the perpetual virginity is more likely than the assumption, I am curious to hear your reasons as to why? I have no dog in the fight but I am curious.

 

I will have to admit that both the assumption/ dormition and the perpetual virginity are only based on old traditions. It was wide spread and a common belief. I believe them, So I would so say probably.
What is the reason you side against that on either of those issues?

 

I would say the perpetual virginity is likely because it fits with a common practice at the time, a celibate marriage for devotional reasons connected with religious purity. On the other hand the assumption is...well I could almost say a matter of assumption! Asides from historical precedent, there is no evidence whatsoever. And something so important would surely have been recorded for us in the scriptures. Still, it might have happened I suppose.

 

theotokos

full of grace

role model for all Christians bearing Christ into the world

 

Thanks, that is great point. Did not think of the practices of the time.

 

Peter do you have some resources on the practice of celibate marriage? This to me was a bit of a stumbling block as the idea of a celibate marriage was a bit like a square circle or round rectangle.

 

re: "Greatest woman who ever lived."


Other that being the gestation vessel for bringing the Messiah into the world, what did she do in order to be considered the greatest woman who ever lived? Or was that one instance with regard to her enough for the designation?

 

What a disrespectful view of childbirth. I hope we don't refer to our own earthly mothers as mere gestation vehicles?

Mary is chosen by God to participate in the Incarnation, metaphysically the most astounding event in human history after the Creation: the Infinite becoming finite for our sake. The Word calls her "blessed among women" and that all generations are to call her blessed. She was most highly favored of God and is the Mother of God.

No person beside Mary can say they literally carried God the Son inside them, nursed God the Son and raised God the Son. An immense honor and amazing woman in the faith.

 

I don't think people think sufficiently enough about the notion of God being born... It's just too incommensurate an idea

But if sufficient thought is brought to it, then Mary can't help but rise in our estimation to a very high level

That being said, it is not Mary as mother that is most important about her, which is the core error that Romanists fall into: St. Augustine teaches us, that it was not Mary as mother, but rather Mary's faith, that gave her the most credit

 

Mary as Theotokos or Mother of God‎ - of course!
Perpetual Virginity - yes, makes sense
Assumption - probably
Immaculate Conception - makes sense, He'd want His "vessel" to be pure
Mediatrix - no
Co-Redemptrix - no
Her Place within the Communion of Saints - primacy of honor
Requests for Her Intercession - I like the people that pray for me to be pure of heart - sure!
Veneration - of course, but not worship!

"..... but rather Mary's faith, that gave her the most credit" -

 

I don't know how to put this delicately. I'll just say that the male ego is a fragile thing when it comes to "intimacy" so I imagine Joseph's was too.