Post by Maggie on Aug 26, 2013 9:51:34 GMT -6
Cradle Catholics really don't get how hard it is for Protestants to understand how Catholics feel about Mary. For the most part, Catholics see little beyond the most sullen disrespect for her and her role in salvation history from Protestants. One writer who does get it was himself an Evangelical who converted. Mark Shea has written at great length about the issues that so divide Protestants and Catholics. That includes a 3 volume work on Mary. One can pardon the Protestant who asks how it is possible to fill 3 volumes, when so relatively little is said about her in scripture. Because he understands Protestant reservations and writes so well, most of what I will say here is borrowed from him.
Some years back one of the weeklies, Time or, maybe, Newsweek did a cover story on Mary as Co-Redemptrix. It caused a sensation. The most common reaction that I can recall after all this time was the one that held that the RCC was rejecting the Trinity and putting Mary up there with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! The mind boggles. This was a textbook case of how Catholic popular piety could (and did) really mislead. In his article Jittery about Mary Shea describes how Pope Benedict, while he was still Josef Ratzinger and in charge of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, received millions of petitions to make "Co-redemptrix" one of Mary's official titles. He did not favor this at all. Why? He felt the language was misleading. "A correct intention is being expressed in the wrong way. For matters of faith, continuity of terminology with the language of Scripture and that of the Fathers is itself an essential element; it is improper simply to manipulate language.”
Shea considers what that correct intention is. I think he gets it exactly right:
In other words, I go back to what I said in the last post. Mary is the first and most perfect Christian. Her entire life was one big yes! to God. She could have said no. I don't know if we take that seriously enough. What was being asked of her was a huge step into the unknown. Still, she said yes and this young Jewish girl, full of grace, has been the model for Christians ever since.
Some years back one of the weeklies, Time or, maybe, Newsweek did a cover story on Mary as Co-Redemptrix. It caused a sensation. The most common reaction that I can recall after all this time was the one that held that the RCC was rejecting the Trinity and putting Mary up there with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! The mind boggles. This was a textbook case of how Catholic popular piety could (and did) really mislead. In his article Jittery about Mary Shea describes how Pope Benedict, while he was still Josef Ratzinger and in charge of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, received millions of petitions to make "Co-redemptrix" one of Mary's official titles. He did not favor this at all. Why? He felt the language was misleading. "A correct intention is being expressed in the wrong way. For matters of faith, continuity of terminology with the language of Scripture and that of the Fathers is itself an essential element; it is improper simply to manipulate language.”
Shea considers what that correct intention is. I think he gets it exactly right:
...it’s worth asking what “correct intention” lies behind the title. And when we do ask, we discover a truth similar to that behind the similarly unofficial honorific “co-Mediatrix.” For while Mary did not die for our sins, it’s also true that her sufferings were joined to those of Jesus, for the good of the Church. That’s not because she’s a goddess. That’s because the innocent sufferings of every Christian in the world are joined to Jesus’ sufferings for the good of the Church. That’s solidly biblical teaching. It’s why Paul could write “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Colossians 1:24). And it’s why the Catholic Faith offers such profound consolation for those who suffer innocently. For since Jesus has joined himself to us in our pain, our pains are joined with his. Our suffering is not simply meaningless garbage that happens to no purpose and does no one any good. Rather, our pain, joined with Jesus on the Cross, has value for his Body, the Church, and makes us participants in the redemption of the world.
In other words, I go back to what I said in the last post. Mary is the first and most perfect Christian. Her entire life was one big yes! to God. She could have said no. I don't know if we take that seriously enough. What was being asked of her was a huge step into the unknown. Still, she said yes and this young Jewish girl, full of grace, has been the model for Christians ever since.