Her humility and obedience are a model for us all. Who can fail to be impressed by this young woman’s reply to the angel, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ (Lk.1:26-45) Would that we, when considering the purposes of God, should be so abandoned to praise as was Mary in the Magnificat (Lk.1:46-55) We should make more of Mary, but the Catholic Church makes too much of Mary.
They Testify of Me
Mary is mentioned by name twelve times in the New Testament, most of them in the birth narrative. Looking at those occasions when she is mentioned it is hard to understand how Catholics come to consider her perpetually virginal, immaculately conceived, assumed into heavenly glory, body and soul, Queen of Heaven, and having a salvific role as co-mediatrix with her son, none of which are taught in the Bible.
In fact, the Bible is about someone else entirely. Jesus himself tells his critics, ‘You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness of me.’ (J.5:39)
Depending on which translation you use, Jesus is mentioned in the New Testament by name 986 times (NASB) 1273 times (NIV) 999 times (NRSV) 913 times (KJV). The number rises significantly if we add the pronouns, titles, types and other references to Jesus. None of these mentions is insignificant.
He is the Son of God, the good shepherd, the way, the truth, and the life, the vine on which the branches depend, the one whom God made both Lord and Christ, of whom the Bible declares, ‘there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved .’ (Acts 4:12)
Culture’s Crimes, and Misdemeanours
It was the rise of asceticism, monasticism, and celibacy that led to the characterising of Mary as the perpetual virgin, as a model to follow. We are in danger in every age of recreating Bible characters in the image of our own culture and making of them a cult, as has happened here. The teaching of the perpetual virgin and the elevating of virginity as a greater virtue go against the counsel of the Bible, which declares, ‘Let marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled.’ (Heb.13:5)
Marriage is seen in Scripture as a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church (Eph.5:31-32) It was instituted at the very beginning (Gen.2:24) as central to God’s plan and purpose (Gen.1:28) It cannot be true then, as Catholic dogma insists, that virginity and celibacy stand higher as virtues than marriage.
Joseph, Mary’s husband, clearly had a normal sexual relationship with Mary after Jesus’ birth, ‘he knew her not until she had given birth to a son.’ (Mt.1:25) and the issue of their perfectly healthy and honourable relationship was a family, ‘Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us?’ (Mt.13:55-56)
Catholic teaching speaks of Mary as, not only virginal in her conception of Jesus, but of being immaculately conceived herself, never subject to the curse of Adam, and sinless. If Mary was ‘full of grace’ (Lk.1:28, Douay Rheims) it is argued, this must be so. The Bible, however, tells us, ‘None are righteous, not one.’ (Ro.3:10-12) that Jesus alone is sinless (2 Cor.5:21; 1 Pet.2:22; 1 Jn.3:5). Not only so, Mary herself refers to God, in the Magnificat, as her Saviour (Lk.1:46,47)
Queen of Heaven?
The most difficult dogma to defend it seems to me is Mary’s being ’the Queen of Heaven.’ Just as death came through Eve, according to the Second Vatican Council, so life comes through Mary. It was Mary, they insist, who offered up her son to God as a sacrifice for sin, and who suffered along with Jesus.
She is called Queen of Heaven because of her role as the mother of the Saviour, but also because of the part she played in the work of salvation, in offering her son. In that role she acts as a mediator, our advocate with her son. That is why Catholics pray to her. Consider the following quotes:
‘Every grace and blessing possessed by the Church, all the treasures of light, holiness, and glory that abide in her, on earth as well as in Heaven, all are due to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary . . . Let us acknowledge, then, that her heart is the origin of everything noble, rich, and precious in all the holy souls who form the universal Church in Heaven and on earth. It is the source of salvation.’ St. John Eudes
‘Through the intercession of Mary many souls are in Paradise who would not be there had she not interceded for them, for God has entrusted her with the keys and treasures of the heavenly kingdom.’ St. Thomas Aquinas
‘Our sanctity depends on the degree of our nearness to Mary. She is the nearest to God, and if we are the nearest to her then we therefore will be nearest, through her, to God Himself.’ St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe
The Bible does, indeed, speak of a Queen of Heaven, the Canaanite goddess Astarte. God, speaking through Jeremiah says, ‘The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger.’ (Jer.7:18)
There is only one Redeemer, one Advocate with the Father. It is God’s ‘beloved Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.’ (Col.1:13,14) The Bible is very clear Jesus, ‘offered himself without blemish to God…’ (Heb.9:14) In John’s gospel Jesus promises, ‘Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.’ (Jn.14:13,14)
Of course, this isn’t an invitation to bring Jesus a wish list. To ask anything in his name is to ask anything consistent with his character and will. In the ancient world a person’s name represented his character. What is missing from this and similar texts is Mary. We are to ask Jesus, with no one mediating between us and our Saviour.
‘For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.’ (1 Tim.2:5)
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