“The best thing about Mary is that her son turned out so well.”
—Inscription on a Conception Abbey greeting card
They didn’t give out Mother of the Year awards in 33 AD.
But if they did, Mary of Nazareth would have taken the prize.
Certainly, she’d have the whole “Mother of God” thing in her favor. But she was also a real woman who sewed her son’s clothes, faithfully followed his career and stayed at his side when he was suffering.
For some Christians, Mother’s Day serves as a reminder of the woman from Nazareth who became the most revered mother of the past 2,000 years.
But different denominations have different responses to Mary, ranging from benign neglect to veneration.
Throughout May, Catholics celebrate the woman they call “Queen of Heaven,” “Star of the Sea,” “Seat of Wisdom”, “Comforter of the Afflicted” and a variety of other poetic and spiritual appellations.
The Catholic Church’s reverence for Mary has earned it the scorn—and occasionally the derision—of Protestant denominations of all stripes.
At best, Catholics are mocked for worshiping statues.
At worst, they’re damned to hell for idolatry.
But Catholic theologians argue the church’s devotion to Mary is rooted in a fundamental belief of God’s love and Christ’s redemption.
All you need is love
Here’s one thing Christians agree on: Mary’s life was about love—relentless, continuous, undiminished, Mother-of-the-Year kind of love.
Any honor of her own, any grace she received, she gave away, said the Rev. John Laurance, associate professor of theology at Marquette University.
“She didn’t say, ‘I’m the greatest mother in the world, so I don’t need you kids,’” Laurance said. “She didn’t hold on to that grace, she spread it around. That’s what a mother is.”
Ideally, the church community should use Mary’s love as a model for their dealings with one another.
“We love God in and through one another,” Laurance said. “That’s what she represents.”
Worship worries
Here’s something all Catholic school children know: You don’t pray to Mary and the saints, you ask them to intercede for you.
“We believe in the power of intercessory prayers,” said the Rev. Randy Timmerman of St. John Vianney Catholic Church, Janesville.
Timmerman points to the story in the Gospel of Mark where a sick man’s friends lowered him through the roof so he could be near Christ. It doesn’t say that the sick man asked for help.
“It was the power of his friends’ faith that brought healing, ” Timmerman said.
Why not just go straight to Christ?
Again, it’s about believing in intercessory prayer and in love of a community united in Christ.
“It’s like if someone asked me to pray for them, and I said, ‘Why don’t you just pray to Jesus?’” Laurance said.
For many Protestants, kneeling in front of a statue and asking Mary to “intercede” is the same as worshiping her.
The problem is the word “worship,” which has been watered down, Laurance said.
But the early church made clear distinctions so believers knew which side their theological bread was buttered on.
In Latin, worship of God is defined as “latria,” while the honor and veneration given to Mary is defined as “hyperdulia” Laurance said. It is a term reserved for Mary alone.
“Jesus is the mediator of grace,” Timmerman said.