Marian Piety: How Does One Get There From Protestantism?

In an email exchange a number of weeks ago, I responded to a Protestant minister who let me know how disheartened he was to learn that I had become a Roman Catholic. I listened to his talk on line that was called 'Mariolotry' in a series on Church History he was giving at his parish church. As a result of reading Benedict XVI and von Balthasar's book Mary: The Church at the Source, I responded to his concerns and thoughts about Catholics bringing Mary to the place of divine worship in our spirituality. It was the above book that helped me to really understand the ministry of Our Lady and so I responded with the following from my reading of it. I realise it is a one-sided email but I hope that it communicates my understanding of Mary's place in our spiritual life which I gleaned from reading the Holy Father and von Balthasar's book.

Marian piety is never expressed within a vacuum. When her relationship is described as 'Mother of the Church' it is not as structure, as you described it, but as a person and in person. It is incarnational in relation to God consisting of the ontological freedom of the creature vis-a-vis the Creator and of the 'body' of Christ in relationship to the head. Marian piety is of the heart, and fixes itself deeply on the being of man. Therefore, Marian piety, in the words of Benedict XVI, is 'Advent piety.' Jesus was not born in a cocoon. He was and is flesh of her flesh and bone of her bone. Marian piety is ALWAYS focused on the LORD. Marian piety focuses on the LORD who has come and the Church learns with Mary to stay in his presence (unlike his disciples who left him at the passion). And so, Marian piety is passion-centred as she participates in the rejection by being given away (given to St. John at the crucifixion) only to participate in the true coming that took place in the outpouring of the Spirit (Pentecost). In Luke's narrative we clearly see his weaving of these joyful and sorrowful mysteries.

This theology naturally leads to the eschatological nature of Marian piety in her Assumption that you mentioned. As Advent broadens into eschatology, says Benedict XVI, so also her assumption is in keeping with the logic of biblical faith. Marian piety must be kept strictly bound to Christology and must not be withdrawn or abstractly viewed into partial mysteries of the Christian faith but open the Church up to the breadth of the mystery of Christ in his incarnational ministry. As Benedict XVI said, 'Marian piety will always stand within the tension between theological rationality and believing affectivity.' These must be held in balance but this becomes difficult in our time where man is falling into an increasing disintegration of mere rationalism. Marian piety within its proper context of Christology helps the Church to constantly rediscover this unity by maintaining the purity of heart from the heart as seen in Mary.

Whoever is to take the Gospels seriously must take the words of and about Mary seriously. In Catholic understanding this is not isolated in itself but is ALWAYS embedded in and ordered to Christ (and thus it is ALWAYS Trinitarian in its nature) and towards the Church as Mother. As the Mother of God (defined at the Council of Ephesus 431 where she was given this title and anyone who denied this was a heretic) she too is keen that she not be elevated in the divine sphere and so overlook Christ's work. Everything about Mary points us to her Son.

The Catholic Church is clear when She distinguishes between veneration and worship just as the Old Testaments saints were venerated and not worshipped. Where the confusion lies is in your mis-understanding of what the Marian prayers actually refer to, which is the larger context of our relationship to Christ, to the Father and to the Church our Mother. But, your caution that is a result of an uncatechized people is a strongly heard warning to us all and should be heeded that she never be elevated to the divine sphere and the Catholic Church warns of the same.

Let me briefly make a final statement about the Marian prayers you mentioned. Marian prayers always lead us into a concrete (incarnational) closeness to Jesus and to the whole mystery of redemption and they are never isolated from that. Your lecture tended to treat them abstractly. Let me use just three of the most popular prayers as an example of all that I have said above where I found misrepresentation in your talk.

1) The Hail Mary: Hail Mary, full of grace, the LORD is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

As you will know these words come from the Angel Gabriel and Elisabeth's response to Mary. The petition added at the end is the inclusion of what was said about Mary at Ephesus 431 and is straightforward with the concern of the sinful Christian in the Church imploring intercession for the present and the all-decisive hour of our death.

2) The Angelus which is prayed three times a day at 6:00 am, noon, and 6 pm. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Hail, Mary, full of grace...Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to Thy word. Hail, Mary, full of grace...And the Word was made flesh. And dwelt among us. Hail, Mary, full of grace...Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

The three short sentences above are Christocentric as you can see. This prayer does not go one step beyond the pattern of scripture. The three additional Aves allows us a moment to linger with our fallen humanity in whom the Incarnation was realized and we are called upon to remember the miracle of the Lord's coming and that this coming of Christ is to remain in us if we are to be a Christian.

3) The rosary. The rosary weaves everything pertaining to the history of our salvation into the Marian prayer. It makes present the mysteries of Jesus' life from his youth to his glorious return and to which it draws us to Mary as the archetype of the Church. The entire prayer of the rosary is always introduced by the Apostle's Creed and the prayer is given with Mary who is the compass of faithfulness to her Son. She is the one who accompanies Jesus from the cradle to the grave and beyond in his transfigured life (Acts 1) and has a unique place in his destiny as a hope that all believers are to look to, her Assumption.

All of these prayers are not required for common and personal prayer. The Catholic Church never has and never will look to anyone other than Jesus died and risen for our salvation. Mary has the most honoured place among all believers as the ONE and ONLY who gave her flesh and blood to Jesus' humanity. That unity is different than anyone else's in all of humanity. Therefore the Church venerates her more than any other saint in its communion of saints and how could it be any different? She said NO, in order to say YES to God and we are called to imitate her piety in this. This is the basic theological apologetic for Marian piety that is always to lead all Christians to Blessed One of her womb, Jesus.

I feel your talk took Marian piety from its context and distorted it to a point unrecognisable to any catechized Catholic Christian. In your email you welcomed me to point out any misrepresentations and these are the immediate ones that stand out to me. You must realise that Marian piety began way before the Fourth Latern Council or Aquinas. It is very early in the Apostolic Fathers who wrote prior to the gathering of the full Canon of Holy Scripture. I think academic honesty demands from us all to read and communicate what is there in the historical record. It was this uncovering of the Church that was always held from my eyes that allowed me to discover the truth and the beauty of the one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of which any personal desires or opinions could no longer isolate me from her beauty and authority. It is the only way I knew how to make John 17 effectual for my life and the life of my family.

The question of needing reformation is a right question that should be joined to the question of whether this is done inside or outside the Church. I would like to discuss all of this in a friendly way. One of the things that I believe could help you, at least in understanding what the Catholic Church teaches and how it comes to theological statements beyond the scriptures, is to understand her hermeneutic that is far different from the one you gave in your lecture which left out the concept of authority, canon and the role of Tradition in the Church's teaching ministry. I think without this foundation one can never rightly argue against her teaching because what happens is what Luther himself once said (after he left Rome) was 'that every man hath a pope in his belly.'

It must also be remembered that Marian devotion and prayers to Mary is not a command but an encouraged practice for the benefit of the Christian. One's particular rhetorical explanation of Mary's ministry is not necessarily dogmatic. That does not answer your questions, I realise, but one cannot be fair and substantive in a refutation if it is something you personally claim to 'not get'. Have you read Hans Urs von Balthasar and Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger's (Pope Benedict XVI) book, Mary: The Church at the Source? I recommend it to you.