What a mystery! What a miracle! What magnificence! The Savior's name is  Jesus. His mother's name is Mary.
      

       For centuries you, I and our ancestors have celebrated this greatest of all gifts to humanity. But wait, there are some differences in understandings and interpretations. Not all professing Christians believe in a major place of Mary in the Faith, to name only  one. I invite you to join me in exploring this woman who has been understood so  differently by so many different people who claim to follow her Son.

        Hear Catholics from around the world: "Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with  thee; Blessed art thou among 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". It is a part of the very air they breathe. For many non-Catholics the very idea of these words points to a misguided and heretical way of understanding her role. We probably all know professing  Christians who immediately have conjured up in their minds centuries-old stereotypes.  The belief that the Blessed Virgin Mary was and is given a special, elevated place in the  Faith comes out of the earliest of faithful generations. So, what direction can we go that  we can come to some agreement about this lovely young woman? I suggest to you four  inquiries offer insight.

        First, what does the New Testament have to say? Of course, we read carefully chapters one in Matthew and especially chapters one and two in Luke. The physician's writing more than the tax collector's emphasize a role that's truly unique. The angel Gabriel and Mary have quite a conversation! The angel addresses her and tells her the Lord is with her. In fact, He has greatly blessed her. Then the angel tells her not to be afraid. She will have a son and will name him Jesus. Yes, and not only will he be great, he will be called the Son of the Most High God. Mary must have been terrified as she inquires, "I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?" The angel responds by telling her the Holy Spirit will be the real father. Gabriel also wants her to know there is nothing God cannot do. There is this momentous response, "I am the Lord's servant"; then, she adds "may it happen to me as you have said". You recall in the same series of verses it is said she went to Zechariah's house and greeted Elizabeth. Elizabeth said in a loud voice "You are the most blessed of all women, and blessed is the child you bear". Wow, isn't that something! And where do we get this information? We get it from the inspired Word of God, as found in Luke's Gospel. Surely there is no one, evangelical and/or catholic, who can seriously argue with Mary's very special place in the Christian religion.

        Having laid the groundwork from Holy Scripture, specifically the New Testament, I believe we are ready to look at other helpful inquiries.

         Third, why is there all of this fuss, now hundreds of years old, about her place in  the Faith? Certainly a part of the answer is found in the Reformation. Yet, let us not  think a person like Martin Luther sought to dethrone her and in many ways succeeded.  The truth is, scholars tell us, his favorite way of referring to her was "the Mother of God".  Those who came after Martin are the ones who really de-emphasized her role. Anything  perceived as Catholic was systematically diminished. The truth of the matter is that the  genuine "old time religion" held her at a lofty level, exceeded only by the Father and the  Son. To say Catholics and others worship Mary is just not true. At the same time, to be totally honest we must acknowledge there have been abuses from time to time, especially  among illiterate peoples. If those who consider themselves evangelicals, believe Catholics and others have made too much other, then they should quickly admit a simple  fact: they have made often far too little of her. After all, evangelicals claim the Bible as their supreme authority and to be consistent BVM is a woman of power and great  significance.

        Fourth, what is our Lord attempting to teach you and me about this matter?  Certainly our need to be open to the Holy Spirit is a beginning point. The ecumenical  winds are playing in many directions today, sometimes predictable and frequently  unpredictable. To deny our Lord's mother a prominent place in the Faith seems to me to be downright disrespectful. These are magnanimous days, filled with glorious opportunities for each and everyone of us. In short, it is a great time to be alive! This business of Catholics worshipping her was brewed and stewed in Satan's kitchen. The Lord God tells us to grow up. Live a mature Faith. Stop allowing stereotypes and biases destroy us. Be humble and learn at the Master's feet that His mother has always been an
integral part of the Faith. Why? Because God the Father chose her to bring His Son into the world. He only has one mother and her name is the Blessed Virgin Mary. The imperative of Christian unity will not allow us "off the hook". If we believe in the deity of Jesus the Christ, then she is the Mother of God! There is no one else. Her place in the Faith is a singular honor.