Mary is the mother of Jesus. She was a young Jewish woman, a daughter of Israel. She came from Nazareth, in Galilee. (C.C.C. 488) God came down to Earth to redeem the world and die for our sins. God chose to take a human form. For His entrance into the world, He chose a most pure vessel. Mary was the vessel chosen to bring our Lord into the world. In turn, God allowed for Mary to accept this task of her own free will. Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word. From the Angelus prayer, based on the Gospels of Luke and John. Luke 1:26-38 Angel Gabriel visits Mary and informs her of Gods divine plan. She in turn humbly accepts her role in this plan. Like everything else in our Churchs teachings, our teachings about Mary come from three sources: Scripture (inspired by the Holy Spirit), Tradition (teachings handed down from the earliest followers) Magisterium (the teaching authority of the Church, comprised of the pope, bishops and priests. Through the old covenant, the missions of many women prepared for the mission of Mary: Eve; the mother of all the living, despite her disobedience. Sarah, who conceives a child despite her old age Hannah, Deborah, Ruth, Judith, Esther; Mary stands out among the poor and humble of the Lord. She is a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets as she and her husband Joseph are from the house of David (genealogies from Matthew and Lukes Gospels). She is a key figure in the New Covenant made through the person of Christ which restores our relationship with God after the fall of Adam and Eve. Feast of the Immaculate Conception is December 8 th. It is a day of obligation in the Church. According to tradition, Mary is a pure vessel, exempt from sin. In order for her to be worthy of bearing God the Son, she was preserved from the stain of original sin, when conceived by St. Ann and St. Joachim. Mary also led a sinless life and maintained a state of sanctifying grace. Chaire kecharitomene (Greek), Ave gratia plena (Latin) Hail, full of grace (Luke 1:28) Grace is a supernatural gift from God to humankind. We receive grace through sacramental life. In 1854, Pope Pius IX officially pronounced and defined the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, a long standing tradition in our Church since the earliest days. Those holy men and women who have died in a state of grace and are in heaven with God are recognized as saints in our church. They serve as role models for humanity. Mary, being free of sin and full of grace from conception onwards, is the Queen of the Saints and serves as the highest role model for us. She also intercedes on our behalf with prayers to God. Jesus is not the product of normal human reproduction. Joseph and Mary never had sexual relations. Jesus Conception and Incarnation are the power of the Holy Spirit. This is in accord with Old Testament prophets and New Testament teaching. Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23 That Mary is a virgin and still conceived a child is a sign of Jesus truly being the Son of God. Tradition has always held that Mary was a virgin and remained a virgin. This is part of the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed. Jesus as well has no siblings and Mary has no other children. 431 A.D. at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, the title of Mother of God is recognized, Theotokos in Greek. January 1 st is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God and is a day of obligation. Mary is human and cannot be the source of a divine person. She didnt give Jesus His divine nature. She did carry Jesus in her womb and was His mother in the flesh. Our own mothers didnt give us our immortal souls but did bear us, passing on their genes to us. Jesus humanity comes fully from Mary, and Jesus divinity comes from being God. Elizabeth addresses Mary as the mother of the Lord in Lukes Gospel. Marys virtues come from her connection to God and her role she plays in bring Jesus into the world. Marys role in the church is also inseparable form her union with Christ as His mother she also serves as the mother of His church. As part of Christian tradition, Mary is taken up body and soul to heaven when her life finished. Some say that upon death she remained in a state of dormition before she was assumed into heaven. In her Assumption she shares in the Resurrection of Christ and serves as example for our own resurrection. (C.C.C. 974) No biblical record exists for this event. Marys Assumption has been a Church tradition and is alluded to in Revelations 12:1, A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and one her head a crown of twelve stars. In 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the dogma of the Assumption of Mary. The Feast of the Assumption is a day of obligation in our church, traditionally celebrated on August 15 th. When the pope makes statements from his chair, ex cathedral, he is exercising his authority as the Supreme Teacher and is infallible the Holy Spirit prevents him from teaching error. Only 2 ex cathedra statements have ever been made: the Immaculate Conception (1854, Pope Pius IX and 1950, Pope Pius XII) Mary is not divine. She is not a goddess. However, she is a perfect example of what we have coming our way and what we should strive to be. Because she is in heaven, she can intercede on our behalf when we pray. She prays on our behalf. As the Queen on the Saints she represents a perfect model of obedience to God. God created humans out of love and to love. God himself is love and we are created in his image as male and female. The mutual love of men and women is an image of Gods unfailing love. Love is a fundamental and innate vocation for humanity. In her model of discipleship, Mary is the best example of a human demonstrating love. Of faith hope and charity (love), charity is the greatest. We are called to love God above all things, and then our neighbour as our selves for the love of God. Jesus makes charity the new commandment Love one another as I have loved you. When we keep Gods commandments we abide in his love. The practice of all virtues comes to life in charity. Charity binds everything in perfect harmony. The fruits of charity are joy, peace and mercy. A prayer form revealed to St. Dominic by Mother Mary in 1214 as an antidote to heresy and sin. The prayer form involves praying groups of 10 Hail Mary (decades) while meditating on a mystery of our faith. There are 3 original groups of mysteries. St. John Paul II instituted a 4 th group of mysteries the luminous mysteries. Each of the mysteries highlight an important event in Jesus life. Mary is present in all of these mysteries as the most perfect disciple in love and service. In some she is an active participant while in others she is a witness. 1) The Annunciation 2) The Visitation 3) The Nativity of our Lord 4) The Presentation in the Temple 5) The Finding at the Temple 1) The Agony in the Garden 2) The Scourging at the Pillar 3) The Crowning of Thorns 4) The Carrying of the Cross 5) The Death and Crucifixion of our Lord 1) The Resurrection 2) The Ascension 3) The Decent of the Holy Spirit 4) The Assumption 5) The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin and the Glory of all the Saints 1) The Baptism of Jesus 2) The Wedding in Cana 3) The Proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven 4) The Transfiguration 5) The Last Supper and Holy Eucharist Our Lady of Lourdes Our Lady of Fatima Our Lady of Guadeloupe Appearance to St. Catherine Laboure Appearance to St. Simon Stock Mary is always ready to come to our aid through prayer and intercession.