early church debated mary's role
On Wednesday, Jan. 1, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. This is the highest title of the many that we give to her.
In the early centuries of the Church, theologians sought to clarify what we believe about Jesus and God. These questions are known as the Trinitarian and Christological conflicts. The question of the identity of Christ was central to all of this. Who was Jesus?
Was Jesus God, who appeared in human form, but was not truly human? Was He a human being, created by God, but who was so close to God and so faithful to God that He was lifted up to become part of God (this was known as adoptionism)? Many of the theories on this matter either denied the divinity of Christ or denied His humanity.
The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD declared that Jesus is truly human and truly divine. More fully, it taught that He is one divine person, with both a human and a divine nature. This has been the teaching of virtually all Christians since that time. But about a century later, there was a priest named Nestorius who said that there were in fact two persons, one human and one divine, that were united in some way. As such, Mary is the mother of the humanity of Jesus and should not be called the Mother of God. The Council of Ephesus was called in 431 AD to deal with this question.
The Council declared that the child born to Mary was in fact both human and divine, and that it was appropriate to call her the Mother of God. Since that time, the Church has celebrated this great Solemnity.
The Solemnity of Mary is a Holy Day of Obligation. We will have one Mass that day, at 10 am.
In the early centuries of the Church, theologians sought to clarify what we believe about Jesus and God. These questions are known as the Trinitarian and Christological conflicts. The question of the identity of Christ was central to all of this. Who was Jesus?
Was Jesus God, who appeared in human form, but was not truly human? Was He a human being, created by God, but who was so close to God and so faithful to God that He was lifted up to become part of God (this was known as adoptionism)? Many of the theories on this matter either denied the divinity of Christ or denied His humanity.
The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD declared that Jesus is truly human and truly divine. More fully, it taught that He is one divine person, with both a human and a divine nature. This has been the teaching of virtually all Christians since that time. But about a century later, there was a priest named Nestorius who said that there were in fact two persons, one human and one divine, that were united in some way. As such, Mary is the mother of the humanity of Jesus and should not be called the Mother of God. The Council of Ephesus was called in 431 AD to deal with this question.
The Council declared that the child born to Mary was in fact both human and divine, and that it was appropriate to call her the Mother of God. Since that time, the Church has celebrated this great Solemnity.
The Solemnity of Mary is a Holy Day of Obligation. We will have one Mass that day, at 10 am.