Summary and Reflection

A "nameless" post!

Because of Mary’s participation in the Mysteries of Christ, the church has honoured her and she has been so instrumental in the life of the church by providing protection for her children on earth. Through this veneration of our Lady as mother of God, her son Christ is known and loved. The church on the other hand encourages all her believer to observe the devotions to our Lady, especially the ones recommended by the teaching authority of the church in the course of the centuries. Yet the church admonish preachers of the word and theologians to refrain from all false exaggerations; and they should use the Holy Scripture, the Fathers and the churches liturgy as sources or guides in talking about the devotion to our Lady. This document went on to stress that true devotion comes from true faith by which we are led to realize our Lady as a Model and the mother of God.

In talking about Mary as true sign of hope and comfort for the pilgrim people of God, this document states that; from heaven, Our Lady still remain in union with the pilgrim church. It is the church’s consolation to know that even among the separated brethrens, there are those who are still devoted to our Lady as mother of God. As she has been exalted into heaven, the Holy Church believes that she will continue to intercede for her children and do them favour as she did during her earthly time. Thus the Holy church believes that with her prayer, salvation will be granted to all mankind. 

Summary & Reflection

OUR LADY IN THE TEACHINGS OF VATICAN II

Akortsaha Nathaniel Oryiman, SDB

The teachings of Vatican II on Mary are contained in chapter VIII of the document on the Church Lumen Gentium, 1964. In fact, it is said that a lot of discussions preceded the right portion and for Mary, and the fathers unanimously settled for the title OUR LADY and it is considered one of the most authentic and authoritative teachings regarding the Blessed Virgin.

Be that as it may, this chapter highlights four essential elements ranging from the Introduction whereby, the position of Mary in the mystery of salvation is emphasised. In this scene, Mary performs a very distinct and exclusive role in the plan of Salvation. Similarly, though Mary is unique and distinct as the mother of God and of the redeemer, she belongs to the human race – the race of Adam which needs to be saved. In this regard, “she is clearly, the mother of the members of Christ due to the fact that in her charity she contributed in bringing about the birth of believers in the church.”

In the second section, the emphasis is on the function of Mary in the Plan of Salvation. In this scenario, a reflection on the Old Testament traditions points towards the figure of a woman who is revealed as the mother of the redeemer whereby she assumed this role by virtue of her assent – this serves as a preparatory process in the Salvation history. In fact, her role commenced from the moment of her conception and made manifest in Christ’s virginal conception, Hidden life as well as Public ministry up to his death. For this reason, her Son declared her blessed by bringing in the image of those who are faithful in keeping God’s word as she did.

Furthermore, Our Lady is presented as performing an ongoing role in the life of the Church. In this part, the unique redemptive role of Christ as the mediator between God and man is exclusively emphasised. Here the maternal function of Mary in cooperating with God for salvation of man is emphatically pointed out, yet her maternal role does not in any way, diminish the tie and union between Christ and his faithful rather fosters this immediate union. The motherhood of Mary continues in the order of grace to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation through her intercessions. The church in awareness invokes the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Advocate, Benefactress and mediatrix of grace. The church’s alignment with the Blessed Virgin flows from the gift and role of her divine motherhood by which she is united with her Son. The church by contemplating the hidden sanctity, imitating her charity and faithfully carrying out God’s will, by receiving God’s word in this way becomes herself a Mother. By preaching and baptism the Church brings fort Sons who are conceived of the Holy Spirit and born by God, to a new and immortal life.

In summary, the teachings of Vatican II on the figure of Mary are codified in the following characteristics; she is mother of members of Christ’s body by the fact that in her charitable character which made her endowed with the fullness of grace, brought about the birth of believers; she consent to freely to the motherhood where she conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit as Mother of God; there is a unique mediation of Christ as well as the maternal function of Mary in the plan of salvation; she is associated with Christ in the work of redemption.

REFLECTION: Mary occupies a prime place in the Church’s faith. Prior to the teachings of Vatican II on Mary, series of dogmas had already been made that put into consideration the fundamental function she plays in the mystery of salvation. As the new Eve who brought life in her cooperation with the Divine will, Mary is Immaculate from conception; she is the Mother of God, she is the Mediatrix of grace, she is the Help of Christians and so on. Her uniqueness is extended in her union with Son to the Church. The Maternal role of Mary in the mystery of salvation is likewise extended to the church in that, by contemplating and imitating her examples, the motherhood of the church is manifested. Finally, the role of the Blessed Virgin in the mystery of redemption enfolds from Christological and soteriological dimensions of the mystery of redemption wrought by Jesus Christ, who assumed the human body in the womb of Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

THE VIRGIN MARY IN INTELLECTUAL AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION

THE VIRGIN MARY IN INTELLECTUAL AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION

(Letter of the Congregation for Catholic Education)

Summary of Part II by Brother Eric Akinboboye

Mariology is alive and active in relevant questions in doctrinal and pastoral matters. It is however necessary that the study of Mariology attend to rigorous research that is conducted in line with scientific criteria. As a theological discipline, Mariology relies on Sacred Scripture, and Sacred Tradition as its foundation. The study of the Sacred Scripture must be the soul of Mariology and the Sacred Tradition is essential to research in Mariology because the study of Tradition shows how particularly fruitful in quality and quantity is the Marian patrimony of the various liturgies and of the Fathers of the church. The Magisterium too has the responsibility of guiding the truth of any research into the study of Mariology. Due to the importance of the Virgin in the history of salvation and in the life of the people of God, it will be unthinkable for the teaching of Mariology to be obscured today. It is therefore necessary that it should be given its just place in the seminaries and theological faculties. The study of Mariology will consist of a systematic treatment  that will be: a) organic, meaning, inserted adequately in the program of studies of theological curriculum; b) complete – the person of the Virgin should be considered in the whole history of salvation: her relation to God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, the Sacraments and man; c) suited to the various types of institution and the level of students (seminarians), teachers of Mariology, catechists and animators of Marian piety. With this, teaching of Mariology will be devoid of one-sided presentations of the figure and mission of Mary and sound teaching will be a stimulus for a deep research into the sources of Revelation and the documents.

Every centre of theological study therefore must make plan in its Ratio studiorum for the teaching of Mariology. The teachers of Mariology should be properly prepared and qualified. The study of Mariology has a precious contribution to make to pastoral life: Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, subordinated to worship of divine Savior, has great pastoral effectiveness and constitutes a force for renewing Christian living. Mariology also contributes to the work of evangelization. Mariological research, teaching and pastoral service promote the authentic Marian piety which should characterize the life of every Christian, especially seminarians. In underlining the value of Marian piety in the formation of seminarians as recommended by Vatican II, the Congregation for Catholic Education requests seminarians to have a fervent love for the Virgin Mary. It also noted that there is nothing better than true devotion to Mary to introduce one to the joy of believing. The congregation also demands of seminarians that they must: a) acquire a complete and exact knowledge of the doctrine of the Church about the Virgin Mary so that they can distinguish between true and false devotions, authentic doctrines from deformations; b) nourish an authentic love for the Mother of the Savior and Mother of Mankind which is expressed in genuine forms of devotion and is led to the imitation of her virtues; c) develop the capacity to communicate such love to the Christian people through speeches, writing and example so that Marian piety may be promoted and cultivated. The advantages of adequate Mariological formation then include: 1) On the intellectual level – the truth about God, Man, Christ and the Church are understood the more in understanding the truth about Mary; 2) On the spiritual level – such information will help a Christian to welcome the Mother of Jesus and bring her into everything that makes up his inner life; 3) On the pastoral level – the Mother of the Lord will be strongly felt as a presence of grace among the Christian people. It must be kept in mind therefore that the study of Mariology holds as its ultimate aim the acquisition of a sound Marian Spirituality, an essential aspect of Christian spirituality. 

The Virgin Mary in the Intellectual and Spiritual Formation

"The Virgin Mary in the Intellectual and Spiritual Formation": Letter from the Congregation for Catholic Education (Rome, March 25, 1988)

Summary of the First Part

The Virgin Mary in our Formation

By Brother Daniel Asu Agbor

Introduction

The Second Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of 1985 exactly 20 years after  Vatican II was aimed at drawing the attention of Catholics to the four major constitutions of the council, namely: Lumen Gentium, Gaudium et Spes, Sacrosanctum Concilium and Dei Verbum. Blessed Pope John Paul II stated vividly that the Marian Year is always an opportunity to circulate the devotion to Our Lady, to read and to reflect on the mysteries of her life in relation to her Son and the church. To accomplish the wish of the Holy Father, the Congregation for Catholic Education sent this letter to theological departments of schools of higher learning, seminaries and religious schools obliging the faithful to keep promoting the devotion, knowledge of our Lady and her piety even after the Marian Year.

The Virgin Mary: An Essential Datum of the Faith and Life of the Church

History has gone several miles to show how the church’s teachings and understanding of God attests to her faith and submissiveness to the Virgin Mary and to her maternal role in the history of our salvation. The Doctrinal Controversies of Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431), and of Chalcedon (451) on the both Christological and Mariological aspects are of help to bringing us to this dogmatic fact, love for our Lady. Furthermore, the dogmatic Bull of Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus of December 8, 1854, Apostolic Constitution Munificentissimus Deus of Pius XII (November 1, 1950) and the dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium (November 21, 1964) chapter VIII, series of Encyclicals and Exhortations all aims at reawakening the Mariological consciousness in the church today. This sacred synod, while expounding the tradition, Scriptures and the doctrine of the Church in which the divine redeemer brings about our salvation, brings to light the role of Mary in the mystery of the Incarnate Word and the Mystical Body, and the duties of the redeemed towards the Mother of God, who is the mother of Christ and mother of the brothers and sisters of her son. The mother of the Lord must not be treated passively rather she must form an integral part of our faith because of her undying and loving affiliation with the Church. Mary’s faith prepared her into a fertile soil for evangelization, receiving the gospel message she took it to Elizabeth and to the Church because God through the Holy Spirit she was immune from original sin. Her faith and love for her son whom she brought up in love, service, journeying with him to the foot of the cross till death. Mary today invites us to love and do the will of her son. Mary, who was in the glory of God, was rewarded at the end of her life with her material body taken up to heaven at the end of her life. Taking a cursory look at the sphere of dogmatic theology, we can say with certainty that Mariology has helped the Church resolving the doubts where surrounding the virginal and immaculate conception of our Lady and bringing us to a close range of mutual dialogue with our Catholic brethrens of the Orthodox tradition. Mary is a mother and a sister who is ever present, journeying with the pilgrim church in faith and in spirit seeking for our salvation. Consoling and inspiring the church to keep faith until the end of time.

Mariology - Don Bosco Utume

Purpose of the Course: The overall aim of this course is to introduce the students to the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role in God’s plan of salvation, prolonged in the Church today.

Learning outcome: At the end of the course the student will have gained a greater understanding and appreciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s figure and role in the Scriptures especially in the New Testament. He/she will also acquire an in-depth grasp of the content and brief history of the Marian Dogmas as well as her place in liturgy, devotion and spirituality.

He would have the foundations necessary to promote a healthy devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Community where he will be living and ministering.

Table of Contents

1.      The Blessed Virgin Mary in the Scriptures

1.1.  In the Old Testament – Prophecies, Figures and Symbols

1.2.1. In the Prophecies

1.2.2. Figures of Mary

1.2.3. Marian Symbols

1.2.  In the New Testament

1.2.1. Letters of Paul

1.2.2 Gospel of Mark

1.2.3. Mary in the Gospel of Matthew and Luke-Acts

1.2.4. Mary in the Gospel of John

1.2.5. Mary in the Book of Revelation

1.2.6. Concluding Remarks

2.      The Blessed Virgin Mary in the Church’s Tradition (The Marian Heritage of the Early Church)

2.1. The early Fathers of the Second Century [Ignatius, Justin, Irenaeus]

2.2. Mary in the apocryphal writings

2.3. The Image of Mary in the African Fathers and Tertullian

2.4. From Nicea to Constantinople - The Great Western Theologians

2.5. The Jerusalemites: Cyril and Hesychius

2.6. The Cappadocian Theologians: Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianz, Amplilochius of Iconium

2.7. The Antiocheans: Theodore of Mopsuestia and John Chrysostom

2.8. Cyril of Alexandria (370/380-444 AD)

2.9. Ephrem of Syria (306-373 AD)

2.10. Fathers and Teachers from the Fifth to the Eighth Century

3.      Mary in Church’s Doctrine

3.1. Mary’s Divine Motherhood: Theotókos

3.2. Mary’s Perpetual Virginity

3.3. The Immaculate Conception

3.4. The Assumption of Mary

3.5. Mary as Mediatress of Graces

4. Mary in Liturgy and Devotion

4.1. From Lumen Gentium to Marialis Cultus

4.2. From Marialis Cultus to Redemptoris Mater

4.3. Mary in the Liturgical Year

4.4. Marian Devotions

4.4. The Three stages of “True Devotion” (de Montfort)

4.5. Mary in the Life of Priests and Consecrated souls