Summary & Reflection -22nd February

MARY IN THE GOSPE OF JOHN; AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS

Bro. Leonard Muli, Sdb

John’s gospel explains the compassion and intimate sharing of the suffering Jesus, the eternal Word who for our salvation became a curse. His gospel presents the spiritual universal motherhood of Mary. He extends his great love to all brethrens bringing the divine plan of salvation to its conclusion as he institutes the spiritual maternity of Mary towards all Disciples of Christ. Mary and John represent all Jesus’ brothers and sister in the community of believers, Mary being their mother in the economy of salvation which is portrayed by the redemptive love of her Son. In this scenario the Church is brought forth from the Cross. The two disciples are symbols of the call to perfect discipleship. Mary is an image represents the church while John is a representative of every believer.

MARY IN THE APOCALYPSE AND IN THE EARLY CHURCH

In the Apocalypse Mary is represented as the new Ark of the Covenant, the Word, a sign of the presence of God in the midst of his people. The allegorical symbolic visions representing conflict between the kingdom of God and the Satan, the personages are the woman, her Son and the dragon. The son of the woman is the Messiah. Dragon is the Satan the enemy of God’s people who shall be defeated. The term woman refers to Mary and the Church. The New Testament through the Patristic times reflected on the mystery of redemption discovering Mary as close to centre piece of the new creation, the second Eve; honoring her with the title Mother of God as she played an important and special role in the redemption of humanity.

The Church Fathers were the great initiators of Marian thought and the greatest importance of Mary for faith in Christ. Ignatius of Antioch wrote to the churches of Asia Minor mentioning and reminding them the reality of Jesus’ human nature. His Mariology is framed in Christological perspective, testifying both the divinity and the humanity of Jesus and Mary as the key witness to the true doctrine. Christ is both Son of God and Son of Mary; the motherhood of Mary and Mary’s virginal maternity is a hidden mystery. With this we are illumined on how Mary was recognized as the mother of Jesus. The true body of Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, who suffered and died for our salvation.

Justine Martyr was the first to discover the parallel between Mary and Eve. He laid a foundation in understanding of Mary’s place and role in the life of the believers. He outshined the Marian teaching of Ignatius by putting in the stereological dimension of the incarnation and Mary’s role within it as virgin mother. He demonstrates his Christian beliefs about Christ and the virginal conception seeing Mary in the plan of God as the virgin who gave birth to the Messiah.

Irenaeus linked the East and the West with his advanced reflections higher than that of Justin on the Eve and Mary parallel. He introduced the ecclesial typical thoughts while developing the Eve and Mary parallel thought. The image of body and spiritual motherhood are brought together in her theological paradigm of recapitulation within the economy of salvation. Mary becomes counterpart to Eve as the mother of the living. Christ and Mary restored the relationship that Adam and Eve had destroyed. Mary cooperates with Jesus for human salvation and she becomes antitype of Eve who brought death. She initiates moral and spiritual order; her maternal womb becomes the permanent source of the generation of the children of God, the new Eve, an Advocate and an image of the Church. The writers of this time carefully concealed the mysteries and person of Mary from the non-believers.