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As Catholics, we are all very aware of the controversy and misunderstandings concerning the person of Mary, the mother of Jesus, over a long period of time, particularly since the time of the Christian divisions between the 15th and 17th centuries. Much of this misunderstanding was a result of errors arising about Mary's motherhood of Jesus as Son of God and son of Man. However, it can also be said that there arose devotions and practices among some Catholics which gave the impression to others that Mary was in a more prominent position in Catholic devotions than even Our Lord himself.
Prayers and devotions to Mary have always been a very important part of Catholic life, yet the misunderstandings about the teachings of the Church concerning Mary's own conception, her virginal motherhood, her own redemption, and her role in the Church, are still leading to a lack of appreciation and awareness of the true nature of her special position in Christianity.
This is not to say that we can know all there is to know about Mary, for there is much that has not been revealed. Yet, it is very important for the everyday life of the Church that each member of the Body of Christ fully appreciates what has been revealed about the mother of that Body, through the Scriptures and Tradition. Through the subsequent development of doctrine within that 'tradition' of the Catholic Church, the Holy Spirit is leading us "to all truth", which sets us free from all those things which enslave us and prevent our wills from being in communion with the will of God. In the person of our Lord's mother, we are able to see the perfect example of that communion of mind and heart with God to which a human person could possibly aspire.
Brian Pointer
Adult Formation
St Richard's Church.
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