UNIT SEVENThe Church Is A Communion Of Saints

7.2 Mary: Model and Mother of the Church

Truly Our Lady

1. We believe in a Church that is “catholic” or universal.

2. Catholics in all parts of the world believe the same things and worship in the same way.

3. The Church incorporates and makes room for all people and all cultures.

Veneration

• Honor given to a person or image because that person or image mediates God (that is, makes God’s presence visible and tangible).

• Not the same as worship or adoration– Worship and adoration belong only to God

Veneration of saints

• Provides Catholics with ways of linking their own particular culture with the universal faith of the Church

• Mary has been understood to embody all that the culture considers to be ideal– Our Lady– Our Lady, Star of the Sea– Our Lady of the Mountains– Our Lady of Fatima

• Mary is one of us!

We Honor Mary

• May Queen

• Our Lady of Guadalupe

God Is The Holy One

• Early fundamental Christian understanding of holiness same as Jewish ancestry:– God is Holy One– People, things are holy only because of their

relationship with God– Holy because God has chosen them for a

special purpose, and they have been faithful to that purpose; they have been consecrated to the service of God and God has acted through them

Jesus: Epitome of human holiness• One with the Father, source of all holiness

• Every one of his actions was both a human act and a divine act.

• Jesus’ power is the power of holiness, his divine nature, of God.

• Christians share in Jesus’ power to the extent they are linked with Christ.

Disciple

• Follower of Christ

• Someone who learns from and follows Jesus and who accepts a share of his ministry in the world

Martyr

• Literally a witness

• Someone who has given up their life for their faith

Martyrology

• An official list of Christian saints and martyrs

• Earliest date to before the fourth century

Saints as Patrons

• New Christians would choose a saint as patron and that saint would both direct and assist him or her

• Christians began appealing to saints in prayers– Relics of saints became tokens of person’s

connection with patron saint

• Christians visited grave on anniversary of person’s death, since death marked birth into heaven

Saints as Patrons• Common practice to celebrate Eucharist at

the tombs of the faithful, especially those who had been martyred– Eucharist would join the faithful to one

another and to Christ, and also to their ancestors

• Became custom to place remains, or relics of martyrs within altar stones in each church

• 4th century, Augustine encouraged honor of martyrs, saints, and to ask for their prayers

The Roots Of Canonization

• Early Church, martyrologies were calendars with the names of the martyrs, where the martyrdom took place, and some brief information about the martyr’s life

• Certain confessors who had undergone torture without wavering in their faith, and ascetics and virgins who had given up all worldly pleasures because of their faith were also honored

The Roots Of Canonization

• As martyrdom diminished, more and more Christians who had died a martyr’s death began to be venerated– Miracles regarded as true proof of a person’s

holiness• In Western Church one of miracles commonly

attributed to saints was incorruption of the body

• Relics of saints came to be regarded as things which not only connected a person to the saint, but as things which had healing power in and of themselves

Regulation of who can be called a “saint”• Bishops of particular area recognized saint

as worthy of veneration– Bishops received biographies of the lives and

miracles of those who had become known for holiness

– If Bishop approved biography, body exhumed, moved to altar, feast day for saint assigned

• Over time pope became involved in approval of person’s sainthood

Reserved to pope to formally declare person a saint• Declaration known as canonization

• First saint to be officially canonized was Saint Ulrich of Augsburg by Pope John XV in 933

• Not until 12th century, canonization became normal

• From 13th century on, specific process followed

Canonization

• Process by which the Church declares that a particular member of the faithful has practiced heroic virtue in his or her life, has been faithful to God’s grace, and is now fully united with God in heaven

Process of Canonization

• Pope appoints commissions to systematically examine and evaluate virtuous nature of person’s life, particular miracles proposed

• Person must have two attested miracles prior to his or her canonization as evidence of worthiness for sainthood

Challenges and Clarifications

• Church’s veneration of saints criticized, challenged by Protestant reformers– Abuses, frauds (placing inauthentic relics at

altars, creation of inaccurate legends) had arisen from practice of honoring saints

• Council of Trent reacted to Protestant condemnations by supporting the doctrine of communion of saints, encouraging, emphasizing veneration of saints

Mary’s Unique Place In The Communion Of Saints• Based in scripture

– “Mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:43)– “Hail, favored one!” (Luke 1:28); In Vulgate is

translated as “Hail, full of grace!”

• If Mary is full of grace, she is able to dispense grace.

• Early Church, Mary understood as necessary link between old covenant and new covenant.– Saint Irenaeus paralleled disobedience of Eve

with obedience of Mary. Mary described as “New Eve”

Teachings About Mary

• By 5th century, prayer to Mary part of liturgy• Council of Ephesus, Mary officially declared

Theotokos, one who gave birth to one who is God

• Many other titles and images of Mary, role in life of Church developed– Mediatrix: mediator of God’s saving presence in

history– If not for her “yes” Jesus would not have been

born

Second Vatican Council

• Teachings about Mary part of teachings about Church

• Title of mediatrix placed alongside other titles, intercessor and advocate

• Christ’s role as sole mediator strongly emphasized.– Mary’s mediation is participation in Christ's

mediation

• Mary’s role is subordinate to Christ

In Conclusion

• Understanding of communion of saints, role of Mary has developed through history in response to the needs of the faithful

• Practice of honoring or venerating saints and asking for their prayers dates back to first centuries of Christianity

• In early Church, saints recognized by popular acclaim

In Conclusion

• Concern for regulation arose: Saint not to be venerated until he/she had been officially approved– Early years done by local bishops– Years after done by pope; today is done by

pope

• Within communion of saints, Mary is given place of highest honor– New Eve– 5th century, officially named Theotokos

In Conclusion

• Mary understood as powerful advocate for faithful, one able to join faithful in struggle against sin

• Many titles for Mary– Mediatrix: mediator of God’s saving presence

in history

• In all of her roles, Mary is able to act because she has allowed Christ to act through her