Q5. Titles of St. Mary

[macygrover]

5a) "Blessed" meaning that she was in favored with god. "Mother of God" because she gave birth to Jesus, God's son

5b) we forget her at times because we only focus on jesus, god, and the holy ghost

[Jesus' spoiled girl]

She is a blessed virgin as though she didn't know a man she gave birth to the Son of God. Consequently she is the mother of God because she gave birth to the Son. i don't know why some are hesitant to call her blessed amoung women.

[jacek]

Q5. (Luke 1:42-43) In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary? Why are we sometimes hesitant to exalt her as "blessed among women"?

These titles are appropriate fo Mary because she is blessed by God and His Son in her womb, and blessed within humans by this heavenly event. Motther of God - becuse she said yes to Father's plan for j+her and she is pregnant with God the Son and she will give birth to this Son although she from her side gave some kind of incubator. I think God will do it in some other way if she wasn't obedient and humble enough to accept His plan. But becuase of her attitude as a gift she get this titles of love and honour.

[June]

She was a Virgin and was Blessed. She was chosen by God to be Jesus' Mother.

We hesitate to call her blessed among women because we fear of what others will say. God knew her heart and she was honored to be a servant of Our Lord and to be used in such a way.

She is the MOST Blessed among women to be the MOTHER of OUR LORD!!!!!

[ljc]

Mary was blessed to have been chosen to mother the Savior of mankind. Actually, I am never too proud to describe her as being that; however, some people do not believe she was a virgin............chosen by God............and inseminated by Him to have this child. That is really sad.

[Jesus Lives]

Q5. (Luke 1:42-43) In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary? Why are we sometimes hesitant to exalt her as "blessed among women"?

First let me preface this by saying I am not Catholic and this is my own personal opinion and I mean no offense.

I personally do not think we, as Christians, are hesitant to say Mary is "blessed among women" but I do think we are hesitant to use the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Holy Mary, Mother of God" because, to me, although these titles are true, it is placing titles of worship on Mary and she was totally human. and not to be worshiped. When worshipers pray using these titles I feel they are placing Mary in a place above humanity. The angel said "blessed are you among women" not above women. She was just a servant of God like we all are and although she gave birth to God in human form and although He was sinless she was not. I believe she should not be exalted or prayed to because, to me, that is placing her on the same level as Jesus.

[SojournersHeart]

I have never had a problem with Mary referred to by these titles. When I watch video dramatizations of the crucifixion I always watch through Mary's eyes. What could be worse for a mother than to watch her child be tortured to death? As a mother myself, I could almost get angry with God for making her go through that. I think it is right that we honor Mary for the role she played in salvation history.

I am not comfortable with the veneration of Mary--honorable titles and respect are one thing, but I just cannot reconcile prayer to and worship of Mary with the commands to worship God alone, and not to make any graven images.

[Craig]

Q5. (Luke 1:42-43) In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary? Why are we sometimes hesitant to exalt her as "blessed among women"?

Elizabeth pronounced that Mary would be blessed becasue God was going to use Mary to give birth to, and mother the Messiah -- Jeusus Christ. The power of God through the Holy Spirit made the Virgin Mary pregnant with the Messiah. So the title "Blessed Virgin Mary" fits Mary appropriately. Mary's was a very unique mission given by God.

I think some are hesitant to exalt Mary as "blessed among women" because they do not want to make her into some kind of deity or create a cult of personity.

[AngelOnLine]

Q5. (Luke 1:42-43) In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary?

These are appropriate names for Mary. She was

[RAJU]

We are not to exalt Mary since she was also like one of us .She was just a toll in Gods hand to give birth to Jesus - thats why she is called blessed

[sjb]

I think we protestants have been "brain-washed" somewhat in our reverence toward Mary. But we must look at just what she has meant to the whole story of our Saviour. She was "blessed above all women" because God used her as a vessel of purity. She completely opened herself to God's request. She did not laugh in disbelief as Sarah. She did not say she couldn't do it as Moses. She simply did. Another important thing to remember, I think, is that Mary was the first "Christian." She is a good model of a Christian woman.

[Patsy Laycoax]

These titles are appropriate for Mary because God's Word says she will be called blessed and she was a virgin at Jesus conception and birth but later she was no longer a virgin. Giving birth to Jesus does make her God's earthly mother but I do not see her being called that in heaven.

We are reluctant to exalt her to blessed among women because there is always those who won't stop at that but would want to make her equal with Jesus. Jesus is God in the flesh but Mary is only human and she was a sinner who needed salvation the same as us. I do think Mary was blessed to be chosen to bare Christ.

[lindajellis57]

Q5. (Luke 1:42-43) In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary? Why are we sometimes hesitant to exalt her as "blessed among women"?

Thge titles for Mary come straight from Luke. As Jesus' earthly mother she was truly blessed. I think we are hesitant to exalt Mary because of a tendency to worship her instead of God.

[lindajellis57]

Q5. (Luke 1:42-43) In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary? Why are we sometimes hesitant to exalt her as "blessed among women"?

The titles for Mary come straight from Luke. As Jesus' earthly mother she was truly blessed. I think we are hesitant to exalt Mary because of a tendency to worship her instead of God.

[Tracy m]

Q5. (Luke 1:42-43) In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary? Why are we sometimes hesitant to exalt her as "blessed among women"?

1. 'Blessed by God to be chosen

2. 'Virgin' was simply a statement of fact

3. 'Mother of God' is in reference to the human aspect of being a chosen vessel carrying Jesus

- all just actual and appropriate according to scripture...

2nd part of the question is tricky, more subjective I feel...

I guess we hesitate for fear of setting her apart from humanity... she was not divine, but she was indeed blessed to be chosen by God for this mighty task.

Her compliant willing heart is what set her apart... merely mortal, but God did set her apart for this purpose. I expect it's as troublesome to see her as blessed as it is to truly see Jesus as human?!

Really I dont know, but the hesitancy is undeniable.

[Loisb]

Q5. (Luke 1:42-43) In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary? Why are we sometimes hesitant to exalt her as "blessed among women"?

1. These titles are appropriate for Mary because she had the honor of giving birth to Jesus without any hesitation.

2. Some people think that we are praying to Mary by going through her to reach Jesus, but they are just honoring her as Jesus mother.

[Lisa Rupert]

Q5. (Luke 1:42-43) In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary? Why are we sometimes hesitant to exalt her as "blessed among women"?

The titles "Blessed Virgin Mary and "Mother of God" are both appropriate titles for Mary for she is both, she is blessed because God choose her to bare the Son of God and she cared and nurtured and gave birth to the Son of God.

We are hesitant to exalt her because Jesus said we should not exalt anyone but God. But we can remember her for being the Mother of God, the woman who was chosen by God to bare the Savior.

[Helena]

Q5. (Luke 1:42-43) In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary? Why are we sometimes hesitant to exalt her as "blessed among women"?

In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary?

These titles designate the special functions bestowed upon Mary: a virgin who had been chosen by the Lord to become the special vehicle to carry and nurture the Son of God. As the mother of the divine Son to come, Mary was highly favored and blessed. The word

[Helena]

Q5. (Luke 1:42-43) In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary? Why are we sometimes hesitant to exalt her as "blessed among women"?

The titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" are true in describing Mary. She was a virgin, blessed and was choosen to be used of God to be his mother on earth when he was on earth. I think hesitancy comes from the fact that she was the mother of Jesus while he was on earth. She wasn't the mother of God in the sense she created God or was before God in any way. I think Mary was blessed with a special opportunity to be used of God. She was, however, a vessel, used by God to accomplish His purposes. God uses believers today to accomplish His purposes in the same way. God is to be exalted and given all honor. I think we are hesitant to exalt her for fear of forgetting the fact that she was completely human. As a human who was submissive God's will, any kind of exhaltation that would take away from God's glory and honor would be wrong.

Well said!! Regarding Mary's exaltation...only God can exalt something. He abases, and He raises.

[linda bass]

The titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" are appropriate titles for Mary in the sense that she was carrying the divine Son of God in her womb, who is also God Himself, a union of both divine and human natures. Elizabeth refers to Mary as 'blessed among women'.

Sometimes we are hesitant to exalt Mary as "blessed among women" because we fear setting her up as an idol.

[Roxanne]

Q5. (Luke 1:42-43) In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary? Why are we sometimes hesitant to exalt her as "blessed among women"?

THEY CALLED HER BLESSED MOTHER ,BECAUSE WAS CARRYING A HOLY CHILD ....AS PROTESANTS WE DON'T CALL HER LIKE THAT BECAUSE THST WOULD SEEM LIKE SHE IS A IDOL TO US ...WE LOVE AND WORSHIP ONE GOD...AND HONOR AND PRAISE HIM!!

[Kaitlin]

These terms are appropriate because they are truly what happened. She was blessed to be the one to bear Jesus, and she was his mother, and He is God. As a protestant myself, I am hesitant to use this terminology, because I feel it may be putting a disproportionate emphasis on her, rather than God. It seems that be exalting her, we put the emphasis on what the relative importance of what God asks of us, rather than putting the importance on whether or not we have obeyed what he asks, no matter how small.

In the parable of the talents, we see that when we are faithful in the small things, God will entrust us with the large things. After reading this, I have come to realize that by Mary's being entrusted with this responsibility, she must have already proved herself in the small responsibilities. In honoring Mary, I think it should be as a celebration of her obedience, not in the fact that she was the mother of God.

Here's another interesting idea related to that of Mary being the Mother of God, which I recently read in the poem "The Dry Savages" by T.S. Eliot. It is an allusion to a line from Dante's Paradiso:

"Figlia del tuo figlio" (translated Daughter of your son)

I think this idea emphasizes the fact that while Mary was the mother of God, she was equally the child of God, and in need of the same grace that we all are.

[nurselaino]

the Lord Himself told Mary through the angel that she was blessed amoung women...she was picked to be the mother of Jesus...to carry and care for the living Son of God ...our Saviour...if that is not blessed I dont know what is.

Many I believe hesitate at calling Mary the mother of God believing that God has to have something to create Him...we know that God is the beginning ...but also we know that Mary was the human mother of Jesus...who was fully human but was also fully God...therefore Mary is the mother of God.

I think we at times worry about putting people on high pedestals because the focus is taken off the Lord. Mary was blessed among woman but she was also just a woman full of human imperfections and we worry about giving adoration to those not worthy. She is a special woman but not someone who should be worshipped. She raised our Christ...taught him...punished him...and loved him...we have to honour her.

the song to me...Mary did you know...brings home to me much...did Mary realize what she was in for...did she really understand who her son was to be...

[Stan]

Q5. (Luke 1:42-43) In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary? Why are we sometimes hesitant to exalt her as "blessed among women"?

In the physical sence as a woman she was chosen of God while a virgin to become the mother of Jesus as God had the angel to speak to her. They are appropiate because she chose to accept that God was capable of doing just as He said he would do.

We tend to she her as a normal woman not the chosen Mother of Christ, we don't accept that God in His power could take a virgin and make her the Mother of Christ.

[Stan]

Q5. (Luke 1:42-43) In what sense are the titles "Blessed Virgin Mary" and "Mother of God" appropriate for Mary? Why are we sometimes hesitant to exalt her as "blessed among women"?

In the physical sence as a woman she was chosen of God while a virgin to become the mother of Jesus as God had the angel to speak to her. They are appropiate because she chose to accept that God was capable of doing just as He said he would do.

We tend to she her as a normal woman not the chosen Mother of Christ, we don't accept that God in His power could take a virgin and make her the Mother of Christ.