Mother of God, Mother of Hope

God’s great work in Mary is Jesus Christ. Our fundamental profession of faith in Jesus Christ is that He is True God and true man. For this reason, our faith in Christ’s Incarnation extends to a faith in Mary as the true “Mother of God”.

On the occasion of celebrating Mary’s Divine motherhood, I would like to take the opportunity to begin a series of reflections on the Litany of Loreto. I take my inspiration not only from today’s Solemnity, but also from the teaching of St. John Henry Newman, when he affirmed that, “each of the titles of Mary has its own special meaning and drift, and may be made the subject of a distinct meditation.”

So, without further ado, allow me to offer you this brief reflection on perhaps the most ancient and most revered of Marian titles, “Mother of God” (Theotokos, i.e. “God-bearer”).

 A Brief History behind Theotokos

First, we must understand the historical significance of this title. First, it is the oldest known title of Mary in the Church. It can be dated back to the ancient Marian hymn Sub tuum praesidium; a hymn popularized in Egypt during the Decian persecutions (c. 250).  Second, it was at the center of theological debate in year 431 during the Council of Ephesus. At that Council, Mary was solemnly declared to be the “God-bearer” (Theotokos) in opposition to the false teachings of Nestorious, the then bishop of  Constantinople. Nestorious falsely assumed that declaring Mary the “God-bearer” or “Mother of God” was equivalent to making her a goddess. But his Mariology was not his main problem. His main problem was his Christology, i.e. teaching about Christ. He did not understand the truth about Mary’s divine motherhood, because he did not properly understand Christ’s true Incarnation. Thus, the council fathers at Ephesus rightly took up a defense of Mary’s title of Theotokos, so as to defend the truth about Christ the Incarnate Word.

Theotokos and the Marvelous Exchange

The relationship between Mary’s title as the “Mother of God” and Christ’s Incarnation, not only touches the mystery of Christ Himself, but also our sharing in His mystery. For if Mary is not truly the “Mother of God”, then our becoming “like God” is a vain hope.

What do I mean? I mean that it is thanks to Mary’s being the true human mother of the whole Christ (True God and true man) that God indeed came to us in the flesh. And God came to us in the flesh, so that He might raise us up to His divinity. The Church calls this the “marvelous exchange”. “[God] became man that He might make man divine.” This marvelous exchange is only possible to us—that being children in the flesh, we might become children of God in the Spirit—thanks to Mary. Thanks to her fiat. Thanks to her giving us Christ our Redeemer, True God and true man. Thanks to her truly being the Mother of God.

Theotokos a Cause for Hope

Thus, her title Mother of God, is a cause for hope. As our “hope is raised up” in professing our faith in Jesus’ Incarnation, so also our “hope is raised up” in professing Mary’s Divine motherhood.

“Our hope is raised up”, writes St. Thomas Aquinas. “It is certain that the Son of Man did not come to us, assuming our flesh, for any trivial cause, but for our exceeding great advantage. For He made as it were a trade with us, assuming a living body and deigning to be born of the Virgin, in order to grant us His divinity.”

Given that we have just begun our Jubilee Year of Hope, I think that it is most fitting that we also remember this ancient Marian title and the implications that it has not only on the Church’s Christology, but also on our becoming more like Christ. It happens through Mary! If Christ is our hope, then in a real sense we can also say that Mary is our hope. Mary is our hope in Christ!

Thus as we embark upon this Holy Year of Hope, I challenge you to marianize your Jubilee Year. Be “pilgrims of hope” with Mary, through Mary, in Mary, and for Mary. Doing so that you may be all the more a true pilgrim of hope for Christ.

Seize this Holy Year of Hope and make it all Hers!