Have you ever wondered why we call her the Blessed Mother?
In Sacred Scripture, after the angel Gabriel visits Mary in her home to tell her that she will bear the Savior of the world at the Annunciation, Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who calls Mary “the mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:43).
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that because Mary is the mother of Jesus—and Jesus is God—she has the beautiful privilege of being called “the Mother of God.” She is not just the mother of His human nature; she is the mother of the whole Person of Christ, and Christ has two natures: human and divine. The Catechism explains:
“In fact, the One whom [Mary] conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father’s eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly the ‘Mother of God’ (Theo-tokos)” (CCC 495).
We call Mary the Blessed Mother because of Sacred Scripture. When Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Luke 1:42). And in her Song of Praise, popularly known as the Magnificat, Mary replied, “Behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed” (Luke 1:48).
And why do we call Mary our Mother, even though she is not our biological mother?
Since Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is the Head of the Mystical Body of Christ, and we are all members of His Body, she therefore brought us spiritually into being as sons and daughters of God. This fundamental truth is also why we have high regard for Mary. Before she said “yes” to God, we were not able to enter heaven. Her role in salvation history is crucial.
Mothers guide, nurture, and teach their children. The Blessed Mother guides, nurtures, and teaches us to become faithful followers of her Son, Jesus Christ.
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