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Theophilia In reply to Vihawk [2016-12-19 01:01:30 +0000 UTC]

Why thank you!

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Theophilia In reply to Vehement-Crusade [2016-09-17 21:24:07 +0000 UTC]

No, because Jesus is the Way. "Jesus answered: "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." (John 14:16) Mary simply points beyond herself and directs the attention of the viewer to her Divine Child. 

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Vehement-Crusade In reply to Theophilia [2016-09-21 12:11:20 +0000 UTC]

Yep,  He certainly is pal. He also devoted much of His time Teaching to *show that as well. 


Honestly there isn't enough scriptural background for me to totally on board with a ton of things people say about Mary.


i don't know. It's like they act like tons of books were written about her....


the canonical texts mention her so little. It grieves me there is such an emphasis on her. i don't agree with it.



She's just a handmaiden.

To be honest i wish the masses would leave it at that and allow the entire focus to be nothing but Jesus. 

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Theophilia In reply to Vehement-Crusade [2016-12-24 18:55:49 +0000 UTC]

“Yep,  He certainly is pal. He also devoted much of His time Teaching to *show that as well. Honestly there isn't enough scriptural background for me to totally on board with a ton of things people say about Mary. i don't know. It's like they act like tons of books were written about her....the canonical texts mention her so little. It grieves me there is such an emphasis on her. i don't agree with it. She's just a handmaiden. To be honest i wish the masses would leave it at that and allow the entire focus to be nothing but Jesus.

hey girl, i admire your dedication to Christian-related pieces... i really do! God truly has given you a Gift. i mean that in all sincerity. And i pray you haven't taken any comments i said a wrong way or anything.... if so i do apologize, because sometimes i am not good at expressing what i'm trying say.... at all. Haha! i have a random question.... pardon me, it's a bit spontaneous but if the woman you call "Our Lady" (our Lord's Mother, Mary) was brought back to earth to dwell among man, and you had the chance to talk to her..... what might you say to her? You seem to really care about her. i think it's sweet that you hold her dear, even though i may not follow the catholic denomination.”

I apologize for the long wait you’ve had to endure before I could write a reply to your questions. It was certainly not for a lack of time, or because of indifference that I’ve taken as long as I have. Partly, I was busy with school and other projects, and to give you a good and full answer would take a lot of free time that I did not have. But I also thought a lot about what I should write, and I apologize in advance for the length of my reply (for I know it will be a long one!). However, I think especially in this season of Christmas where we as Christians celebrate the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, it is a beautiful time to really think about and contemplate what that means, and Mary’s singular role in bringing Christ to us.

The first difficulty really is to say all that should be said about Mary. There is altogether too much to say, and I’m afraid I shall explain them badly. But to help me, I came across a number of Advent readings from various Church Fathers who wrote about Mary and her role in salvation history who are far more eloquent than I! So I shall quote some excerpts for you to read and think about.

Everything that Catholics believe and teach about Mary can really be summed up in one title: “Mother of God.” To say that Mary is the Mother of God is to say everything. However, we need to unpack precisely what that means in order to really fully appreciate and understand Mary.

One thing to keep in mind about Mary, is that whenever we defend Mary, we do not defend Mary for her own sake, but rather for Christ’s sake. And this is borne out in history. For example, when in 431, the heretic Nestorius taught that Mary should be called “Christotokos” (“Christ-bearer”) and not “Theotokos” (“God-bearer”) the ecumenical council of Ephesus convened to define exactly what Mary’s relation to Jesus Christ was. The difference seems small, but the theological implications of calling Mary merely “Mother of Christ” and not “Mother of God” actually pierced Christianity to the heart. Essentially what Nestorius was saying was that Jesus wasn’t really God. He was only a man, and thus Mary was only the mother of a human being. A human being who was exalted by God and powerful, but merely a human being. If Jesus was only a mere human being, then every doctrine of Christianity would fall apart. There’d be no Incarnation, no Death and Resurrection and no salvation from sins of the human race. We’d all still be dead in our sins, and the mission of Christ would have been utterly vain. However, the Council upheld Mary’s title of Mother of God (Theotokos) because she really and truly is the Mother of God, because Jesus Christ is really and truly God. If Jesus Christ is both God AND Man, and He really was born to die for our sins to save us, then Christianity stands. So you see, what the Council was really discussing when they spoke of Mary’s title was actually about Jesus’ Divine Nature. Whether the man Jesus Christ was truly God.

This doctrine of Mary being the Mother of God can actually be proved in a very simple logical syllogism. If you hold both premises (which I assume you do, because both are entirely based on Scripture), then the conclusion simply follows. For example:

Premise 1: Mary is the Mother of Jesus.
Premise 2: Jesus is God.
Conclusion: Mary is the Mother of God.

Now, to be clear (because this is an objection I’ve heard before), the Church teaches that Jesus Christ has two Natures. One Human, One Divine. His Divine Nature, He possessed and possesses throughout all of eternity, being the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity and being of One Substance with the father and the Holy Spirit. However, the whole doctrine of the Incarnation states that at a pre-ordained point in time, out of love for Mankind and for the salvation of the human race, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity became Man by taking on flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary and became, truly is, and will forever be, True Man. Therefore, Jesus took on a Human Nature with which to redeem our race. So He has Two natures, that are both distinct and unmingled, but coexist in One Person, Jesus Christ, both God and Man. Mary, then, is the Mother of Jesus’ Human Nature, not of His Divine Nature. However, because He is one Person (and not two), she is still very much His Mother, because Persons have mothers, not natures. Therefore, Jesus Christ, who is God, has a human Mother from whom he took his human nature. St. Anselm, the archbishop of Canterbury, writing around 1190, wrote:
“Blessed Lady, sky and stars, earth and rivers, day and night – everything that is subject to the power or use of man – rejoice that through you they are in some sense restored to their lost beauty and are endowed with inexpressible new grace. All creatures were dead, as it were, useless for men or for the praise of God, who made them. The world, contrary to its true destiny, was corrupted and tainted by the acts of men who served idols. Now all creation has been restored to life and rejoices that it is controlled and given splendor by men who believe in God.

The universe rejoices with new and indefinable loveliness. Not only does it feel the unseen presence of God himself, its Creator, it sees him openly, working and making it holy. These great blessings spring from the blessed fruit of Mary’s womb.

Through the fullness of the grace that was given you, dead things rejoice in their freedom, and those in heaven are glad to be made new. Through the Son who was the glorious fruit of your virgin womb, just souls who died before his life-giving death rejoice as they are freed from captivity, and the angels are glad at the restoration of their shattered domain.

Lady, full and overflowing with grace, all creation receives new life from your abundance. Virgin, blessed above all creatures, through your blessing all creation is blessed, not only creation from its Creator, but the Creator himself has been blessed by creation.

To Mary God gave his only-begotten Son, whom he loved as himself. Through Mary God made himself a Son, not different but the same, by nature Son of God and Son of Mary. The whole universe was created by God, and God was born of Mary. God created all things, and Mary gave birth to God. The God who made all things gave himself form through Mary, and thus he made his own creation. He who could create all things from nothing would not remake his ruined creation without Mary.

God, then, is the Father of the created world and Mary the mother of the re-created world. God is the Father by whom all things were given life, and Mary the mother through whom all things were given new life. For God begot the Son, through whom all things were made, and Mary gave birth to him as the Savior of the world. Without God’s Son, nothing could exist; without Mary’s Son, nothing could be redeemed.

Truly the Lord is with you, to whom the Lord granted that all nature should owe as much to you as to himself.”

In the same way that Jesus is our brother because He took on our human nature to become like us to save us and to recreate us by His grace, so Mary is our Mother in the order of grace. She is the Mother of the new creation in Christ. She is Mother of the Church of which Christ is the head, and she is the perfection exemplar of what it means to be a perfect Christian. She is the Lord’s handmaiden, and she always shows us how we are to best love and serve Jesus Christ, her Son and God. Blessed Isaac of Stella, writing around the 1150s, wrote this:
“The Son of God is the first-born of many brothers. Although by nature he is the only-begotten, by grace he has joined many to himself and made them one with him. For to those who receive him he has given the power to become the sons of God.

He became the Son of man and made many men sons of God, uniting them to himself by his love and power, so that they became as one. In themselves they are many by reason of their human descent, but in him they are one by divine rebirth.

The whole Christ and the unique Christ – the body and the head – are one: one because born of the same God in heaven, and of the same mother on earth. They are many sons, yet one son. Head and members are one son, yet, many sons; in the same way, Mary and the Church are one mother, yet more than one mother; one virgin, yet more than one virgin.

Both are mothers, both are virgins. Each conceives of the same Spirit, without concupiscence. Each gives birth to a child of God the Father, without sin. Without any sin, Mary gave birth to Christ the head for the sake of his body. By the forgiveness of every sin, the Church gave birth to the body, for the sake of its head. Each is Christ’s mother, but neither gives birth to the whole Christ without the cooperation of the other.

In the inspired Scriptures, what is said in a universal sense of the virgin mother, the Church, is understood in an individual sense of the Virgin Mary, and what is said in a particular sense of the virgin mother Mary is rightly understood in a general sense of the virgin mother, the Church. When either is spoken of, the meaning can be understood of both, almost without qualification.

In a way, every Christian is also believed to be a bride of God’s Word, a mother of Christ, his daughter and sister, at once virginal and fruitful. These words are used in a universal sense of the Church, in a special sense of Mary, in a particular sense of the individual Christian. They are used by God’s Wisdom in person, the Word of the Father.

This is why Scripture says: I will dwell in the inheritance of the Lord. The Lord’s inheritance is, in a general sense, the Church; in a special sense, Mary; in an individual sense, the Christian.

Christ dwelt for nine months in the tabernacle of Mary’s womb. He dwells until the end of the ages in the tabernacle of the Church’s faith. He will dwell for ever in the knowledge and love of each faithful soul.”

Furthermore, in the same way that all of Scripture (both the New and Old Testament) speak of, prefigure, and point to Christ, so in the same way Mary stands as a central figure in salvation history. In the same way that Christ is the new Adam, Mary is the New Eve, and this theme was picked up very early in the Church. For example, St. Irenaeus, the bishop of Lyons, wrote this around 180 A.D.:
“The Lord, coming into his own creation in visible form, was sustained by his own creation which he himself sustains in being. His obedience on the tree of the cross reversed the disobedience at the tree in Eden; the good news of the truth announced by an angel to Mary, a virgin subject to a husband, undid the evil lie that seduced Eve, a virgin espoused to a husband.

As Eve was seduced by the word of an angel and so fled from God after disobeying his word, Mary in her turn was given the good news by the word of an angel, and bore God in obedience to his word. As Eve was seduced into disobedience to God, so Mary was persuaded into obedience to God; thus the Virgin Mary became the advocate of the virgin Eve.

Christ gathered all things into one, by gathering them into himself. He declared war against our enemy, crushed him who at the beginning had taken us captive in Adam, and trampled on his head, in accordance with God’s words to the serpent in Genesis: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall lie in wait for your head, and you shall lie in wait for his heel."

The one lying in wait for the serpent’s head is the one who was born in the likeness of Adam from the woman, the Virgin. This is the seed spoken of by Paul in the letter to the Galatians: "The law of works was in force until the seed should come to whom the promise was made."

He shows this even more clearly in the same letter when he says: "When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman." The enemy would not have been defeated fairly if his vanquisher had not been born of a woman, because it was through a woman that he had gained mastery over man in the beginning, and set himself up as man’s adversary.

That is why the Lord proclaims himself the Son of Man, the one who renews in himself that first man from whom the race born of woman was formed; as by a man’s defeat our race fell into the bondage of death, so by a man’s victory we were to rise again to life.”
-    from Against Heresies by St. Irenaeus

Mary is the perfect believer and the perfect Christian, because she was filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit and perfect in Faith, Hope, and Love. In his commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke, St. Ambrose (the bishop of Milan), writing probably around 380 A.D. said this:
“When the angel revealed his message to the Virgin Mary he gave her a sign to win her trust. He told her of the motherhood of an old and barren woman to show that God is able to do all that he wills.

When she hears this Mary sets out for the hill country. She does not disbelieve God’s word; she feels no uncertainty over the message or doubt about the sign. She goes eager in purpose, dutiful in conscience, hastening for joy.

Filled with God, where would she hasten but to the heights? The Holy Spirit does not proceed by slow, laborious efforts. Quickly, too, the blessings of her coming and the Lord’s presence are made clear: as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting the child leapt in her womb, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Notice the contrast and the choice of words. Elizabeth is the first to hear Mary’s voice, but John is the first to be aware of grace. She hears with the ears of the body, but he leaps for joy at the meaning of the mystery. She is aware of Mary’s presence, but he is aware of the Lord’s: a woman aware of a woman’s presence, the forerunner aware of the pledge of our salvation. The women speak of the grace they have received while the children are active in secret, unfolding the mystery of love with the help of their mothers, who prophesy by the spirit of their sons.

The child leaps in the womb; the mother is filled with the Holy Spirit, he fills his mother with the same Spirit. John leaps for you, and the spirit of Mary rejoices in her turn. When John leaps for joy Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, but we know that though Mary’s spirit rejoices she does not need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Her son, who is beyond our understanding, is active in his mother in a way beyond our understanding. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit after conceiving John, while Mary is filled with the Holy Spirit before conceiving the Lord. Elizabeth says: Blessed are you because you have believed.

You also are blessed because you have heard and believed. A soul that believes both conceives and brings forth the Word of God and acknowledges his works.

Let Mary’s soul be in each of you to proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Let her spirit be in each to rejoice in the Lord. Christ has only one mother in the flesh, but we all bring forth Christ in faith. Every soul receives the Word of God if only it keeps chaste, remaining pure and free from sin, its modesty undefiled. The soul that succeeds in this proclaims the greatness of the Lord, just as Mary’s soul magnified the Lord and her spirit rejoiced in God her Savior. In another place we read: Magnify the Lord with me. The Lord is magnified, not because the human voice can add anything to God but because he is magnified within us. Christ is the image of God, and if the soul does what is right and holy, it magnifies that image of God, in whose likeness it was created and, in magnifying the image of God, the soul has a share in its greatness and is exalted.”

There is so much to say about Mary! To answer your question about what I would say to Mary if she came down to earth, I think I would first throw myself into her arms and give her a great big hug. She is my Mama and Jesus’ Mama and I love her so much! She is my Mother, my Friend, my Guide, my Teacher, my Inspiration, my Model, and most importantly, my way to Jesus! I would simply ask her what I ask her already, and that is to make me like her! That is, to ask her to pray for me to her Son, to ask for graces for me, to help me become a great saint! I want to be a great lover of Jesus and I feel I cannot do this without her help, because she shows me how best to love her dear Son.

But let me end with a quote from G.K. Chesterton in his book The Everlasting Man, which I think provides great food for thought, and is particularly apt for this time of year:

“If the world wanted what is called a non-controversial aspect of Christianity, it would probably select Christmas. Yet it is obviously bound up with what is supposed to be a controversial aspect (I could never at any stage of my opinions imagine why); the respect paid to the Blessed Virgin. When I was a boy a more Puritan generation objected to a statue upon my parish church representing the Virgin and Child. After much controversy, they compromised by taking away the Child. One would think that this was even more corrupted with Mariolatry, unless the mother was counted less dangerous when deprived of a sort of weapon. But the practical difficulty is also a parable. You cannot chip away the statue of a mother from all round that of a newborn child. You cannot suspend the new-born child in mid-air; indeed you cannot really have a statue of a newborn child at all. Similarly, you cannot suspend the idea of a newborn child in the void or think of him without thinking of his mother. You cannot visit the child without visiting the mother, you cannot in common human life approach the child except through the mother. If we are to think of Christ in this aspect at all, the other idea follows as it is followed in history. We must either leave Christ out of Christmas, or Christmas out of Christ, or we must admit, if only as we admit it in an old picture, that those holy heads are too near together for the haloes not to mingle and cross.”

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Theophilia In reply to ryansavannah82 [2015-10-24 17:02:04 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much! God bless you too!

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Theophilia In reply to Bossilla [2014-05-13 17:52:40 +0000 UTC]

THANK YOU! You're too kind!

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Theophilia In reply to schmetterlingmx [2014-03-31 01:17:09 +0000 UTC]

Awwww, thank you!

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Theophilia In reply to magdalenacaracol [2014-02-22 21:51:26 +0000 UTC]

Thank YOU!

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Theophilia In reply to ArthurIglesias [2013-05-16 18:41:53 +0000 UTC]

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Theophilia In reply to Lord-Kothless [2013-02-17 04:07:41 +0000 UTC]

THANK YOU!!

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Theophilia In reply to TarmaHartley [2013-01-25 00:04:58 +0000 UTC]

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TarmaHartley In reply to Theophilia [2013-01-29 13:59:35 +0000 UTC]

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Theophilia In reply to Beshflorin [2013-01-02 00:31:52 +0000 UTC]

Aww, thanks you!! I'm thinking I'll probably be doing this icon several times.

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Beshflorin In reply to Theophilia [2013-01-02 02:14:22 +0000 UTC]

SHe's the patron of my city

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Theophilia In reply to Beshflorin [2013-01-03 04:05:48 +0000 UTC]

That's awesome! She's the best patroness! ^^ And I don't think any saint would argue with that.

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Theophilia In reply to japan112899 [2012-08-25 16:23:57 +0000 UTC]

Hahaha, why thank you! I'm not so sure about that, but I appreciate your kind words very much!

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Theophilia In reply to Ithelda [2012-08-07 00:45:55 +0000 UTC]

THANK YOU!!!

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Theophilia In reply to FaeTian [2012-08-07 00:46:52 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!!

I suppose the two points that were a bit disappointing is that the blue is not as dark as I would have liked and the gold (alas) got a bit sloppy on her mantle. Ah well.

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Theophilia In reply to nestle95 [2012-07-28 23:16:15 +0000 UTC]

You are so very kind! Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoy these paintings.

I really like this icon of Mary too; I'm thinking about re-doing it someday.

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Theophilia In reply to FaithHopeAndLOVE [2012-07-28 23:16:28 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so very much! Glad you like it!

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FaithHopeAndLOVE In reply to Theophilia [2012-07-29 06:55:11 +0000 UTC]

Of course! God bless you.

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Theophilia In reply to Nadyia-Drymer [2012-07-12 00:12:09 +0000 UTC]

Awww, thank you so much!!

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Theophilia In reply to Aodhagain [2012-07-11 18:09:45 +0000 UTC]

THANK YOU!!!

You keep saying that, but I don't know what you mean. How does it look more baroque?

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Aodhagain In reply to Theophilia [2012-07-12 15:54:52 +0000 UTC]

It's more I guess 'pastel' colors, a little more exaggeration of the forms, and more of a "fluffy" feel if you know what I mean. Your Our Lady of Good Counsel one is like that especially. I actually think it's kind of improving on the Baroque style.

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Theophilia In reply to Aodhagain [2012-07-24 20:56:26 +0000 UTC]

Hmmm, interesting. Actually, I'm thinking of re-doing this one. I can't saying I'm really terribly happy with it, and I REALLY wish I had made Mary's blue mantle darker. Perhaps then it wouldn't look so 'pastely.'

Hehehe, thank you. Baroques can certainly do with some improving. I do like strong, dark and bold gothic colors the best. Like the ones used in icons.

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Theophilia In reply to ryanart [2012-07-05 20:25:02 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!!!

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Theophilia In reply to dashinvaine [2012-07-05 20:25:43 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!

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Theophilia In reply to ThePenVsTheSword [2012-07-03 12:15:49 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!

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ThePenVsTheSword In reply to Theophilia [2012-07-03 17:37:12 +0000 UTC]

You're welcome!

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