On Christmas Day, Believers throughout the  world celebrate the BIRTH of Jesus, the MESSIAH.

Let’s not forget, this is a JEWISH story, and the entire world received the invitation to be grafted into this story through  Jesus.  Jesus was born into the bloodline of King David – through his mother, Mary.

Contemporary popular culture has almost forgotten that Jesus is a Jew, and he is the long awaited Messiah who  was promised 700 years before  the day of His  miraculous birth.

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Traditional Christian thought on the birth of Jesus:

Mary was carrying God in her womb.

This is called “The Incarnation.”

Today’s topic is  the Jesus Candle.

There are a tremendous amount of scripture references to Jesus as God, but I chose to include   the essay by Father William Saunders  because he explores this question  and provides details recorded in historical records.

In the 5th century of Christian history, long after the actual birth of Jesus, we find a new idea being developed and preached.  This was the first time that the idea that Jesus is God  was challenged.  You can read about this in the following essay, by Father William Saunders. 

 From the beginning of the Christian church,

Mary was known  to be the

Mother of God  

I find that many believers today are often ignorant about the scriptures and the history of the miraculous birth.

Did you know?

Martin Luther was devoted to Mary as the Mother of God and even though many of his declarations of discontent with The Church, this was not one of them.

Throughout his life, Martin Luther  held the opinion that Mary was the Mother of God and he did not “throw the baby out with the bath water” in his preaching and writing.

This was a delightful surprise to me as I

researched material for this essay!

Mary, Mother of God

by Father William Saunders

I was visiting an inner-city Church one day and in the vestibule some graffiti was written on the wall which said, “Catholics, God has no mother,” obviously referring to Mary’s title as “Mother of God.” How does one respond to such an objection? — A reader in Springfield

As Catholics, we firmly believe in the incarnation of our Lord: Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Lk 1:26-38 and Mt 1:18-25) Through her, Jesus Christ–second person of the Holy Trinity, one-in-being (consubstantial) with the Father, and true God from true God–entered this world, taking on human flesh and a human soul. Jesus is true God and true man. In His person are united both a divine nature and a human nature.

Mary did not create the divine person of Jesus, who existed with the Father from all eternity. “In fact, the One whom she 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 ‘Mother of God’ (Theotokos)” (CCC, No. 495). As St. John wrote, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us, and we have seen His glory: The glory of an only Son coming from the Father filled with enduring love” (Jn 1:14).

For this reason, sometime in the early history of the Church, our Blessed Mother was given the title “Mother of God.” St. John Chrysostom (d. 407), for example, composed in his Eucharistic Prayer for the Mass an anthem in honor of her: “It is truly just to proclaim you blessed, O Mother of God, who are most blessed, all pure and Mother of our God. We magnify you who are more honorable than the Cherubim and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim. You who, without losing your virginity, gave birth to the Word of God. You who are truly the Mother of God.”

However, objection to the title “Mother of God” arose in the fifth century, due to confusion concerning the mystery of the incarnation.

Nestorius, Bishop of Constantinople (428-431), incited a major controversy. He stated that Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ, a regular human person, period. To this human person was united the person of the Word of God (the divine Jesus). This union of two persons–the human Christ and the divine Word– was “sublime and unique” but merely accidental. The divine person dwelt in the human person “as in a temple.” Following his own reasoning, Nestorius asserted that the human Jesus died on the cross, not the divine Jesus. As such, Mary is not “Mother of God,” but simply “Mother of Christ”–the human Jesus. Sound confusing? It is, but the result is the splitting of Christ into two persons and the denial of the incarnation.

St. Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria (d. 440) refuted Nestorius, asserting, “It was not that an ordinary man was born first of the Holy Virgin, on whom afterwards the Word descended; what we say is that, being united with the flesh from the womb, (the Word) has undergone birth in the flesh, making the birth in the flesh His own…” This statement affirms the belief asserted in the first paragraph.

On June 22,  431,  the Council of Ephesus convened to settle this argument. The Council declared, “If anyone does not confess that the Emmanuel is truly God and therefore that the holy Virgin is the Mother of God (Theotokos) (since she begot according to the flesh the Word of God made flesh),anathema sit.” Therefore, the Council officially recognized that Jesus is one person, with two natures–human and divine–united in a true union. Second, Ephesus affirmed that our Blessed Mother can rightfully be called the Mother of God. Mary is not Mother of God, the Father, or Mother of God, the Holy Spirit; rather, she is Mother of God, the Son–Jesus Christ. The Council of Ephesus declared Nestorius a heretic, and the Emperor Theodosius ordered him deposed and exiled. (Interestingly, a small Nestorian Church still exists in Iraq, Iran and Syria.)

The incarnation is indeed a profound mystery. The Church uses very precise–albeit philosophical–language to prevent confusion and error. Nevertheless, as we celebrate Christmas, we must ponder this great mystery of how our divine Savior entered this world, taking on our human flesh, to free us from sin. We must also ponder and emulate the great example of our Blessed Mother, who said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to Thy word.” May we turn to her always as our own Mother, pleading, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

Note:

Fr. Saunders is president of Notre Dame Institute and associate pastor of Queen of Apostles Parish, both in Alexandria.

This article appeared in the December 22, 1994 issue of The Arlington Catholic Herald.

Electronic text (c) Copyright EWTN 1996. All rights reserved.

 ADVENT means “COMING” 

During the FOUR weeks of ADVENT we light one candle for each of the four Sundays  preceding Christmas Day.

On Christmas Day we will light the FIFTH candle to welcome the COMING of Jesus.

Read each Advent article.

Use se the links below:

Week 1 – The First Purple Candle – The Candle of HOPE – Here.

Week 2 – The Second Purple Candle – The 3 Kings Candle – Preparation – Here.

Week 3 – The Third Purple Candle – The Shepherds Candle – JOY – Here.

Week 4 – The Pink Candle – Angel Candle – Here!

Christmas Day – The White Candle – Jesus Candle – Here.

Christmastide – The 12 Days of Christmas Here.

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What is the STAR of BETHLEHEM all about?  Here

© 2020. Lynda McKinney Lambert. All rights reserved.

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• Seeking Euphoria  – through art and writing.

• I reveal what is forgotten, lost or invisible.