Almighty God, you chose the virgin Mary to be the mother of your only Son. Grant that we, who have been redeemed by his blood, may share with her in the glory of your eternal kingdom; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Lutheran Book of Worship)
Today (August 15) is the day that the universal church celebrates one of the greatest saints of the church. Mary, the mother of Jesus is often overlooked by Protestants, but here are a few words of wisdom regarding her from Martin Luther:
[Mary is the] highest woman and the noblest gem in Christianity after Christ . . . She is nobility, wisdom, and holiness personified. We can never honor her enough. Still honor and praise must be given to her in such a way as to injure neither Christ nor the Scriptures. (Sermon, Christmas, 1531).
One should honor Mary as she herself wished and as she expressed it in the Magnificat. She praised God for his deeds. How then can we praise her? The true honor of Mary is the honor of God, the praise of God's grace . . . Mary is nothing for the sake of herself, but for the sake of Christ . . . Mary does not wish that we come to her, but through her to God. (Explanation of the Magnificat, 1521).
1 comment:
Thanks, however, for reminding me, Jon. I've always wondered why the Confession/Definition/Creed of Chalcedon extolling Mary's role as Theotokos and the hypostatic union of God and man in Christ is not the fourth universal symbol in the BOC. I wonder if that would have given Mary more of the attention she deserved. (Heck, even the Episcopaolians include it as a "historical document" at the back of the prayer book -- aolong with the Anthanasian Creed -- even if they don't believe it.)
Post a Comment