THE MAGISTERIUM OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
Page 27: (86) "Yet this Magisterium is not superior to the Word of God, but is its servant."
PARAGRAPH 6. MARY - MOTHER OF CHRIST
Page 251: (963) "The Virgin Mary...is acknowledged and honored as being truly the (1) Mother of God and of the redeemer...She is 'clearly the mother of the members of Christ' since she has by her charity joined in bringing about the (2) birth of believers in the Church, who are members of its head." "Mary Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church."
(1) Correction: Mary is the mother of Jesus not the mother of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit or the one true living God.
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. Acts 1:14.
(2) Correction: The Holy Spirit gave birth to the Church.
Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4.
Page 251: (964) Mary's role in the Church is (1) inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it. "This union of the mother with the Son in the (2) work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ's virginal conception up to his death";
(1) Correction: Mary had nothing to do with the establishment of the Church.
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2:19-22.
(2) Correction: There is only one spiritual Savior.
I, even I, am the LORD, and besides Me there is no savior. Isaiah 43:11.
For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33.
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Philippians 3:20-21.
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5.
Page 251: (964) it is made manifest above all at the hour of his Passion:
Thus the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully
persevered in her (1) union with her Son unto the cross. There she stood, in
keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her (2) only begotten Son the (3)
intensity of his suffering, joining herself with his sacrifice in her mother's heart,
and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this victim, born of her: to be given,
by the same Christ Jesus dying on the cross, as a mother to his disciple, with
these words: "Woman, behold your son."
(1) Correction: Mary was not always in union with her Son in His mission.
So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." And He said to them, "Why is it that you sought Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" Luke 2:48-49.
Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You." But He answered and said to them, "My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it." Luke 8:19-21.
(2) Correction: Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16.
(3) Correction: Mary did not go through the intensity of suffering that Jesus endured.
And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day." Luke 9:21-22.
Page 251: (965) After her Son's Ascension, Mary "aided the beginnings of the Church by her prayers." In her association with the apostles and several women, "we also see Mary by her prayers imploring the gift of the Spirit, who had already overshadowed her in the Annunciation."
Note: This is the last mention of Mary in the Holy Bible. Acts 1:14.
Page 252: (966) "Finally the Immaculate Virgin, (1) preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was (2) taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as (3) Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death."
(1) Correction: Mary had original sin.
For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:10.
(2) Correction: Mary has not yet been taken up body and soul into heavenly glory.
NO one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. John 3:13.
(3) Correction: Jesus Christ is to be exalted in all things.
And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in ALL things He may have the preeminence. Colossians 1:18.
Note: The idea that the Virgin Mary was assumed or taken up into heaven is first found in some fourth-century writings. Gradually it gained support and by the end of the eighth century, it was generally held in the East, thanks especially to John of Damascus. The doctrine of the assumption is not merely about an (allegedly) historical episode in Mary's life. It is the foundation of a number of other beliefs about her notably that she is Queen of Heaven and that she is the Mediatrix, who mediates between us and God. The dogma has no support from Scripture, nor from the earliest tradition though these are claimed to provide its 'ultimate foundation'. Exploring Christian Thought, Tony Lane 1996, Thomas Nelson Publishers, pg 233.
Page 252: (966) The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a (1) singular participation in her Son's Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians:
In birth you (2) kept your virginity; in your Dormition you did not leave the
world, O Mother of God, but were (3) joined to the source of Life. You (4)
conceived the living God and, by your prayers, will deliver our souls (5)
from death.
(1) Correction: Only God had a hand in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. Acts 2:24. (The Father)
No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father. John 10:18. (The Son)
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8:11 (The Holy Spirit)
(2) Correction: Joseph had sexual relations with Mary.
Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know (sex) her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS. Matthew 1:24-25.
(3) Note: All true believers have been joined to Jesus Christ.
But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:17.
(4) Correction: Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 1:20.
(5) Correction: Only God can deliver our souls from death.
But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7.
For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:9.
To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. Jude 25.
Page 252: (967) By her complete adherence to the Father's will, to his Son's redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the Church's model of faith and charity. Thus she is a (1) "preeminent and...wholly unique member of the Church"; indeed, she is the "exemplary realization" (typus) of the Church.
(1) Correction: We are to imitate Paul of his ways in Christ.
Therefore I urge you, imitate me. For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every city. I Corinthians 4:16-17.
Page 252: (968) Her role in relation to the Church and to all humanity goes still further. "In a wholly singular way she cooperated by her obedience, faith, hope, and burning charity in the Savior's work of restoring supernatural life to souls. For this reason (1) she is a mother to us in the order of grace."
(1) Correction: Grace was given to us only by the Father and the Son.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1:7.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:3.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:2.
Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:3.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:2.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians 1:2.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:1.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thessalonians 1:2.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philemon 3
Page 252: (969) Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of (3) eternal salvation. Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of (1) Advocate, (2) Helper, (3) Benefactress, and (4) Mediatrix.
(1) Correction: Jesus Christ is our Advocate.
My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1.
(2) Correction: The Holy Spirit is our Helper.
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17.
(3) Correction: Jesus Christ gives eternal life.
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. John 10:28.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23.
And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
1 John 5:11.
(4) Correction: Jesus Christ is our Mediator.
For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. 1 Tim. 2:5.
Page 253: (971) " All generations will call me blessed". "The Church's (1) devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most (2) ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose (3) protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs...This very special devotion...differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.
(1) Correction: Intrinsic to Christian worship is devotion to God.
And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior." Luke 1:46-47.
And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.' " Luke 4:8.
But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:23-24.
And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Revelation 19:10.
(2) Correction: Only from the 4th century onward has Mary been honored with the title "Mother of God." Exploring Christian Thought, Tony Lane 1996, Thomas Nelson Publishers, page 233.
(3) Correction: We are to run to God in time of need.
For You have been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. Psalm 61:3.
My lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me. Psalm 144:2.
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28.
Page 253: (972) After speaking of the Church, her origin, mission, and destiny, we can find no better way to conclude than by (1) looking to Mary. In (2) her we contemplate what the Christ already is in her mystery on her own (3) "pilgrimage of faith," and what she will be in the homeland at the end of her journey. There, "in the glory of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity," "in the communion of all the saints," the Church is awaited by the one she venerates as Mother of her Lord and as her (4) own mother.
(1) Correction: We should look to God for eternal life. (Isaiah 45:22)
Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
Looking unto Jesus, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2.
(2) Correction: We are to look to God for understanding of the mystery of Christ in us.
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:27.
(3) Correction: After this lifetime, we are no longer on some pilgrimage.
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. Hebrews 9:27.
(4) Correction: The church has no mother but is the body of Christ.
And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:22-23.
(Psa 119:09) How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.
(Psa 119:11) Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!
(Psa 119:16) I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
(Psa 119:17) Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word.
(Psa 119:25) My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word.
(Psa 119:28) My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word.
(Psa 119:38) Establish Your word to Your servant, Who is devoted to fearing You.
(Psa 119:42) So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word.
(Psa 119:49) Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope.
(Psa 119:50) This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.
(Psa 119:65) You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD, according to Your word.
(Psa 119:67) Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.
(Psa 119:81) My soul faints for Your salvation, But I hope in Your word.
(Psa 119:82) My eyes fail from searching Your word, Saying, "When will You comfort me?"
(Psa 119:89) Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.
(Psa 119:101) I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.
(Psa 119:105) Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
(Psa 119:107) I am afflicted very much; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word.
(Psa 119:114) You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.
(Psa 119:123) My eyes fail from seeking Your salvation And Your righteous word.
(Psa 119:133) Direct my steps by Your word, And let no iniquity have dominion over me.
(Psa 119:140) Your word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it.
(Psa 119:147) I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word.
(Psa 119:154) Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Your word.
(Psa 119:158) I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, Because they do not keep Your word.
(Psa 119:161) Princes persecute me without a cause, But my heart stands in awe of Your word.
(Psa 119:162) I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure.
(Psa 119:170) Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me according to Your word.
(Romans 10:8-9) But what does it say? " The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
(Romans 10:17) So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
(1 Corinthians 14:36-37) Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.
And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!" But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" Luke 11:27-28.