Catholic devotion to the blessed virgin

Protestants are uncomfortable about several doctrines of the Catholic Church and even willing to renounce the entire organization as heretical. The way that Mary, and to a lesser extent any saint, is spoken of has been most uncomfortable in my experience. The language used for the Blessed Virgin often matches biblical language used to describe Jesus. The sum result is that most Protestants believe the Catholic Church holds Mary in equal standing with Jesus, as though they’re two divinely equal beings. The elevation of Mary with language that’s usually reserved only for Jesus seems to cheapen Jesus' uniqueness as the Son of God.

Thomas Merton shines a clarifying light on the topic which Protestants would do well to heed before renouncing the Catholic Church wholesale.

💬

This is often forgotten by Catholics themselves, and therefore it is not surprising that those who are not Catholic often have a completely wrong conception of Catholic devotion to the Mother of God. They imagine, and sometimes we can understand their reasons for doing so, that Catholics treat the Blessed Virgin as an almost divine being in her own right, as if she had some glory, some power, some majesty of her own that placed her on a level with Christ Himself. They regard the Assumption of Mary into heaven as a kind of apotheosis and her Queenship as a strict divinization. Hence her place in the Redemption would seem to be equal to that of her Son. But this is all completely contrary to the true mind of the Catholic Church. (pg. 173)

The Woman Clothed With The Sun

Merton continues with a praise for Mary’s hiddenness and humility. Mary is highly spoken of precisely because she had so fully surrendered herself to the LORD that her will in no way hindered His will at work through her. She is preeminent among the saints because she was the lowliest servant.

References