One of the reasons I like G. K. Chesterton so much as he
takes conventional wisdom that is aimed against the faith, gives is a slight
twist, and throws it back at his adversaries who then go scrambling. The next paragraphs of Lumen Gentium (59 – 60) do much of the same thing. It is often a criticism of the Church that we
rely too much on Mary and that somehow diminishes God and makes out tie to Him
appear weaker. Au Contraire says the Church.
It proves just the opposite. It
is true, there is but one mediator between man and God and that is Jesus
Christ. The devotion we have for Mary
does not lessen this fact but show’s God’s great power.
By the fore merits of her Son, Mary is declared by the angel
“full of grace.” Grace is any Divine
help that we receive to bring us closer to God (simple definition – work with me.) Mary isn’t touched, or has a bunch of, or
even is pretty close to having it all, but is declared full of grace. As a human person, she is as close to God as a
human person may be. She was
overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and conceived the God child, was with Him
through His life and death, persevered in prayer with the apostles after His death,
and was then assumed into heaven.
So full of God’s presence is she that it flows from the
Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to touch us. It is His super abundance of grace and power
that we feel. Our connection to the
Father rests solely on the shoulders of Christ “and depends entirely on Him and
draws all its power from Him.” Devotion
of Mary in no way hinders the immediate union with us and God but fosters it,
bringing us closer through Christ.
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