I’m so excited to have found a free online course from the Catholic Sacred Heart Major Seminary called “Behold Thy Mother.” It is a self-paced, four-week course that includes videos, course work, quizzes and multiple resources that will allow the student to explore more deeply the role of Mary.
I just finished the first video titled “Mary as the Mother of the Word Incarnate.” As Dr. Fastiggi, the course facilitator, said in the video: It is often asked how Mary can be the Mother of God. That implies that she came first. She did not, as Fastiggi explained.
God humbled himself to be incarnate in her womb in order to redeem the world. He had chosen Mary long before she was ever conceived to assist in his efforts.
Fastiggi passionately unfolds the explanation in easy-to-understand terminology, relying on scripture as the attributed source.
Pondering the theory that God incarnated himself in Mary’s womb to become man, for the first time sheds light (for me, anyway) on the mystery of the Holy Trinity. So while Mary gave birth to Jesus, she earned the title of Mother of God, because it was God himself who became man.
That also explains something my own earthly mother and I had struggled with. During Lent, and especially on Good Friday, my mother would question how God could let such harm come to his son Jesus. I used to offer up the idea that God loved all of us so very much that he sacrificed his only son for us. But I, too, struggled with that. As a parent, I find it impossible to imagine sacrificing one of my children. If, however, I was able to transform myself in order to be the one being sacrificed, then I get it. I would do that. That would make sense.
So today, after just one module in this gift of a lecture series on Mary, I have gained insight into two concepts I had always questioned. If you are seeking to learn more about Mary, I would suggest you take a closer look at “Behold Thy Mother.”
I am hoping to bring more knowledge about the Virgin Mary to the world, especially during these times when we need her most. Please consider sharing this post, this site, or its social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. I invite you to subscribe to this site (below) to be notified of new posts. Thank you.
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