Chapter One
January
1. Solemnity of Mary,
Mother of God
The
Blessed Virgin Mary is the greatest of the Church's saints, and "Mother of God" (Gk. Theotokos; Lat. Deipara) is the highest of her titles. It is the basis for every other title and dignity accorded to her. Although she was the Mother of God from the moment she conceived Jesus in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:26 38), her motherhood of God was not formally recognized by the Church until the first half of the fifth century, in response to a theological controversy.
Nestorius (d. ca. 451), the patriarch of Constantinople, argued that there are two whole and distinct natures in Christ, one human and one divine, each having its own "personal" manifestation. Nestorius and his supporters wanted to emphasize that the Son of God really took on our humanity. He became one of us in the flesh. It was Jes ...
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