You may not realize it but we are at war. This war is not Catholic versus non-Catholic, although many times our attitude towards each other belies this statement. War was declared and lines were drawn, by God Himself, when He told Satan that He would put enmity between Satan and the woman and between Satan's seed and her seed.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.Before the fall, all of Mankind was represented by two human beings who were created without sin. These two were called Adam and Eve. When tested they failed and fell under Satan's power. We have all heard the sad story of Adam and Eve. God since he loves us had a plan to reverse mankind's plight and restore intimacy with us. In God's plan for redemption, a man and a woman had to be involved or Satan, since he is a legalist, would have screamed "foul" and rightly so in my opinion. If no woman was involved in our redemption, Satan would be accusing God of an injustice since God had said that He would use a woman and her seed to crush his head.
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Another reason Satan would be whining about the injustice of God was that the woman was the first to commit sin. The woman was the weakest link of the two link chain.
Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.In God's plan for redemption a man and a woman who, like Adam and Eve before the fall, were free from sin would be used to redeem the human race from Satan's power.
1 Corinthians 15:21-22 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
It's obvious that Christ is the new Adam. He is the one who is like us in all things except sin. Without sin just like Adam before the fall. Who then is the new Eve? It should be obvious. If Christ is the seed of the woman mentioned in Genesis 3:15 then the woman, the new Eve, has to be Mary.
We honor Mary because God honored her. No we don't worship her contrary to the lies you may have heard. That would be idolatry. Yes she is like us in the way all humans are alike. In the eyes of God and for reasons known only by Him she was uniquely different. So in that respect she is different from us. God picked her from all the women throughout eternity to be the Mother of His Son. Something happened in her life that had not nor ever will happen to another woman ever. She became the mother of Almighty God in the flesh. We call Him Jesus.The entire Trinity honored her. The Father chose her. The Holy Spirit honored her at conception.
Matthew 1:20 ...for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Jesus her son honored her. He brought new meaning to the commandment honoring parents.
Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother:
If we are to imitate Jesus in all things can we do less? Jesus not only honored but he obeyed her and Joseph.
Luke 2:51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.
We as Catholics honor her as should all Christians. Scripture tells us that the true believer is to honor her and consider her blessed. Yet there are many who not only refuse her this honor but belittle Mary.
Luke 1:48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.The Immaculate Conception
But what about needing a Saviour? Didn't Mary need the merits of Christ's sacrifice for her salvation? Yes she did, but the merits of Christ's sacrifice were applied to her before she was conceived in order that she would be conceived without sin. This is what Catholics call the Immaculate Conception. Many people including Catholics get this dogma confused with the Incarnation. The Incarnation is when Jesus became truly human for our sake.
Philippians 2:6-7 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
The Immaculate Conception deals with Mary not Jesus. It was a special privilege given by God to Mary not because of any thing she had done, could do, or in any way merit by her own accord. This gift was given for the sake of Christ alone.
My belief is that the Ark of the Old Covenant which contained the stone tablets known as the word of God was a prefigurement of Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, who bore the living breathing Word of God. Doesn't it make sense if the Ark of the Old Covenant had to be of the purest gold to house stone tablets that Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant, was to be the purest of creatures to house God in the flesh.
Exodus 25:11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.The Assumption
Mary was so pure the Church has never declared that she died. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception declared Mary was preserved from all sin for the sake of Christ. Scripture states that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Would the Pope declare that Mary since she was sinless did not die? Everyone was on the edge of their seats to see what wording the Pope used. On November 1, 1950, in defining the dogma of the Assumption, Pius XII avoided using the term "resurrection" and did not take a position on the question of the Blessed Virgin's death as a truth of faith. The wording he used states that Mary at the end of her course on earth was assumed body and soul into heaven. The Bull Munificentissimus Deus limits itself to affirming the elevation of Mary's body to heavenly glory, declaring this truth a "divinely revealed dogma".
Just as many confuse the Incarnation and the Immaculate Conception so too are the Assumption and Ascension confused. The Ascension is when Jesus ascended bodily to heaven by his own power.
Luke 24:51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
Mary on the other hand was assumed by God into heaven body and soul. Mention this to a fundamentalist and he or she will probably quote the following:
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Reminding us that Paul said that if we are in the body we are absent from the Lord and if we are with the Lord we are absent from the body. More or less suggesting that this dogma was false because I said she was assumed bodily into heaven. I remember this Scripture well because this is the Scripture one of my friends showed me to prove that the Assumption is obviously anti scriptural. No one with the exception of Jesus was taken up to heaven bodily I was told. "Oh really", I responded "have you ever read about Elijah and the chariot and horses of fire? I could tell by the look on my friend's face that he realized he should have taken more time to think before he made that statement.
2 Kings 2:11 And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
And wasn't there someone named Enoch who went walking with God and was seen no more?
Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
Doesn't Paul say that Enoch didn't see death and that God translated him because Enoch pleased God.
Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
That word, translated, in the King James version; doesn't that mean taken up? It does? And you believe that happened, right? You do. Let me get this straight now. First you said the Scripture in 2 Corinthians proved that the doctrine of the Assumption is false and that no one but Christ was taken up to heaven. Now you say Elijah and Enoch were taken up or assumed but you can't believe that Mary could have been assumed.
Discussions like this can give you a headache but you must remember when presenting the Catholic Point of view it is not a debate. The object is not to prove you are right and someone else is wrong. You are there to present a position and plant the seed of truth and leave the rest up to the Holy Spirit. This is easier said than done. There have been times I’ve thrown my hands in the air and used a word my granddaughter frequently uses “Whatever!!”