Abounding in Kindness.
Thirty people attended one or more sessions of Introduction to Contemporary Theology with facilitator Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan.
Below is the Study Guide for Session 4: “Mary, Mother of Jesus, Always Our Sister, A Critical Look at the Marian Tradition.
For more information about courses or programs offered by People's Catholic Seminary:
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| Session 4 MMOJ members discuss "Mary, Mother of Jesus, Always our Sister" on March 12, 2016 at St. Andrew UCC in Sarasota, Fl. |
Study Guide - Session 4: Contemporary Theology for
the People of God
“Mary, Mother of Jesus, Always Our Sister, A
Critical Look at the Marian Tradition”
With
Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan, D. Min.
Text:
Abounding in Kindness by Elizabeth A. Johnson
Thousand
Faces of Mary, George Tavard, The Thousand Faces of the Virgin Mary
A.
Jewish
woman, Miriam of Nazareth
B.
Mother
of Jesus
C.
Immaculate
Conception, Pius IX connection to papal power
P. 289.
D.
Our
Lady of Fatima, Cold War with Russia
E.
Our
Lady of Guadalupe, Caesar Chavez, struggle for justice of migrant workers P.
289.
II.
Mary, our Sister, friend of God, Prophet with Communion of Saints P. 290
A.
Mary,
not the maternal face of God
1.
Mary
took over titles, shrines, icons, power of Great Mother Goddess
2.
Mary,
symbol of mercy and intimacy with God in response to God as angry ruler, Jesus
as a judge and Holy Spirit as obscure. “Hail Holy Queen, Mother of mercy…”
3.
Marian
theology developed divine qualities to compensate for patriarchy.
4.
The
issue is Mary is not divine.
5.
Demonstrates
need for female images of God, balance of male and female images of God P.291.
6.
Let
God have own maternal face. Julian of Norwich, God is our mother, Pope John
Paul I, God is our mother. P. 291.
III
Mary, not the ideal woman, no eternal feminine
A.
John
Paul II linked virtues of Mary as a role model for all women. Emphasis was and embodiment of eternal
feminine with the focus on self- sacrificing love, gentleness, non-assertive,
non-competitive attitude which leads to the subordination of women P. 292
B.
Hans
Von Balthasar argues that “in the church there is the Marian principle of holy
obedience, complementarity to the petrine principle of orderly hierarchical
rule.” In this understanding of complementarity, women are nurturers, divesting
themselves of self-will in order to be obedient to God. John Paul II wrote two encyclicals on the
“Mother of Redemption” and on the Dignity of Women” linking the virtues of Mary
with the vocation of women.” P. 293.
C.
Need
for women to develop “critical intellect, capacity for righteous anger, inoculate
passivity and other characteristics of a mature personality. Living femininity
can be dangerous to one’s health and life inculcating passivity in abusive and
violent situations.” P. 293.
D.
Feminist
theologians are critical of a racist and classist view of women. “Aint I a
woman” Sojourner Truth, P. 293. “Nobody ever helps me into carriages or over
mud puddles or give me any best place.”
IV. Yes, truly our sister in the
communion of the saints. Mary as woman of faith, friend of God and prophet
Mary
was a Jewish woman of faith, lighting the Sabbath lamps, following Torah and
festivals of faith
A.
Mary
lived in a rural village where poverty prevailed in an occupied, violent state.
B.
Mary
lived in community. She was present in the midst of the disciples at Pentecost,
Acts 1:13
C.
Mary,
sister to marginalized especially women in oppressed situations.
D.
Mary’s
life is reflected in so many poor women today.
1.
Journey
to Bethlehem, displaced from ancestral
home because of debt and taxes
2.
Flight
into Egypt , movement of refugees to avoid being killed by military action
3.
Loss
of son executed by unjust state
E.
Mary
did not live “ peaceful, middle class life, robed in royal blue” P. 298
1.
Asked
questions, Pondered what God was doing
2.
Wedding
Feast of Cana: “they have no wine, you have to act.” “Far from being receptive
to the wishes of the leading man, she contradicts and persuades him otherwise. Far
from being passive, Mary acts. She takes charge, organizing matters so that a
bountiful abundance soon flows to those in need.” P. 299.
3.
Mary’s
words are prophetic. Her words echo today. “They have no wine. People in need
continue her observation, which is also a judgment and a plea: no food, no
clean drinking water, no housing, education or health care, no employment, no
security from rape, no human rights.” P.
299.
4.
“Just
as her words propelled Jesus into action at Cana, her challenging words address
the conscience of the church, the body of Christ, in the world today. Even
though people in wealthy nations might prefer not to be informed, her voice
reverberates through the centuries saying: “they have no wine…you have to act.”
P. 299
5.
Mary,
who was “poor, female and endangered in a violent society” awakens “courage to
struggle for a just and peaceful world in which all humans and the earth
flourish.” P. 299.
6.
“Mary’s
grief for her dead son places her in solidarity with mothers of children dead
by state violence everywhere…it empowers the church’s women and men to say
“Stop It”
7.
“…the
memory of Mary near the cross abides, inspiring non-violent action to stop the
violence as a profoundly compassionate expression of faith in God.’
V.
Mary, mother of Jesus, is a “partner in hope in the company of all the holy
women and men, who have gone before us to redeem the power of her memory for
the flourishing of suffering people, and to draw on the energy of her memory
for a deeper relationship with the living God and stronger care for the world.”
She is “truly our sister, a woman in the cloud of witnesses cheering on the
people of God today.” P. 301.
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