Jesus Christ was made man by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. All three Divine persons of the Holy Trinity chose the Blessed Virgin Mary to be the Mother of God.
The Blessed Virgin Mary – Who was she?
Her parents St. Joachim and St. Anne had been childless for many years. Turning to prayer and fasting they continued to trust in God. An angel appears to St. Anne with a promise of a child. The Immaculate Conception (May 8) is this promise. When Mary was born (September 8) they dedicated her to God. At the age of three her parents presented her to the Temple in Jerusalem (November 21). Mary remained on the Temple consecrated to God in service to the Temple until about the age of 14.
Read the book: Mary, The Mother of Jesus by Tomie DePaola
There are four dogmas stating important aspects of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s role in salvation. These four dogmas help us distinguish between person and role in the life of Mary giving us a better understanding of Mary’s unique relationship with God.
4 Marian Dogmas *We celebrate these dogmas with Mass – Holy Days of obligation- note dates*
- Divine Motherhood: The Council of Ephesus (431) attributed to Mary the title, Theotokos translated to “Mother of God” to describe Mary’s role as mother of Jesus. January 1st
- Perpetual Virginity: Mary the ever-virgin was a pure TABERNACLE in which God the Son would be carried into the world. In her humble and trusting manner she accepts the angel’s announcement, “May it be done to me according to your word” and Jesus Christ was and is Mary’s only child conceived by the Holy Spirit. Mary’s virginal integrity remains before during and after Christ’s birth with his birth sanctifying Mary.
- Immaculate Conception: Mary’s all-holiness. From her beginning Mary was exceptionally holy and in constant union with the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit. Mary’s freedom from original sin – Pope Pius IX 1854 wrote “And hence they [the Church Fathers] affirmed that the Blessed Virgin was, through grace, entirely free from every stain of sin, and from all corruption of body, soul and mind; that she was always united with God and joined to him by an eternal covenant; that she was never in darkness but always in light; and that, therefore, she was entirely a fit habitation for Christ, not because of the state of her body, but because of her original grace. .. ” December 8th
- Assumption: Mary body and soul was elevated into Heaven by the power and grace of God. Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950 declared “We pronounce, declare, and define it to be divinely revealed that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul to heavenly glory.” August 15th
Mary in Art
What color do you associate with the Blessed Virgin Mary? ____________________________
Her color or as we would say in vernacular “signature color” has changed over time. It changed in Medieval times (476 AD – 1453 AD) and can be seen in art from the early 5th Century. She had traditionally been associated with dark mourning colors. (Mourning is the expression of deep sorrow for someone who has died.) Before the 431 Council of Ephesus the Blessed Virgin Mary was seen in mourning for Jesus, a bereaved mother. She was to be shown as suffering and grief filled.
Read the book marked sections of the book: Blue the History of a Color by Michel Pastoureau.
Assignment:
1.) Before the Middle Ages what colors did artists use for the Blessed Virgin Mary? In what century (give a date) did it change? {see page 50}
2.) Pope Pius IX in 1854 declared the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception and the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Iconographic* color and her liturgical color became one in the same. What color did it become? {see page 55}
Note: An icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion. For a reminder about Liturgical Colors please read: What do Liturgical Colors Mean? by Katie Scott
*Iconography studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions, details, and other elements such as color that are used in the religious art.
3.) On page 55 of the BLUE book the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Musée d’Art Religieux et d’Art Mosan, Liege, Belgium has been painted many colors. All of these colors have provided us with the history of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s color representation. List the colors this statue has been painted in order:
4.) After seeing the various pieces of art devoted to the BVM it’s your turn to be the artist. Using your choice in art supplies draw your own picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Keep the picture sized to fit inside your notebook. Please attach it to the blank page for this assignment.
******* Review lesson 7: The Incarnation in the St. Joseph Baltimore Catechism book #2 *********
Sources:
Overview of Marian Dogmas – Father Johann Roten, S.M.
Blue the History of a Color – Michel Pastoureau
Mary, The Mother of Jesus by Tomie DePaola
**** FFF week 8 October 17, 2023 *****
The Small Pencil Catechist 