Theology

The Reason Why We Call Mary Our Mother

Calling Mary “Our mother”, we Catholics have garnered many criticisms from non-Catholics about our deep relationship with Mary. As queen and mother is how we venerate the Holy Virgin. But many non-believers say that this is without proper justification and biblical backing. They argue that Mary is only the mother of Jesus and no one else’s. So can we explain this special relationship the world has with Mary?

Read between the lines

The Apostle, St. Paul, in his letters has emphasized numerously that we are consecrated to the Body of Christ. We the church, in the most perfect sense, is married to Christ and we are literally made one with Jesus. We share not only the body, but also the Spirit and his life.

One in body, life, and spirit with Christ:

  • Romans 12:5 – “so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another”
  • 1 Corinthians 6:15 – “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take Christ’s members and make them the members of a prostitute?* Of course not!”
  • 1 Corinthians 6:17 – “But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.”
  • 1 Corinthians 10:17 – “Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.”
  • Colossians 2:12 – “You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.”
  • Romans 6:8 – “If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.”

This is the perfected covenant of God and his people. That we are united with him not by law. But by flesh, life, and spirit.

Since Jesus is the literal life and body of the world, then it’s also safe to say that Mary carried everyone’s life in her womb as she carried Christ’s, and the birth of Christ is the birth of all. Therefore, Mary is our mother, our literal mother. More perfectly mother than our own worldly mother. Through the baptism which has earned our consecration to Jesus, we are Mary’s flesh of her flesh, and blood of her blood. This is the reason Mary will always treat us as her own children, because we are.