Claims on the Blessed Virgin part I, XV to XX

List of claims

The claims answered here as a list:

• XV It is suggested that Catholic veneration of Mary is a divine worship and claimed that this is thus un-Biblical.
• XVI It is claimed that Immaculate Conception (i e sinlessness from the first moment of Her conception) is thus un-Biblical.
• XVII It is claimed that the Perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Virgin is un-Biblical.
• XVIII It is claimed that the Assumption is un-Biblical.
• XIX It is claimed that Coredemptrix is un-Biblical.
• XX It is claimed that Mediatrix omnium gratiarum is un-Biblical.

Each singly:

• XV It is suggested that Catholic veneration of Mary is a divine worship and claimed that this is thus un-Biblical.

The angel Gabriel and Elisabeth in the Bible do honour Her with the words "blessed art thou among women" or "blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb". So do we.

You might reply "but they weren't worshipping her as God" - well, neither are we.

For one thing, I think the Mariavites were worshipping Her as "Incarnation of the Holy Spirit" and they are a condemned sect, outside the Catholic Church.

For another, you may tell me "perhaps you aren't, but how do you know you won't be surprised when reading a Catholic Catechism?" I actually read five of them when converting, including when converting to Trad, the Catechism of Pope St Pius X. You will not find a genuine catechism where She is worshipped as God.

You will find words like "divine motherhood" but that doesn't mean the Mother is a divine person, it means Her motherhood is motherhood in relation to one. In Latin adjectives like "divine" sometimes function as genitives.

• XVI It is claimed that Immaculate Conception (i e sinlessness from the first moment of Her conception) is thus un-Biblical
• XIX It is claimed that Coredemptrix is un-Biblical.

Both are there in Genesis 3:15. Crushing the serpent head is for the woman, as crushing the serpent seed's head is for the woman's seed. Christ three times called His mother woman.

• at Cana
• when she was taken hostage by His brethren
• at Calvary, when She was told about the Beloved Disciple "see thy son"

First two times, the situation is such that one can construe this as words of impatience, even rudeness against His own mother.

Against that explanation, we must consider that "he was like us in all but sin" and any clear and deliberate rudeness to one's mother is sinful. Obviously, with a sinful mother, there would be provoked rudenesses that were not so.

However, if someone were to try to consider first two occasions as proof His mother was sinning, look closely at third one: no hint whatsoever of "correcting" Her. Either He was rude to His mother and therefore a sinner, or His words mean something else. Now, look again at Genesis 3:15 and you will find the correct solution.

Since the Hebrew language has feminine pronoun and feminine verb forms for "she" as subject both with woman and with seed, one could take Hebrew equivalent of "she will crush thy head" both as referring to "the woman's seed will crush thy head" and to "the woman will crush they head". Protestants translating in KJV "it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" take it as referring to "the woman's seed". St Jérôme translating "ipsa conteret caput tuum, et tu insidiaberis calcaneo ejus" or "she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel" (ejus could also mean "his", but Douay Rheims takes "her" as better in context) take it as referring to the woman. See about this the excellent book Ipsa Conteret by Heinz-Lothar Barth.

Now, if "the woman" does play an active part in defeating Satan, then she is coredeemer.

Does she?

Hear again what the angel and Elisabeth said.

blessed art thou among women.

These words had already a history in the Old Testament. They were said to women who had redeemed or saved Israel from mighty enemies. Jael had saved Israel from Sisera and Judith from Holophernes. So, she apparently has overcome a mighty enemy of Israel, but as she has so far led a very peaceful life, she is at least not sure she understands ... I think she had an idea, and once she is miraculously pregnant, it is confirmed.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

Very clear what enemy of Israel she has defeated. That fits Genesis 3:15 so nicely, and it means She has defeated Satan by being Mother of God and of the true Messiah. She will crus the serpent's head, but She will do so by Her seed.

But it means more, and even a bit earlier in Genesis 3:15 it says so.

I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed:

What does slavery mean? It does not mean enmity. If you are someone's slave, you are not his enemy.

What does sin mean? It means slavery under Satan, under the serpent.

So, enmity against Satan and especially an enmity successful enough to receive a victory medallion corresponding to "you crushed his head, that vile serpent's" (confer the use about Jael and Judith) can not mean anything other than absolutely not being Satan's slave. And that means absolutely not sinning.

It has been claimed that Her not sinning is contradicted by Herself, when She talks or sings of Her Redeemer. But for one thing, God can redeem from sin in two ways : by fully forgiving a sin already committed, or by preserving someone from committing a sin in the first place. It is this other way which is how the Son wanted to redeem His mother.

• XVII It is claimed that the Perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Virgin is un-Biblical.

Based on:

• no direct mention in NT
• Joseph not knowing her "till she brought forth her firstborn son"
• siblings apparently her non-miraculous children being mentioned.

This is answered:

• NT tradition is sufficient even without NT books, and OT prophecy confirms it, and is even quoted by St. Matthew: [22] Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: [23] Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us
• "not till" or "not until" a specified event does not automatically mean it changes after the event and "firstborn" has a technical meaning not necessarily implying ensuing sons.
• siblings mentioned may be His stepbrothers from previous marriage of St Joseph who had been widowed, also, if one of them was faithful at the time of the Crucifixion and was Her son, and we know St James the Lesser was faithful, no need for Her Son to give Her a substitute son, as He did.

• XVIII It is claimed that the Assumption is un-Biblical.

While the event is after Acts, like many martyrdoms other than that of St James the Greater are also after Acts, it is reflected in Apocalypse 12, since "the woman" actually is identified as Mother of Christ, and since the passage implies she was raptured.

• Apoc. 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with an iron rod: and her son was taken up to God, and to his throne.
• Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And he said: Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
• Apocalypse (Revelation) 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron, and as the vessel of a potter they shall be broken,
• Apocalypse (Revelation) 19:15 And out of his mouth proceedeth a sharp two edged sword; that with it he may strike the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God the Almighty.
• Apoc. 12:1 And a great sign appeared in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars:

• XX It is claimed that Mediatrix omnium gratiarum is un-Biblical.

Biblical examples of how She mediated graces:

• the leap of joy of John the Baptist
• the miracle of water turned to wine at Cana
• the conversion of the thief on Christ's right hand.

This latter needs some elucidation : we know the Blessed Virgin and the Beloved Disciple were both present at the crucifixion. This is clear from the Bible. It is also clear the robber on His right hand repented and was promised paradise, while that on the left hand we can suppose continued blasphemies.

Now, it is an extra-Biblical tradition, endorsed by the Church, that the Blessed Virgin stood under His right hand and the Beloved Disciple under His left hand. And when both robbers started out blaspheming, they both prayed for the conversion of the robber who was nearest.µ

The Blessed Virgin was caring for St Dismas, that is why he converted in time.

The earlier two examples do not even need extra-Biblical tradition to explain them.

So, She mediated His Grace before He was born, when He started His public ministry, when He redeemed the world, when the Church received the Holy Ghost, even, and at the choice of the Traitor's replacer:

Acts 1:[13] And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Jude the brother of James. [14] All these were persevering with one mind in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

Acts 1:[26] And they gave them lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Acts 2:[1] And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place: [2] And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. [3] And there appeared to them parted tongues as it were of fire, and it sat upon every one of them: [4] And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak.

So, when did She not mediate grace? With this in mind, just because a grace is mentioned, and Her mediating it is not, we dare not say the grace was not mediated by Her.