08-31-2026, 06:47 PM
XV. The Conduct of Protestants towards the Mother of God.
— It is a very queer way of honoring the son by insulting and despising his mother. Now, the Blessed Virgin is the mother of Jesus Christ; yet all Protestant sects join together to lay her aside with a disdain often amounting to spite and indignation.* It is a shameful conduct, and nothing, even on Protestant principles, can excuse it.
Mary is the Mother of Jesus; but Jesus is God; therefore, Mary is the Mother of God. Passing strange that men who call themselves Christians refuse to honor the Mother of the God of Christians — her who has given us this God-Saviour! Passing strange, indeed, that subjects who call themselves faithful and devoted to this Sovereign should deny his Mother reverence and honor!
The angel appearing to the Virgin Mary, to obtain her consent for the grand mystery of the Incarnation, addressed her in words of most respectful affection: "Hail, full of grace! . . . Blessed art thou among women!"
The Catholic follows the example of the good and faithful angel, who honors the Mother of his God; whereas, Protestants prefer to follow the lead of the false and unfaithful fallen angel — him of whom God hath said from the beginning: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman. . . . She shall crush thy head!" (Gen. iii.)
When the Holy Virgin, bearing the Redeemer of the world, entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth, the latter was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she cried out with a loud voice, and said: ". . . Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb."
We Catholics follow the example of St. Elizabeth, and, led by the inspiration of the same spirit of truth, we love to attest our gratitude, our veneration, and our affection for Mary. The Protestant sects follow the senseless people of Bethlehem, who, whilst looking for the coming of Messiah, refused to receive Mary; ignoring that it was she, and she alone, who bore Jesus the Messiah!
To the homage paid to her by Elizabeth, Mary hymned the canticle of her triumphs: "Henceforth all generations will call me blessed because the Mighty One has done great things for me."*
Now, who are these generations, which, fulfilling this prophecy — this word of the Bible — give Mary the appellation of Blessed?
Are they the Catholics, who, in the crypts of the catacombs as well as under the domes of the most magnificent churches, sing hymns of praise to the Blessed Name of Mary? Or, are they the Protestant generations, who have for the Blessed Virgin neither respect nor praise, and who believe they honor her enough if they insult her not?*
Nothing clearer, nothing more glorious for Mary than these words of Holy Writ. But Protestants will still oppose to them certain words of our Lord to his Mother — words so mysterious that no one can fathom their depth, and which aim at naught else but to make Mary share in the annihilation of the Redemption, as she had from the beginning partaken of the joys and glories of the Incarnation.
Were these words to be taken according to Protestant interpretation,† we must needs conclude that Jesus did not love his Mother, honored her not, and was a bad son, and violated the fourth commandment of his own law, to wit: "Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother." Who wishes to prove too much proves nothing. *Qui nimium probat, nihil probat.*
After his Father in heaven, our Lord loved none so intensely as he did his mother. Besides her being his mother, she is the humblest, the purest, the holiest of all creatures. Thus Jesus loved Mary with a love peculiar to himself. In our love and respect for Mary we conform ourselves to the sentiments of Jesus, and practise also, although very imperfectly, the great rule laid down by St. Paul, "Have this mind in yourselves, which also was in Christ Jesus"; that is, love what Christ hath loved (Ph. ii. 5).
We invoke the Blessed Virgin in our wants, because we know that she has power over the heart of her Son, and that the first of our Saviour's miracles was performed at the request of his mother.
As the Father has given us Jesus through Mary, so also he willeth that all the gifts of Jesus should come to us through the same channel. Mary is not our mediatrix of redemption — Christ Jesus alone has ransomed us and saved us. But she is a mediatrix by intercession, by tender affection for us; she is our advocate, our adopted mother. We beg her protection near the good God, just as a child flies to its mother to interest her to obtain what it wishes from the father.
In fact, the honor Christians pay to Mary ascends direct to Jesus Christ: the Son is honored in his Mother. We love and praise Mary, because we wish to congratulate her on her being the mother of Jesus, and to thank her because she has given Him to us. The worship of honor rendered by us to Mary is a safeguard to the worship of adoration which we are bound to render to Jesus, and what we witness every day is a triumphant proof of our assertion. For it is reserved for the Catholic Church, accused as she is of forgetting Jesus for the sake of Mary — the Creator for the creature — it is reserved for her alone to hold up and defend against Protestant infidelity the divinity of that only Mediator, of whose honor heresy hypocritically feigns to be so jealous, and yet denies his Divine Nature every day.‡
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* See proceedings of the late Pan-Anglican Synod.
* In raising her to so high a dignity. (Abp. Kenrick.)
* A dignitary of the Episcopal Church has said from one of our Boston pulpits that "Mary, after all, was no more than any other woman."
† Some Protestants, actually maniacs in their hatred for Mary, have even attacked her perpetual virginity (to say nothing of those who have called her an adulteress), because there are passages in the gospel making allusion to some brothers of the Lord. Have they not heard that in the East, even in our own days, the name of brother is given to the nearest of kin? Oriental languages have not a word to express the relationship of cousin; and the Bible, among other instances, introduces Abraham, addressing his nephew, Lot, thus: "Let there be no quarrel, I beseech thee, between me and thee; . . . for we are brethren." (Gen. xiii. 8.) St. James, who was a cousin-german of our Saviour, is often called brother of the Lord.
The dogma of the perpetual virginity of Mary is confirmed by all the monuments of the apostolic times. Whoever dares to dispute its truth is devoid of Christian feeling, has no Christian decency.
‡ Augustus Nicolas has published a work entitled, "Philosophical Studies on the Blessed Virgin. — The Virgin Mary and the Divine Plan. — The Virgin Mary in the Gospel. — The Virgin Mary living in the Church." All the difficulties raised against the worship of the Mother of God are peremptorily met and demolished. Said an enlightened magistrate: "Mr. Nicolas, no Protestant can remain such after reading your book."
— It is a very queer way of honoring the son by insulting and despising his mother. Now, the Blessed Virgin is the mother of Jesus Christ; yet all Protestant sects join together to lay her aside with a disdain often amounting to spite and indignation.* It is a shameful conduct, and nothing, even on Protestant principles, can excuse it.
Mary is the Mother of Jesus; but Jesus is God; therefore, Mary is the Mother of God. Passing strange that men who call themselves Christians refuse to honor the Mother of the God of Christians — her who has given us this God-Saviour! Passing strange, indeed, that subjects who call themselves faithful and devoted to this Sovereign should deny his Mother reverence and honor!
The angel appearing to the Virgin Mary, to obtain her consent for the grand mystery of the Incarnation, addressed her in words of most respectful affection: "Hail, full of grace! . . . Blessed art thou among women!"
The Catholic follows the example of the good and faithful angel, who honors the Mother of his God; whereas, Protestants prefer to follow the lead of the false and unfaithful fallen angel — him of whom God hath said from the beginning: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman. . . . She shall crush thy head!" (Gen. iii.)
When the Holy Virgin, bearing the Redeemer of the world, entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth, the latter was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she cried out with a loud voice, and said: ". . . Whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb."
We Catholics follow the example of St. Elizabeth, and, led by the inspiration of the same spirit of truth, we love to attest our gratitude, our veneration, and our affection for Mary. The Protestant sects follow the senseless people of Bethlehem, who, whilst looking for the coming of Messiah, refused to receive Mary; ignoring that it was she, and she alone, who bore Jesus the Messiah!
To the homage paid to her by Elizabeth, Mary hymned the canticle of her triumphs: "Henceforth all generations will call me blessed because the Mighty One has done great things for me."*
Now, who are these generations, which, fulfilling this prophecy — this word of the Bible — give Mary the appellation of Blessed?
Are they the Catholics, who, in the crypts of the catacombs as well as under the domes of the most magnificent churches, sing hymns of praise to the Blessed Name of Mary? Or, are they the Protestant generations, who have for the Blessed Virgin neither respect nor praise, and who believe they honor her enough if they insult her not?*
Nothing clearer, nothing more glorious for Mary than these words of Holy Writ. But Protestants will still oppose to them certain words of our Lord to his Mother — words so mysterious that no one can fathom their depth, and which aim at naught else but to make Mary share in the annihilation of the Redemption, as she had from the beginning partaken of the joys and glories of the Incarnation.
Were these words to be taken according to Protestant interpretation,† we must needs conclude that Jesus did not love his Mother, honored her not, and was a bad son, and violated the fourth commandment of his own law, to wit: "Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother." Who wishes to prove too much proves nothing. *Qui nimium probat, nihil probat.*
After his Father in heaven, our Lord loved none so intensely as he did his mother. Besides her being his mother, she is the humblest, the purest, the holiest of all creatures. Thus Jesus loved Mary with a love peculiar to himself. In our love and respect for Mary we conform ourselves to the sentiments of Jesus, and practise also, although very imperfectly, the great rule laid down by St. Paul, "Have this mind in yourselves, which also was in Christ Jesus"; that is, love what Christ hath loved (Ph. ii. 5).
We invoke the Blessed Virgin in our wants, because we know that she has power over the heart of her Son, and that the first of our Saviour's miracles was performed at the request of his mother.
As the Father has given us Jesus through Mary, so also he willeth that all the gifts of Jesus should come to us through the same channel. Mary is not our mediatrix of redemption — Christ Jesus alone has ransomed us and saved us. But she is a mediatrix by intercession, by tender affection for us; she is our advocate, our adopted mother. We beg her protection near the good God, just as a child flies to its mother to interest her to obtain what it wishes from the father.
In fact, the honor Christians pay to Mary ascends direct to Jesus Christ: the Son is honored in his Mother. We love and praise Mary, because we wish to congratulate her on her being the mother of Jesus, and to thank her because she has given Him to us. The worship of honor rendered by us to Mary is a safeguard to the worship of adoration which we are bound to render to Jesus, and what we witness every day is a triumphant proof of our assertion. For it is reserved for the Catholic Church, accused as she is of forgetting Jesus for the sake of Mary — the Creator for the creature — it is reserved for her alone to hold up and defend against Protestant infidelity the divinity of that only Mediator, of whose honor heresy hypocritically feigns to be so jealous, and yet denies his Divine Nature every day.‡
---
* See proceedings of the late Pan-Anglican Synod.
* In raising her to so high a dignity. (Abp. Kenrick.)
* A dignitary of the Episcopal Church has said from one of our Boston pulpits that "Mary, after all, was no more than any other woman."
† Some Protestants, actually maniacs in their hatred for Mary, have even attacked her perpetual virginity (to say nothing of those who have called her an adulteress), because there are passages in the gospel making allusion to some brothers of the Lord. Have they not heard that in the East, even in our own days, the name of brother is given to the nearest of kin? Oriental languages have not a word to express the relationship of cousin; and the Bible, among other instances, introduces Abraham, addressing his nephew, Lot, thus: "Let there be no quarrel, I beseech thee, between me and thee; . . . for we are brethren." (Gen. xiii. 8.) St. James, who was a cousin-german of our Saviour, is often called brother of the Lord.
The dogma of the perpetual virginity of Mary is confirmed by all the monuments of the apostolic times. Whoever dares to dispute its truth is devoid of Christian feeling, has no Christian decency.
‡ Augustus Nicolas has published a work entitled, "Philosophical Studies on the Blessed Virgin. — The Virgin Mary and the Divine Plan. — The Virgin Mary in the Gospel. — The Virgin Mary living in the Church." All the difficulties raised against the worship of the Mother of God are peremptorily met and demolished. Said an enlightened magistrate: "Mr. Nicolas, no Protestant can remain such after reading your book."
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre