The New Parish Name Is…

Mater Dei
lt is a Latin title for (Mother ofGod)

Pronunc胸tfon応/M。hter Doyee)

Thisれame is only for the new parish. The dedication name ofthe

Churches w川not change.

The image of Mary as Queen Mother is directly reiated to the first o情ciaI

Marian dogma defined bythe Church: Mary’s status as Mater Dei (Motherof

God). The Greek word for the title is Theotokos, Which Iitera=y means ′′God-
bearer.′′ That titie is one ofthe oldest and most commonly used tit-es for Mary′ With Christians using it in the very first

Centuries of the Church. The titIe aiso appears in one of the o-dest known Christian prayers, theSub Tuum
Praesidium (′′Beneath Your Protection’’), an eariy form ofthe Memorare that dates to the third century.

The first Christians caiied Mary the ′′Mother of God′′ without hesitation. There was scripturai precedent, and it seemed

Iogica=f」esus was God′ and Marywas his mother′ then that made herthe Mother ofGod. That sort of-ogic depends on

a principie called the ′′communication of ldioms.′′ According to that principle′ Whatever one says about either of Christ′s

n∂tureS Can be truIy said ofChrist himseif. That′s because His two natures′ the divine nature and the human nature, Were

united in Him. He is one divine person.

In the f軸century′ however′ SOme PeOPle raised the same objections to the titie that many non-Catholics raise today:

They argued that the title ′′Mother of God′′ impIied that Mary was the ′′originator ofGod"′′ Those objectors said that they

COuId accept the title ′′Mother of Christ′′′ but not ′′Mothe「 of God.′′ At the heart of those objections, however, WaS an

Objection to the unity ofChrist′s two natures. Mary, they c-aimed, gaVe b而h onlyto Christ′s human nature, nOt his divine

nature・ The Church′ ied by Pope Ceiestine l and St. Cyri- ofAlexandria′ disagreed. As St. Cyril pointed out′ a mOther gives

師h to a person′ nOt a nature. Accordingly′ Mary gave b軸to 」esus Christ′ Who was and is a divine person. Although

Mary did not ′′originate′′ or ′′generate′′ God′ She did bear Him in herwomb and give birth to Him. She was God′s mother.

The controversy over Mary′s titIe as ′′Mother of God′′ was addressed in 431 A.D. at the Counci- of Ephesus. There, mOre

WaS at Stake than simpIy defending Mary′s title. The Ch「istian teaching about Christ′s two natures was the rea=ssue. The

Church wanted to settle one question‥ Was 」esus one person or two? Rejecting the teaching ofthe heretic Nestorius, the

Church declared that 」esus is one divine person′ With two natures-his mother′s human nature and his Father’s divine

nature. Mary did not give 」esus his divine nature or his divine personhood-those He possessed from alI etemity as the

Only begotten son ofthe Father. But she aiso didn′tjustgive Him His flesh: She gave b冊to the whole person. she gave

birth to 」esus Christ′ both God and man. That is what we confess everγ time we say the ApostIes′ creed.

Ca冊ng Mary一’Mater Dei’一(MotherofGod) states a truth that must be stated in orderto protect an essentiaI truth ab。ut

Christ・ In a sim=arway′ that′s what aii Mary′s queen-y predecessors did fortheirsons. One ofthe three essential tasks of

the Queen Motherwas to be a sign of her son′s legitimacy. She was the link between his father′ the former rightfu- king,

and her son′ the present rightfuI king. Likewise′ Mary as the virgina一′′Mother of God′′ is the link between her Son′s

humanity and divinity・ She is the sign that He is both God and man.

Taken from Why Do We Ca= Marv the Mother of God? -St. Paul Center (stDaulcenter.comI