b'Theology of MarySACRED SCRIPTURE:THE SOUL OF MARIOLOGYThe New Testament shows that the Blessed Mother is central to the faith and life of the Church.By Father Bert Buby, SMT he Letter from the Congregation for Catholic The verse is theological, Christological, soteriological,Education (Rome, March 25, 1988) describes eschatological, and Mariological. Paul never mentionsthe Virgin Mary as an essential datum of the Mary by name but portrays her as the woman with afaith and the life of the Church, meaning shes in- role in the creative plan of Gods redemption of humanity.dispensable to both. As a Jewish woman, Mary would be a believer of whatLater, the letter concludes, The study of the Sacred is written in the Tanakh or the Hebrew Scriptures. MaryScriptures, therefore, must be the soul of Mariology. probably was born in Nazareth of Galilee around 15 B.C.Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the woman closest to Saint Matthew creates the earliest Infancy Narrative,God and the most famous in history in the realm of giving us not only the birth record of Jesus but the firsttheology and the New Testament. Her name Scriptural reference to the virgin birth (Matthew 1:18-25)is present in the four Gospels and the Acts after the genealogy of Joseph (Matthew 1:1-17). Theof the Apostles. Shes also an image of the earliest years of Jesus are described in the secondChurch in Chapter 12 of Revelation, and chapter of Matthew where Joseph is the protector ofSaint Paul alludes to her in Galatians. the Holy Family. Saint Mark is the first evangelist to give us Writing around 85 A.D., Saint Luke paints a portraither name, with residents of Jesus hometown, of Mary through his literary gifts. He has Mary speak-Nazareth, asking for confirmation that he is ing with the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation. Later,the son of Mary (Mark 6:3). Mark wrote the Mary sings and shouts out her song, the Magnificat,first Gospel around 70A.D.the year the which is the defining moment in her visitation withTemple in Jerusalem was destroyed.her cousin Elizabeth. Mary pours out her faith andEarlier, Mark refers to her simply as love in that most comforting scene while Elizabeth isJesus mother when he mentions his family miraculously pregnant with her son, John the Baptist.searching for him as he discusses religion Mary and Elizabeth embrace and share their love andwith Temple leaders in Jerusalem (Mark 3:31- praise of God.Father Bert Buby, SM 32). In these two examples, we see Christology in a Luke continues the Infancy Narrative in Chapter 2,family setting. Mark is also a Gospel of the Cross, which including the birth of Jesus, the presentation, and shows us the cost of discipleship.finally, the finding of the boy Jesus preaching in theSaint Paul gives theological insight into the plan of temple in Jerusalem. Mary asks, Son, why have youGod and indirectly cites Mary in Galatians as the done this to us? Your father and I have been lookingJewish woman who has a role within salvation history. for you with great anxiety. He responded, Why wereThis was written around 49-55 A.D. But when the you looking for me? Did you not know that I must befullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of in my Fathers house?(Mary) kept all these thingsa woman, born under the law, to ransom those in her heart. (John 2:48-51)under the law, so that we might receive adoption A woman declares Mary blessed in Luke 11:27;(Galatians 4:4-5). therefore, we call her the Blessed Virgin or Blessed4 Call 1.800.348.4732'