From: mpaul@unl.edu (marxhausen paul)
Subject: Re: Mary's assumption
Organization: University of Nebraska--Lincoln
Lines: 34

David.Bernard@central.sun.com (Dave Bernard) writes:

>When Elizabeth greeted Mary, Elizabeth said something to the effect that
>Mary, out of all women, was blessed.  If so, it appears that this
>exactly places Mary beyond the sanctification of normal humanity.

I don't see how this logically follows.  True enough, Mary received a blessing
beyond any granted in all the history of humanity by being privileged to be 
the mother of the Savior.  It says nothing about Mary needing to be a "blessed 
person" _first_ in order that she might thereby be worthy to bear the Son of 
God.  Again, I think the problem is that as humans we can't comprehend how the 
sinless Incarnation could spring from sinful human flesh and God's Spirit.
Rather than simply accept the gracious miracle of God, we must needs try
to dope out a mechanism or rationale as to how this could be.  Mary's own
words, 

"...my spirit rejoices in God _my Savior_, for he has regarded the low
 estate of his handmaiden,..."

sound like the words of a human aware of her own humanity, in need of a 
Savior, similar to what David proclaimed in his psalms...not the words
of a holy being with no further need for God's grace.

I really apologize for harping on this, I don't suppose it's important.
It's just that I see Mary and Joseph and the Baby reduced to placid,
serene figurines I feel we lose the wonder in the fact that God chose
to come down to you and I, to be born of people like you and I, to share
our existence and redeem us from it's fallenness by his holy Incarnation.

--
paul marxhausen .... ....... ............. ............ ............ .......... 
 .. . .  . . . university of nebraska - lincoln .  . . .. . .  .. . . . . . . .
 .     .    .  .   .     .   .  .    .   .  .   .    .   .  grace .   .    .  . 
   .         .       .      .        .        .      .        .   happens .     
