In the Catholic calendar, today is the Feast of the Assumption – the day that all Catholics give honor to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Today’s blog examines why Mary is important, not just for Catholics, and why we all need a Mother God.
For 2000+ years, Catholics have lived a truth that all human beings know but might be afraid to admit. Catholics, in our reverence toward Mary, are living the truth that we all know – We need a Mother God. Yes, yes, yes, I know that technically Mary is not considered to be God, neither is she counted as equal with God, but in practice, Catholics really do treat Mary as if she were God. And yes, I know that the whole Mary thing is one of the reasons other denominations have a problem with Catholics, accusing us of worshipping idols (Mary, the saints, etc.), and that the Institution of the Church defends the reverence offered to Mary as differing from the worship we offer to God. But again, in practice, Mary really is treated as if she were God….or at the very least, a Goddess. I do not think this is a bad thing. In fact, I believe that the reverence offered to Mary in Catholic practice is healthy and an intuitive reflection of a much deeper knowing – the knowing that we all need a mother, more specifically, we all need a mother God.
The Death of the Goddess
In Riane Eislers books, The Chalice and the Blade and Sacred Pleasure, she examines the ancient cultures of the Middle East and Mediterranean, specifically the transition from a egalitarian culture to patriarchy. In this shift from egalitarianism, the co-equal images of the Divine as God and Goddess were violently overtaken by a single, warring God, primarily resulting in a shift from a peaceful and harmonious culture to one that became ruled through fear, power and intimidation. We see evidence of this shift in the Hebrew scriptures as the Goddess is demonized (Eve, the serpent, the fruit, Asherah, feminine practices, etc.) and systematically obliterated to make room for the single male God who is frequently portrayed as vengeful, wrathful and jealous. As the Goddess was destroyed, so too was the sacred honoring of the feminine as women became lesser citizens, oppressed instead of being honored as co-equal and co-creators with their male companions. The good news is that while human beings try to make things go their way, God has other plans. As such, the Goddess has never really been destroyed, she has remained in the back recesses of our consciousness, waiting to be reclaimed so that as a species, we can experience the peace and harmony that naturally results when we honor the sacred in all aspects of the Divine and in all human beings – male and female.
Mary, Our Mother
We intuitively know that God cannot be only male. But more than this, we LONG for images and experiences of the Divine that reflect our highest natures. And what could be more reflective of our highest natures than an image of God that is nurturing, caring, loving, tender, kind, ever-present, soft, attentive, affectionate and looks at us through the eyes of adoration as a loving mother would? I believe it has been the Goddess as a loving mother, hiding in the back recesses of our consciousness, that has ultimately driven Marian devotion. It is for this reason that I not only accept, but embrace all the muss and fuss that goes with the Catholic tradition of giving honor and reverence to Mary, not only as the mother of Jesus, but as the Mother of us all. It isn’t a mistake that in the Catholic church, Mary’s official titles include: Mother of God, Queen of Heaven, Co-Redemptrix, Source of Salvation, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, for even though the Institution would protest, in their heart of hearts, they know we need a mother too!
Some Mary fun:
So, just for fun and maybe to help you in your own reverence to Mary…or whatever name you give to the Goddess within, here are a few of my favorite Mary songs:
Authentic Freedom Ministries