In the early centuries of the Church there were some very difficult times, as faithful believers tried to express what we really believe about Christ. Particularly, how to begin to grasp the meaning and put into words, that in Jesus, God comes to us, revealing that the One God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! How is Jesus both fully God and fully Man?
Just like there are times of conflict in the Church, in our own families there are moments of conflict. At times, our differences are legitimate and need to be faced. When we face these challenges with truthfulness and love, it becomes a moment for growing deeper in love, understanding, and union.
This is true for the family of the Church as well!
In the 400’s a bishop named Nestorius, tried to express this by saying that in Jesus there are sort of two persons, one divine and one human. He said that Mary was the Mother of Christ, but he didn’t think it was right to say that Mary is the Mother of God.
Other bishops saw, as we can see now, that it doesn’t make sense to split Jesus up into two parts. A lot of people got very upset since Nestorius was the Patriarch of Constantinople and he shouldn’t have been teaching bad doctrine. There was an important Ecumenical Council in Ephesus in 431 in which it was affirmed that in the one Person of Jesus the divine nature and human nature are perfectly and totally united.
Because of that He is our Savior; AND Mary is truly the Mother of God! It was a really important moment for the Church, and a great time to turn with even deeper love to Mary, the Mother of the God and of the Family of Jesus.
At that time the Church of Mary, the Mother of God in Rome, which had been miraculously built 80 years before was expanded and made even more beautiful and so it became one of the four Major Basilicas of the Church, with Saint Peter, Saint John Lateran, and Saint Paul.
Celebrating today the Dedication of this Church after the Council of Ephesus gives us the chance to say once again:
Holy Mother, Our Lady, we love you. We know that you are alive and with us! You always guide and walk with the Church. Especially during difficult times you are with us. You protect us. You are the Mother of God. You bring us to Jesus. You lead us ever more into His Sacred Heart. From the side of the Cross you teach us the mystery of God’s love for us and call us to stand there too, united with Jesus as He conquers sin and death and makes all things new!
Amen.
