Today, I would like to ask of you a favor. I would like for you to ask your child -- or some child -- the question, "Who is Jesus?" After you listen to the answer, I'm sure you will respond with many wonderful things for which we agree. I would request that you would only be careful to mention that Jesus is our brother (Hebrews 2).
This news should delight the child. Then I would only ask for you to remind the child that Jesus's mother is Mary. After which, ask the child, "Is Mary our Mother?"
The child's response should tell it all.
St. Paul tells us that God confounds the wise with the simple things. Ironically, the complexity of Catholic Marian dogma can be reduced to this most simple, basic intuition: Theotokos. It sounds very greek, and that is because it is, but one shouldn't confuse it for a complex theological insight. The complexity of Catholic dogma works in reverse: God reveals Himself to us in what appears at first blush little, simple ways.
A baby.
A tree.
Water.
Then we realize it is God we are dealing with and not a small child. Thus, as soon as we begin to meditate upon what it is that God reveals, we realize that the baby is God, the tree is eternal life, and that the water will soak through our skin. Revelation doesn't mean simplicity, it just means that God makes apprehensible what otherwise would not be apprehensible.
If you are struggling with Marian dogma, I would encourage you to take two steps back and make sure you understand the first intuition. Look. There.
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Peace to you on your journey
