The Incarnation and Free Will
"God respects our freedom of will; he did not even enter this human order of ours without consulting a woman. So neither does he elevate us to partake of his divine nature without our free consent."
Ven. Fulton J. Sheen
posted by Russ Rentler, M.D. | 7:16 PM
3 Comments:
The analogy doesn't work. The angel told Mary what was going to happen. Not what might happen if it was OK with her.
Dear Anon; Christendom has always looked at Mary's "Yes" as her agreement with God's will. She had the freedom to say no. Instead she said "May it be done unto me according to thy word." This fiat, was her way of submitting and cooperating with the will of God. Mary could have said NO, I don't want this! but full of grace sinceher conception (why else would the angel address her as full of grace)she freely chose to do the accept the Lord's will. She provides a model for all of us to say Yes to God, I desire to do your will. God never forces anyone to do His will, and in that sense he asks our permission. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock" It requires us to say yes to God before he comes in. God bestows such dignity on us as humans created in his image and likeness to allow us the grace to participate in salvation. Only Jesus saves, but not without our fiat: Yes God, "may it happen to me according to thy word, not my will but yours."
Even the early Church recognized this as illustrated by Saint Irenaeus in 189 AD: Consequently, then, Mary the Virgin is found to be obedient, saying, "Behold, 0 Lord, your handmaid; be it done to me according to your word." Eve . . . who was then still a virgin although she had Adam for a husband — for in paradise they were both naked but were not ashamed; for, having been created only a short time, they had no understanding of the procreation of children . . . having become disobedient [sin], was made the cause of death for herself and for the whole human race; so also Mary, betrothed to a man but nevertheless still a virgin, being obedient [no sin], was made the cause of salvation for herself and for the whole human race. . . . Thus, the knot of Eve's disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. What the virgin Eve had bound in unbelief, the Virgin Mary loosed through faith (Against Heresies 3:22:24 [A.D. 189]).
anon:
If you can find historical evidence that the Church thought differently regarding Mary's fiat than what I have posted, I welcome your posting of the citations.
Post a Comment
Home