Pope St. John Paul II's Mariology
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Pope St. John Paul II’s MariologyRegan Institute 2019 Presented by James J. Bitting Jr., M.A. Saints show us that the Christian faith is not a mere philosophy or ideology, but rather a blessed life to be lived. Through his example and teaching, St. John Paul II directs our attention to the most perfect model of human life united to Jesus Christ, namely the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. John Paul II entrusted his papacy to the Blessed Virgin Mary, taking for his motto the Latin phrase Totus Tuus, meaning Totally Yours. Inspired by the writings of another saint, St. Louis de Montfort, St. John Paul II grew in his relationship with the Holy Mother of God. Prompted by this precedent of saints forming saints, in this course we will invite St. John Paul II to form us with his teaching on Mary. We will look to Sacred Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and John Paul II’s encyclical Redemptoris Mater, as our points of reference. Through study of Redemptoris Mater and the Catechism, participants will come to a better appreciation of Mary’s obedience of faith, her role as model of all disciples of Christ, and the great gift the Church possesses in Mary’s mediation. • Be like Mary and draw all the attentionRegan to 2019 what - Class God Schedule has done for you. Mary,• DAY1And “Mother AMMary– Preliminary said, “My Info, & soul Basic Model” magnifies of Catechists the Lord and my spirit rejoices in GodCatechesismy onSavior Mary, ,Introduction for he regarded to RM the low(Pertinent estate Readings: of his Catechismhandmaiden. of the For behold,Catholic Church henceforthparagraphs all 487 generations-511 and willRedemptoris call meMater blessed;Introduction for he (art. who 1- is mighty6) has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercyDAY 1 PM is– Parton thoseI of RM (art.who 7- 24)fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scatteredDAY 2 AM – Part the II ofproud RM (art. in 25 the-37); imagination of their hearts, he has putDAY 2 down PM – Finishthe Part mighty II of RM from (maybe their thrones,some of Part and III), Resources exalted for those further of low degree;study of Mary he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hasMore sentpertinentempty readings: away.Catechism He has of helped histhe Catholic servant Church Israel,paragraphs in remembrance 963-975; ofLumen his Gentium mercy52, as-69 he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity for ever.”(Lk1:46-55) • JPII 5min bio • KAROL JÓZEF WOJTYŁA,, was born in Wadowice, Poland, on 18 May 1920. • Feeling called to the priesthood, he began his studies in 1942 in the clandestine major seminary of Krakow • priestly ordination in Krakow on 1 November 1946. • attained a doctorate in theology (1948) • became professor of moral theology and ethics in the major seminary of Krakow • On 13 January 1964, Pope Paul VI appointed Bishop Wojtyła as Archbishop of Krakow and subsequently, on 26 June 1967, created him a Cardinal. • took part in the Second Vatican Council (1962- 1965) and made a significant contribution to the drafting of the Constitution Gaudium et Spes. • elected Pope on 16 October 1978, motto Totus Tuus • His principal documents include 14 Encyclicals, 15 Apostolic Exhortations, 11 Apostolic Constitutions and 45 Apostolic Letters (Mary is mentioned in virtually all of these). He also wrote five books • On 3 May 1981, an attempt was made on Pope John Paul II's life in Saint Peter's Square. Saved by the maternal hand of the Mother of God, following a lengthy stay in the hospital, he forgave the attempted assassin • Pope John Paul II died in the Apostolic Palace at 9:37 p.m. on Saturday, 2 April 2005, • John Paul II was beatified in Saint Peter's Square on 1 May 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI, • Canonized by Pope Francis 27 April 2014 • Feast day is October 22nd (anniversary of his inaugural Papal mass) • -maybe show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMzgoXbaOHQ Or this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20jU8PJDl04 • Or St. Paul Center lesson 12 (1-4min ) Resources & Readings • The Catechism • Gift from JPII, History, Nature of the Text (Sure Norm) • Two Catechetical Principles i.e. Salvation History and the Central Truths of the Faith • Approach to Scripture (see CCC 101 ff , & slide footnote) • -Content & Unity of the Whole • -Living Tradition (especially the Liturgy and as handed on by the Magisterium) • -Analogy of Faith i.e. coherence of each part with one another • Ratzinger on JPII’s approach to Scripture in Redemptoris Mater. • John Paul II “considers the Bible’s words within the larger biblical unity and accepts them as truth, as testimony about the true relationship between God and us…thus the Bible is truly relevant for us…(see Ratzinger’s Intro p. 11-14) • Vatican II in General (CCC 884,891 & see slide footnote) • -JPII & Vatican II- For JP II, Vat II is the constant reference point for [his] every pastoral action • -Define “Ecumenical Council” and Describe “Conciliar Documents” (Akin p. 42-44, 109-111 esp.110) • Lumen Gentium in Particular (Schreck p. 83ff esp. 84) • Section on Mary in LG (Schreck p. 105ff) • Optional reading = LG paragraphs 52-69 on Mary • Redemptoris Mater • -Define “encyclical” (Akin p. 115-118) and distinguish from other Papal documents • Year and Purpose of this particular Encyclical • March 25th 1987 • in order to look to Mary, in the time of a New Advent, in preparation for the Bimillenial Jubilee of the birth of Jesus Christ. Precedes the Marian Year, Pentecost 1988-Assumption 1989 • To bring out what the Bible has to say about Mary (cf. Ratzinger p.10). • It is an “original synthesis between the closing chapter of the Council’s great document, Lumen Gentium, and the Holy Father’s most personal insights into his topic: Mary and the Church” (von Balthasar p. 161) Content of Redemptoris Mater • Introduction • Mary has a precise place in the plan of salvation • Note on the “Plan of Salvation” aka Salvation History aka Economy of Salvation” Explain the term and the importance of Salvation History as the context for all doctrine and meaning. • Show Mary situated in Salvation History in the CCC • 488 “from all eternity God chose for the mother of his Son…” • 489 “Throughout the Old Covenant…” • 490-493 The Immaculate Conception • 494 Annunciation • 495-507Mary’s life Divine Motherhood & Perpetual Virginity Introduction Galatians 4:4-6 - But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. • -As VAT II (LG 52) begins with this passage, JPII intentionally begins with Gal 4 as well • -Gospel Message in a nutshell like CCC 1 and Central Truths of the Faith • -“Fullness of time” JPII goes onto explain its meaning (see below) • -Redemption • -Adoption • -Sonship (by the Spirit calling out to God as Father) Introduction RM 1 • -JPII comments on Gal 4 pointing out its revelation of the Central Truths of the Faith: • Trinity • Paschal Mystery - “mission of the Son” “Redeemer” • The Person of Christ Incarnate - “born of the woman” • Dignity of the Human Person - “our divine filiation” JPII explains what “fullness of time” means • 1.The moment fixed from all eternity when the Father sent the Son • 2.When the Word became flesh & made Himself our Brother • 3.The moment when the Holy Spirit, who had made Mary Full of Grace, formed the human nature of Christ in her womb • *4.It is the entrance of the eternal into time...time is redeemed & being filled with the mystery of Christ...time becomes definitively “salvation time” (aka Salvation History) • *this is the most metaphysical and my favorite. Time is “filled” because it cannot contain the divine...if time were a container the Incarnation would fill & overflow it. • 5.It is the hidden beginning of the Church’s journey: • Mary is the Church’s beginning (cf. Preface to Dec 8th Liturgy and LG 68) • In the Immaculate Conception the Church sees projected and anticipated the saving grace of Easter • -In the Incarnation the Church encounters Christ and Mary indissolubly joined • Christ = Lord & Head • Mary = Spouse & Mother Introduction RM 2 • -Strengthened by the presence of Christ (Mt 28:20) the Church journeys through time to meet the Lord who comes...Mary has already trodden this path… i.e. we follow her ...She advanced “in her pilgrimage of faith and loyally persevered in her union with her Son unto the Cross” (cf. LG 58) • -Again notice JPII’s reliance on VAT II (Lumen Gentium)...here he takes his words from LG 58 • -The Church venerates Mary as Mother and Model in faith, hope, and love • We look to her in order to know how to do the same • Papal Predecessor - St. Paul VI also wrote on Mary • the Encyclical Christi Matri • Apostolic Exhortations Signum Magnum and Marialis Cultus • JPII points this out to show continuity between his teaching and that of Paul VI More notes on the Introduction RM 3 • Preparing for the 2000 year anniversary of the Birth of Christ we turn to His Mother • “A dynamic impulse directed to the future” -Ratzinger • Mary precedes Christ in Salvation History • the Church has constantly been aware that Mary appeared on the horizon of salvation history before Christ (RM 3) • We remember this every Advent in the Liturgy • like a true "Morning Star" (Stella Matutina)… Mary from the time of her Immaculate Conception preceded the coming of the Savior, the rising of the "Sun of Justice" in the history of the human race (RM 3) Mary & Salvation History • She was unnoticed by contemporaries but shines “very clearly before the Eternal One” (RM 3) • Daughter Zion (cf.