When we say the Hail Mary, why do we just say 'blessed art thou amongst women' instead of making note of Mary's importance among all people?

-- (samiam@drseuss.com), January 31, 2004

Answers

because, sam,

The bible records that Mary is "blessed amongst women" that line in the prayer is taken straight from the bible.

-- paul h (dontSendMeMail@notAnAddress.com), January 31, 2004.

God chose Mary among all women to give birth to Jesus. If men were capable of giving birth like women it would make sense to say among all people.

-- J. Fernandes (goananda@hotmail.com), January 31, 2004.

Probably what's essential to this question is that she is considered by the Church to be the New Eve, tied directly into the fact that she is the Immaculate Conception.

She is basically the mother of salvation insofar as she gave consent to be the Mother of the Christ, and for that reason, there is in fact no other woman like her. Her perfect openness to the will of God made way for the Incarnation and therefore the salvation of mankind was made possible. She was, is, and always will be, the most blessed among women because of this fact.

If Christ is our brother, then she is our mother, and should we ever decide to call her this, then we have decided upon the course of salvation, since she leads us to her Son and the imitation of herself and of Him because she knows the way of the Cross intimately. The Mother of God is archetypical of the Church.

If she is our mother, then we are her children. That last fact pretty much answers the question of ...making note of Mary's importance among all people? because all could opt to call her Mother.

-- Emerald (emerald1@cox.net), January 31, 2004.

Jay,

I greatly doubt that you are in Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus (the Covenant) is IN Mary (the Ark).

When the final doctrine of Mary as Coredemptrix, Mediatrix, and Advocate is made official by the Catholic Church ... the glorious truth about Mary will shine even brighter.

-- Anti-Jay (Pro-Mary@Co.Redemptrix), February 09, 2004.