If Mary is the Mother of God, can we say the same about other relatives of our Lord?

Good afternoon,

I would like to ask the following question, which has always puzzled me.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was defined at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD as “theotokos,” or “mother of God.”

In the Gospel of Luke, Elizabeth, referring to Mary, calls her “the mother of my Lord,” and therefore Jesus = Lord = God implies that if Mary is the mother of Jesus, it is equivalent to saying that Mary is the mother of God.

Now I wonder and ask you, at this point, how should the following be called:

– Elizabeth, who was Mary’s cousin: the aunt of God?

– John the Baptist: God’s cousin?

– Joseph, the putative father of Jesus: God’s father?

– The brothers Judas, James, Joseph, Simon, and other sisters: God’s brothers and sisters?

– Anna and Joachim (who according to tradition are the parents of Mary, the mother of Jesus): God’s grandparents?

Thank you very much for your kind reply.

Best regards, Marco.

The priest’s response

Dear Marco,

1. Being grandparents, cousins, uncles, and aunts is part of human nature.

In this respect, just as Mary is the mother of Jesus, so Joachim and Anna are his grandparents, others are his uncles and aunts, and others are his cousins.

2. Being the Mother of God, on the other hand, is not in line with human nature.

It is a special privilege of Mary.

Indeed, being the Mother of God is the first privilege, from which all others derive (most excellent sanctification, preservation from original sin, perpetual virginity, assumption of body and soul).

3. The reason for this unique privilege is that only Mary was placed in a real relationship with the divine person of the Word.

Only Mary was called to union with the divine hypostasis (person).

Mary’s relatives were not placed in this highest and supernatural union.

For this reason, using the expressions you used (God’s aunt, God’s cousin…) causes us to lose sight of the very high and unique vocation (the privilege!) to which Our Lady was called, and is inaccurate and misleading.

4. Above all, talking about God’s grandparents or cousins would be just a play on words, because none of these people were called to union with the divine hypostasis.

Compared to these mere words, which I repeat are inaccurate and misleading, we are much more through our adoptive sonship by participation in divine life. In fact, through grace, a seed of divine life is infused in us.

5. Your question, which on the surface might seem like sophistry, leads us to a truer consideration of Mary’s place in man’s relationship with God, in the economy of salvation, that is, in God’s plan for our salvation.

Mary is not simply the greatest of all saints, but she has a singular, unique place: she is in direct relationship with the divine hypostasis.

And that is why he can say yes to the incarnation of the Word loco totius ecclesiae, in place of the whole Church, as St. Thomas says.

Now neither you nor I can express an act that is done in the name of the whole Church or of all humanity.

I bid you farewell, wish you a happy continuation of the Easter joy, remember you to the Lord, and bless you.

Father Angelo

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