THE FATHERS at the Council of Ephesus approved, apparently with some trepidation, the title "Mother of God" for the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Apart from this being a major stumbling block for our Protestant i brethren, t does not make sense: how can the eternal God have any kind of mother?
The first. scriptural. part of the Hail Mary ends: "the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." why not, then, begin the second part with: "Holy Mary, Mother ofJesus and our Mother ...?"
The three religions using the Hebrew scriptures, Judaism, Islam and Christianity, agree that there is only one God so why do Christians refer to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost? To say that these are "persons" only adds to the confusion.
Why not accept Jesus as the extension of the Father into a human body grown in the womb of the Virgin Mary? To say that this was achieved by the Holy Spirit is unnecessary since the Father is Spirit sustaining all creation.
It was God's purpose to convey the Word, the Good News of his immortality, to man and the "Word was made Flesh" because, after the Fall, man depended only on his five senses for communication with what lay outside himself.
This act of love was not imposed but depended on the consent of a Jewish maid called Mary, who would ever after be called "Blessed". Why continue the confusing concept of three distinct "persons" which, quite unnecessarily, scandalises the Jews and the Moslems'? Since we are told that we shall be "like Jesus" after the resurrection of our own bodies, the true concept is of truly immense significance.
After the Ascension of Jesus, God made the availability of His Spirit to guide, comfort and sustain mankind, as promised by Jesus, known to our Lady and the Apostles on the first Whitsunday.
With this at our disposal, the need to pore over, and become confused by, the written Word ceases to be Of supreme importance, though very valuable as background.
The passage in the Gospel referring to the "brothers and sisters of Jesus" is explained as meaning His kinsfolk, not the other sons and daughters of Joseph and Mary — so why not use the word "kindred" when translating? F.O'B.D Norwich Since many correspondents complain that they receive quantities of unsolicited materiel through the poet after having their lettere published in these columns, w• will not print full addres•es of correspondents unless r•quested to do so.