The Problem With “Mary Did You Know” (The hymn that cancels Christmas)

Aletelia ^ | December 9, 2015 | FR ROBERT MCTEIGUE, SJ

[NYer]

Can a hymn cancel Christmas? Can the lyrics of a song, if true, make Christmas not true — that is to say, un-real? Oh, yes!

Now, it is a given that honorable people may disagree about which piece of music is more suitable to reverence the birth of Christ. (I myself prefer Handel’s Messiah to “The Little Drummer Boy.”) And while there are any number of “secular” Christmas songs that ignore Christ altogether, they are just distractions. What I have in mind is a song that, if taken seriously, makes impossible what Christians celebrate at Christmas. I might even call that song a “hymn” because I once heard it sung in a parish at Christmas Eve Mass. I am writing about it now for that reason, and also because I’ve heard so many Catholics speak so effusively about it, especially when it is sung at Christmas masses. I’m speaking of a song made popular by former American Idol star Clay Aiken: “Mary Did You Know?”

While the song has the merits of prompting its hearers to reflect on Mary beholding her Divine Son, lines from the very first stanza actually bring Christmas to a screeching halt. Here are the problematic lyrics:

“Did you know that your Baby Boy has come to make you new? This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.”

Now, those lines make sense if Mary is another sinner just like us, who needs to be delivered from sin. You see, if Mary is a sinner who like us needs a savior, then the lyricist’s play on the word “deliver” (sense 1: “deliver” = “give birth”; sense 2: “deliver” = “liberate from sin”) is both clever and theologically sound. But if Mary is a sinner in need of a savior, then she cannot be the worthy vessel in whom the All-Holy God takes on human nature as the Word-Made-Flesh. In other words the lyrics depend upon the dogma of the Immaculate Conception being false. If Mary needs a Savior, then she cannot be the vessel of the Incarnation. And “No-Incarnation” = “No-Christmas.” How ironic that a song sung with so much gusto as a Christmas hymn logically precludes what it claims to celebrate!

Let’s take a look at the Apostolic Constitution, Ineffabilis Deus, promulgated by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854, which defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Pius begins by summarizing this ancient doctrine: “From the very beginning, and before time began, the eternal Father chose and prepared for his only begotten Son a mother in whom the Son of God would become incarnate and from whom, in the blessed fullness of time, he would be born into this world.” Mary was not, and could not have been, just any woman, just any sinner, selected by God to be the mother of His Only Begotten Son.

Pius reflects on the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in a way that shows that sound theology can be eloquent, even poetic:

The Virgin Mother of God would not be conceived by Anna before grace would bear its fruits; it was proper that she be conceived as the first-born, by whom ‘the first-born of every creature’ would be conceived. They testified too that the flesh of the Virgin, although derived from Adam, did not contract the stains of Adam, and that on this account the most Blessed Virgin was the tabernacle created by God himself and formed by the Holy Spirit … she is beautiful by nature and entirely free from all stain; that at her Immaculate Conception she came into the world all radiant like the dawn. For it was certainly not fitting that this vessel of election should be wounded by the common injuries, since she, differing so much from the others, had only nature in common with them, not sin. In fact, it was quite fitting that, as the Only Begotten has a Father in heaven, whom the Seraphim extol as thrice holy, so he should have a Mother on earth who would never be without the splendor of holiness.

How much more beautiful, sublime, and awe-inspiring is the Immaculate Conception as the prelude to Christmas — far more so than the well-intentioned but erroneous sentimentality of the lyrics of “Mary Did You Know?”

Pius sums up the dogma of the Immaculate Conception with this definition:

We declare, pronounce and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.

We are now in the second week of Advent. Prepared or not, we will soon find ourselves in the Christmas season. To find the truth of Christmas, to find the great gift of God which is the real “reason for the season,” we cannot avoid, forget or deny the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. No piece of music, not even Handel’s Messiah can express all of the wonder of Incarnation and the glory of Christmas. Silly, secular songs can distract us from Christmas. Some songs, like “Mary Did You Know,” even if very affecting in a sentimental way, actually preclude Christmas. This Christmas season, let’s give our family and friends the gift of Christmas truth. “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!”

[MIA_eccl1212]

I love my Catholic brothers and sisters but what you said right there, that was funny!

[editor-surveyor]

.
>> “Roman Catholicism teaches error, great error” <<

.
It teaches the worship of the creation.

Man becoming God, rather than God becoming a man.

[ADSUM]

Your opinion is based on what facts and documentation?

The Lady says her name: “Que soy era Immaculada Counceptiou”

Please explain why the Blessed Mother would reply “ I am the Immaculate Conception” 4 years after Pope Pius IX declared the Immaculate Conception of Mary to be Church dogma?

[Alberta's Child]

It’s true that Mary’s state of grace did not necessarily mean she wasn’t subject to the ordinary limitations of the human mind. There are any number of situations in Scripture where she clearly had a human intellect that was prone to confusion or misconceptions.

[Yulee]

““Now, those lines make sense if Mary is another sinner just like us, who needs to be delivered from sin.”

Yup. Otherwise Christ was born to someone who neither needed a savior nor could pass on the reality of being fully human.
_________________________________________________________

Bingo!

If Mary was conceived without sin, she would have been in total communion with G_d from birth. No angel would have had to visit her to give her the news that she would be blessed and be the mother of the Messiah.

Mary was fully human, and would have rejected being worshiped along with her son. She was blessed and chosen to be mother of the Messiah, Yeshua.

It's more likely that those who were steeped in the mother child worship assimilated into the newly designated official Roman religion Christianity) under Constantine. These over a period of time came to positions of power and fostered mother child worship upon the Roman Catholic Church through edicts from the Papal throne. This brought about the elevation of the Messiah's mother to such a high status that some view her as Co-Redemptrex.

This does nothing but follow previous civilizations that fell into this error and worshiped a mother, or mother child combination. The earliest form was the worship of Semiramis and Tammuz in Babylon, followed by the worship of Isis and Horus in Egypt, and then the adoption by the Romans of the Aphrodite and Eros cult from Greece, and renamed Venus and Cupid.

The feast of Ishtar (celebrating the resurrection of Tammus) eventually became Easter and brought along with it the sharing of colored eggs and the Easter Bunny (a fertility symbol).

G_d in his Word condemned the worship of the Baals (Astoreth being another name for of Semiramis). In the 8th chapter of Ezekiel, verse 14, Ezekiel expresses his “dismay” at yet a greater abomination: “women . . . weeping for Tammuz.” This was a Satanic twist of the life-giving resurrection of the true Son of God.

[lurk]

‘She was saved by the events of his incarnation. God chose her to be the mother of our savior.’

Wha?

Totally not in Scripture.

[RaceBannon]

no, it never did

it was a false religion right from the start

[ADSUM]

To say that she was free of sin is stupendously absurd, and makes God a liar.

That is a bold statement that appears to be your personal undocumented opinion. It is easy to be opinionated without considering all the facts and lacking facts to back your statement.

Check out post # 67 and consider the words of the Blessed Mother.

[NYer]

She learned about God, about her role in life, through experience.

She learned from her parents. They nurtured Mary, taught her, brought her up to be a worthy Mother of God. It was their teaching that led her to respond to God's request with faith, "Let it be done to me as you will." It was their example of parenting that Mary must have followed as she brought up her own son, Jesus. It was their faith that laid the foundation of courage and strength that allowed her to stand by the cross as her son was crucified and still believe. Infancy Gospel of James

[ADSUM]

Your quote: “Grace is the forgiveness of past sins.”

What is your source of this gem?

Grace (from the Greek New Testament word charis) is God’s unmerited favor. It is kindness from God that we don’t deserve. There is nothing we have done, nor can ever do to earn this favor. It is a gift from God. Grace is divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration (rebirth) or sanctification; a virtue coming from God; a state of sanctification enjoyed through divine favor.

http://christianity.about.com/od/glossary/g/grace.htm

Even Webster’s: Webster’s New World College Dictionary provides this theological definition of grace: “The unmerited love and favor of God toward human beings; divine influence acting in a person to make the person pure, morally strong; the condition of a person brought to God’s favor through this influence; a special virtue, gift, or help given to a person by God.”

[TigersEye]

Catholicism is a false religion but Islam is a legitimate religion?
You have some interesting views.

[kinsman redeemer]

(ISV)
The angel came to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!"

(KJV)
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee:blessed art thou among women.

(NASB)
And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."

(NET)
The angel came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you!"

(NIV)
The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

(NKJV)
And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

(NLT)
Gabriel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!"

(RV)
And he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord [is] with thee

(Wey-NT)
So Gabriel went into the house and said to her, "Joy be to you, favoured one! the Lord is with you."

(YLT)
And the messenger having come in unto her, said, `Hail, favoured one, the Lord [is] with thee; blessed [art] thou among women; '

(Aramaic Plain English)
The Angel entered her presence, and he said to her, "Peace to you, full of grace, our Lord is with you; you are blessed among women."

(Jubilee Bible)
And the angel came in unto her and said, Hail, thou that art much graced, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women.

(KJ 2000)
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, you that are highly favored, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women.

(Berean Study Bible)
The angel appeared to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

(Berean Literal Bible)
And having come to her, he said, "Greetings, you favored with grace! The Lord is with you."

(NASB)
And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."

(Holman Christian Std Bible)
And the angel came to her and said, "Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you."

(AKJV)
And the angel came in to her, and said, Hail, you that are highly favored, the Lord is with you: blessed are you among women.

(ERV)
And he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee.

(Douay-Rheims)
And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

Notes on "favored", "full of grace" (also "blessed"):
g5487. charitoo; from 5485; to grace, i.e. indue with special honor:- make accepted, be highly favoured. AV (2)- be highly favoured 1, make accepted 1;
I. to make graceful
A. charming, lovely, agreeable
II. to peruse with grace, compass with favour
III. to honour with blessings
(Used also in Eph 1:6 "to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.")

g5485. charis; from 5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):- acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (- ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank (- s,- worthy). AV (156)- grace 130, favour 6, thanks 4, thank 4, thank +g2192 3, pleasure 2, misc 7;
I. grace
A. that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech
II. good will, loving- kindness, favour
A. of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues
III. what is due to grace
A. the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace
B. the token or proof of grace, benefit
1. a gift of grace
2. benefit, bounty
IV. thanks, (for benefits, services, favours), recompense, reward

[rigelkentaurus]

Using the Astronomical signs provided in the Bible, Jesus was born on 11 September around 7pm local time - Feast of the Trumpets.

[Yulee]

“The very exhortation of the Angel Gabriel — “Hail, full of grace�€ — is absolutely an acknowledgement of the pure state of her soul.”
__________________________________________________________
Could it be that in an infinitesimal moment, prior to the announcement by the Angel Gabriel, Yeshua was conceived. So, when he made the exhortation, she was “full of grace”, with the presence of the infant Yeshua within her?

[I-ambush]

“You mortal Catholic are placing yourself in the position of dictating on behalf of the Almighty what He is able and what He is not able to do.”

And you are unaware that you are doing the same thing?
Why did God have to accept a woman with the stain of original sin as the mother of His Son?

[CA Conservative]

Yes! She was saved at her conception!

Foolishness. There is nothing Scriptural to support that concept.

[60Gunner]

Should be: The hymn that causes the heads of Roman catholics to explode. It's simply inconceivable (no pun intended) that the "mother of God" (who in reality created Mary) could be as needful of salvation as the rest of us poor non-denominational slobs.

But God states that all (even Mary) have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Mary was a servant. Chaste? Yes. Favored by God? Absolutely. But she was also a human being born from a human (thus sinful) father and a human (thus sinful) mother. For it is the nature of humanity to be sinful.

Yet catholicism conveniently excuses Mary from this universal truth, and from its own dogma related to 'original sin'.

This is what happens when a theocracy cherry-picks the word of God and creates its own legends.

[kinsman redeemer]

I like the whole song, including this:

Mary, did you know
that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

It's accurate.

[I-ambush]

I was irritated by the same thing as the author of this article the first time I heard this song, and told my wife why. However, she, who is more of a Catholic than I am, still likes it.

[Salvation]

You are saying, then, that Jesus’ words are false when he established the Catholic Church on the Apostles, the first Bishops?

This quote from the Bible disproves that notion.

The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained.”
(John 20:20-23).

You may want to re-read John and mediate on those verses.