I’m a Lutheran and I Love the Blessed Virgin Mary

Hello everyone, first of all, I’d like to say that I’m not a troll. In fact, I’m a former Catholic who still holds deep respect and love for the Virgin Mary, to the point that I consider her my mother.

So, how does that work? Am I like the Baptists who, after any mention of Mary’s name, immediately say, “She was a woman full of grace, but a sinner like us who had relations with Joseph”? Absolutely not! In fact, I believe that she remained a virgin, that she was purified from all sin (either at the Annunciation or in her mother’s womb), and that, for this reason, she was assumed into heaven. After all, the wages of sin is death, but those who have no sin will not die. (Following the Mariology of Martin Luther, taking into account the Church Fathers and the Lutheran Confessions, despite the Assumption being a topic I know little about and only following the logic of "sinless = no death")

Yes, I thank God for having been Catholic because, thanks to that, I have a faith formation that thinks rationally, historically, and that, starting from Scripture, listens to the opinions of the Church Fathers.

A great example is Irenaeus of Lyon, who compares Mary to the New Eve, or even Saint John the Evangelist, who describes the Ark in Revelation 11:19 as the Woman in Revelation 12.

The truth is that when Mary is hated or ignored, Christology is weakened because she is, in fact, the New Ark. Her "yes" brought us redemption through Our Lord Jesus Christ, the only one worthy of praise and all glory.

That does not mean she should be diminished. Although I am personally troubled by the Mariology of Saint Louis de Montfort, one of his phrases is ironically similar to one by Luther. He says that “God gathered all graces and called it Mary,” while Luther said, “Even if there were as many tongues as there are leaves on the earth, we would still never be able to honor Mary enough,” or something along those lines.

The reality is that the few Lutherans who benefit from a strong Mariology have a stronger faith. Is this because she grants graces? For us, no. But rather because we know that she prays for the Church (according to the Book of Concord) and because, if Christ is our Brother, God is our Father, and she is our Mother (Another quote from a sermon by Luther). And like any child, we must learn from our Mother and say to God, "Let it be done to me according to Your word."

Just to clarify for any Protestant who might be scandalized: everything in Mary comes from God—that is obvious—and any honor given to Mary is, in fact, given to God. As the Book of Concord states:

"Even though we grant that the Blessed Mary prays for the Church, does that mean that she herself receives souls at death? Does that mean that she defeats death? That she gives life? What does Christ do if it is the Blessed Mary who does these things? Even though she is fully worthy of the highest honors, she does not want to be equated with Christ, but rather that we consider and follow her example."

That’s what I wanted to share. May God bless you, and take comfort in the grace of a God who loves us and a Mother who surely prays for us! (Now, that’s just my personal opinion lol).