Teaching · 25 October 2026
Mary, the Mother of God: Leading Us to Jesus
Why the Church calls Mary the Mother of God, what the title does and does not mean, and what true devotion to her asks of us.
1. Introduction
Why does the Catholic Church call Mary the Mother of God? Does this mean that Mary existed before God or that she is greater than God? Certainly not! We call Mary the Mother of God because the child she conceived and gave birth to, Jesus Christ, is truly God made man. The title does not mean that Mary gave origin to God’s divinity or is the mother of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Rather, the eternal Son of God assumed our human nature through her and was born into our world for our salvation. Understanding Mary’s divine motherhood therefore begins with understanding who Jesus Christ is.
2. Biblical and doctrinal foundations
The Gospel of John declares, “The Word was God” (John 1:1) and “The Word became flesh, he lived among us” (John 1:14). St. Paul similarly teaches that God sent His Son, “born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4). These passages establish that Jesus is both truly God and truly human. At the Visitation, Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, greets Mary as “the mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:43). This expresses the biblical foundation of Mary’s divine motherhood. In AD 431, the Council of Ephesus solemnly affirmed Mary as Theotokos, a Greek title meaning “God-bearer” or “Mother of God”. The Council defended the truth that Jesus Christ is one divine Person, possessing both divine and human natures. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 495, explains that the Son whom Mary conceived and bore according to His humanity is none other than the Father’s eternal Son. Mary’s divine motherhood thus safeguards the central truth of our faith: Jesus Christ is one Person, truly God and truly man.
3. Mary’s place in the life of the Church
The Church also teaches four principal Marian dogmas: her divine motherhood, perpetual virginity, Immaculate Conception and Assumption into heaven. These teachings express Mary’s unique vocation and the saving grace of God at work in her. However, Mary is not God, nor is she equal to Jesus Christ. Catholics worship God alone and venerate Mary with special honour because of her unique relationship with her Son. We ask for her intercession, trusting that all her privileges come from God’s grace and that her role depends entirely on Christ, the one Mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5–6; Catechism of the Catholic Church, 970–971). Mary’s greatness is seen especially in her faith and obedience. At the Annunciation, she responds: “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let what you have said be done to me” (Luke 1:38). At Cana, she gives every Christian a lasting instruction: “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). Mary does not draw us away from Jesus; she directs us towards Him.
4. Practical implications
Authentic devotion to Mary must transform our Christian lives. It should lead us to know and follow Jesus more faithfully through Scripture, prayer and the sacraments; imitate Mary’s faith, humility and obedience, accepting God’s will even in difficult circumstances; practise charity and solidarity, particularly towards the poor, the sick, widows, orphans and those who suffer; and promote reconciliation and peace by rejecting hatred, gossip, injustice and violence. Families, catechists, Small Christian Communities and Marian associations have a responsibility to teach sound doctrine and discourage superstition or exaggerated claims about Mary. The purpose of Marian devotion is not merely to multiply prayers and celebrations, but to help us to become more faithful disciples of Christ.
5. Conclusion
Mary is truly the Mother of God because Jesus Christ, her Son, is the eternal Son of God made man. We honour her because of God’s grace at work in her, and we imitate her because of her exemplary faith and love. Let us remember her words: “Do whatever he tells you.” May our devotion to Mary deepen our relationship with Jesus, strengthen our love for our neighbours and make us instruments of reconciliation and peace. To honour Mary is to recognise God’s work in her; to imitate Mary is to follow Jesus more faithfully.