Feast of Mary Mother of God

Why January 1 is a special celebration and Holy day of obligation for all Catholics? Aside from welcoming the New Year, the Catholic Church also celebrates the Feast of Motherhood of Mary.

The first Marian dogma which, was defined by the Counsel of Ephesus in 431, states that “The Blessed Virgin is the Theotokos.” This Marian title which was compound of the Greek words Teos (God) and Tokos (bearer), literally translate as “God’s bearer” or “The One Who Gives Birth to God”. However, in liturgical use it is paraphrased as “Mother of God”. Nonetheless, the church has never meant to refer to Mary as Mother of God the Father from eternity, lest she herself would be God, but only as Mother of the Incarnate Son of God.


Some objected that Mary should be called Mother of Christ (Christotokos) and not Mother of God, since God is eternal and cannot have any beginning, However the Council of Ephesus asserted that the title Christotokos would reduce Christ into a mere man, no longer as God. Therefore, as Mary was the Mother of Jesus, who is God, she can be truly venerated as Mother of God. Moreover, the Council clarified that the Divine nature of Jesus Christ is begotten of God the Father from eternity; while his human nature was conceived in the womb of Mary in time.

History of the Theotokos

Why the Blessed Virgin tittle Theotokos and not Christotokos?

The Council of Ephesus (431 AD) was assembled by Pope Celestine on request of St. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, to refute the heresy of Nestorius, Patriarchs of Constantinople. Nestorius held that the Blessed Virgin should be called Christotokos, meaning "Mother of Christ," because she was the mother of Christ's humanity, not of his divinity. Against this heresy, which separated the two nature of Christ, the Council declared that Mary was the Theotokos, since she gave birth to Christ, who is God, therefore she could rightly be called Mother of God.

The dogmatic definition of Ephesus declared: " If somebody does not believe that the Emmanuel is God, and that therefore the Blessed Virgin is Theotokos, since she generated in the flesh the Word who is God, be excommunicated."





The Council also defined that the two natures of Christ ( Divine and Human) are "united in one divine person but not confused, are distinct but not seperated."

The dogma of the Theotokos was never meant to suggest that the Blessed Virgin was God, or Mother of God from eternity, but only Mother of the Incarnate Son of God. After the declaration of Mary as the Theotokos, the people of Ephesus, full of rejoicing, escorted the fathers to their houses with torches and incense. Nestorius requested permission to retire to his former monastery, and before his death accepted the decrees of Ephesus.

The Dogma of Mary Mother of God

Mary, Mother of God

Mary Mother of God was one of the first dogma of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
A dogma is doctrine of our faith officially proclaimed by the church. With reference to Mary, there are four Marian Dogmas namely: 1. Mary Mother of God 2. The Virginity of Mary 3. The Immaculate Conception of Mary 4. The Assumption of Mary.




The first Marian Dogma, which was defined by the Council of Ephesus in 431, states that " The Virgin Mary is the Theotokos." This Marian title, which is compound of two greek words Teos (God) and Tokos (bearer) or the one who give births to God; however in liturgical use, it is paraphased as Mother of God. Nonetheless, the church has never meant to refer to Mary as Mother of God the Father from eternity, lest she herself would be God, but only as Mother of the Incarnate son of God.

Some objective that Mary should be called Mother of Christ ( Christotokos) and not mother of God, since God is eternal and cannot have any beggining. However, the Council of Ephesus asserted that the title Christotokos would reduce Christ into a mere man, no longer as God. Therefore, as Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is God she can be truly Venerated as Mother of God., Moreover, the council clarified that the Divine nature of Jesus Christ is begotten of God the Father from eternity; while his human nature was conceived in the womb of Mary in time.