Marian Monday: What do Catholics believe about Mary?

The month of May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary! 

WHAT DO CATHOLICS EXACTLY BELIEVE ABOUT MARY?

Mary is the mother of Jesus, she’s someone we should try to imitate, and she always points us to Christ. But what do we actually believe about her that makes her stand out from all the other saints in Heaven?

• We believe that she is the Mother of God (because, simply put, Jesus is God). The formal title for this is “Theotokos.”
• We believe that Mary was immaculately conceived — that she was born without original sin. Often, people will assume the Immaculate Conception (which we celebrate every year on December 8th) is about Jesus, when it’s in fact about His mother.
• We believe that she was perpetually a virgin. This means she remained a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus.
• We believe she was assumed, body and soul, into Heaven (we celebrate this every year on August 15th). That’s why you’ll never find relics of her (other than some rare ones of her veil, dress, etc.).

And finally —

• We do not worship Mary. She is the mother of Jesus, and because of this we honor her and ask for her intercession in our lives. However, it is important to remember that we only worship God.

So… the Virgin Mary is the mother of God. She was immaculately conceived, and was assumed body and soul into Heaven.