In today's first general audience of 2008, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the theology behind some of the titles given to Mary and the mysteries of the Incarnation and the Nativity. Foremost among them is her title "Mother of God," a title which first arose from the third century conflicts over the nature of Christ, and which was formally given to her at the Council of Ephesus in 431 to underscore the doctrine of Christ's unity as true God and true man. The other titles he discussed included her Immaculate Conception, Assunta (the one who was assumed into heaven) and Mother of the Church.
Full translations are available from the Vatican, Zenit and Papa Ratzinger Forum. An article is available from Asia News.
Here is an excerpt from his discussion of the mysteries (PRF translation):
"Christian popular devotion has always considered the birth of Jesus and the divine motherhood of Mary to be two aspects of the same mystery of the Incarnation and have therefore never considered the Nativity as a thing of the past.
"We are 'contemporaries' of the shepherds, of the Magi, of Simeon and Anna, as we join them full of joy because God wanted to be God-with-us and has a human mother, who is also our mother."
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