"Woman of the New Covenant" as a title for Mary originated with the general leadership of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ and was incorporated in the revision of their Constitution by the General Assembly in 1979.1

"Woman of the New Covenant"
Criteria for Renewal of Devotion to Mary

In 1974, Pope Paul VI issued a beautiful and challenging apostolic exhortation to encourage renewal of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the post Vatican Council II period. Its Latin title, Marialis Cultus, is usually translated "To Honor Mary." In this document, Christians are encouraged to "genuine creative activity" in deepening their love for Mary. Religious families in particular are called to update and renew their devotion to her. 1 Part One of the document deals with the place of Mary in liturgy. Part Two sets forth seven principles or criteria for renewal of devotion to Mary: it is to be Trinitarian, Christological, ecclesial, biblical, liturgical, ecumenical, in accord with the tradition of the church, and anthropologically sound. In reflecting on woman of the New Covenant, it seems appropriate to examine this title in the light of these criteria given by Pope Paul VI for renewal of devotion to Mary.

Trinitarian and Christological

The title Woman of the New Covenant suggest the fullness of Mary's relationship with Jesus, who established the new covenant in his blood, and who IS the new covenant bond in his own person. It recalls Mary's relation to the Holy Spirit, who is the soul and sanctifier of the new covenant people. Likewise, it indicates her relation to the Father, Source of all Being, whose promises of God's covenant fidelity are completely fulfilled.

As Woman of the New Covenant, Mary is daughter par excellence of our God, who invites us to a new relationship, no longer as servants but as children who can now call God "Abba".

Mary is mother of the Redeemer. She formed his mind and heart as she educated him as son of a covenant people. She is his companion and intimate spiritual associate in the Paschal Mystery, through which he has established the new covenant in his blood.

Calling Mary Woman of the New Covenant, we acknowledge her as spouse of the Holy Spirit, the one upon whom the Spirit's love is poured out in utmost fullness, from the first moment of her immaculate conception to the Spirit's clothing her in radiant glory at her assumption into heaven.

Ecclesial

Mary is indeed Woman of the New Covenant as first member of God's new covenant people the Church. She is the most blessed of all Jesus' disciples in the Church, for she heard the word of God and lived it. (CF. Lk 11:27-28)

She was the valiant woman, faithful to her Lord even to Calvary, when all but one of the apostles, on whom Christ had founded the Church, had abandoned him in fear.

According to tradition, it was Mary that the whole Church was entrusted in the person of John: "Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your mother." (Jn 19, 25-27)

Mary is prototype of the Church, God's new covenant people. In her is reflected and realized all that the Church is called by God to be and to become.2

Mary is associated with Jesus in the formation of the Church, both as mother of the Word Incarnate, head of the Church, and as spiritual associate with Jesus the mediator who founded the Church in his blood.3

Down through the ages, Mary continues to be the most powerful intercessor for the Church, just as she was at Pentecost. As Paul VI affirmed, "Mary's many-sided mission to the people of God is a supernatural reality which operates and bears fruit within the body of the Church." 4

Biblical

To call Mary Woman of the New Covenant parallels the Old Testament usage whereby God's chosen people are called "sons [and daughters] of the covenant."

This title points to her as the woman through whom God facilitates the transition from the old to the new covenant through her motherhood of Jesus, and through her association with him in his paschal mission.

Calling Mary Woman of the New Covenant is especially in harmony with the image of Mary suggested in the Johannine writings of the New Testament. In the fourth gospel, chapters 2 and 19, we find the title "woman" on the lips of Jesus as he addressed Mary at Cana and on Calvary. "The woman" in the Book of Revelation, chapter 12, is interpreted in Christian tradition as both Mary and the Church. In Revelation 11:19 to 12:6 the role of "the woman" seems to be clearly related to the ark of the covenant.

Pope Paul VI interprets Mary's word at Cana, "Do whatever he tells you" in a covenant perspective: "Those words are seen in the context of St. John's Gospel to re-echo the words used by the people of Israel to give approval to the covenant at Sinai and to renew their commitments." 5

Certainly the title Woman of the New Covenant can stimulate reflection on Mary's role in regard to covenant as the central biblical theme in both testaments, old and new.

Liturgical

This title is in harmony with the Church's liturgy from many perspectives.

Primarily, this title suggests Mary's relation to the Eucharist, the center of Christian liturgy. The "blood of the new and everlasting covenant" is at the very heart of the Eucharistic celebration. This blood of Jesus was physically taken from Mary's body with her consent. In Jesus' historical offering of himself in shedding that blood, Mary was most intimately associated with him. In both the Western and the Eastern liturgies, Mary's presence at each Eucharistic celebration has been, and continues to be, remembers in the central thanksgiving prayer. 

Reflecting on Mary as Woman of the New Covenant can help our remembering the whole mystery of salvation in the course of the liturgical year. It can also deepen our celebration of Mary's feasts, especially since the revision of the Lectionary and Breviary.

For example, the first reading selected for the vigil of the feast of the Assumption (I Chronicles 15:3 to 16:2, the triumphal entry of the ark of the covenant into Jerusalem), suggest clearly a covenant parallel with Mary. Similarly, the choice for the first reading on the feast of the Assumption itself (Revelations 11:19 to 12:10) which begins with the verse on the ark of the covenant appearing in heaven) seems to blend covenant and woman in one single vision, on symbolic image of Mary.

For the August 22 feast of Mary's Queenship, the choice of the first reading (Isaiah 9:1-6) is a messianic passage culminating in the covenant promise to David's royal line. Its devotional use on this Marian feast portrays Mary as the woman through whom that royal covenant promise was fulfilled.

The revised liturgical texts for the September 15 feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, both for the Mass and the Office, clearly indicate her sharing in the fullness of the Paschal Mystery, that is, the resurrection and glory of well as the suffering and pain. Also these texts refer to Mary's role as model for the whole people of God, in filling "up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ for the sake of his body, the Church." The Evening Prayer antiphons explicitly focus on the covenant.

Ecumenical

This title seems to meet the criteria of an ecumenical appeal, as expressed in the papal document on devotion to Mary. It seems that it would please all Christian groups, because it is so solidly biblical, stressing those aspects of our belief concerning Mary which are most immediately related to what the Scriptures tell us about her.

Furthermore, this title for Mary, Woman of the New Covenant, suggests the importance of a genuine ecumenical spirit on the part of all of us. It reminds us that the new covenant will not be completely realized until ALL are truly made one in "that beautiful order of things which the great Son of God came to establish in his blood."6 Obviously, this title is very appropriate to use in prayer for Christian unity, when we pray for this through Mary's intercession.

In Accord With Tradition

In many ways it can be shown that the title Woman of the New Covenant is in profound accord with the Church's tradition, especially with the tradition expressed in writings from the early centuries, rooted as they are in the Scriptures. One well-known example is that of Mary as "the woman" who is the counterpart of Eve. She is the "new woman" 7 who reverses the role of Eve, the woman through whom, along with Adam, sin came into the world. Mary is this "new woman" in her functions, in her relationship with Jesus, and in her very person.

Certainly the title for Mary, which has a place in the Litany of Loreto, "Ark of the Covenant", is another indication in tradition of the appropriateness of calling her Woman of the New Covenant.

Anthropologically Sound

In developing this criteria, Pope Paul VI intended that our renewed devotion to Mary should emphasize, first, those characteristics of Mary that are especially meaningful to humankind today; and, secondly that the image of Mary as woman that is expressed in our devotion should be anthropologically sound. 8

These aspects of devotion to Mary are developed in several paragraphs dwelling on Mary's womanhood, emphasizing that she is a woman for our times, when the "equality and coresponsibility" of women with men is being recognized in the running of the family, as well as in the spheres of politics and employment, and wide-ranging social and cultural fields. We are to recognize Mary as an active woman, rather than a passive one. She is, the pope said, one with whom God dialogues and whose "active and responsible consent" God sought for God's project of the world's salvation. Mary was a "strong woman", a "promoter of justice that liberates the oppressed and of charity that aids the needy."

Hence it does seem sound and in line with the Chruch's teaching on devotion to Mary to use a simple biblical title and call her, not just virgin, mother or queen, but very basically, "woman." Given the centrality of the covenant theme in all salvation history, it seems appropriate and fully in accord with the criteria given by Pope Paul VI in Marialis Cultus to address Mary as Woman of the New Covenant.

End Notes

1. CF. Marialis Cultus (indicated by MC in these notes), par. 24 and 40. The use of the title "Woman of the New Covenant" was adopted by the Adorers of the Blood of Christ at their General assembly in 1979, in response to this call of Pope Paul VI to update and renew devotion to Mary. In accord with their charism and traditions dating from the foundress, Maria De Mattias, they selected September 15, feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, as their special Marian feast. They celebrate it, however, as the feast of Woman of the New Covenant.

2. CF. Vatican Council II, Lumen Gentium (Constitution on the Church), Chapter VIII, especially par. 65, 68; and MC, passim, especially par. 28.

3. CF. Lumen Gentium, 61-63; MC, 11,21,28,30.

4. MC, 57, first paragraph.

5. MC, 57, last paragraph.

6. This beautiful phrase comes from a letter of Maria De Mattias to Bishop annovazzi of anagni, November 13, 1838.

7. MC, 36, 57.

8. MC, 34-37. All quoted phrases are from these paragraphs.

ASC Resource Committee: Gegen, Loretta, Myerscough, Angelita, Palus, Emmanuel. "Women Of The New Covenant, Criteria For Renewal Of Devotion To Mary," in Mary, Woman Of The New Covenant. Printed by: Record Printing & Advertising Co., Belleville, IL, 1998. Pp. 113-119