Can Mary Save Us?

Provocative question, no? Merely seeing the question asked may cause some sectarians to lose their breakfast cereal. I’m going to answer it by stealing the reply a Ukrainian (I think) priest gave to a non-Catholic objection on — of all places — a YouTube video. Commenting on the Arvo Pärt’s piece, “Most Holy Mother of God,” with its manifold repetitions of the verse, “Most Holy Mother of God, save us!”, a Protestant said this:

Beautiful, but I prefer when the music is in Latin, then I don’t hear all the blasphemy such as that Mary should “save us”.

To which Father Andrew Stephen Damick replied…

“Save” language is not exclusive to God in the Scripture:

“For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them.” (Rom. 11:13-14)

“For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?” (I Cor. 7:16)

“…to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” (I Cor. 9:22)

“Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” (I Tim 4:16)

“And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” (James 5:15)

“There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (I Peter 3:21)

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.” (Jude 1:20-23)

Points well made.

By the way, here is the piece that the Protestant considered beautiful but blasphemous: