Well, you know how we are reading through the Bible together this year, and we're going

to hit Mark Chapter 3 on Wednesday, and that's a text that has sparked quite an interesting

question for us today.

I mean, we're talking about Mary here in this episode, and Chapter 3 of Mark is talking

of Mary as well, Jesus' mother. And we're talking about

how different professing Christian traditions view her role. And actually one of our listeners,

Carolyn, has been having some pretty deep conversations about this with a Roman Catholic

family and friends. So I'll read to you what she wrote us. Here it is. Hello, Pastor John,

Carolyn writes, I have many conversations

with the Roman Catholic friends and family about the role of Mary and the faith. She was a godly

woman for sure, but I reject that she was a co-redemptrix, that she partners with Christ and our

salvation, and no one should ever pray to her. I often take these conversations to Scripture and to Jesus and his words in Mark

3, verse 31 to 35.

Yeah, well done.

It seems to be a text that honors Mary and puts her within the family of followers of Christ

in a way that equalizes her too.

When it comes to speaking with Roman Catholics, is this a text you use?

If so, what do you see in it that would help all of us who have conversations with Roman Catholics?

Thank you.

Pope John Paul II, who died in 2005, wrote a letter to introduce the second edition of the official

catechism of the Roman Catholic Church, and at the end of the letter, he signed off like this

to Mary, Mother of Christ, whose assumption, body and soul into heaven we celebrate today,

...