The Idea of Mary as ‘Sister’ in Carmelite Mariology

The emphasis on the central importance of the idea of Mary as Theotokos with its profound Christological, ecclesiological, and soteriological implications, has perhaps resulted in the relative neglect of the idea of Mary as ‘sister’. The force of calling Mary ‘sister’ is very significant for a clear understanding of the reality of human salvation and it is not simply a reminder that Mary was human and gives an example to humanity, but that the flesh she gave to the Logos is the reason why humanity is truly redeemed. Mary is the nexus or fulcrum upon which human salvation hinges. Over the centuries the only group in the western Church to give much attention to Mary as sister has been the Carmelite Order.