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Archbishop Fulton Sheen (whose beatification has been delayed) had written a book titled "The World's First Love: Mary, Mother of God" and citing "Mary as God's Dream".
What are the scripture passages and theology that supported Archbishop Fulton Sheen phrase "Mary is God's Dream?
What are the biblical references and Catholic Church teachings that supported the phrase “Mary is God's dream”?
Simply put there none! Archbishop Fulton Sheen is talking on his own personal devotion way about the Blessed Virgin Mary. You will not find any Church teaches apart from Archbishop Fulton Sheen on this subject, thus there is equally no biblical references to be found on this topic.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen is simply using the phrase "Mary is God's dream" in a devotional sense only. As such this phrase will not be found in the Apostolic Era or any of the Church Fathers either.
For them, Mary is not some sort dream of God, but a reality. The Church teaches that Mary was the Mother of Jesus. That is truth and not a dream!
Mary was a first-century BC Galilean Jewish woman of Nazareth, and the mother of Jesus, according to the New Testament and the Quaran.
The gospels of Matthew and Luke in the New Testament and the Quran describe Mary as a virgin. In Matthew and Luke she is betrothed to Joseph. According to Christian theology she conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit while still a virgin. She accompanied Joseph to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born.
According to Catholic and Eastern Christian teachings, at the end of her earthly life her body was raised directly into Heaven; this is known in the Christian West as the Assumption.
Mary has been venerated since early Christianity, and is considered by millions to be the most meritorious saint of the religion. She is said to have miraculously appeared to believers many times over the centuries. The Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches believe that Mary, as mother of Jesus, is the Theotokos (Mother of God) (Greek: Θεοτόκος, romanized: Theotokos, lit. 'God-bearer'). There is significant diversity in the Marian beliefs and devotional practices of major Christian traditions. The Catholic Church holds distinctive Marian dogmas, namely her status as the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her perpetual virginity, and her Assumption into heaven. Many Protestants minimize Mary's role within Christianity, basing their argument on the relative brevity of biblical references. Mary also has the highest position in Islam among all women. She is mentioned in the Quran more often than in the Bible, where two of the longer chapters of the Quran are devoted to her and her family. - Mary, mother of Jesus
The Catholic Church in particular holds the Mary is the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of the Church that was founded by her Son on the day of Pentecost. She is held in high esteem and is venerated as a saint. For the Church this is a reality and not some form of God’s dream! Mary is honoured with the devotional title of Mother of God.
In the Catholic Church, Mary is accorded the title "Blessed" (Latin: beata, Greek: μακάρια, romanized: makaria) in recognition of her assumption to Heaven and her capacity to intercede on behalf of those who pray to her. There is a difference between the usage of the term "blessed" as pertaining to Mary and its usage as pertaining to a beatified person. "Blessed" as a Marian title refers to her exalted state as being the greatest among the saints; for a person who has been declared beatified, on the other hand, "blessed" simply indicates that they may be venerated despite not being officially canonized. Catholic teachings make clear that Mary is not considered divine and prayers to her are not answered by her, but rather by God through her intercession. The four Catholic dogmas regarding Mary are: her status as Theotokos, or Mother of God; her perpetual virginity; her Immaculate Conception; and her bodily Assumption into heaven.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus has a more central role in Roman Catholic teachings and beliefs than in any other major Christian group. Not only do Roman Catholics have more theological doctrines and teachings that relate to Mary, but they have more festivals, prayers, devotional, and venerative practices than any other group. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship."
For centuries, Catholics have performed acts of consecration and entrustment to Mary at personal, societal and regional levels. These acts may be directed to the Virgin herself, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and to the Immaculate Conception. In Catholic teachings, consecration to Mary does not diminish or substitute the love of God, but enhances it, for all consecration is ultimately made to God.
Following the growth of Marian devotions in the 16th century, Catholic saints wrote books such as Glories of Mary and True Devotion to Mary that emphasized Marian veneration and taught that "the path to Jesus is through Mary". Marian devotions are at times linked to Christocentric devotions (e.g. the Alliance of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary).
Catholics place high emphasis on Mary's roles as protector and intercessor and the Catechism refers to Mary as "honored with the title 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs". Key Marian prayers include: Ave Maria, Alma Redemptoris Mater, Sub tuum praesidum, Ave maris stella, Regina caeli, Ave Regina caelorum and the Magnificat.
Mary's participation in the processes of salvation and redemption has also been emphasized in the Catholic tradition, but they are not doctrines. Pope John Paul II's 1987 encyclical Redemptoris Mater began with the sentence: "The Mother of the Redeemer has a precise place in the plan of salvation."
In the 20th century both popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have emphasized the Marian focus of the Church. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) suggested a redirection of the whole Church towards the program of Pope John Paul II in order to ensure an authentic approach to Christology via a return to the "whole truth about Mary," writing:
"It is necessary to go back to Mary if we want to return to that 'truth about Jesus Christ,' 'truth about the Church' and 'truth about man.'" - Mary, mother of Jesus
Mary is definitely not some form of God’s dream, according to Catholicism, for on 1 November 1950, invoking his dogmatic authority, Pope Pius XII defined the the Assumption of Mary, the Mother of Jesus as dogma:
"By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory". - Munificentissimus Deus
As a result of this solemn dogma being defined, Pope Pius XII promulgated a new Mass for this occasion.
On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII infallibly proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Of course, belief in Our Lady's Assumption into Heaven was nothing new, as testified by the 5th Glorious Mystery of the Rosary and a Mass in honor of her Assumption, titled Gaudeamus omnes.
To honor the declaration of the dogma, Pius XII commissioned a revised set of Mass propers for the feast (similarly as Pope Urban IV did for the Feast of Corpus Christi in 1264) which were introduced into the Missale Romanum in 1951.
Chief amongst the revisions was the composition of a beautiful new Introit by a Benedictine monk of Solesmes, starting with the words Signum magnum:
Latin
Signum magnum apparuit in caelo: mulier amicta sole, et luna sub pedibus ejus, et in capite ejus corona stellarum duodecim.
Cantate Domino canticum novum: quia mirabília fecit. Gloria Patri, etc.
English
A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle: because He has done wonderful things. Glory be, etc. - Signum magnum: Mass of the Assumption
One can listen to the Introit of the Mass of the Assumption on this YouTube video: Sacred Chant from the Mass of the Assumption - Fontgombault.
New American Standard Bible "and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:5
The above passage distinguished the "love of God" from the Holy Spirit. Both the love of God and the Holy Spirit had been given to us.
Who is the "love of God"?
Archbishop Fulton Sheen writes "Love begins with a dream". Who is the object of God's dream whom God loved so much in eternity? The object of God's dream is a Woman. Not just an ordinary Woman, a Woman who will someday become a daughter, a Mother and a Spouse of the Triune God.
In eternity, the Triune God existed in communion of love. God is love.
1 John 4:8 New International Version (NIV) 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Who is the love of God in eternity?
In eternity there are only two prefigured being that is present with God. One is Jesus, existing in the bosom of the Father.
New American Standard Bible No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.(John1:18)
And the other is Mary the chosen Woman, whom Archbishop Fulton Sheen said existed as "Eternal Thought" of God, because God who is Love, had begun to dream. God had dreamt to possess a creature as the object of His love. God greatest commandment to a creature is;
…26“What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?” 27He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:26-27)
Who is the love of God in eternity? Love begins with a dream, and God dreamt of a creature that would love Him with all of her heart, with all of her soul, with all of her strength and with all of her mind...and a creature that would fulfill His greatest commandment written in every man's heart.
The answer is, Mary is the "Eternal Thought" of God, the "love of God" in eternity, and in eternity God desire to have His dream, to experience the love of a chosen creature.
Creation is an act of love, and in order for God to realize His dream, God had to create first the Heaven & Earth.
"Creation is an act of love by which the world can emerge from nothingness." - Apostolic Letter: Proclaiming Saint Hildegard of Bingen, professed nun of the Order of Saint Benedict, a Doctor of the Universal Church BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
Creation is an "act of love" from God who is love, and the God who dreamt to be love, although God already existed in communion of love being a Triune God. This Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit dream to be love by a chosen creature from the eternity, the chosen creature is a Woman.
The chosen Woman is the "love of God", the only creature besides the God-Man Jesus Christ who had fulfilled the greatest commandment of God in John 1:18.
The Greatest Commandment …36*“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?” 37Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment* Matthew22:36-38)
In eternity, the Triune God had chosen Mary the Woman and bestowed upon Her all the greatest gifts to fulfill the Greatest Commandment.
Mary became the "beloved daughter" of God the Father.
Mary became the "beloved Mother" of the Begotten Son Jesus Christ.
Mary became the "beloved Spouse" of the Holy Spirit.
Who is the "love of God"? Mary became the "beloved of God". Going back to our verse in Romans 5:5
New American Standard Bible
"and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:5
Who is the love of God?
Mary is the love of God that had been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Truly, Mary and the Holy Spirit are mystically united and their intimate union cannot be fathom by a finite creature.
Since, Mary is the "love of God" that God had dreamt in eternity and is now present in the hearts of all the redeemed. Mary is truly our Mother in the order of grace, because the "love of God" that had been poured out to us is no other than the Maternal Love of Mary.
Mary is the "love of God", the Mother of all the redeemed in the order of grace.- Mary, Our Mother in the Order of Grace
The agonizing Jesus At the Foot of the Cross, has fulfilled His promise to all the Apostles and believers;
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:18)
Jesus At the Foof of the Cross, said to Mary in the presence of St. John and other Mary's who are fulfilling the Will of the Father to "Behold the Son" in John 6:40.
New American Standard Bible "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day."
Mary is the only creature who perfectly fulfilled the Will of the Father to "Behold the Son" and uttering Her Second Fiat in answer to Jesus call;
"Woman, Behold thy son." (John 19:26)
What are the biblical references and Catholic Church teachings that supported the phrase “Mary is God's dream”?
In summary the verses are the following;
Romans 5:5
1 John 4:8
John 1:18
Luke 1:26-27
Apostolic Letter of Pope Benedict XVI proclaiming St.Hildegard on "Creation is an act of love"
Matthew 22:36-38
John 14:18
John 19:26
Understanding all this verses by pondering it in our hearts like how Mary ponder's in Luke 2:19 and Luke 2:51, we will arrive in the beautiful understanding of the meaning, why Mary is God's dream in eternity.
