Posted on 06/13/2015 3:56:17 PM PDT by Eleutheria5
The historic Christian Syrian town of Maalula celebrated Saturday as a new statue of Mary, worshiped in Christianity as the mother of Jesus, was erected in its center, replacing the figure destroyed in rebel attacks in 2013.
Dozens of families gathered alongside government officials and religious dignitaries in the main square, which was adorned with government flags and a giant portrait of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Located north of Damascus, Maalula is one of the world's oldest Christian settlements, and its inhabitants still speak Aramaic, a language spoken by Jews in Israel at the time Jesus was said to have lived.
In April 2014, government troops backed by pro-regime militia recaptured the town from rebel groups, including Al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate Nusra Front.
The fighting damaged the ancient Mar Sarkis monastery and forced the town's 5,000 people to flee their homes and abandon their modest storefronts.
On Saturday, Syrian officials unveiled the new statue of Mary, draped in a white robe topped with a blue shawl, her hands lifted in prayer.
"I made the statue as a message of peace for the ancient and unparalleled town of Maalula," said sculptor Buhaij al-Khoury.
The fiberglass figure stood at just over three meters (10 feet) tall and was placed on the base of the original statue.
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(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...
Although I have seen plenty of posts critical of Latin-rite theology, I haven't seen any by Catholic-haters.
What’s there to despise? As a Baptist I have no disagreement that those words are there where Jesus tells John to care for Mary. Why are you capitalizing “her”? Are you assigning divinity to Mary, or was that in error?
And there is no need to be angry or defensive - just asking questions.
As Coach Lou Holtz one said, “God doesn’t care if Notre Dame wins or loses, but His Mother sure does.”
Your constant use of the word “cult” when you speak of the RCC doesn’t make it so, does it. But you really get off on using that word, don’t you. Your own PECULIAR brand of profanity, is it not? And equally as nasty a personal attack as the word “liar”, IMO. My question is why you are not equally called out for your constant use of the word “cult” when you address members of the RCC on religious threads. There is something subliminally hostile in doing so. I suggest you seriously explore your own motives here. Perhaps you feel a need to justify your own religion that is undoubtedly one of many protestant offshoots created 1500 years after the ancient and original Christian church in the west, the Roman Catholic Church that was built upon the rock of Peter.
Your point is?
I’m not Lutheran so this makes no difference to me one way or another. However my understanding is Lutherans don’t worship departed saints nor the biblical mary. So I can’t account for the individual in your painting....maybe he’s catholic and stopped on his way?
This is why I try to stick to Jewish issues. I cannot begin to understand Christians’ sectarian schisms, or even Christianity. I wasn’t raised in it, never studied it, and honestly would rather not mess with it, any more than I could mess with Hinduism, Buddhism or Zoroastrianism. I’m sure to some Judaism is just as incomprehensible.
But I do understand Islam all too well. They are out to conquer, dominate and coerce us all into worshipping...the Incredible Hulk? Beelzebub? Power? Whatever. Nothing complicated about it. We have a common enemy, so best we get along the better to face and fight it, and watch each others’ backs and flanks.
But at least today there was some good news for Christians of whatever persuasion, so I took a chance and posted it. Oh, well.
They are fighting freedom wherever it shows its head.
Yeah... cuz Jesus said, "Do not honor my mother. I'll do that.!")
And I could multiply those examples, long-winded as I usually, be, but I'm in a hurry. Off to the morning Mass! And no, it isn't cannibalism!
And God bless you, this beautiful Sunday morning!
Just like the Book states...
(Some folks have been brainwashed into mindlessly repeating: Hail Mary, mother of GOD over and over and over again.)
Even MORE woe to them who MOCK what the church of Rome has created to replace His mother!
As a PROTESTANT, I accept your ignorance as a world-wide flaw in knowledge of anything that is NOT Catholic.
Matthew 26:53
Do you think I cannot call on my Father, for thousands of angels to protect us,
Blame it on Google®!!!
Bonaventure: …the gates of heaven will open to all who confide in the protection of Mary. Blessed are they who know thee, O Mother of God, for the knowledge of THEE is the high road to everlasting life, and the publication of thy virtues is the way of ETERNAL SALVATION . Give ear, O ye nations; and all you who desire heaven , serve, honor Mary, and certainly you will find ETERNAL LIFE.
Ephem: …devotion to the divine Mother…is the unlocking of the heavenly Jerusalem.
Blosius: To the, O Lady, are committed the KEYS and the treasures of the kingdom of Heaven.
Ambrose: …constantly pray ‘Open to us, O Mary, the gates of paradise, since thou hast its KEYS.
Fulgetius: …by Mary God descended from Heaven into the world, that by HER man might ascend from earth to Heaven.
Athanasius: …And, thou, O Lady, wast filled with grace, that thou mightiest be the way of our SALVATION and the means of ascent to the heavenly Kingdom.
Richard of Laurence: Mary, in fine, is the mistress of heaven; for there she commands as she wills, and ADMITS whom she wills.
Guerric: …he who serves Mary and for whom she intercedes, is as CERTAIN of heaven as if he were already there…and those who DO NOT serve Mary will NOT BE SAVED.
Anselm: It suffices, O Lady, that thou willest it, and our SALVATION is certain.
Antoninus: …souls protected by Mary, and on which she casts her eyes, are NECESSARILY JUSTIFIED AND SAVED.
Let's try some easy math:
There are approximately 1.2 billion Catholics world wide;
If merely 1% of them 'ask' Mary for help just once each day;
that means that 12 million separate prayers are headed Mary's direction every day.
Given that there are 86,400 seconds per day... (24 hours times 60 minutes times 60 seconds)
...that means that Mary has to handle approximately 139 'requests' per second!
Purty good fer someone NOT 'divine'!
O...
K....
I have been reading the posts and by far WVKayaker is the most offensive. He belittles Catholicism in a crude, crass manner and shows absolutely no civility in his tone. That is by far worse than someone who is offended by his brutish behavior calling him a liar...
You are truly a ugly individual. I am not Catholic...been Protestant all my life and I find your cruel, ignorant diatribe against our Christian brothers and sisters very offensive.
To put it in terms that perhaps even someone of your diminished capacity can understand...I believe in the words of John 3:16 and more than perhaps any other denomination the Catholics fit into those words as worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ. Some of the greatest minds in the history of the world have added to the theology of the Catholic faith. To insult our Lord by degrading His mother is foolish.
All we need to appreciate as Christians is that Mary has a very special, unique place in human history. She was chosen, for her purity, to be the mother of Jesus Christ. That did not end with her lifespan, that is eternal. Indeed, it is difficult and unnecessary to refute claims of tens of thousands of first hand witnesses to Mary’s appearances for her Son even in recent times. That should be some indication to even the most ignorant that Mary holds a very high place in heaven. Asking her to intercede and pray for us is not only acceptable to scripture, but truly proper and smart.
Ann has done nothing wrong, it is obvious you are picking on her for her faith. WVKayaker has been incredibly obnoxious...the reason for the policies you are supposed to be upholding is because of the responses that occur, naturally when someone behaves so out of line as WVKayaker has. You want civility on your thread then deal with the perpetrator, not those defending their faith from vicious attack.
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