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Posted on 11/30/2020 6:25:03 AM PST by CharlesOConnell
During the first 1,500 years of Christianity, Mary was regarded as the peer of Enoch, Elijah and, according to a Jewish targum (a biblical commentary), Moses, by God taking her bodily up into heaven. (Orthodox and Catholics allow that she may have just newly died during the Assumption, calling her death “falling asleep”.) In two-thirds of the Christian tradition, across the Orthodox and Catholic world, Mary is regarded as having been specially privileged, called Theotokos, God-bearer. In order that the birth of Jesus would be in a fitting vessel, Catholics believe Mary was also the peer of Eve prior to her eating the forbidden fruit, in that she was preserved from sin during her conception, so that “macula non est in te” (“there is no stain in you”, Song of Songs, verse 4:7). There is no sin in her. Most Christians are saved by the death of Christ after their sins; Mary was saved before sinning. This is called The Immaculate Conception.
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| Fr. Frederick William Faber, (1814-1863) | St. Denio |
|---|---|
| 1. O purest of creatures, sweet Mother! sweet Maid! The one spotless womb wherein Jesus was laid! Dark night hath come down on us, Mother! And we, Look out for thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea! | 2. Deep night has come down on this rough-spoken world, &-the banners of darkness are boldly unfurled; &-the tempest tossed Church— all her eyes are on thee, They look to thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea! |
| 3. He gazed on thy soul; it was spotless and fair; For-the empire of sin—it had never been there; None had ever owned thee, dear Mother! But He, And-He blessed thy clear shining, sweet Star of the Sea! | 4. Earth gave Him one lodging; ‘twas deep in thy breast, And God found a home where the sinner finds rest; His home and His hiding place both were in thee, He-was won by thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea. |
| 5. O blissful and calm was the wonderful rest, That-thou gavest thy God in thy virginal breast; For-the heaven He left, He found heaven in thee, And-He shone in thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea! | 6. To sinners what comfort, to angels what mirth, That God found one creature un- fallen on earth, One spot where His Spirit, un- troubled could be, The depth of thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea! |
| 7. O shine on us brighter than even, then shine, For-the highest of honours, dear Mother! Is thine; “Conceived without sin,” thy chaste title e’re be, Clear light from thy birth-spring, sweet Star of the Sea! | 8. So worship we God in these rude latter days; So worship we Jesus our Love, when we praise, His wonderful grace in the gifts He gave thee, The gift of clear shining, sweet Star of the Sea! |
| 9. Deep night hath come down on us, Mother! Deep night, And-we need more than ever the guide of thy light; For-the darker the night is the brighter should be, Thy beautiful shining, sweet Star of the Sea! | Amen. |
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Here is the question I ask: Was Mary chosen to bear Jesus because she was “blessed”, or was she blessed because she was chosen to bear Jesus?
Personally, I think it is the latter. To me, she is like a lotto winner. For understanding, read every single verse where Jesus mentions her.
Mary didn’t create the soul of the Son of God. That soul is “the stone cut out of the mountain without hands”.
She wasn’t picked at random: she was indeed chosen.
Our tainted nature’s solitary boast. - William Wordsworth
Without a doubt.
Nor is it claimed that Mary created the soul of the Son of God.
Nor is it claimed that any mother creates the souls of their children.
What young Jewish girl would not have wanted to be the mother of the Messiah?
Who would have not agreed if God came to them and made that announcement.
Mary was blessed to be chosen by God for her job, just like every other person chosen by God to fulfill their part in His plan for mankind is blessed.
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L8r
Yep - similar would be Paul being chosen to be a major carrier of The Word. He became deserving because God deemed him worthy and set him upon his task.
Jesus was the ONLY person to walk the earth, free of all sin, from conception until death - else His sacrifice would not be needed.
She wasn’t picked at random: she was indeed chosen.
We might think that, but in reality people refuse to follow God all the time, despite being given wonderful gifts.
Let us not minimise the ‘Yes’ of Mary. The Incarnation of Christ depended on her absolute gift of self to God.
What young Jewish girl would not have wanted to be the mother of the Messiah?
Who would have not agreed if God came to them and made that announcement.
Mary was blessed to be chosen by God for her job, just like every other person chosen by God to fulfill their part in His plan for mankind is blessed.
It’s really important to interpret scripture in the context of chapter, book, culture and time. You nailed it.
I like to ask this question in Sunday School: Would Saul have ever became Paul had he not had the Jesus vision? And if not, why doesn’t he give such a vision to all people, converting all? This is why I really can’t boast about being a Christian because of who I am. I’m a “wretched man” as Paul described himself. I am saved because He chose me, not the other way around.
And the question all Christians should ask themself, for WHAT specific purpose did he choose me?
No. Mary also walked the earth, free of all sin, from conception until death.
She was saved by her Son’s sacrifice, just like everybody else.
But unlike everyone else she is the Mother of God: God made her ‘Full of Grace’ in order to worthily carry Himself.
Remember: He is not bound by time nor space.
Mary did not give her permission.
The angel told her how it was going to be. He didn’t ask her permission.
Mary was created to be the mother of God, hence the immaculate conception, she was born without sin. Mary’s yes was her freewill choice to be the mother of the Messiah. For those with a problem with this, think arc of the covenant. Think how pure the vessel was to house the bread from heaven. Jesus is the bread of life. How would we not expect Mary to be that pure to become Jesus’ mother.
God uses unwilling people all the time.
Sometimes He needs to be more persuasive than others. (Paul, Jonah, Gideon)
Sometimes, they have no choice at all. (Pharoah, Moses)
She was saved by her Son’s sacrifice, just like everybody else.
If she was free from all sin then she did not need to be saved by the sacrifice of Jesus.
Mary gave her permission.
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”
You appear to be claiming that The Mother of God had no choice in the matter - that she was raped.
Remember that God holds all time and space in the palm of His hand.
It would be ridiculous to claim that Mary couldn't have been sinless because Christ hadn't died for her sins yet.
We see the same inversion, or prefigurement, in the OT sacrifices, and the Passover marks upon the lintels.
These were (apparently) effective against sin & death - but only because these sacrifices prefigured Christ, the true Priest and the true Sacrifice.
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