[stfassisi]

The divine messenger says to the Virgin: “Hail full of grace, the Lord is with you” [18]. He does not call her by her proper earthly name: Miriyam (= Mary), but by this new name: ‘full of grace’. What does this name mean? Why does the archangel address the Virgin in this way? In the language of the Bible, ‘grace’ means a special gift, which according to the New Testament has its source precisely in the Trinitarian life of God himself, God who is love[19].[20]

[stfassisi]

Ping!

[Always Right]

Could we develop this statement further and conclude: To be ignorant of the Scripture is not to know Mary, the Mother of Christ?

Mary the mother of Christ is mentioned about a dozen times in the Bible. It doesn't take too long to learn everything the Scriptures says about her.

[markomalley]

The divine messenger says to the Virgin: “Hail full of grace, the Lord is with you” [18]. He does not call her by her proper earthly name: Miriyam (= Mary), but by this new name: ‘full of grace’. What does this name mean? Why does the archangel address the Virgin in this way? In the language of the Bible, ‘grace’ means a special gift, which according to the New Testament has its source precisely in the Trinitarian life of God himself, God who is love[19].[20]

To me, the interesting part about this verse (Luke 1:28 -- καὶ εἰσελθὼν πρὸς αὐτὴν εἶπεν χαῖρε κεχαριτωμένη ὁ κύριος μετὰ σοῦ) is the Greek used to rendered "highly favored" is the word χαριτόω (to grace_. From the root word χάρις (grace). The interesting part to me is, for some reason, I keep seeing a contraction of the word πληρόω (to fill).

Where this becomes fascinating is the only other place the word χαριτόω is used in the NT is in Ephesians 1:6 -- εἰς ἔπαινον δόξης τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ ἧς ἐχαρίτωσεν ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ (to the praise of his glorious grace which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. -- "bestowed on" is the word χαριτόω). Also, by the way, the word χαριτόω is not ever used in the Septuagint.

That, to me, is a scriptural pointer alluding to the Immaculate Conception. It doesn't say when the Blessed Virgin was χαριτόω'd, but it says that she was. The only other people who were described in that way were baptized Christians (specifically in the Church in Ephesus). What does baptism do? It washes away original sin.

[huldah1776]

Who is the woman mentioned in Revelation chapter 12?

[khnyny]

bump.

[Ping-Pong]

Mary of Nazareth, daughter of Joachim and Anna,[8] is first mentioned by name in the Gospel of Mathew...... Mathew presents us with Jesus’ genealogy.

My reading is that Luke tells us that Mary's father was Heli while Matthew gives the geneology of Joseph.

There is no reason to question that Mary was present in the synagogue when Jesus read from Isaiah 61. Would she not have reflected on such passages already, wondering about their Messianic implications?

Interesting speculation. I had never thought of that. It brings to mind that beautiful Christmas song, "Mary Did You Know". .

[DouglasKC]

The Bible is over 95% male-oriented. Of 1,426 names in the Bible only 111 names are women’s. … Mary of Nazareth, however, is among the women most mentioned in the Bible, that is, in the New Testament. She is an exception to the rule and almost for that reason an exceptional woman.[3]

Frequency of mention isn't always an indicator of how someone was revered. Herod is mentioned in the new testament far more frequently than Mary is yet nobody would make the case that he was venerated.

[television is just wrong]

wow.

[unspun]

Yes, Mary was actually a Jew.

(Mystery solved!   ;-)

[Quix]

Sounds like making more mountains out of a few grains of sand, to me.

[Oberon]

I've always found it striking that Jesus gets to spend eternity with His Jewish mother.

"Jesus, why didn't you go to medical school? You could have been a podiatrist. Your cousin Chaim was a podiatrist."
"Mom, you know I love you, but we've been over this. I had a job to do."
"I know, but...couldn't you have been the Savior AND a podiatrist?"

[Ciexyz]

Mary is worthy of praise for her obedience and trust in the Lord.

[MHGinTN]

.

[onedoug]

Ein Sof.