Pope highlights Mary's role as 'woman of the apocalypse'

Catholic News Agency ^ | 12/28/11 | Benjamin Mann

[RnMomof7]

Rome, Italy, Dec 8, 2011 / 04:28 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the biblical description of a “woman clothed with the sun” in his remarks at Rome's Spanish Steps on the 2011 Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

“What is the meaning of this image? It represents the Church and Our Lady at the same time,” the Pope told the crowd assembled before the nearby statue commemorating the 1854 definition of Mary's Immaculate Conception. “Before all, the 'woman' of the apocalypse is Mary herself.”

The 12th chapter of the Biblical Apocalypse – also known as the Book of Revelation – describes the glorification and persecution of “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”

Though not named, this woman is described as the mother of the Messiah. In poetic language akin to the Bible's other prophetic books, Saint John says she faced the threat of “a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,” and “fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God.”

Pope Benedict, offering white roses in his traditional yearly act of Marian veneration, gave listeners his insight into the connection between the Virgin Mary and the Church – portrayed in the Apocalypse through the single image of the sun-clad woman.

“She appears 'clothed in sunlight,' that is, clothed in God,” observed the Pope. “The Virgin Mary is in fact completely surrounded by the light of God and lives in God … The 'Immaculate One' reflects with all of her person the light of the 'sun' which is God.”

“Besides representing Our Lady, this sign personifies the Church, the Christian community of all times,” he continued.

The Church, he explained, is “pregnant, in the sense that she carries Christ” and “must give birth to him to the world.”

“This is the labor of the pilgrim Church on earth, that in the midst of the consolations of God and the persecutions of the world, she must bring Christ to men.”

Because the Church continues to bring Jesus into the world, Pope Benedict said, it “finds opposition in a ferocious adversary,” symbolized in scripture by the “dragon” that has “tried in vain to devour Jesus,” and now “directs his attacks against the woman – the Church – in the desert of the world.”

“But in every age the Church is supported by the light and the strength of God,” the Pope said. “She is nurtured in the desert with the bread of his word and the Holy Eucharist.”

“And in this way, in every tribulation, through all of the trials that she finds in the course of the ages and in the different parts of the world, the Church suffers persecution, but comes out the victor.”

Pope Benedict said the Church should not fear persecution, which is bound to arise, but will be defeated.

“The only pitfall of which the Church can and must be afraid is the sin of her members,” he warned, highlighting the key difference between the Church and the woman who is its prototype.

“While in fact Mary is immaculate – free from every stain of sin – the Church is holy, but at the same time marked by our sins.”

While sinless herself, Mary remains in solidarity with the Church struggling against sin.

“That is why the people of God, pilgrims in time, turn to their heavenly mother and ask for her help,” explained Pope Benedict.

He stressed the world's need for the hope brought by the “woman clothed with the sun” – “especially in this difficult moment for Italy, for Europe and for different parts of the world.”

“May Mary help us to see that there is a light beyond the veil of fog that appears to envelop reality,” he declared.

“For this also we, especially on this day, never cease to ask with filial trust for her help: 'O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.'”

[metmom]

It’s frustrating when you can’t dispute scripture isn’t it.

It must be because I haven't seen anything from the Catholic quarter that resembles an adult response on this thread in quite a while.

The same old pictures, the same old insults, the same old anything but Scripture.

Something new would at least show that they're capable of thinking for themselves.

There is NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING that riles a Catholic more than a perceived slight against Mary. I knew plenty of Catholics who could and would swear up a storm, take the Lord's name in vain without blinking an eyelash, and about rip your head off if they thought you were dissing Mary in any way shape or form.

Way skewed priorities.

[mitch5501]

"He gave us scripture and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit..."

Thankyou Lord Jesus!

[Quix]

IF AND WHEN

you find Proddys bowing down to such images and saying prayers before such images,

PLEASE, let me know.

Until then, your analogy

UTTERLY FAILS.

And until the Proddy churches TEACH THAT and the leaders MODELED THAT bowing down to and praying before such images is a righteous thing to do—you’d still nearly utterly fail even if a few Proddys did the unthinkable.

[Quix]

Molten idol as in formed of molten metal . . . like the brass idols on RC staffs, dashboards etc.

IF AND WHEN

you find Proddys bowing down to such images and saying prayers before such images,

BTW, PRODDYS did NOT write the following, GOD DID:

---------------------------------------------------

Exodus 20:5
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Isaiah 2:9
And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.

Leviticus 26:1
Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.

Exodus 20:4
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Leviticus 26:1
Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 4:16
Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

Deuteronomy 4:23
Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.

Deuteronomy 4:25
When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:

Deuteronomy 27:15
Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.

Isaiah 44:9
They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.

Isaiah 44:15
Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.

---------------------------------------------------

PLEASE, let me know.

Until then, your analogy

UTTERLY FAILS.

And until the Proddy churches TEACH THAT and the leaders MODELED THAT bowing down to and praying before such images is a righteous thing to do--you'd still nearly utterly fail even if a few Proddys did the unthinkable.

[johngrace]

If we purely read Scripture alone we would make sense. But since we are one of many who read or are taught what scripture is in a verse by another telling us what it is then say we get it from scripture alone makes no sense. Because like so many of scriptural only view it is never from the pure text it is usually books that tell us outside of the bible what a verse really says. All the ideas are incorporated from outside sources(books or people).

If you picked up the bible alone and read it alone for sure most of the stereo types would never have come up. It is taught outside. So it is a merry go -round. It never stops.

Good Night.

[Revolting cat!]

You oughta stand in front of St. Patrick's Catedral in New York (if you can't afford to go to Rome) with a sign that says "BEWARE OF THE CC DECEIT!"

[Lera]

Yes. That the Universal Church is global. Right?
You have no idea how prophetic what you just said is

[Quix]

Look get this straight. I do not believe every Christian has to be a 100% on His or her Theology to be a forgiven Christian(1 John 4) By Christ. I am not better than you. Which is not what makes a Christian. His Divine Mercy over rules all our preconceived Ideas.

. . .

May God bless You brother in Christ! Always!

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

I don't believe that YOU worship Mary, per se. I don't know how to think about what you think and do in that department. So, like with another RC I love and respect Greatly, I leave all that in terms of you, in God's hands, when I pray or think about such.

I do KNOW that not everyone who claims they do NOT worship Mary . . . is being honest with themselves or with God or with the rest of us.

[narses]

And still no answer. Cowards abound.

[Uri’el-2012]

Amen ! Sister.

It is a cult that believes in the Roman "church"
and does not believe in the WORD of YHvH.

Perhaps they are the ones
who will be told" I never knew you"

shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach

[narses]

My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm:
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen

Magníficat ánima mea Dóminum,
et exsultávit spíritus meus
in Deo salvatóre meo,
quia respéxit humilitátem
ancíllæ suæ.

Ecce enim ex hoc beátam
me dicent omnes generatiónes,
quia fecit mihi magna,
qui potens est,
et sanctum nomen eius,
et misericórdia eius in progénies
et progénies timéntibus eum.
Fecit poténtiam in bráchio suo,
dispérsit supérbos mente cordis sui;
depósuit poténtes de sede
et exaltávit húmiles.
Esuriéntes implévit bonis
et dívites dimísit inánes.
Suscépit Ísrael púerum suum,
recordátus misericórdiæ,
sicut locútus est ad patres nostros,
Ábraham et sémini eius in sæcula.

Glória Patri et Fílio
et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio,
et nunc et semper,
et in sæcula sæculórum.

Amen.

She became the Mother of God, in which work so many and such great good things are bestowed on her as pass man’s understanding. For on this there follows all honor, all blessedness, and her unique place in the whole of mankind, among which she has no equal, namely, that she had a child by the Father in heaven, and such a Child . . . Hence men have crowded all her glory into a single word, calling her the Mother of God . . . None can say of her nor announce to her greater things, even though he had as many tongues as the earth possesses flowers and blades of grass: the sky, stars; and the sea, grains of sand. It needs to be pondered in the heart what it means to be the Mother of God.

(Commentary on the Magnificat, 1521; in Luther’s Works, Pelikan et al, vol. 21, 326)

[Revolting cat!]

Your Popes, pops!

[Uri’el-2012]

And still no answer. Cowards abound.

Standard RCC MO:
personal insults and Vincible Ignorance of the WORD of YHvH.

shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach

[narses]

[Quix]

INDEED. SIGH.

[Quix]

Exodus 20:5
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

Isaiah 2:9
And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.

Leviticus 26:1
Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.

Exodus 20:4
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Leviticus 26:1
Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 4:16
Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

Deuteronomy 4:23
Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.

Deuteronomy 4:25
When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:

Deuteronomy 27:15
Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.

Isaiah 44:9
They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed.

Isaiah 44:15
Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.

[CynicalBear]

>>You oughta stand in front of St. Patrick's Catedral in New York (if you can't afford to go to Rome) with a sign that says "BEWARE OF THE CC DECEIT!"<<

Nope, if God hasn’t called them there is nothing I can do. If they are called by Him it is He who will put someone there and it hasn’t been me. I’ve been put here and will be faithful.

[CynicalBear]

Popes are only for cults.

[narses]

[dangus]

>> Welllllllllll, quite candidly . . . when I finished reading your post, the thought that came to mind was . . . THAT SOUNDS JUST LIKE a Muslim wailing that the 109+ verses in the Koran exhorting faithful Muslims to massacre etc. non-Muslims are “taken out of context.” Which is a farcical pile of nonsense. They are WORSE when put in the historical context involved and they are plenty evil as listed in the Koran. <<

That says a lot more about you than me.