Posted on 08/15/2013 7:03:11 PM PDT by annalex
Once a woman in the crowd surrounding Christ and His disciples cries out to Him:
Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck. (Luke 11:27)
What is it? We have, clearly, an act of venerating Mary. Note that the Blessed Virgin is venerated properly: not on her own but as the mother of Christ. Yet the reason for venerating is indeed concerning: it is her physiological and physiologically unique relationship with Jesus that is emphasized. That is not yet paganism with its crude theories of gods giving birth to other gods, but it is lacking proper focus and Jesus corrects it:
Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it. (Luke 11:28)
|
| The Virgin with the Child on her knees and a prophet pointing at the star. Catacomb of Priscilla, late 2nd c. Source |
Having gotten past this linguistic hurdle, we can understand clearly what this passage, Luke 11:27-28, does: it establishes veneration of saints based not on their blood relation to Christ but on their obedience to God. It is in that sense that we venerate Our Lady: given that Christ is the Word of God personified, she heard and kept both Him in person as her Child and His teaching, figuratively. In Mary the essence of sainthood is seen in the flesh as well as in the mind. We could say that by the late second century at the latest, when we find evidence of the veneration of both the prophets and the Mother of God in the catacombs, the two reasons to venerate a saint: his martyrdom as in the case of Polycarp, or his obedience to the Word, as in Mary, -- unite into a single practice.
For your ping list.
He didn’t condemn her, just gently moved her in a different direction.
Luke 11:38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”
Yes, what does that mean to you?
Mary obeys the Word of God; Jesus says that those who obey the Word of God are blessed.
That is True.
Ergo Mary is blessed.
And so are all who try to serve the Lord.
Any focus not on Jesus is a diversion. This Mary worship, veneration, adoration or whatever they call it is throwing our focus on something other than Jesus. His blood made our salvation possible. If we look elsewhere then we are like Peter trying to walk on water and that don’t work out so good.
The Bible says in many places that such are blessed.
Jesus treated his mother with honor - according to the law.
How he treated his mother is how we should treat our mothers.
We should not worship our mothers.
That she is blessed does not imply any basis for anything remotely resembling worship of her, and does not imply any inherently superior standing among others. Christ had to be born human, and Mary - an otherwise normal “good” yet conceived-in-sin person - was chosen as mother. Yes she is blessed - now let’s all get back to worshiping God.
Will it include pictures?
And BTW he honored is Earthy father too - according to the Law. Why don’t we worship Joseph?
To the contrary, there are several instances where He was a little abrupt with Mary. Maybe she was being too much of a Jewish mother.
But yeah, this veneration of Mary is pretty much a Catholic thing.
If you Catholics think it is necessary, or that the rest of us are hell-bound because we reject veneration of Jesus’ Mom, well, you could excommunicate us but ... you’ve already done that, so I suppose we’ll just have just have to agree to disagree.
Btw, I don’t accept the label “Protestant”; why don’t you call yourselves Christians, if that’s what you are, instead of Catholics?
Sure you recognize this polemic, as it is, really isn’t addressed to you.
Another way of looking at this might be, I’m sure that even among Catholics there must be schisms, those who believe others are in error and whose immortal souls are thus in jeopardy.
The same way muzzie’s see the rest of the world as ‘infidels.’
Well, I’m going to bed. Be a brick and handle the mackeral-snappers for me, will you?
How do you take Mathew 12:48 and turn her into the Queen of Heaven?
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Catholic Ping!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.