Posted on 12/16/2014 4:26:56 PM PST by NYer
In Part 1 we saw that Mary is the “woman” from Genesis 3:15 and Revelation 12 who is at enmity with the devil. In Part 2 we saw that Mary is the “Ark of the New Covenant.” In Part 3 we saw that Gabriel’s salutation points to Mary as an extraordinarily graced individual. Here in Part 4 I would like to examine what it means that Mary is “blessed among women.”
Elizabeth’s words to Mary continue to be important here:
… [A]nd she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Luke 1:42)
We have already seen how Elizabeth’s words echo similar exclamations from the Old Testament and how this confirms Mary’s identity as the “woman” of Genesis 3:15, Revelation 12, and the Ark of the New Covenant. Even with all this, we have yet to exhaust the implications of this verse upon Mary’s sinlessness. What I would like to address here is what the phrase, “Blessed are you among women” would have meant to the people of Elizabeth’s time and culture.
The Greek here is attempting to express a Hewbrew/Aramaic idiom that Elizabeth is using in response to seeing Mary. The idiom is baruchah att minnashim: “blessed [are] you from women,” which is another way of saying, “You [are more] blessed than [other or all] women.” Hebrew and Aramaic do not have superlatives, but they do have ways of expressing the superlative sense: for example, “Holy of Holies” means “Holiest.”
Technically, this phrase in Luke 1:42 is a comparative, but when you have a comparative where one party is an individual and the other party is everybody else, it ends up with the force of a superlative. If Mary is more blessed than other women, then she is the most blessed of all women. It’s a grammatical comparative with the force of a superlative.
You may be asking yourself, “Why is this important?” For some reason, most Catholic apologists simply point out that Mary was the most blessed of all women and they never tell the reader what bearing that has upon the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. I think the answer is found once we examine why it is that Elizabeth called Mary, “blessed among women.”
The obvious reason, of course, is because Mary, out of all the women who have ever lived, was chosen to be the mother of our Lord. That certainly makes her the most blessed woman there ever was. But, I think there is also another reason. After all, Mary said of herself, “henceforth all generations will call me blessed” (Luke 1:48). Why? “for he who is mighty has done great things [plural] for me” (Luke 1:49). Her unique motherhood would only be one thing. So, what else has God done in her life that has made her more blessed than any other woman?
I think that something else is the unparalleled divine favor, or grace, that He has given her. Within the context of the account of the Annunciation and the Visitation, the Incarnation and her miraculous motherhood is ever present. But, her very real gracefulness is there too. “Hail, O favored one” [or “full of grace”] (Luke 1:28); “you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30); “My soul magnifies the Lord” (Luke 1:46).
Why else did God choose her above all other women to be the mother of our Lord? What was it about this particular woman that made her suited for the task? Only Catholics have an answer to that question, and we believe that it is found in the words of the angel. The Holy Spirit overshadowed her and caused our Savior to be conceived within her because God had already prepared her for motherhood by filling her with his grace. Thus, she is “blessed among women” not just in her motherhood but in the preparation for motherhood that she received.
Taken together, Scripture provides some very strong indications that Mary’s grace-filled life precluded sin. The early Church, through meditating upon these examples and with the guidance of the apostles and their successors, came to understand that Mary was a creature whom God had spared from the stain of original sin and who, consequently, committed no sins in her life. See, for example, the following collections of early Christian witness:
There is really no point in history in which this was not the common belief of all Christianity until the Protestant Reformation, one thousand and five hundred years after the birth of the Church. To me that is very significant. The mere novelty of the Protestant objection is I think the first mark against it.
In Part 5, I will begin to tackle some of the objections that are often raised against this dogma. I will link here to Part 5 once it is posted.
Ping!
As I understand it, this thread is in the prayer forum and is, therefore, not open for argument.
Is that correct, religion mod?
No ... this thread is in the Religion Forum and is open to discussion. HOWEVER, it is requested that before posting comments, you familiarize yourself with the ENTIRE content that is spread out over 4 different threads.
Well done, NYer.
If you look at “topics” above, you will see that it is on the prayer sidebar.
In fact, it is the top article on the prayer sidebar
Prayer is a topic, not a forum.
It has its own sidebar and threads on it are immune from argument.
No, it is not tagged as a ‘prayer’ thread.
Mary was blessed because she was the “natural” part of man (humanity) which God needed to create Jesus.
Because, Jesus had to be part man (human), in order to redeem man (humans). If Jesus has been ONLY diety, HE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN OUR SAVIOR.
Mary was a very precious young woman who loved God.
She may not have known what Jesus was really up to when she conceived him and bore him; but after his death, she was in the upper room with all the Apostles where she also received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit like the rest of the group. How excited she must have been.
**provide a link to a resource**
Well, I prefer to use only the scriptures. That will have to do.
**We have already seen how Elizabeth’s words echo similar exclamations from the Old Testament and how this confirms Mary’s identity as the “woman” of Genesis 3:15, Revelation 12, and the Ark of the New Covenant.**
“Revelation 12”.......ah yes, where the ‘interpreter(s)’ that see that passage as being Mary specifically, stop short of verse 6 which is a continuation of the passage. Just look at the second part of verse 5, and how it continues on into verse 6:
5 “..and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.”
The days are three and a half years, and pertain to the nation of Israel. Is there some scripture, somewhere, that follows Mary for three and a half years, immediately after the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven?
“Ark of the New Covenant”....
Well, I was going to reply to that, in your “part 2”, but our internet went down for 4 days. Meanwhile the 18 wheeler had to roll. As you can see, both are back. (the 18 wheeler is much more reliable).
Anyway, here is THAT reply:
This is yet another example of how the followers of man-made Mary dogma regularly place her in a more visible position than Christ himself. You followers of such teachings say that that isn’t so. Yet, the very actions (prayers, paintings, statues, writings, etc.) show her to be paid as much, or even more, attention than to Christ. The ark of the covenant was THE focal point of the tabernacle. Yet, your interpretations have Mary visible the entire time, and Christ only visible if someone removes the tables of stone.
Nevertheless, let us look at the list that the writer presents, and consider the replies I offer:
**Luke 1:28,31,42,45,48 (DRB) and Psalms 93:5: Mary was a house of the Lord, and the house of the Lord is forever holy.**
Forever? Although, nine months might seem like forever when expecting a child. My wife can answer that better than I.
** Luke 1:35 and Exodus 40:35: God overshadowed Mary just as He overshadowed the ark.**
That certainly doesn’t make the ark a symbol of Mary. God said he would dwell upon the mercy seat, between the cherubs. God covered Moses as he passed by before him. The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle, and later, the temple. The Lord came down upon mount Sinai. He obviously overshadowed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, while he walked with them in the fiery furnace, etc.
**Luke 1:39 and 2 Samuel 6:2: Both Mary and the ark arise and go to Judah.**
Mary had to leave Galilee and enter Judea (Judah). The ark had been in Judah for quite some time, before being moved to Jerusalem.
**Luke 1:41 and 2 Samuel 6:16: David leaps with joy at the presence of the ark, just as John leaps at the presence of Mary.**
“And David danced before the Lord with all his might..”. 2Sam. 6:14. You need it to say something like: David danced before the Lord and the woman (well, he wouldn’t have known her name, right?). I think John leaped because of WHO was IN Mary.
** Luke 1:43 and 2 Samuel 6:9: What David says at the coming of the ark is almost exactly what Elizabeth says upon the coming of Mary.**
ALMOST EXACTLY?? That’s a stretch. Elisabeth’s exclamation was of joy, because of the coming of her Lord. David had just seen Uzzah killed by touching the ark. He spoke with fear of what the presence of the Lord had just done.
**Luke 1:56 and 2 Samuel 6:11: Both Mary and the ark reside for 3 months in their new locations.**
And surprise,......the sky was blue both times.
The ark began it’s journey in Sinai, crossed the Jordan River, and then inside the borders of Judah, was briefly in Philistia (to their anguish), then spent about 70-80 yrs in Gibeah of Judah, before being moved a little closer to Jerusalem, where it sat for 3 months while David figured out how he should properly bring it into the city, and not get someone else killed in the process. Mary left Nazareth (not in Judah) to visit Elisabeth in Judah, somewhere in the vicinity of Jerusalem.
** Hebrews 9:4 and John 1:1; 6:51; Hebrews 5:4-5: Just as the ark of the Old Covenant contained the word of God on the stone tablets, the manna from heaven, and the rod of Aaron the great High Priest. Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God, the Manna from Heaven, and the great High Priest.**
So, when the ark was placed in the temple, and was missing the manna, and Aaron’s rod, what is ‘tradition’s’ interpretation there? Anyway, God was not displeased, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.
WAIT!! With your interpretation, that situation has the house of the Lord (the ark), in the house of the Lord (the temple). But then, neither can truly hold the infinite God.
Jesus Christ IS the ark of the Covenant. “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” Col. 2:3. ( that would also include all of what is written on the tables of stone).
The Son said: “I am IN the Father, and the Father IN me” (John 10:38; 14:10,11,20). The outside of the wooden ark of the covenant was covered with gold, and the inside of the ark was covered with gold as well. The gold could preserve the wooden indefinitely. God preserved the Son:
“Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” Acts 2:27
The tablets of stone, which is the testamony, were placed inside, resting on the gold plated interior:
“My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.” John 7:16
**“you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30);**
Yes, unmeritted favor: “For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden..”.
Here’s another chosen one, who was of low estate:
“..for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and children of Israel”. Acts 9:15 (The Lord informing Ananias, of Saul/Paul)
I see you skipped part 3.
He’s already asleep, and will have to answer you when he gets back from this next trip.
Mrs Z
(Yes, I know all of his passwords. We are one flesh) :)
It's called humility. That's yet another reason why we Catholics of both Latin and Eastern rites love her so much!
Now we can put that aside and post: Thank you for your service in our Military (I read your tagline!) and God bless you and all our troops!
My apologies, I was addressing my comment to xzins.
My apologies, xzins, I misposted. The above was for you...
God found favor with Mary. Who are you, or anyone else, to say that favor is unmerited?
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.