Posted on 05/31/2011 11:53:33 AM PDT by marshmallow
The Protoevangelium of James
“And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by [St. Anne], saying, ‘Anne! Anne! The Lord has heard your prayer, and you shall conceive and shall bring forth, and your seed shall be spoken of in all the world.’ And Anne said, ‘As the Lord my God lives, if I beget either male or female, I will bring it as a gift to the Lord my God, and it shall minister to him in the holy things all the days of its life.’ . . . And [from the time she was three] Mary was in the temple of the Lord as if she were a dove that dwelt there” (Protoevangelium of James 4, 7 [A.D. 120]).
“And when she was twelve years old there was held a council of priests, saying, ‘Behold, Mary has reached the age of twelve years in the temple of the Lord. What then shall we do with her, lest perchance she defile the sanctuary of the Lord?’ And they said to the high priest, ‘You stand by the altar of the Lord; go in and pray concerning her, and whatever the Lord shall manifest to you, that also will we do.’ . . . [A]nd he prayed concerning her, and behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him saying, ‘Zechariah! Zechariah! Go out and assemble the widowers of the people and let them bring each his rod, and to whomsoever the Lord shall show a sign, his wife shall she be. . . . And Joseph [was chosen]. . . . And the priest said to Joseph, ‘You have been chosen by lot to take into your keeping the Virgin of the Lord.’ But Joseph refused, saying, ‘I have children, and I am an old man, and she is a young girl’” (ibid., 8–9).
“And Annas the scribe came to him [Joseph] . . . and saw that Mary was with child. And he ran away to the priest and said to him, ‘Joseph, whom you did vouch for, has committed a grievous crime.’ And the priest said, ‘How so?’ And he said, ‘He has defiled the virgin whom he received out of the temple of the Lord and has married her by stealth’” (ibid., 15).
“And the priest said, ‘Mary, why have you done this? And why have you brought your soul low and forgotten the Lord your God?’ . . . And she wept bitterly saying, ‘As the Lord my God lives, I am pure before him, and know not man’” (ibid.).
Origen
“The Book [the Protoevangelium] of James [records] that the brethren of Jesus were sons of Joseph by a former wife, whom he married before Mary. Now those who say so wish to preserve the honor of Mary in virginity to the end, so that body of hers which was appointed to minister to the Word . . . might not know intercourse with a man after the Holy Spirit came into her and the power from on high overshadowed her. And I think it in harmony with reason that Jesus was the firstfruit among men of the purity which consists in [perpetual] chastity, and Mary was among women. For it were not pious to ascribe to any other than to her the firstfruit of virginity” (Commentary on Matthew 2:17 [A.D. 248]).
Hilary of Poitiers
“If they [the brethren of the Lord] had been Mary’s sons and not those taken from Joseph’s former marriage, she would never have been given over in the moment of the passion [crucifixion] to the apostle John as his mother, the Lord saying to each, ‘Woman, behold your son,’ and to John, ‘Behold your mother’ [John 19:26–27), as he bequeathed filial love to a disciple as a consolation to the one desolate" (Commentary on Matthew 1:4 [A.D. 354]).
Athanasius
“Let those, therefore, who deny that the Son is by nature from the Father and proper to his essence deny also that he took true human flesh from the ever-virgin Mary” (Discourses Against the Arians 2:70 [A.D. 360]).
Epiphanius of Salamis
“We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of all things, both visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God . . . who for us men and for our salvation came down and took flesh, that is, was born perfectly of the holy ever-virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit” (The Man Well-Anchored 120 [A.D. 374]).
“And to holy Mary, [the title] ‘Virgin’ is invariably added, for that holy woman remains undefiled” (Medicine Chest Against All Heresies 78:6 [A.D. 375]).
Jerome
“[Helvidius] produces Tertullian as a witness [to his view] and quotes Victorinus, bishop of Petavium. Of Tertullian, I say no more than that he did not belong to the Church. But as regards Victorinus, I assert what has already been proven from the gospel—that he [Victorinus] spoke of the brethren of the Lord not as being sons of Mary but brethren in the sense I have explained, that is to say, brethren in point of kinship, not by nature. [By discussing such things we] are . . . following the tiny streams of opinion. Might I not array against you the whole series of ancient writers? Ignatius, Polycarp, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, and many other apostolic and eloquent men, who against [the heretics] Ebion, Theodotus of Byzantium, and Valentinus, held these same views and wrote volumes replete with wisdom. If you had ever read what they wrote, you would be a wiser man” (Against Helvidius: The Perpetual Virginity of Mary 19 [A.D. 383]).
“We believe that God was born of a virgin, because we read it. We do not believe that Mary was married after she brought forth her Son, because we do not read it. . . . You [Helvidius] say that Mary did not remain a virgin. As for myself, I claim that Joseph himself was a virgin, through Mary, so that a virgin Son might be born of a virginal wedlock” (ibid., 21).
Didymus the Blind
“It helps us to understand the terms ‘first-born’ and ‘only-begotten’ when the Evangelist tells that Mary remained a virgin ‘until she brought forth her first-born son’ [Matt. 1:25]; for neither did Mary, who is to be honored and praised above all others, marry anyone else, nor did she ever become the Mother of anyone else, but even after childbirth she remained always and forever an immaculate virgin” (The Trinity 3:4 [A.D. 386]).
Ambrose of Milan
“Imitate her [Mary], holy mothers, who in her only dearly beloved Son set forth so great an example of material virtue; for neither have you sweeter children [than Jesus], nor did the Virgin seek the consolation of being able to bear another son” (Letters 63:111 [A.D. 388]).
Pope Siricius I
“You had good reason to be horrified at the thought that another birth might issue from the same virginal womb from which Christ was born according to the flesh. For the Lord Jesus would never have chosen to be born of a virgin if he had ever judged that she would be so incontinent as to contaminate with the seed of human intercourse the birthplace of the Lord’s body, that court of the eternal king” (Letter to Bishop Anysius [A.D. 392]).
Augustine
“In being born of a Virgin who chose to remain a Virgin even before she knew who was to be born of her, Christ wanted to approve virginity rather than to impose it. And he wanted virginity to be of free choice even in that woman in whom he took upon himself the form of a slave” (Holy Virginity 4:4 [A.D. 401]).
“It was not the visible sun, but its invisible Creator who consecrated this day for us, when the Virgin Mother, fertile of womb and integral in her virginity, brought him forth, made visible for us, by whom, when he was invisible, she too was created. A Virgin conceiving, a Virgin bearing, a Virgin pregnant, a Virgin bringing forth, a Virgin perpetual. Why do you wonder at this, O man?” (Sermons 186:1 [A.D. 411]).
“Heretics called Antidicomarites are those who contradict the perpetual virginity of Mary and affirm that after Christ was born she was joined as one with her husband” (Heresies 56 [A.D. 428]).
Leporius
“We confess, therefore, that our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, born of the Father before the ages, and in times most recent, made man of the Holy Spirit and the ever-virgin Mary” (Document of Amendment 3 [A.D. 426]).
Cyril of Alexandria
“[T]he Word himself, coming into the Blessed Virgin herself, assumed for himself his own temple from the substance of the Virgin and came forth from her a man in all that could be externally discerned, while interiorly he was true God. Therefore he kept his Mother a virgin even after her childbearing” (Against Those Who Do Not Wish to Confess That the Holy Virgin is the Mother of God 4 [A.D. 430]).
Pope Leo I
“His [Christ’s] origin is different, but his [human] nature is the same. Human usage and custom were lacking, but by divine power a Virgin conceived, a Virgin bore, and Virgin she remained” (Sermons 22:2 [A.D. 450]).
I guess it’s good if you fall for Catholic doctrine. But I stand corrected, it’s also a good site to learn what Catholicism teaches, heresy or not.
But since thou hast been pleased to suffer so much for me, ah, by thy merits, obtain me great sorrow for my sins,If this isn't blasphemy, the word has no meaning.
I have you beat in the first category, not in the second. But I'm not about to reveal by how many years. :)Smiley back atcha. :)
It’s a minimalist thing, IMHO, that we see in much of Protestantism. The bare minimum.
We here, “why do you need...” as an example.
We see minimalist church buildings, to me sterile, rather than the richness of what God has provided for us.
Lutherans and Anglicans, not nearly so much, but other Protestants, yes.
Now for my question: what is the “official” Catholic teaching on stewardship of ones’ heart, mind and soul and how does the teaching reconcile with the giving away part in the above Marian devotion?
Will you give me the opportunity to respect a Roman Catholic more by stopping with the silly lie that you just want her to pray for you?
We see minimalist church buildings, to me sterile, rather than the richness of what God has provided for us.I love the beautiful Catholic churches too. It's easier to see the richness, it's true. What brought you to the Catholic Church (if I may ask)?
After what days???
He stuck all His Laws in your hearts, so you want to be obedient to them. He didn’t throw 99% out so you don’t have to obey them.
Want to and have to are two different things...
HuH??? Look at the picture where they are both standing...Mary's a few inches taller than the little grown up Jesus...
Jesus must be about 5 foot 2 to Catholics...
From Missa pro Ecclesia - First Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI at the end of the Eucharistic Concelebration with the members of the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel ....
WHAT EXACTLY DOES “CONSECRATE” MEAN?
When something or someone is said to be consecrated, this means it is set apart by God for his exclusive use; it becomes holy. The word comes from the Latin consecrare: con-together + secrare-sacred.
We were all consecrated at Baptism when the priest poured holy water on our heads and baptized us “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” That is, we were “set apart” for the Holy Trinity. We are changed forever and pledged to the exclusive service of God, by God.
However, baptismal consecration represents only the germ of consecration. God has chosen us to a lifetime of Chris*tian holiness, and “his call is irrevocable” (Rom 11:29). But God does not do anything in us or to us without our coop*eration. We must continually give ourselves to God, to ask for, and to seek holiness on a daily basis, until it becomes a natural habit that lasts a lifetime.
WHY SHOULD WE CONSECRATE OURSELVES TO MARY?
God willed that Mary would have a special role in our Christian life when he gave her to us as our spiritual mother at the foot of the Cross (In 19:27). It is a universal role as*signed to her by God: All Christians of every age are to “take her into his home”-into our hearts, minds and every as*pect of our lives. This is why we pray to her and through her, asking for her assistance.
In perfect union with her Son and subordinate to him, Mary is called by the Second Vatican Council “our mother in the order of grace” (Lumen Gentium, no. 61). Mary be*came the prototype of total consecration when, at the be*ginning of the New Testament, she said “yes” to becoming the Mother of God (Lk 1 :37). She was chosen to help us in our consecration through her maternal intercession as Me*diatrix of All Graces, thus disposing us to develop the gifts of God that we received in Baptism. As such, Mary will en*lighten your mind, guide your will, empower your efforts and intercede for you in a special way before the throne of the Father.
DOES MARIAN CONSECRATION TAKE AWAY FROM MY RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS?
On the contrary, consecration to Mary heightens the depth of our commitment to Christ. It is a way to express explic*itly that our ultimate goal and end is GOD.
St. Maximilian Kolbe made it very clear that Marian consecra*tion does not stop at Mary: “In reality, we are entirely, com*pletely and exclusively consecrated to the Immaculata; in her and through her entirely, completely and exclusively to the Lord Jesus; in him, finally and through him entirely, completely and exclusively to our Father in heaven.” And also, “Devotion to Mary is a direct means to this end. We pass with Mary to the Other.”
By consecrating ourselves to Mary, she will always point us to the heart of Jesus, for “her will is so perfect that in noth*ing does it differ from God’s.” Marian consecration thus be*comes the ideal way to fulfill our baptismal promises, which we renewed at our Confirmation. St. Maximilian Kolbe summarized our Christian mission in the beautiful expression: “To win the world for the Immaculata, and as soon as possible.”
As Vatican II teaches, calling upon Mary’s intercession “does nor hinder in any way the immediate union of the faithful with Christ, but on the contrary fosters it.” (Lumen Gentium, no. 60). http://www.catholicexchange.com/en/a...ia_meditations
Will you give me the opportunity to respect a Roman Catholic more by stopping with the silly lie that you just want her to pray for you?Mary has no power to protect, grant, give, or bestow. She is a human. The saints have no power either. Anything that happens through them, happens because Christ allows it to happen. Remember, there are thousands upon thousands of documented miracles from intercessory prayer. Do you think Christ should stop allowing these miracles so that you can be more respectful of Catholics (or understand their faith better)?
The following are MUCH MORE Biblical and authentic regarding the authentic Mary than y'all's fantasies. It does, however, document that she is a very beautiful young lady.
From:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2691659/posts?page=6#6
Original source:
http://endtimerevelations.org/downloads/RaptureTrib-Canela.pdf
The testimony of an 8 year old girl who encountered Jesus Christ.
(Jannet Balderas Canel
. . .
It was so beautiful; the presence of the Lord could be felt there, such glory and majesty!
“Behind these doors are My disciples, behind these doors are My apostles, behind these doors are all those who once walked over the Earth praising and glorifying My Name.” -
We began to ride again and arrive at a door that was half-opened, and the Lord said,
I got closer and saw a young lady, such a beautiful young lady, so beautiful, her face was so pretty. She was looking through a very tiny window. She was kneeling down and looking to the face of the Earth, crying with tremendous pain.
She said, The only one that is worthy, the only one that you bow before and adore is Jesus! He is the only one that heals and saves!”
Why, if I do not have any power!
Why are you worshiping me?
I do not do anything!
Do not worship me!
Do not bow before me!
For I cannot save you!
The only one that can save, the only one that can redeem you is Jesus, who died for all mankind!
Many people say that I have power, that I can perform miracles, but that is a lie!
I do not do anything! Almighty God was satisfied with me and He used my womb so that Jesus could be born and save everyone, but I don’t have any power.
I cannot do anything! Do not bow before me! Do not worship me!
For I am not worthy of worship.
I could see how that young lady was in such tremendous pain, full of anguish and crying.
.
You see dear brothers, it was a tremendous thing to look at this young lady, how she was crying with such pain and sadness.
========================================
And, from this DIFFERENT Visit to Heaven:
from
and
http://daaixin.wordpress.com/heavenly-visitations-heavenly-visits/
http://daaixin.wordpress.com/heavenly-visitations-heavenly-visits/
. . .
. . .
Then he started showing me women. He told me, “Daughter, “that woman that you see there is my servant, Mary Magdalene; my servant, Sara,” and suddenly He told me,” Daughter, she is Mary, Mary, who gave birth to Jesus Christ, Who I am.” “Daughter, I want to tell you that she has no knowledge of anything that exists on Earth. I want to tell you that you must go and tell humanity, tell idol worshippers that hell is real and that idolaters will not inherit my kingdom, but go and tell them that if they repent, they can enter my heavenly dwelling place. Go tell them that I love them and tell them that Mary has no knowledge of anything and the only One that they must exalt is me, because neither Mary, nor St. Gregory nor any other saint can offer salvation. I am the only One who saves and outside of me – nobody, nobody, nobody- saves!” He repeated it three times – that nobody could save; only He saves.
As He wept, He told me, “Please, Daughter, do no be silent; go and tell the truth, go and tell what I have shown you.” I then saw how Mary worshipped the Lord and I could see those women with very beautiful hair, long hair and I told the Lord, “Lord, how pretty the way they wear their hair.” He told me, “Daughter, that which you see is the veil that I have given to a woman.” He added, “Daughter, go and tell women to take care of the veil that I have given them.” ===============================================
Thanks and here’s the link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_VSKn1DAE
Our blessings are not the results of our prayers alone ... but those of another praying for us.
Jesus must be about 5 foot 2 to Catholics...No, that's not true, Iscool. Via the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
1324 The Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life." "The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch."[emphasis; mine]
Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem;
Creatorem caeli et terrae.
Et in Jesum Christum,
Filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum;
qui conceptus est
de Spiritu Sancto,
natus ex Maria virgine;
passus sub Pontio Pilato,
crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus;
descendit ad inferos;
tertia die resurrexit a mortuis;
ascendit ad caelos;
sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis;
inde venturus est
iudicare vivos et mortuos.
Credo in Spiritum Sanctum;
sanctam ecclesiam catholicam;
sanctorum communionem;
remissionem peccatorum;
carnis resurrectionem;
vitam aeternam. Amen.
In English:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived
by the power of the Holy Spirit,
and born of the Virgin Mary,
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
he will come again
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen
YOU said it was not important. nYOu said something I psent some time developing was not important, even though somebody else brought it up. You think it's GOOD to spend time on something not important? Idon't understand what you are saying. And I never said you said I brought it up. It's just that if the topic is not important, then I'd suggest you tell that to the person who brought it up.
As far as I can tell, you discussed nothing. You made no argument (that I could see) nor did you invite argument.
You did not respond to previous arguments. You just repeated the old charges as though no one but you had spoken.
So I saw no discussion with you in which I might join. I already know you think I don't know God.
So what is there to talk about? You seem to claim to know it all and to know that if somebody on your side brings something up it is still not important.
You are sure we are wrong, even without seeming to listen to what we say. If it disagrees with your opinion it is not reasoning properly.
So what good would discussion serve? I don't understand what you want from me.
Thank you. I'm old and it's too long a story to tell, except to say I am a very hard case living deep in non-Catholic country, and it took a lot of God... :)
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