The Church Fathers- Mary: Ever Virgin

“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.).

“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]).

“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]).

“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]).

“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]).

“[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).

“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]).

“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]).

“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]).

“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]).

“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]).

“[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]).

“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]).

from:

http://daaixin.wordpress.com/heavenly-visitations-heavenly-visits/

Original source:

http://www.spiritlessons.com/

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.

Humanity has been deceived believing in an assumed saint, which is not, but is a demon working through that idol made by the hand of man. But, let me tell you that the Lord wants to give you the best. He wants you to enter the Kingdom of Heaven; to repent and to leave idolatry to the side because idolatry will not save you. He who saves is Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who gave his life for you, for me and for all humanity. The Lord has a great message for humanity.

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.”

Then He told me, “I have something to show you that is very important.” Suddenly, I looked far away, in front of what I was observing, and I saw a shining city, a city of gold. And I said,” Lord, what is that which I am seeing over there? I want to go over there.” He answered, “Daughter, I will show you what is over there. What you are seeing is the heavenly dwelling, the heavenly mansions which are ready for my people.” We began to walk and moved away from the people that were worshipping the Lord. We reached a golden bridge, walked over it and came upon the streets that were made of pure gold!

Everything was so beautiful and as I looked around everything was brilliant as shining glass and everything was reflecting as if looking into a mirror and – it was absolutely supernatural, something inexplicable! We kept on walking and approached the heavenly mansions and I saw the angels and watched as thousands of angels were constructing: Some constructed very rapidly, others constructed slowly and others were not constructing. My question was, “Lord, I want you to tell me something.” He replied, “Tell me, Daughter, what is it that you want me to tell you?”

“Lord, why are those angels constructing rapidly, why are those constructing slower and why have those stopped constructing?” In few words the Lord explained, “Daughter, that is how my people work on Earth and the angels work as my children work on Earth.”

I said, “Lord, I don’t understand.” He answered, “Daughter, my people no longer spread the gospel, my people no longer fast, my people no longer go to the streets to distribute tracts telling the truth. My people are now ashamed. Go and tell my people to return to the old paths. Those angels that you saw that were doing nothing belong to those people that have walked away from my paths.” And the Lord repeated, “Daughter, Go and tell my people to return to the old paths,” and He started to weep. I asked Him, “Lord, why are you weeping?” At the same time I began to hear a song that went, ” Haaaaalellujah” but the voice was “Haaaaa”; it was a chorus of “Haaaaa” and then the “lellujah” followed. I told Him,

“Lord, I want you to take me over there. I want you to take me where those persons are singing.” Then He observed me; He was observing me- I could tell how He was observing me, but I couldn’t see his face – only the movements of his face. While He was watching me, his tears were pouring over his garment and I asked Him why he was weeping, but He would not explain it to me- and then we arrived at this beautiful garden.

There, among the heavenly mansions, I saw flowers that were swaying. They were the ones that were singing! And the Lord pointed with his finger and said, “Daughter, look, they praise me; they worship me! My people no longer do as they did before. My people no longer praise, no longer worship me; no longer seek me as before.

That is why I told you, Daughter, to go and tell my people to seek me, for I will go, I will go, I will go – for a people that seeks me in spirit and in truth, for a people that is ready, for a holy people!” And as He wept, He would say, “I am coming, I am coming!” Now I understand why the Lord was weeping, for the Lord is coming, but not for those that are half hearted – no. He will return for a people that is seeking Him in spirit and in truth.

Then the Lord told me that I had to return to Earth and I told Him, “Lord, I don’t want to go to Earth! What is that? What do you mean-– Earth? I want to stay with you. You brought me here and I’m not going anywhere because I am with you!

And He told me, “Daughter , it is necessary that you return to Earth to go and testify that my glory is real, that what I am going to show you is real ; that what you have seen is real – so that humanity will come to me, repent and not perish.” Weeping, I instantly knelt at his feet, and as I was inclined forward, I saw a wound on his feet. I asked Him, “Lord, what is this that you have here?” He answered, “Daughter, it’s that scar from that yesterday when I gave my life for humanity.” I stood up and He showed me the scar in his hand and when I saw it, I asked,”

Lord, why do you still have that?” He told me, “Daughter, it is the scar that has remained.” I asked him, “Tell me something: Will this go away?” He replied, “ Daughter, this will go away when all the saints are reunited here.”

Then He told me, “Daughter, I must take you to Earth: Your family and the nations are waiting for you.” I told him, “Lord, my family? I don’t have a family.” He pointed down to Earth with his finger and said, ” Look, those persons that you see down there are your relatives; that body that you see there, is where you have to return.” Then He said, “It is time to leave this place.”

Then He took me along a beautiful river, a crystal clear river and He told me, “Daughter, enter the river and submerge yourself.” Before I entered that crystalline river of living water, I was joyful, my joy was indescribable, but after I submerged myself and came out, I was elated and I thought that after entering the water I was already there and would not have to return. But the Lord told me, “Daughter, you have to return to Earth,” to which I responded, “Lord, I don’t want to go back!”

He told me, “Daughter, I am going to show you something: How I am going to go for a holy people to Earth. I am going to show you how the day of the Rapture will be.” We walked until we reached a place where I could observe a giant screen and people in it.

At the same time I could observe the whole world and how small it looked and then suddenly I saw how thousands were disappearing. Pregnant women saw their pregnancy disappear and they looked like they had gone crazy screaming. Children had disappeared everywhere and many people were running to and fro, screaming, “This can’t be, this can’t be! What’s happening?” And those who had known the Lord and were left behind were saying that Christ had come, that the Rapture had occurred and they screamed and wanted to kill themselves; wanted to hang themselves and so many other things, but they couldn’t.

The Lord told me, “Daughter, in those days, death will flee; Daughter, in those days the Holy Spirit will no longer be on Earth.” When the Lord said these words, I observed an enormous traffic and thousands of people. He told me, “Daughter, look, this is how everything will happen.” I then saw people running. There were accidents but I could not observe a single dead person: all of them were alive, although injured. They kept on running from one place to another, shouting, “Christ came, Christ came!” They would plead, “Lord, forgive me, forgive me- take me with you!”

But the Lord, very sadly said, “It” too late. The time to repent is now.” He told me, “Daughter, go tell humanity to seek me, for during that time there will no longer be opportunity. Daughter, it will be too late for all those that stay behind.”

When the Lord observed how humanity was left behind, He began to weep and only said, “Daughter, I will go to Earth as says in

1 Thes. 4: 16-17 :
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”. But not everyone will go with the Lord, only those who are doing his will and living a holy life for the Lord told me,” Only those that are holy will enter the Kingdom of Heaven,” Another very important thing which he told me: “No one knows, neither the day nor the hour in which I will go for my holy people, not even the angels know it.” As He said this, the screen which was about to close, revealed people running and magazines and TV news said that “Christ had come”. The screen closed and the Lord told me, “I will go for a holy people.”

This was all that the Lord showed me. From there He brought me back here to Earth,

FIRST PART/INTRO:

ANGELICA ELIZABETH ZAMBRANO MORA

My name is Angelica Elizabeth Zambrano Mora. I am 18, and study at the “Colegio José María Velazco Ibarra”, here at El Cantón, El Empalme, Ecuador. I first accepted Christ when I was 12, but I told myself, “None of my friends are evangelicals and I feel strange amongst them“, so I walked away from God, and lived a bad, terrible life.

But God pulled me out of there. On, my 15th Birthday, I was reconciled to the Lord, but I was still double-minded. The Bible says (James 1:8), “
A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways“

and I was one of those persons. My dad would say, “You don’t have to be like that, it looks awful, it’s wrong,”

but I would reply, “This is the way I am, and how I want to be, nobody has to tell me how I should be, nor what I should do, nor how I should dress, or behave.”
He would respond,”

God is going to deal with you. He is going to change you.“

During my 17 birthday, I came closer to the Lord. On the April 28th I came to Him and said, “Lord, I feel so bad, I know that I’m a sinner,” and I told Him how I felt. “Lord, forgive me. I want You to write my name in the Book of Life and to accept me as Your child.”

I repented and gave back my life to the Lord. I said, “Lord, I want You to change me, to make a difference in me.” I cried with all my heart, asking the Lord to change me. But, as time passed by I felt no change. The only difference was that I began to attend church, to read the Bible and to pray. That was the only change in my life.

Then, in August, I was invited to fast for 15 days. I decided to join, but before entering I said,” Lord, I want you to deal with me here.“ During the fast the Lord was speaking to almost everybody, except me!

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