Posted on 12/27/2011 8:24:19 PM PST by 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.'”
I have read and heard those words before. As I recall they are not too far from sayings about receiving by the same measure with which one distributes and being judged by the standard with which one judges.
I do not mean to pretend to God that I am more virtuous and faithful than I am. As I am candid with Him, I trust Him to grow the faith, resignation, and confidence my soul needs.
Which of us believes that these things are not gifts? And, believing they are gifts, why should I fake having them when I have but to ask? And believing they are unmerited gifts how could I look down on someone who didn’t have them as much as I think they should?
How could I even dare to say how much God should give to another or to me? Do I not trust Him to do in me what pleases Him?
I trust His love to persist even in the face of my lack of trust.
And so often when we look back on our path there is only one set of footprints but we realize that those are His and He was carrying us through.
I have that peace so can any of us( Not to say people here do not) but it is nice to be reminded with all that life throws at us.
Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the PEACE of GOD, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
That "AMEN" is so true in my Life.
Praise Jesus! AMEN! AMEN!!
Sometime, IMHO,the distinction between confession and petition dwindles almost to meaninglessness.
You know, every time one of these folks with their own personal religion of Self gets on a roll with their hokum rather than just playing their usual little games, they sound more and more like the Iz Lame folks who blew up a Catholic Church on Christmas Day. Odd that folks who claim to be the "real Christians" end up having so much in common with Iz Lame. Then again, Calvinist volunteers formed groups to fight with the Mooze Lames against Catholic parts of Europe, so maybe whatever spirit it is that leads them always ends up leading them to cooperation with Iz Lame. That would explain why they're so anxious to repeat lies about the Catholic Chruch and the Pope with regard to Iz Lame in hopes of diverting attention away from how much they have in common with Iz Lame and the Profit. One thing for sure, Mooze Lames love to quote from, "The Jews and Their Lies", by Luther the same way the Nazi party loved to quote from the same book by Luther.
Regards
but the key to Catholic doctrine on Mary is Scriptural: not one of these doctrrines can be correctly understood outside of Scripture. And even more urgently, no doctrine on Mary can be understood outside of Christ: He is the supreme and original, she is (like any disciple) derivative, dependent and finite, a sort of reflection.
So let me offer you this nifty video (Link) which just covers the high points.
(I really hope you will look at this, it provides a thought-provoking Scriptural background.)
On another topic: I don't think the Church can be thought of as replacing Israel. Permit me a fast cut-and-paste from the Catholic Catechism here:
| When she delves into her own mystery, the Church, the People of God in the New Covenant, discovers her link with the Jewish People, "the first to hear the Word of God." The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God's revelation in the Old Covenant. To the Jews "belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ", "for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable." |
You can read that part of the Catechism in context HERE (Link)
It would be better to say that the Church is prefigured and prophesied in Israel.
Likewise Israel abounds in types, not only for the Church, but also for Mary, and of course there is overlap, as so many of the prophecies are multiplex: they are true not just once, but true over and over, in different ways.
Just a handful of examples: Mary is
And that's just drawing from the females mentioned by Matthew in the Genealogy. There are more.
Just a few little items for us to ponder, "turning them over in our hearts."
Good day to you all!
Very nice.
That is why they are not considered Christians.
The RCC introduced the concept of Three gods: father, son and ghost.
The concept of multiple persons started as far back as Ignatius, Polycarp, Barnabas and Justin Martyr. Now, that was seen in more of a subordinationist light; Origen of Alexandria was a proponent.
No, Trinitarianism was formalized at Nicea with the vast majority of clergy there non Roman. Your post fails again.
Yah'shua said he and the "father" are ONE. Father and son are metaphors.
Obviously they are metaphors. One what? Did Jesus pray to Himself in the Garden? Did Jesus Ascend and then send Himself to the room at Pentecost?
I think that we will have to admit that once again, you do not preach Christianity. Neither Christian nor Jew and rejected by both...
MarkBsnr Have you ever heard of Benjamin Fulford? I tried to post an interview with him about the 137 billion dollar bond seizure in Italy and the current lawsuit in New York but it was pulled by the FR moderators?
That is why they are not considered Christians.
That is true they were all Jews. And all but Yah'shua were Messianic Jews. By your reasoning
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
then Yah'shua , Peter, Paul,
Matthew, Luke, and John
were not Christians.
Are you talking about the nutjob that blames the Japanese earthquake and tsunami on the US Government and various one world order types?
The concept of multiple persons started as far back as Ignatius, Polycarp, Barnabas and Justin Martyr. Now, that was seen in more of a subordinationist light; Origen of Alexandria was a proponent.
They were all Greeks introducing Greek Pagan
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
syndicalism of a pantheon of gods.
That is why they are not considered Christians. By your reasoning then Yah'shua , Peter, Paul, Matthew, Luke, and John were not Christians.
They believed in the divinity of Christ as separate from the Father. You don't, as evidenced by the fact that you cannot answer me within your belief system as to the prayers in the Garden and in the sending of Jesus by the Father and in the sending of the Holy Spirit by Jesus. Does God perform all these (and many other actions) upon Himself?
Did Jesus raise Himself from the dead, or did God the Father?
The concept of multiple persons started as far back as Ignatius, Polycarp, Barnabas and Justin Martyr. Now, that was seen in more of a subordinationist light; Origen of Alexandria was a proponent.
They were all Greeks
Up until now you were calling all this a Roman Church invention. Are you unaware of the differences between the Greeks and the Romans to the extent that you will not believe that Constantine based his empire in Turkey, he never headed the Church, and that the divinity of Christ was accepted by the Church (although in a subordinationist fashion) by the Apostles?
Jesus told the Apostles that He will go to His Father and that His Father was greater than He? Are you accusing Jesus of multiple personality disorder?
I do not know, I want to know about the lawsuit in New York?
Obviously they are metaphors. One what? Did Jesus pray to Himself in the Garden? Did Jesus Ascend and then send Himself to the room at Pentecost? I think that we will have to admit that once again, you do not preach Christianity. Neither Christian nor Jew and rejected by both...
That seems to be the pinnacle Seek YHvH in His WORD ! So you are so all-knowing,
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
that you, a created being, a sinner,
whose works are like filthy rags,
can with absolute precision DEFINE
who or what Elohim:YHvH is except
what He has told us in His WORD.
of arrogance and blasphemy.
All I know is that he paid out about 135k euros to an American journalist in a Japanese court case. Not sure if I can help much further.
Thank You
Obviously they are metaphors. One what? Did Jesus pray to Himself in the Garden? Did Jesus Ascend and then send Himself to the room at Pentecost? I think that we will have to admit that once again, you do not preach Christianity. Neither Christian nor Jew and rejected by both...
So you are so all-knowing, that you, a created being, a sinner, whose works are like filthy rags, can with absolute precision DEFINE who or what Elohim:YHvH is except what He has told us in His WORD. That seems to be the pinnacle of arrogance and blasphemy. Seek YHvH in His WORD !
I gave you His word. You have rejected it. Who is the arrogant blasphemer now?
Shabbat Shalom !shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiachSeek YHvH in His WORD not in man's tradition.
Yah'shua rebuked the Pharisee's Tradition.
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