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.'”
Strong drink is a mocker, it’s folly, it leads you into temptation by clouding your better judgment. Drunkenness is thus condemned, but drinking wine, in moderation, is not. So, the sinfulness of the two behaviors is not really comparable, since there is no acceptable level of moderation in having sexual relations with your own gender. The only acceptable behavior for an individual stricken with such a propensity to sin would be abstinence, total abstinence and repentance.
While homosexuality indicates a depth of depravity apparently meant to be normal for humans, it is not beyond the forgiveness of God.
Everyone has their own specific weaknesses and temptations, the sin that so easily besets us. I feel for those who struggle with that particular sin.
But it cannot become their identity. And maybe that’s where the problem lies. It depends on whether the person views himself as a homosexual and makes that his identity or whether they view themselves as in Christ, someone who struggles with that particular temptation. And I do not believe that all temptation comes from within. I have no doubt that the enemy uses that temptation as one of his most effective fiery darts.
I understand where you’re coming from. Did that Pepsi thing with aborted fetal cells strike you as a little strange? Vaccinations using them, too? Neither is really “necessary” to accomplish their desired end result, so it comes across as a mockery, concealing the true nature in order to get those who object to partake anyway.
But sex within the context of marriage is fine. As with the alcohol, as long as it's within certain parameters, it's not a problem.
So looking at the two comparably, sex outside marriage of any kind would be more akin to *strong drink*.
You could say that.
Circling back to the observation of mine that apparently led to the discussion we’re having, though, a married man and woman are regarded as one flesh. My wondering about it all had me questioning whether this might mean that any sort of sexual promiscuity and in particular homosexuality might have physical consequences beyond what we currently understand.
“Diverse flesh” just flashed into mind, I’m going to go look into that, to see where that leads.
I don’t trust them either and I trust big pharma even less.
I don’t doubt that some of the stuff they put in vaccines and other medications is designed to make you weakened to other things further down the road leading them to larger profits further down the road. I don’t think they can sneak the mark of the beast on you though because of what is says in scripture.
Rev_14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
See you have to worship the beast and his image and receive the mark . That to me means you have to willingly take it .
I normally do not listen to any of his speeches either but if you listen to things he says when he is not prepared with his teleprompter things leak out (he uses that thing not because he needs to , he uses it to keep things from leaking out and people seeing what he truly is) This was a while back and I just happened to have the TV on and walked passed it as a reporter approached him coming out of something (can’t remember what it was now ) and this spilled out of his mouth. I checked all over the internet for weeks to see if anyone had put it up and found nothing .
Good point.
It could be as simple to as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
I don’t believe any one who turns down the Holy Spirit can be saved. Either way I do not plan on finding out :)
We may see war here and persecution before the rapture/tribulation .
From a limited amount of checking into this, “diverse” and “strange” appear to be related terms in several instances, Biblically. Not certain that they’re exactly interchangeable, haven’t taken the time to research the original language, but if so it references all manner of forbidden sexual interaction, with animals, with one’s own sex, even with angels as in the instance of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the antediluvian situation alluded to in Genesis and expounded upon in I Enoch.
There are already some consequences of promiscuity which we know of, especially in the realm of compromised immune systems, but the full extent? I don't think we have much of a clue.
God always established His Laws for a reason, some of which we now understand and some of which we don't yet. But one thing I'm convinced of is that they're NOT arbitrary.
Yeah, I noticed that a long time ago as well.
I would suppose that it wouldn't have the same result, that God would protect someone on whom it was inflicted.
Or God just draws the line at what Satan can do and doesn't permit him to inflict it on any one.
It may also have to do with producing corrupt offspring.
While the evos like to tout how the definition of species is groups that don’t interbreed, there are plenty of examples of animals which CAN interbreed but don’t. The horse and donkey to create the mule, for example. There’s also lions and tigers to produce *ligers*.
Scripture records the corruption of human DNA by breeding with *sons of God* whatever that was. There is speculation that Noah and his family who were pure in their generations, might have been the only ones who were GENETICALLY pure human beings and that’s why God sent the Flood to destroy the earth.
I think perhaps that we don’t realize the full extent of species to interbreed is that the issue is rarely forced. The animals are not likely to do it on their own, and I don’t know if scientists have pushed the issue much. At least, we haven’t heard of it although reading some of the descriptions of the creatures seen in Revelation make you wonder about all the messing around with genetics that we’re doing.
One of the main reasons that I think we are actually in the end times is that our knowledge of the world and our ability to manipulate it has far outstripped our ability to wisely use that knowledge. We know too much and it’s going to backfire on us. We can’t keep going at the rate we are without the moral character necessary to keep us from destroying ourselves. We’re messing with things beyond our ability to control them.
The procreative ability that we were given is not to be misused or misdirected, and the consequences of misusing or misdirecting it are in the physical here and now, in addition to being spiritually damaging and therefore wrong, is the message at base to the laws, restrictions and admonitions, it appears to me.
That there exist monstrous, hideous outcomes from applying our God-given intelligence to the misuse or misapplication of that procreative ability is also addressed. It’s fairly fanstastical sounding, and so people avoid it. But, I think it’s coming back to the fore, with discoveries validating the age and authenticity of some of these texts. Coming back to the fore to warn us.
Yep , could be
Speaking of creating things beyond our ability to control them
Terror fear as scientists DELIBERATELY create ‘Armageddon’ bird flu virus in lab
So now what are they going to creat a vaccine for it ?
What idiots.
Some things are better left alone and that’s one of them.
Not Jewish and not Christian, eh? I think that I'll pay a little more attention to those who are. The WORD is Jesus Christ. I do seek Him. I do not pay attention to charlatans.
I do not discern any of Jesus'
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
lovingkindness in any of your posts.
I do not discern any of Jesus' lovingkindness in any of your posts.And where does your religion tell you to look to discern "Jesus' lovingkindness"? Since you claim to be neither Christian nor Jewish, what label do you claim?
And where does your religion tell you to look to discern "Jesus' lovingkindness"? Since you claim to be neither Christian nor Jewish, what label do you claim?
2Ti 4:4 and will turn away their ears from the truth You have been told more than once
Seek YHvH in His WORD not in sinful man tradition.,
that is a LIE do not repeat it again !!!! 2Ti 4:3 For the time will come when they will not
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
endure sound doctrine;
but wanting to have their ears tickled,
they will accumulate for themselves teachers
in accordance to their own desires,
and will turn aside to myths.
“You have been told more than once that is a LIE do not repeat it again !!!!”
Nope. Never. And what is it that you claim is a “lie”?
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