Posted on 08/15/2013 7:03:11 PM PDT by annalex
Once a woman in the crowd surrounding Christ and His disciples cries out to Him:
Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck. (Luke 11:27)
What is it? We have, clearly, an act of venerating Mary. Note that the Blessed Virgin is venerated properly: not on her own but as the mother of Christ. Yet the reason for venerating is indeed concerning: it is her physiological and physiologically unique relationship with Jesus that is emphasized. That is not yet paganism with its crude theories of gods giving birth to other gods, but it is lacking proper focus and Jesus corrects it:
Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it. (Luke 11:28)
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| The Virgin with the Child on her knees and a prophet pointing at the star. Catacomb of Priscilla, late 2nd c. Source |
Having gotten past this linguistic hurdle, we can understand clearly what this passage, Luke 11:27-28, does: it establishes veneration of saints based not on their blood relation to Christ but on their obedience to God. It is in that sense that we venerate Our Lady: given that Christ is the Word of God personified, she heard and kept both Him in person as her Child and His teaching, figuratively. In Mary the essence of sainthood is seen in the flesh as well as in the mind. We could say that by the late second century at the latest, when we find evidence of the veneration of both the prophets and the Mother of God in the catacombs, the two reasons to venerate a saint: his martyrdom as in the case of Polycarp, or his obedience to the Word, as in Mary, -- unite into a single practice.
The tireder I get, the more intolerant my posts become. I just do not suffer fools gladly and especially not at 6:40 am.
Where is Leyte? Never heard of it. And yes I know Google is my friend. :)
One of my cats is named Furball.
Though it seems that he (she?) doesn’t know it.
Do not introduce them to annalex or robby or st thomas then or they’ll be acking up perpetually.
No problem.
This thread has gone on for SO long I’d forgotten what the beginning was like!
No, I got it right.
You are awesome!
Boo hoo!
I couldn’t sleep and got up at 4:30 or so to yak at you guys!
How funny.
Did you take a boat ride and eat some good Tex Mex?
Gulf - big fight - WWII
Well, I am going to bed shortly.
Keep whacking ‘em!
Yes, rather disappointing after all the stories of glory and no one leaving the fort. I took one look at it and said...no wonder they got their butts kicked and they all died.
Tuesday morning for the ride.
Our boat quit at the very end of the extension by the convention center.
Got a plastic bag fouled in the prop.
The Captain used my pocket knife to cut the stuff away.
(Now I'll have to upload that picture to Photobucket!)
As to the question of ‘good’ Tex-Mex...
I couldn't say. I'm not much of a gourmet. I tend to wolf my food down and not linger on the finer subtleties of taste.
The Hound of Heaven?
Well, I can def be a hound when I need to be. Tenacity is my middle name.
I have one friend who is not born-again yet and I always threaten to drag him kicking and screaming to heaven. And I will too...do not underestimate me! lol
OMG, I have been sitting here since at least 4 or 5 hours ago. I ain’t no wimp! But I do need some beauty sleep.
Just a figure of speech, my friend. One that I hope conveyed exactly how I feel about such stuff as apparitions, Jesus and Mary ending up toast, etc.
Well, heck, I’d like to travel as much as she does. Not fair, but then again I did not give birth to the savior of mankind. I guess RHIP.
Righty-o, but later. Sleep first.
Hold down the fort!
I will be here for the rest of my life. It is a comfortable place, with friendly people, and they speak English for the most part. The cost of living is cheap. I rent a 5 bedroom house for 10,000 pesos (about $240) a month. My monthly expenses total around 30,000 pesos including a full time (6 day a week) housekeeper/cook.
Love the ‘yet’!
Too bad.
Some of us have a natural beauty!
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