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Veneration of Mary in Luke 11:27-28
August 15, 2013 | Annalex

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)

The Virgin with the Child on her knees and a prophet pointing at the star. Catacomb of Priscilla, late 2nd c. Source
Note that there is no condemnation here, not even asking the woman to stop; the "yea rather" (μενουνγε) is not a negation. It is used other times in the New Testament without a hint of negation. In Philippians 3:8 "αλλα μενουνγε και ηγουμαι παντα ζημιαν ειναι", "Furthermore I count all things to be but loss" (Textus Receptus 1550/1894, Byzantine/Majority Text 2000 has here "αλλα μεν ουν και ηγουμαι…" which is the same word morphology spelled separately and colliding affirmative "γε" with the following "και"). Romans 9:20 "μενουνγε ω ανθρωπε συ τις ει ο ανταποκρινομενος τω θεω" and Romans 10:18 "μενουνγε εις πασαν την γην εξηλθεν ο φθογγος αυτων" use the word reinforcing the subsequent statement. Some translations obscure this linguistic fact: in King James for example, the same word is rendered correctly, "yea rather" in Luke 11:28, wholly incongruously, "nay but" in Romans 9:20, but in Romans 10:18 the translation is again correct, "Yes verily". NRSV has both correct and elegant translations for all three. (See The Holy Mother and the "ΜΕΝΟΥΝΓΕ")

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.


TOPICS: Catholic; History; Orthodox Christian
KEYWORDS: catholic; mary
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To: annalex
"Camel through a needle-eye" is a metaphor for something that would be impossible without God.

But eat my flesh is not; right?

2,081 posted on 09/18/2013 12:42:03 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: daniel1212
What is wrong with RC minds?

DULLED comes to mind: Matthew 15:16

2,082 posted on 09/18/2013 12:43:27 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie
..only after you "do all that you can do".

It's like Deja Vu all over again around here...

2,083 posted on 09/18/2013 12:44:47 PM PDT by BlueDragon (the fans are staying away from the park "in droves"...)
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To: boatbums

“Yeah, like a eye of a needle “can impede” a camel squeezing through.”

I have heard many homilies at my Catholic Church on this bible verse, but it was not until I listened to a sermon at my daughter’s Christian church that I truly understood its meaning. The minister explained that a needle’s eye was a gate that was impossible for a camel that was loaded with goods to pass through. But if the packages were taken off, the camel could with some difficulty squeeze through the gate. In the same way, we need to remove the stuff in our lives that make it impossible to enter into eternal life.


2,084 posted on 09/18/2013 12:47:09 PM PDT by rwa265 (Compete well for the faith, lay hold of eternal life (1 Timothy 6))
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To: annalex; Iscool; Alex Murphy; bkaycee; blue-duncan; boatbums; caww; count-your-change; ...
No, Catholics do not need anyone to interpret the Holy Bible for them. Yes, every Catholic is very special.

And there goes the need for the magisterium in one puff of smoke.

2,085 posted on 09/18/2013 1:08:11 PM PDT by metmom ( For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: annalex; Elsie
Elsie:what [the saints] good for?

annalex:For veneration of them so that you be like them and possibly be saved, too.

Is there a problem with trying to be like Jesus that makes Catholics avoid it like the plague, and instead substitutes people to follow?

2,086 posted on 09/18/2013 1:10:16 PM PDT by metmom ( For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: annalex; boatbums; Gamecock
The gospel has many examples of rich people giving their wealth away and joining Jesus in poverty; none where the rich man remains rich and is praised. A rich man must end his days in a monastery if he wants to be saved.

Chapter and verse?

I wonder how many Catholics agree with you on this. Any takers from the FRoman Catholic crowd?

Or is this some of the OPIOwhatever?????

2,087 posted on 09/18/2013 1:12:10 PM PDT by metmom ( For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: annalex
>>No we don't treat the saints like gods. To God we serve the Sacrifice of the Mass. With saints we talk.<<

Of course you do.

Let’s take the prayer of Prayer of Pope Pius XII. [http://catholicism.about.com/od/tothevirginmary/qt/Honor_Immacula.htm]

I’ll use just the bolded excerpts from the prayer.

we cast ourselves into your arms

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (When did we need to replace God with Mary?)

confident of finding in your most loving heart appeasement of our ardent desires, and a safe harbor from the tempests which beset us on every side.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (once again Catholics replacing Christ with Mary)

O crystal fountain of faith

Romans 12:3 according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. or "a measure of faith." (but Mary is the “fountain of faith” for Catholics)

Lily of all holiness

1 Samuel 2:2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. (for Catholics however, “all holiness” is given to Mary)

Conqueress of evil and death

Hosea 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. (but Catholics claim it was Mary who conquered death)

Convert the wicked

John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; (Catholics have even replaced the Holy Spirit with Mary)

Statement by catholic Bishop Liqouri “.......We often more quickly obtain what we ask by calling on the name of Mary than by invoking that of Jesus.....” She...is our Salvation, our Life, our Hope, our Counsel, our Refuge, our Help”

Need I go on? Catholics have replaced virtually every attribute and working of God and given that to Mary in their worship.

Catholicism is simply an amalgamation of paganism, man’s wisdom, and Christianity. Something which God calls whoring around.

2,088 posted on 09/18/2013 1:15:12 PM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ)
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To: annalex
It took the Transfiguration miracle worked by Jesus to teach Christians veneration of saints.

You mean where when Peter wanted to venerate Moses and Elijah, God's voice thundered from heaven saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

2,089 posted on 09/18/2013 1:15:13 PM PDT by metmom ( For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore & do not submit again to a yoke of slavery)
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To: annalex
>> No we don't treat the saints like gods.<<

Yeah, tell me about it.

PRAYER TO SAINT ANTHONY, RESTORER OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND.

Dear St. Anthony,
you recall the Gospel episode about the blind man who,
partly healed, could see men
"looking like walking trees."
After a second laying-on of Jesus's hands,
he could see perfectly.
St. Anthony, Restorer of Sight to the Blind,
please sharpen my spiritual vision.
May I see people,
not as trees or numbers,
but as sons and daughters of the Most High.
Help me in my pressing needs.

How many more of these do I need to post to show that Catholics indeed “treat saints as God”? Catholics do NOT serve the same God of scripture.

2,090 posted on 09/18/2013 1:27:41 PM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ)
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To: Elsie

You got that wrong Elsie. Look at the statement again. It’s the faith in the “Church” that nothing is taken away from or added to.


2,091 posted on 09/18/2013 1:39:53 PM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ)
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To: annalex; metmom
>> the necessity of faith for salvation is a Catholic doctrine.<<

Plus a multitude of other hoops to jump through. They may change their minds at some point though like they did about having to belong to the RCC.

2,092 posted on 09/18/2013 1:44:09 PM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ)
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To: annalex; boatbums
>>none where the rich man remains rich and is praised.<<

So Job wasn’t saved after all?

2,093 posted on 09/18/2013 1:46:49 PM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ)
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To: annalex
>>A rich man must end his days in a monastery if he wants to be saved.<<

God sure did Job a disservice didn’t he?

2,094 posted on 09/18/2013 1:48:03 PM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ)
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To: metmom
>>And there goes the need for the magisterium in one puff of smoke.<<

Bet they hate it when that happens.

2,095 posted on 09/18/2013 1:53:15 PM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ)
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To: metmom
And there goes the need for the magisterium in one puff of smoke.

White smoke or black smoke?

:D

Hoss

2,096 posted on 09/18/2013 2:01:43 PM PDT by HossB86 (Christ, and Him alone.)
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To: metmom
OP "No, Catholics do not need anyone to interpret the Holy Bible for them. Yes, every Catholic is very special."

metmom "And there goes the need for the magisterium in one puff of smoke."

LOL. Of course you are right metmom. Unfortunately for the OP, Vatican II disagrees with him:

It is for the bishops, with whom the apostolic doctrine resides, suitably to instruct the faithful entrusted to them in the correct use of...the New Testament...by giving them translations of the sacred texts WHICH ARE EQUIPPED WITH NECESSARY AND REALLY ADEQUATE EXPLANATIONS.

I guess not everyone in the RCC realizes the choke collar they wear.

2,097 posted on 09/18/2013 2:14:12 PM PDT by Dutchboy88
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To: metmom

>> “And there goes the need for the magisterium in one puff of smoke.” <<

.
They’re going to take out a contract on you!


2,098 posted on 09/18/2013 3:05:28 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: CynicalBear

They’ll just put dum-dum drops in the holy water - Problem solved.


2,099 posted on 09/18/2013 3:07:22 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: CynicalBear

>> “Catholics indeed “treat saints as God” <<

.
Gnosticism, the ascendent man.

Work at it long enough, become a god (reincarnation helps on this)


2,100 posted on 09/18/2013 3:11:59 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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