Posted on 08/18/2019 7:05:12 PM PDT by Al Hitan
Today the Church remembers with thanksgiving the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. Historically, this day was understood to mark her dormition, or "falling asleep," which was most anciently regarded as her natural death and burial. From early on, however, the Church considered that she who conceived and gave birth to the very God of very God, by His Word and Holy Spirit, was also resurrected and ascended into heaven, in both body and soul, soon after her death. There is no word of Holy Scripture to teach these traditions as doctrine, but we should not be too quick to dismiss them as merely pious devotion. Such piety, at its heart, is a confession of that which is the Church's faith in Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary's Son, our Savior and our God.
St. Mary is uniquely honored among all the saints of God in Christ, not only by the Church, but first of all by the Lord God Himself. He has had mercy upon her, blessed her with His grace and favor, and chosen her above all other women to bear the almighty and eternal Son of God. She is rightly called, and truly is, the Mother of God; for her own dear Son, the Fruit of her womb, is indeed the one true God, begotten of the Father from all eternity. It is from her flesh and blood that the Lord has taken for Himself a true and natural body, bone of her bone and flesh of her flesh, so that henceforth He is true Man, the perfect second Adam, our elder Brother, our kinsman Redeemer, the promised Seed of the Woman, by whom we are reconciled to God. As the ancient fathers of the Church confessed, God thus became like us, in order that we become like Him, by grace. It is that great salvation that we celebrate in commemorating any of the saints, and in particular the Blessed Virgin Mother of God, St. Mary.
She is an icon of the Church, a living Sacrament of Christ, and a beautiful example of faith, of all the true children of father Abraham. Her body was comprehended by the Word and Spirit of God to become the tangible means by which the Son of God became flesh and was given to us, and not only for us, but for the life of the world. It is His body, conceived and born of St. Mary, that our sins and sorrows did carry. It is a human body, like our own in every way, save without sin, because He was born of this woman (born under the Law to redeem us). Thus do we recognize in her an archetype of the Blessed Sacrament of our Lord's body and blood.
What is more, in conceiving and giving birth to the Son of God, she is a type of the Church, the holy mother who surely gives birth to the sons of God in Christ. We too have been conceived and given new birth by the same Word and Spirit of the same Holy Triune God that overshadowed the Blessed Virgin Mary and knit within her womb the incarnation of the only-begotten Son. Thus are we, like Him, "born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God" (St. John 1:13).
Along with her vocation as the woman by whom the Son of God was given to and for the world, St. Mary also stands with us as a living member of the Church, the Body of Christ. When the Word of the Gospel was announced to her, she received that Word in faith, obtained in her by the mercies of God, and meekly bowed her head in humble trust: "Let it be to me according to Thy Word." Blessed is she who has heard the Word of God and kept it, who treasured it in her heart, who believed that there would surely be a fulfillment of all that God had spoken to her. In all of this, St. Mary is one of us, a faithful disciple of her own dear Son, and among that great cloud of witnesses with which we are surrounded, of that blest communion, fellowship divine.
When the Church in pious tradition has considered St. Mary to be resurrected and ascended to heaven, already in both body and soul, it is a confession of faith in that which Christ Jesus our Lord has accomplished for us and for all by His victorious Cross, Resurrection and Ascension. We may indeed contemplate that she by whom the Lord became like us, should exemplify the way in which we all become like Him, recreated in the glorious Image of the Man from heaven. Of course, we do not rest faith upon the tradition of St. Mary's dormition and assumption into heaven; faith clings to Jesus Christ alone and finds true peace and Sabbath rest forever in Him. But what we envision concering St. Mary, we understand to be the Church's hope precisely in Christ our Lord, our Savior and our God. For we know that He is the Resurrection and the Life, and that she who believes in Him will live even if she dies; yes, and everyone who lives and believes in Him will never die.
We believe, teach and confess with the absolute certainty of faith that St. Mary is the Mother of God; that the almighty and eternal Son of the living God was born of this woman, born under the Law, to redeem us who were under the Law. In celebrating that marvelous incarnation of God the Son, in which He died and rose again for us men and our salvation, we may also celebrate proleptically the resurrection of the body that all His saints share with Him by grace through faith in the Gospel. And in that glorious light, we sing: "O higher than the cherubim, more glorious than the seraphim, lead their praises: 'Alleluia!' Thou bearer of the eternal Word, most gracious magnify the Lord: 'Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!"
I strong indication of how easily they will be deceived during the first years of the Tribulation. Perhaps some will remember they were wrned to not take that mark of the beast when it is commanded to them.
Do you not see how that blasphemy contradicts what JESUS told you regarding going straight to the Father in prayer and that He is the ONLY intercessor between God and men, the man Christ Jesus? He didn’t include His earthly Mother in that directive, terycarl.
Billions of people believe in the demonic deceptions of Islam. Will you agree with those as well because of numbers?
To quote someone, “Oh good grief!” Try making that specious assertion after reading Acts Chapter fifteen, regarding the Jerusalem Council of Believers where James the brother of Jesus was in charge of that First great Council.
Ebb, do you believe Jesus had a human side to His initial Earthly coming?
Ummmm. The writer of Hebrews or a fallible man? But you believe an apparition.
The apostles didn't have a 'head'...Out of millions of people those 12 were chosen to change the Jewish world...While the bible tells us some of the interactions with Peter, Jesus did so many other things, no doubt with the other apostles as well that had they been written down the world couldn't contain those books...
The main Jewish church was in Jerusalem...James was the 'head' of the Jewish church...
During the Millennium their jobs will be to equally represent the 12 Tribes of Israel...No one over another...
Now you want to talk about an apostolic leader, there was one apostle who was appointed to start, set-up and and then write the scriptures for the Christian, Gentile church...He was responsible for conveying the Gospel message to ultimately millions outside the Jewish population which towered over the number of Jews the original 12 were responsible for...And his name was Paul...I forget his last name...
You are at a serious disadvantage during these discussions...All the information you really need is within the Bible...
If you would read it, you would know that we are not to put one apostle above another...
1Co 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
1Co 1:11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.
1Co 1:12 Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.
1Co 1:13 Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?
Do you see that??? Some were trying to make Apollos the leader, others tried to make Peter the leader and others, Paul...And the apostle to the church shut 'em right down...And what else does Paul say to the 'church'???
1Co_4:6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.
You see that??? People were trying to put one apostle above another...The bible says to quit putting Peter on a pedestal...Peter went out of his way to make sure no one did just that thing...
A pope Peter and the fake apostolic succession is all a lie by your religion to falsely connect the Catholic church to the apostles...And the apostles to the Jews at that...
Read the bible...
I believe most of you prots believe in what you call "apparitions" such as Moses and Elijah at Christ's Transfiguraton.
Peter, James and John believed.
I am sorry for your loss...I too lost a son, in the military...I am all too familiar with what goes with that...
My point tho was that with temptation, you have to make a choice or it's not temptation...If someone offers me some guacamole that's not a temptation because I don't like guacamole...But if someone offers me a Milky Way, that's a temptation...
I believe Jesus was tempted and I believe he made a conscious choice to say no...He always did what was right...Here's an example...
Mat 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
Jesus was seriously tempted to reject his destiny...And he wanted it bad...It was his will...But he made a conscious choice to do what was right in the sight of the Father...
oh good grief!!!!!!!
You don't know nor believe any of the bible, do you???
You see, that's the whole point...My (our) Christianity is of the bible...We can trace and show everything we believe from the Bible...Your religion is tradition, with no sources to prove it is a tradition...In other words, just fables...
Yeah, He does...she's His mother and she is asking Him favors......sigh
Do you have a source for this fable??? I checked the Bible and it's not there...Where'd you get it from???
you may believe that, but BILLIONS of people didn't
You get a front row seat at all the Benny Hinn crusades??? You got some Catholic priests who are letting poisonous snakes bite them so they can prove they have these powers??? You got some pope raising dead people???
Is it in the bible??? Of course we believe it...But why don't we believe unbiblical Catholic apparitions???
1Co 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1Co 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
We are not unbelieving Jews...We don't see nor require a sign or apparition...We seek the power and wisdom of God...
Mar 8:11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
Mar 8:12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.
And there haven't been any signs or apparitions given... You Catholics are going to get many more signs and apparitions, during the Tribulation...You're just being warmed up and prepped by the sign giver...
the use and meaning of words we use, seems to be the sticky point.you are tight that its no temptation on your description.. but i was not using such examples. even as a teenager, i did not travel down the loose road. it is possible to have temptations and run from them, no desire to partake.
Jesus came from glory .. he lived in glory and knew the difference. what could satan offer him that would be tempting to even be considered .. one true godly touch, makes a hedge around us and unless we remove that hedge, our desire is to please our savior.. and temptations have lost appeal.
when I use my phone to comment on FR, IT makes mistakes. IT’s a new phone and not yet in full control of all the automatics. I do know how to spell.. the phone doesn’t. :)
My dear Mom MD, I as a trained PhD scientist feel that I must scold you a bit for your shortcomings as a diagnostician of the sense of the scripture as referring to "temptation" as told in Matthew 4:1 (cf. Luke 4:2) as follows::
"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil" (KJV).
The word upon which you are founding your argument is "tempt," but I do not believe you are using it in the sense of its implementation in the Authorized King James Version by its Elizabethan translators. As a professed scientist or medical clinician, one ought to go back to the language(s) of which many very precise terms of our disciplines are derived. In the above use by Matthew and Luke, that would be the Koine, the New Testament Greek.
The corresponding word in the Byzantine/Majority textform occurs 39 times as a verb, and twice as a noun. In every case it means to test or examine (diagnose) some person, object, or theory. One such verse as applied to ---------- the verb "to tempt" (as used by the translators of the KJV onlu) --------
Strong's Number G3985
πειράζω
peirazō
pi-rad'-zo
Strong's Definition
From G3984; to test (objectively), that is, endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline: - assay, examine, go about, prove, tempt (-er), try.
Thayer Definition:
1) to try whether a thing can be done
1a) to attempt, endeavour2) to try, make trial of, test: for the purpose of ascertaining his quantity, or what he thinks, or how he will behave himself
2a) in a good sensePart of Speech: verb
2b) in a bad sense, to test one maliciously, craftily to put to the proof his feelings or judgments
2c) to try or test one’s faith, virtue, character, by enticement to sin2c1) to solicit to sin, to tempt2d) after the OT usage2c1a) of the temptations of the devil2d1) of God: to inflict evils upon one in order to prove his character and the steadfastness of his faith
2d2) men are said to tempt God by exhibitions of distrust, as though they wished to try whether he is not justly distrusted
2d3) by impious or wicked conduct to test God’s justice and patience, and to challenge him, as it were to give proof of his perfections.
Strong's Number G3985
πεῖρα
peira
pi'-rah
From the base of G4008 (through the idea of piercing); a test, that is, attempt, experience: - assaying, trial.
Thayer Definition:
1) a trial, experience, attempt
2) to attempt a thing, to make trial of a thing or of a person
3) to have a trial of a thing
4) to experience, learn to know by experience
Part of Speech: noun feminine
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from the base of G4008 (through the idea of piercing)
----------- Pertinent uses of thesew words in the KJV -------
"And others had trialG3984 of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: . . ." (Heb. 11:36 AV)
"Let no man say when he is temptedG3985, I am temptedG3985 of God: for God cannot be temptedG3985 with evil, neither temptethG3985 he any man:
But every man is temptedG3985, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticedby Satan" (Jas. 1:13-14 KJV)
========
What the implication is that Jesus/God is noble as is pure gold, which when assayed by strong acid, will not dissolve under severe testing. In comparison, a sinful man can and will yield, as base metal will under corrosive acid, thus showing his/her corruptibility.
Unfortunately, we users of modern English presume that "tempt" means that ALL humans can be enticed by evil blandishments. But the scripture passages to which you seen to be referring prove that Jesus was the one unique human incarnation of God not only would not, but could not yield to Satanic trials amd commit sin.
You cannot leave your diagnostic credibility behind when offering an opinion on doctrinal matters.
The Great Physician did not, and as His servants we cannot, either, lest the prescription we offer against the fatal disease of Sin be seen as a phony panacea rather than an eternal cure.
Nicely done. If a RC will fall for the apparition’s false message they’ve already departed from the Gospel.
Scold away. As I said before perhaps I phrased it badly. As God He could not sin. As man He could be and was attacked by temptation and doubt. God cannot be tempted man can. It was real temptation more than anything any of us have experienced. Do you think He did not go through a real Spiritual battle in the garden? We are told He sweat blood. It was His choice to obey the Fathers will and go through with the cross. It was never in doubt but as fully man Christ had to agonize with the doubt and decision. It was not easy for Him is an understatement.
you keep believing the false message of the apparition and the scapular.
Amen, Sister in Christ. ... I think that in English we get our term ‘tempered’ from the same Greek word used to describe the ‘temptation of Jesus the Christ’. When a piece of metal is ‘tempered’ it is strengthened by the process.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.