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Mary: Mother of God? This article is prompted by an ad in the Parade Magazine titled: "Mary Mother of God: What All Mankind Should Know." The offer was made for a free pamphlet entitled "Mary Mother of Jesus" with this explanation: "A clear, insightful pamphlet explains the importance of Mary and her role as Mother of God." This is quite a claim, to say the least! Nowhere in the Bible is Mary said to be the mother of God. I touched on this subject in a series on "Mary Co-Redeemer with Christ" printed recently. Question: If Mary is the Mother...

A young quarterback who dropped to his knee after humiliating the Chicago Bears in an unbelievable overtime win is doing more to exemplify his faith in God to our young people than a president’s dismissive Sunday golf games. The example of Tim Tebow’s mother refusing to abort him when her doctors told her to do so is in stunning contrast to Barack Obama’s actions in the Illinois State Senate when he voted against the Baby Born Alive bill. Remember when he said soon upon entering the White House that America is no longer a Christian nation? Just go to tebowing.com...

Tomorrow when the sun goes will end Advent 2011 and begin the real season of Christmas 2011. This Advent season, which is coming to an end was a very difficult one for me. Having dealt with first a tooth abscess and the death of one of my teeth during the weekend of Thanksgiving and having to go to the dental emergency at the University of Connecticut Medical And Dental Hospital to have it treated, at first having been given the opportunity to have a root canal treatment and then being told that the tooth was not worth being saved and...

Today is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas--North, Central and South. The feast commemorates the day on which she imprinted her image on the tilma, or cloak, of St. Juan Diego, whose feast Catholics celebrated on December 9th. It is a beautiful story that took place in 1531, a decade after Cortez's conquest of Aztec Mexico, and just 14 years after Martin Luther's publication of his Ninety-Five Theses, the event which precipitated the Protestant Reformation in Europe. December 9, 1531 is the day on which she first appeared to Juan Diego, an Indian convert...

On November 8, 1519 - only two years after the start of the Protestant Reformation in Western Europe - a Spanish conquistador named Hernando Cortes, led his army into the sprawling city of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire in modern-day Mexico. This was the symbolic start of the conquest of the Meso-America by the Spanish. The Spanish conquistadors were seeking fame and fortune. They were accompanied, however, by Catholic missionaries who were seeking to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the indigeonous peoples of Meso-America. For more than a decade, the labor of the Catholic missionaries among...

Dr. Adolfo Orozco at the International Marian Congress on Our Lady of Guadalupe in Glendale, Arizona. Phoenix, Ariz., Aug 7, 2009 / 04:10 pm (CNA).- Researcher and physicist Dr. Aldofo Orozco told participants at the International Marian Congress on Our Lady of Guadalupe that there is no scientific explanation for the 478 years of high quality-preservation of the Tilma or for the miracles that have occurred to ensure its preservation.Dr. Orozco began his talk by confirming that the conservation of the Tilma, the cloak of St. Juan Diego on which Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared 478 years ago, “is...

[SNIP] "He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel." Scripture scholars over the years have debated regarding the word he. Should it be translated he or she or even they? But does it matter? In another words, does the he refer to the Messiah who is to come? Does the she refer to Mary? Does the they refer to the descendants of Mary; i.e., Christ and the Church? [SNIP] ...all three lead us to the same conclusion. Since it depends which original text is being used for the translation into our modern languages (the Septuagint or...

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II FOR THE 12th WORLD DAY OF THE SICK (SHRINE OF LOURDES, FRANCE, FEBRUARY 11, 2004) To my Venerable Brother Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán President of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care 1. The World Day of the Sick, an event held on a different Continent each year, takes on a singular meaning this time. Indeed, it will take place in Lourdes, France, site of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin on 11 February 1858, which since that time has become the destination of many pilgrimages. In that mountainous region, Our Lady wished...

A Biblical Basis for the "Immaculate Conception"? A Review and Rebuttal of Patrick Madrid's Article "Ark of the New Covenant" in "This Rock" magazine, December 1991. by James White Catholic Answers has some interesting ways of grabbing your attention. By placing the beginning paragraph or two of the lead article of their monthly magazine, This Rock, on the very cover of the work, they draw your attention into reading the rest of the article. True to form, the December, 1991 edition sported Pat Madrid's article, "Ark of the New Covenant" with the interesting lead in, "His face stiffened, and his...

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn celebrated Mass at Vienna’s cathedral of St. Stephen on November 17, as part of a televised event that included testimony from a Medjugorje “seer,” who promised an apparition of the Virgin Mary immediately before the Mass. Ivan Dragicevic, one of the “seers” who claim to have been receiving regular apparitions of the Virgin May for decades, spoke in the cathedral, in an event that was offered on live streaming video broadcast. The schedule called for an apparition at 6:40 pm, Vienna time. Dragicevic said that the Mother of God would bless all those present—and that this blessing...

Featured Term (selected at random):LADY DAY Originally the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin (March 25), although now the title is applied to other Marian feast days, e.g., the Assumption into Heaven. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

(Video of the anarchists "occupying" a church in Rome, taking a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary out, and smashing it in the street)

Amen Grace and peace to all of you. I am very new to this site. The holy spirit brought me hear tonight to look over many answers here. To learn and to share. I have questions here if anyone would be kind to take the time out to answer: 1. If we want evil to stop, why do speak of where it is, how to see it, where to see it, and when it may happen? 2. Do we really believe GOD sees all things and will handle all things? 3. If we revere Mary as the mother of GOD,...

"A dress cannot be called decent which is cut deeper than two fingers' breadth under the pit of the throat;; which does not cover the arms at least to the elbows; and scarcely reaches a bit beyond the knees. Furthermore, dresses of transparent material are improper." (The Cardinal vicar of Pope Pius XI) Marylike is modest without compromise, "like Mary", Christ's Mother. Marylike dresses have sleeves extending at least to the elbows; and skirts reaching below the knees. Acceptable Marylike Standards have been revealed in many private revelations since 1917 throughout the world. One of these standards is the dress...

The 12-Century Wonder and Mystery of Afghanistan Built back in 1190s by the once great Ghorid empire, this enigmatic and intricately-ornamented ancient "skyscraper" stands like a missile pointing at the stars - a 65-meter high minaret, the second biggest religious monument of its kind in the world. Originally it was topped by the lantern - making it a sort of the dry land lighthouse (!), surrounded by the 2400m high mountains: (Note a white jeep crossing the river in photo above: there was a bridge before, but it was destroyed during wartime...) Amazingly, this imposing structure was standing forgotten for...

One of the more controversial teachings of the Catholic church deals with the perpetual virginity of Mary. This doctrine maintains that Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Jesus and that biblical references suggesting Jesus had siblings are really references to cousins (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 510). As the veneration of Mary increased throughout the centuries, the vehicle of Sacred Tradition became the means of promoting new doctrines not explicitly taught in the Bible. The virginity of Mary is clearly taught in scripture when describing the birth of Jesus. But is the doctrine of her continued virginity...

Mary was a virgin who was to conceive by being overshadowed by the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Son of God. Few in Christian realms would deny Mary was a virgin and remained a virgin through pregnancy and the birth of Christ. This was the ultimate fulfillment of a prophecy from Isaiah: Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14, emphasis added) However, Mary’s virginity after the birth of Christ can become a heated debate in some circles. Though some...

Was Mary, Jesus' mother and wife of Joseph, immaculately conceived, i.e., free of original sin from conception? If we accept the teaching of the Scriptures we must answer, "No". The Bible is not ambiguous on this subject as the inspired writer, the apostle of Christ, Paul, wrote at Romans 5:12: "Well then, sin entered the world through one man (Adam), and through sin death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned".(JB) Mary was part of the human race and grew old and died just as Paul wrote. As The Catholic Encyclopedia, under the...

Chairwoman Mary Schapiro's general counsel is accused of having a conflict of interest in the Madoff affair that Schapiro knew about. Two influential congressional leaders are directly challenging Security and Exchange Commission Chairwoman Mary Schapiro as a new Bernard Madoff scandal engulfs the agency, this one involving charges of conflicts of interest by her own general counsel. Pajamas Media has obtained a copy of the letter sent to the SEC chairwoman. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) today sent a sharply worded joint letter to the SEC chief, demanding she explain why the she appointed General Counsel...

QUIX: SHORT EXCERPTS ARE OFFERED IN A SORT OF EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FIRST--THEN THE ENTIRE NARRATIVE AS AVAILABLE AT SPIRITLESSONS.COM I found this to be another anointed, Biblical narrative about a very convincing Heavenly visitation--actually, as usual, to hell, too. There's an item or 3 in this one to potentially trouble the RC's and Maryolators, . . . as well as some potentially troubling things for some Calvinists, however. Read at your own risk. Those exposed to The Truth are responsible before God for what they do about and with The Truth.On the other hand, ignorance affords no eternal protection....

What did Jesus (not) say about... His mother, Mary? "You know what you lot's problem is? You just don't think enough about My mother." I've often had two thoughts about Mary: I dearly hope that her heavenly bliss has not been spoiled by the knowledge of how monstrously men came to pervert her significance and place in relation to her Son. And... In that view, I've thought that my article on Mary in a Bible dictionary might read, "The mother of Jesus. A pivotal yet minor figure in the New Testament, mentioned by name in only four books." On the...

Monday, This study seeks to present from God's Holy Word what the Bible teaches about Mary of Nazareth, the young Jewish virgin that bore the Messiah, the Savior of the World. In this study we will seek to look at EVERY Bible verse found in the Holy Scriptures that pertains to Mary of Nazareth. Be sure to check out all the links for this study, for they will provide a deeper perspective into the person of Mary. Introduction . In beginning this study, the clarifying statement should be made that the Bible, God’s infallible (reliable) and immaculate (perfect) Word, is...

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?( Genesis 3:1-2)The Angel approached the couple in the garden very calmly, and in an attractive form. “Eve, has God really forbidden you to eat of all of the trees of the garden?” By exaggerating the prohibition placed upon the couple, the serpent was probing, looking for any indication of a rift between they and God. And the woman said unto the serpent,...

In the sermon descriptively entitled, “That Hearing and Keeping the Word of God Renders a Person More Blessed Than Any Other Privilege That Ever God Bestowed on Any of the Children of Men,” Jonathan Edwards writes: The hearing and keeping the word of God brings the happiness of a spiritual union and communion with God. ‘Tis a greater blessedness to have spiritual communion with God and to have a saving intercourse with him by the instances of his Spirit and by the exercise of true devotion than it is to converse with God externally, to see the visible representation and...

Patristic sources often link Mary, the mother of Jesus, to ark of the covenant imagery. Where did this tradition originate? At first glance, it might be suspected that such language is merely the result of reckless allegorization. After all, the New Testament never links Mary with the ark. . . right? Here I want to make the case that the imagery of Mary as ark can be found in LukeÂ’s Gospel. In particular, I want to look at a story relevant to the Christmas season: Luke's account of the Visitation, i.e., Mary's visit to Elizabeth. The story is rich in...

Immaculate Mary: "Trust Jesus, he will save you" December 08, 2010Pope Benedict XVI marked the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary by reciting the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square and by reminding us Mary's immaculate heart tells you to trust Jesus, who will save you. The Holy Father said the mystery of the dogma proclaimed by Pius IX in 1854, is "a source of inner light, of hope and comfort" . In the midst of life's trials and contradictions, which man experiences within himself and around him, Mary, Mother of Christ, tells us that grace is...

...a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful that the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instant of her conception, was, by a unique grace and privilege of Almighty God in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race, preserved exempt from all stain of original sin. –Ineffabilis Deus Today's feast day is more than Pope Pius IX's 1854 infallible proclamation, as important as that Dogma was and is. Today's feast day, which issues not only from the Papal Bull Ineffabilis Deus but its echo...

Power of the Mother With the Son For if "God heareth not sinners, but if a man be a worshipper of Him and do His will, him He heareth"; if "the continual prayer of a just man availeth much"; if faithful Abraham was required to pray for Abimelech, "for he was a prophet"; if patient Job was to "pray for his friends," for he had "spoken right things before God"; if meek Moses, by lifting up his hands, turned the battle in favour of Israel, against Amalec; why should we wonder at hearing that Mary, the only spotless child...

Power of the Mother With the Son For if "God heareth not sinners, but if a man be a worshipper of Him and do His will, him He heareth"; if "the continual prayer of a just man availeth much"; if faithful Abraham was required to pray for Abimelech, "for he was a prophet"; if patient Job was to "pray for his friends," for he had "spoken right things before God"; if meek Moses, by lifting up his hands, turned the battle in favour of Israel, against Amalec; why should we wonder at hearing that Mary, the only spotless child...

During this Advent/Christmas season we will turn again and again to introductory chapters of Matthew and Luke. Here I'd like to look at one passage in particular. “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; 19 and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly. 20 But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in...

............The Historical Evidence The Roman Catholic Church claims that this doctrine, like all of their other distinctive doctrines, has the “unanimous consent of the Fathers” (contra unanimen consensum Patrum).[10] They argue that what they teach concerning the Immaculate Conception has been the historic belief of the Christian Church since the very beginning. As Ineffabilis Deus puts it, The Catholic Church, directed by the Holy Spirit of God… has ever held as divinely revealed and as contained in the deposit of heavenly revelation this doctrine concerning the original innocence of the august Virgin… and thus has never ceased to explain, to...

Full Title: Mary's Magnificat: Beautiful and Theologically Profound, Our Conversation with Dr. Phil Ryken In The Incarnation in the Gospels (P&R Publishing, October 2008) coauthor Philip G. Ryken calls Mary’s Magnificat the first of four nativity hymns in Luke’s Gospel. The other hymns, he tells readers, are Zechariah’s Benedictus, the angels’ Gloria, and Simeon’s Nunc Dimittis. Quoting author and theologian Graham Scroggie, Ryken identifies these songs as “the last of the Hebrew psalms, and the first of the Christian hymns.” They appear only in Luke because, Ryken suggests, Luke understood that “the gospel is and must be a musical.” It...

In Part One I presented a descriptive survey of the unusual Catholic phenomenon known as Marian apparitions. I explained how the Catholic church specifically defines an apparition and described its method of evaluating these elusive, ethereal visions. I also surveyed some of the more important and popular alleged apparitions of Mary at such places as Guadalupe, Lourdes, and Fatima. In the present article I will conclude my description of this extraordinary phenomenon, discussing in detail the currently reported apparitions in Medjugorje, Yugoslavia. I will also examine how apparitions in general have influenced Catholic piety. Finally, I will respond to some...

The Catholics claim that following: Mary is the tree of life to those who grasp her (Proverbs 3:18) No one can go to God without Mary drawing him

Devotion to the "Blessed Virgin Mary" (as she is commonly called by Catholics) has been a centerpiece of Catholic belief and piety for centuries. However, the last century and a half has seen a dramatic increase in Marian devotion. This resurgence of the "cultus of the Virgin" can be attributed to two primary factors. First, Mary's already exalted status in the church was substantially enhanced by Catholicism's official acceptance of the Marian dogmas known as the Immaculate Conception (1854) and the Assumption (1950).[1] The second force behind Mary's growth in popularity, especially among the laity, is not so much doctrinal...

The military garrison in San Vicente del Caguan, in the southern department of Caqueta, has been blessed by a Marian apparition, according to soldiers in the area. In an interview with Caracol TV, one soldier said, "The truth is that she was a marvelous surprise. I realized it was her, without a doubt, because no painter exists here that could make an image as marvelous as her." The "divine manifestation" was seen in the window pane of a building housing a battalion of soldiers. The vision has created a fervor among Catholics who have come to see the Virgin and...

Like her boss Barack Obama, Ohio Democratic Congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy has been accused of hiding a radical past. Further evidence has emerged confirming that Congresswoman Kilroy was once a member of America's largest marxist organization Democratic Socialists of America. In this post New Zeal provided documentary evidence that Kilroy was a member of D.S.A. in the early 1990s and was supported by that organization in both her 2006 and 2008 Congressional races. Now comes more confirmation of kilroy's socialist ties from an article in Oakland California based marxist journal CrossRoads;, October 1992. The author Bob Fitrakis, is also a...

The mixed marriage of parents of the well-known Mainz Priest, Father Hendrick Jolie, produced an alienation from religion in his family. But suddenly, everything changed and nothing was the same as it was. [kreuz.net] I was not "unpious" as a young person, explained the well-known Mainz Priest, Father Hendrick Jolie, in an interview today with the Linz site 'kath.net'. The clergyman came from a mixed marriage. "It created a kind of distance from the Church," according to him.

“The Hall of Faith Adds Mary” (Hebrews 11:1 – 12:3; Luke 1:26-55)The Hall of Fame, in any sport, is the place for honoring and showcasing outstanding individuals from the history of that sport. The person is honored in an induction ceremony, with all the other members of the Hall present. That player’s plaque is added to the wall, and people can read and see what a standout that person was. This year, for instance, the Baseball Hall of Fame added two new members familiar to many of us here: Whitey Herzog, the great manager from the St. Louis Cardinals, and...

Is Ohio Democratic Congresswoman and Homeland Security Committee member Mary Jo Kilroy, a covert socialist? Evidence has emerged that in the early 1990s, Mary Jo Kilroy, then an Ohio lawyer and activist, was a member of the U.S.'s largest Marxist-based organization, Democratic Socialists of America (D.S.A.). Furthermore, while running as a Democrat, Mary Jo Kilroy was backed by her D.S.A. comrades in her both unsuccessful (2006) and successful (2008) races for U.S. congress. D.S.A. has long been influential inside the Ohio Democratic Party. In 1990 D.S.A. member Tom Erney unsuccessfully ran for Congress on the Democratic Party ticket. in 1992,...

Worcester, Mass., Jun 26, 2010 / 01:14 pm (CNA).- “When I grow up, I want to be like him,” The 5-year-old was talking about the priest. But while still a child the boy fell in love – with the image of Our Lady of Fatima. “If I find a woman who looks like her, and has her characteristics, I’ll marry her,” he decided. “For 34 years I’ve never met that woman,” he says now. “I guess the Blessed Mother wants me. I’m all hers. Like John Paul II said, ‘Totus Tuus Maria.’” This is the story of Deacon Lowe Bretaña...

"The priority for our players is to recognize they are at the University of Notre Dame to play for Our Lady" --new head football coach of Notre Dame, Brian Kelly, in his (fundraising) letter to the alumni. "Father Jenkins' decision [to invite President Obama to speak at Notre Dame and award him an honorary degree] is a deliberate thumbing of the collective nose at the Catholic Church...Notre Dame has forfeited the right to be called a Catholic University" --from recently deceased professor of philosophy, Ralph McInerny, who taught for over 50 years at Notre Dame (and who recalled when the department's...

Mother Potter's Marian MissionAt the end of 1874, Mother Potter received the inner certitude that she and the religious Congregation she was to institute (The Little Company of Mary) were called to foster devotion to the Maternal Heart of Mary. "We are chosen," wrote Mother Potter, . . . to promulgate in God's Church an increase of devotion to the Maternal Heart of Mary. We must increase our love for Our Lady and her sweet Maternal Heart, which makes us desire to propagate that devotion and to lead as many of God's vast family as we can to love and...

Vandals ransacked a Catholic Church in Maywood on Monday in an incident that police are classifying as a hate crime. The vandals broke into the Santa Rosa de Lima Church, where they defecated in an auditorium, scrawled "666" in the kitchen and stuck a knife in a painting of the Virgin Mary, the Maywood-Cudahy Police Department said. "The vandalism was of a heinous nature, and in fact, consistent with a hate crime," the department said in a news release.

Pentecost marks a time when Mary's presence is of singular importance, says a specialist in Marian studies.  In this interview with ZENIT, Discalced Carmelite Father Jesús Castellano Cervera, who is also a consultor for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, elaborated on the Blessed Virgin's presence at the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Q: The time we are now living is the conclusion of Eastertide and of the month of May. Is it of special Marian relevance? Father Castellano Cervera: I think the time extending from the Ascension to Pentecost is a particularly Marian time.  The fact emphasized...

This summer marks the 40th anniversary of the publication of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae. It is hard to believe that so many years have passed, more than a generation. How swiftly it has gone, and how changed is the face of our world. Let us not blame war or economic trouble or abortion for the current state of the world, for this would be to blame symptoms and ignore the source of the disease. It is, in fact, contraception that is destroying Western civilization. In many of the documents of Vatican II and in subsequent papal encyclicals, the...

FOLLOWING A period of intense prayer during which he knelt on damp grass as he gazed heavenwards at Knock shrine yesterday, self-proclaimed visionary Joe Coleman claimed he had been imparted a “fantastic message” by Our Lady. Jabbing his finger at a cloudy sky, Mr Coleman said: “I seen her there and I seen her there. She did make herself known.” Although reluctant to go into any details about the “message” he had received, Mr Coleman did say the Blessed Virgin had been angry about the way he had been treated by shrine authorities. He complained that he and his followers...

In the storm of confusion and misinformation which has greeted the question of a papal definition of the dogma of Mary Coredemptix, Mediatrix, and Advocate, St. Maximilian Kolbe's well known question regarding the Mother of God, "Who are you, O Immaculata?" takes on new poignancy and urgency. Who is she? Who is she really, and what is God doing through this unique woman? Mary is both Mary of Nazareth and "the Woman" of Revelation. But how can this be? Is she two persons? Alternatively, is she perhaps one person in two religious "costumes"? Is she only a model of fidelity,...

The 3:30 Beads A few days back, on May 10, Irisshlass commented to me; Maybe we Catholics here can form a prayer group and at a certain hour of the day or night, we all say our rosaries in our home. Even though we are not together we are in heart ... Although I am not a speck Irish, my husband's roots (he's a "Grogan-O'Toole") have worn off on me a bit, and I could hardly think of denyin' the suggestion of an "Irisshlass." So without further ado[s], here are the "rules." Join us in saying a Rosary every day...

Tonight, at least, I have no words to express what I perceive to be the significance of this Act of Consecration in the context of The Year of the Priest. I have nothing but joy, and an immense gratitude to the Holy Father. Consecration of Priests to the Immaculate Heart of MaryImmaculate Mother, in this place of grace, called together by the love of your Son Jesus the Eternal High Priest, we, sons in the Son and his priests, consecrate ourselves to your maternal Heart, in order to carry out faithfully the Father's Will. We are mindful that, without Jesus,...