Saturday
Thursday
Sunday
if you ask me..
How can anyone ever consider the possibility that Mary had other children and that Jesus had other brothers and sisters? If we do a little reflection, I believe the answers become obvious.
Let’s look at it from a purely human viewpoint. Mary is the only creature on earth and through all of time worthy to be God’s human tabernacle. A purer human did not and will not exist. Mary gave consent and permitted the Holy Spirit to enter, therefore allowing God to truly become flesh.
It is unimaginable that she would be used further to simply reproduce. We are talking about the spouse of the Holy Spirit. After this greatest honor; does anyone actually believe that any mortal could measure up? Preposterous! Mary, the Mother of God, Our Lord, did not concern herself with pursuing personal satisfaction.
Another factor to consider is; Why would Jesus speak from the cross to Saint John and say, ‘behold your mother’, if he had any siblings? This was sort of his will or testament and the opportunity to declare the revised family hierarchy. The answer is this; Jesus is declaring Mary as Mother of all of us ‘brothers and sisters’.
This reverence can be traced back to the early church from the writings of the Church Fathers. Even more surprising; Today most Protestants are unaware of these early beliefs regarding Mary’s virginity and the proper interpretation of "the brethren of the Lord." And yet, the Protestant Reformers themselves—Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli—honored the perpetual virginity of Mary and recognized it as the teaching of the Bible, as have other, more modern Protestants.
I think that Pope Siricius I said it best; “You had good reason to be horrified at the thought that another birth might issue from the same virginal womb from which Christ was born according to the Flesh. For the Lord Jesus would never have chosen to be born of a virgin if he had ever judged that she would be so incontinent as to contaminate with the seed of human intercourse the birthplace of the Lord's body, chat court of the eternal King” (Letter to Bishop Anysius [A.D. 392]).
In this day and age we are reluctant to put people on pedestals; however we should not hesitate when it comes to Our Lady. And for those who say we should not honor Mary I leave you with words from Bishop Sheen, “When I am judged and the worst thing Our Lord tells me is that I loved his mother too much, I won’t be too concerned.”
Let’s look at it from a purely human viewpoint. Mary is the only creature on earth and through all of time worthy to be God’s human tabernacle. A purer human did not and will not exist. Mary gave consent and permitted the Holy Spirit to enter, therefore allowing God to truly become flesh.
It is unimaginable that she would be used further to simply reproduce. We are talking about the spouse of the Holy Spirit. After this greatest honor; does anyone actually believe that any mortal could measure up? Preposterous! Mary, the Mother of God, Our Lord, did not concern herself with pursuing personal satisfaction.
Another factor to consider is; Why would Jesus speak from the cross to Saint John and say, ‘behold your mother’, if he had any siblings? This was sort of his will or testament and the opportunity to declare the revised family hierarchy. The answer is this; Jesus is declaring Mary as Mother of all of us ‘brothers and sisters’.
This reverence can be traced back to the early church from the writings of the Church Fathers. Even more surprising; Today most Protestants are unaware of these early beliefs regarding Mary’s virginity and the proper interpretation of "the brethren of the Lord." And yet, the Protestant Reformers themselves—Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli—honored the perpetual virginity of Mary and recognized it as the teaching of the Bible, as have other, more modern Protestants.
I think that Pope Siricius I said it best; “You had good reason to be horrified at the thought that another birth might issue from the same virginal womb from which Christ was born according to the Flesh. For the Lord Jesus would never have chosen to be born of a virgin if he had ever judged that she would be so incontinent as to contaminate with the seed of human intercourse the birthplace of the Lord's body, chat court of the eternal King” (Letter to Bishop Anysius [A.D. 392]).
In this day and age we are reluctant to put people on pedestals; however we should not hesitate when it comes to Our Lady. And for those who say we should not honor Mary I leave you with words from Bishop Sheen, “When I am judged and the worst thing Our Lord tells me is that I loved his mother too much, I won’t be too concerned.”
Thursday
take it lightly..
Years ago in Ireland, there was a priest who was very anti-British. Every Sunday he would blast them from the pulpit. He became so notorious that the Pope himself summoned the priest to Rome for an audience.
"Father," said the Pope, "I want that there should be peace between the British and the Irish. You're not helping matters at all. I want you to kiss my ring and swear by the Blessed Virgin that you'll never so much as mention the British in public again."
"But Your Holiness, I - I - " the priest stammered.
"No buts," said the Pope. "Swear it here and now or there'll be trouble!"
"Aye, Holy Father," sighed the father. "All right. I swear it."
The very next Sunday just happened to be Easter, and the priest was back at his pulpit in Ireland, giving his annual Easter sermon.
He got to the part of the Easter story where Jesus said, "And one of you shall betray Me."
The priest continues: "Saint Andrew jumps up and says, 'Is it I Lord?' and the Lord says, 'Nay, Andy darlin', it's not you. Sit down now and dunna worry. Eat your supper.'
Then Saint John the Divine gets up with tears in his eyes and cries, 'Is it I Lord?' And the Lord says, 'Nay, Johnny me boy, it's not you. Sit down now and dunna fret yourself. Eat your supper.'
"Then that dirty dog Judas Iscariot slowww-ly rises to his feet. And he looks the Lord right in the eye and says, 'Blimey, Mate. Ya think it's me?"
+++
A Catholic boy and a Jewish boy were talking and the Catholic boy said, "My priest knows more than your rabbi." The Jewish boy said, "Of course he does, you tell him everything."
+++
How about this one? An old Irishman, McDougal, had a loyal and faithful dog who died. McDougal went to his parish priest and asked, "Father, could you say some prayers in Mass for my dog?" The old pastor said, "McDougal, you know very well that we don't pray for animals at Mass. Why don't you go down to that Baptist church and ask them? I'm sure they'll do it." "Well, ok, Father, I think I'll do just that. Oh, by the way, do you think they'll be offended if I offered them $5,000 to pray for my dog?"
Father exclaimed, "Why, McDougal, you never said your dog was Catholic!"
"Father," said the Pope, "I want that there should be peace between the British and the Irish. You're not helping matters at all. I want you to kiss my ring and swear by the Blessed Virgin that you'll never so much as mention the British in public again."
"But Your Holiness, I - I - " the priest stammered.
"No buts," said the Pope. "Swear it here and now or there'll be trouble!"
"Aye, Holy Father," sighed the father. "All right. I swear it."
The very next Sunday just happened to be Easter, and the priest was back at his pulpit in Ireland, giving his annual Easter sermon.
He got to the part of the Easter story where Jesus said, "And one of you shall betray Me."
The priest continues: "Saint Andrew jumps up and says, 'Is it I Lord?' and the Lord says, 'Nay, Andy darlin', it's not you. Sit down now and dunna worry. Eat your supper.'
Then Saint John the Divine gets up with tears in his eyes and cries, 'Is it I Lord?' And the Lord says, 'Nay, Johnny me boy, it's not you. Sit down now and dunna fret yourself. Eat your supper.'
"Then that dirty dog Judas Iscariot slowww-ly rises to his feet. And he looks the Lord right in the eye and says, 'Blimey, Mate. Ya think it's me?"
+++
A Catholic boy and a Jewish boy were talking and the Catholic boy said, "My priest knows more than your rabbi." The Jewish boy said, "Of course he does, you tell him everything."
+++
How about this one? An old Irishman, McDougal, had a loyal and faithful dog who died. McDougal went to his parish priest and asked, "Father, could you say some prayers in Mass for my dog?" The old pastor said, "McDougal, you know very well that we don't pray for animals at Mass. Why don't you go down to that Baptist church and ask them? I'm sure they'll do it." "Well, ok, Father, I think I'll do just that. Oh, by the way, do you think they'll be offended if I offered them $5,000 to pray for my dog?"
Father exclaimed, "Why, McDougal, you never said your dog was Catholic!"
Saturday
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"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you odd." — Flannery O'Connor