My Daily Reflection

Bible Reflection : May 09,2014

2014-05-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

1^ST READING: Acts 9:1-20

Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he should find any men or women who belonged to the Way, he might bring them back to Jerusalem in chains. On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him to Damascus. For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor drank. There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is there praying, and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, that he may regain his sight.” But Ananias replied, “Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man, what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and children of Israel, and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized, and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

P S A L M : Psalm 117:1, 2

R: Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

1 Praise the Lord, all you nations; glorify him, all you peoples! (R) 2 For steadfast is his kindness toward us, and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever. (R)

GOSPEL

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood, remains in me and I in him, says the Lord.

John 6:52-59

The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his Flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.For my Flesh is true food, and my Blood is true drink. Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Reflection:

As we attend the mass we must also receive the Holy Communion as it is the center of Eucharistic Celebration. Our mass will be insufficient we did not receive the Eucharist. In Eucharist we witness and celebrate one of the highlight of our faith, the mystery of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tell the World

2014-05-08T04:41:00.000-07:00

“Come and hear, all you who fear God, while I recount what has been done for me.” – Psalm 66:16 As a teacher, I have learned to become more animated when I tell stories to students. I would consciously vary my voice, gestures and facial expressions to make the story more interesting. There would be parts in the story that I would tell with exaggeration. But when I talk about what God has done in my life, whether in a small group or a large crowd, the enthusiasm comes out naturally. I don’t need to deliberately exaggerate because when God works, it’s always a big deal for me. An empty parking lot in a mall on a Sunday afternoon, a free lunch, a free trip for three to Cebu, a free upgrade to business class in one of my international trips, protection in a car accident, the good health of my family, a career breakthrough, financial provisions — I could go on and on with my list of answered prayers. But one thing remains — God has been working in my life, always for my good, even if sometimes it seems like He’s not there. God has done great things for me, and I am sure He does the same for you. When we tell our story, there’s no need for exaggeration or animation. Our blessing-filled life is more than awesome enough to share to the world. Lala dela Cruz (bella.delacruz@gmail.com) Reflection: Have you ever experienced the power of God working in your life? It’s time to tell the world! Father, thank You for a life of answered prayers. May I be a living witness to Your love and goodness. St. Peter of Tarentaise, pray for us.
Didache \| Companion \| Sabbath \| Top

COMPANION
1^ST READING The question as to how a person can learn about the faith unless someone instructs him is a very good one. It ought to awaken our hearts to reflect on our duty and responsibility in proclaiming the Gospel. What is God asking us to do in this regard? There is always something we can do to further progress the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. Acts 8:26-40 26 Then the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, “Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.” 27 So he got up and set out. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, that is, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 The Spirit said to Philip, “Go and join up with that chariot.” 30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 He replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him. 32 This was the Scripture passage he was reading: Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who will tell of his posterity? For his life is taken from the earth. 34 Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply, “I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?” 35Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this Scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him. 36 As they traveled along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?” [37] 38 Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news to all the towns until he reached Caesarea. P S A L M Psalm 66:8-9, 16-17, 20 R: Let all the earth cry out to God with joy. 8 Bless our God, you peoples, loudly sound his praise; 9 he has given life to our souls, and has not let our feet slip. (R)16 Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare what he has done for me. 17 When I appealed to him in words, praise was on the tip of my tongue. (R) 20 Blessed be God who refused me not my prayer or his kindness! (R) GOSPEL Jesus is claiming to be greater than Moses. This is no small claim in the eyes of the Jews as Moses was the most important figure in their history. It is easy to see how such a claim could scandalize some of the Jews. If the connection between Jesus and His identity as the Messiah is not made or accepted, indeed His claim is both blasphemous and scandalous. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION I am the living bread that came down from heaven, says the Lord; whoever eats this bread will live forever. John 6:44-51 44 Jesus said to the crowds: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets: ‘They shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; 50 this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.” think: There is always something we can do to further progress the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST Thank You Lord for: __________________ ____________________________________ God’s special verse/thought for me today_ _____________________________________ READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Deuteronomy 23-26
Didache \| Companion \| Sabbath \| Top

SABBATH
THE LIVING BREAD Jesus says, “I am the living bread.” Think about this statement for a moment. What does it mean to you? To me, it is a proclamation of solidarity. It is the Father and Jesus telling us that they are not interested in sitting in heaven and watching us make a mess of our lives. They want to engage us and help us to discover the wonders of a personal relationship with God. If I am right about this attitude of God, then what are we doing to enable God to work in our lives? More often, we are the ones who reject or drive away the capacity of God to work in our lives. We have the freedom to open or close our door to God’s grace. God gives us this choice so that our relationship with Him is the result of our own decision. A relationship between adults that is forced is not a real relationship — it does not reflect true love. It is love that God wants from us, not because He needs it for Himself, but because He knows that this is what is best for us. The whole imagery of the Eucharist in this passage screams to us of God’s desire to be one with us. He has done all that He can to offer us the deepest level of relationship possible. The Scriptures reveal to us how God has been doing this since the start of His relationship with the Jewish people. They also narrate some of the ways people have responded well and otherwise. It is now up to each of us to add our stories to the list. God never gives up on us as individuals, or the human race in general. He always comes back to us and makes a new offer. The feeding miracles of Jesus speak to us of the abundance of God’s love — there is always enough to go around, no matter how many of us respond to His offer. God’s love is infinite. This is His character and it is into this love that He invites us all. Fr. Steve Tynan, MGL REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How do you see the feeding miracles in the ministry of Jesus? What do they mean to you? What do they teach you about the nature of God’s love for you? Holy Spirit, open my eyes and heart to the truth of God’s love for me. Help me to see that it is a love without limits, a love that transforms, and a love that will never die. source: Kerygma Family dated: 08 May 2014

Marian Year of Prayer of Pope John Paul II

2012-04-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

Mother of the Redeemer,
with great joy we call you blessed.
In order to carry out
his providential plan of salvation,
God the Father chose you
before the creation of the world.
You believed in his love
and obeyed his word.
The Son of God desired you for his Mother
when he became man to save the human race.
You received him
with ready obedience and undivided heart.
The Holy Spirit loved you
as his mystical spouse,
and he filled you with singular gifts.
You allowed yourself to be led
by his hidden and powerful action.

Legion of Mary

2010-09-05T10:38:00.000-07:00

     The Legion of Mary is one of the largest Catholics organization worldwide under the queenship of Mary founded by Bro. Frank Duff on September 7 1921 at Myra House Francis Street, Dublin Ireland. The main objective of the Legion of Mary is the self sanctification of all member through the holiness developed by prayer and active co- operation, under ecclesiastical guidance of the church. The first praesdium form by the Legion of Mary was " Our Lady of Mercy".
    The word legion is a extracted from Roman word means "Army" in which the Legion of Mary was been pattern. This army, now so considerable, had the most humble of the beginnings.The legionaries hope to render themselves worthy of their heavenly Queen by their loyalty, their virtues and their courage. The Legion of Mary is therefore organized on the model of an army, principally on that of the army of ancient Rome, the terminology of which is adopted also. But the army and the arms of legionaries of Mary are not in this world.
   The spirit of the Legion of Mary is that of Mary herself. Especially does the Legions aspire after the profound virtues such as humility, her perfect obedience,her angelical sweetness, her continual prayer, her universal mortification, her altogether spotless purity, her heroic patience her heavenly wisdom, her self sacrificing courageous love of God and above all her faith, that virtue which has in her alone been found in its utmost extend and never equaled.

Marian Apparition

2010-05-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

                  A Marian Apparition is a visible manifestation of the Virgin Mary to a visionary, whose purpose is to convey an important message to mankind, such as the need of conversion and prayer. While the Bible and the Dogmas of the church are considered as public revelation, which are ever Catholic must accept by faith, Marian Apparition even those approved by the Church, are classified as private revelation, which a faithfull may or may not accept the true.

As far as Marian Apparition is concerned the Church can make only three (3) statement :
   TRUE : Constat de Supernaturalitate ( established as supernatural event)

   MAY BE TRUE: Non Constat de supernaturalitat                                             ( not established   natural event)

                                                 FALSE   : Constat de non Supernaturalitate ( established as non supernatural event)

Of the thousand reported Marian Apparition studied by the Church throughout the centuries, only a dozen have been approved. Some apparitions are illusion of the Devil, as St. Paul said: " Satan disguise himself as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11: 14). One time, the Devil appeared to St. Felipe Neri disguised as the Virgin Mary; after spitting on it, the image turned in that Satan who screamed : "How did you you recognize me?" The Saint replied: "Do you think that the Virgin Mary will appear to a sinful priest like me?"

The Brother and Sister of Jesus

2010-02-13T03:32:00.000-08:00

Against the dogma of Perpetual Virginity of Mary, the objection is sometimes raised that the Gospel mention the "brothers and sisters"of Jesus. (Mark 3:32). The church has always understood these passages as not reffering to other children of the Blessed Virgin for the following reason :

1.The greek words adelphoi, used in the Gospel, could mean either "brother" or "relative". In fact James and Joseph, addressed as "brothers of Jesus," are sons of "the other Mary" (Mt. 13:55; Mt: 27: 56). Even nowadays, we called brothers and sisters because we share the same faith, through not the same blood.

2. If Jesus had real brothers and sisters, according to the laws and tradition of the Jews, and in line with filial devotion, at the foot of the cross he should have entrusted Mary to them, and not to St. John. The fact that he said: "Woman behold your son" (John: 19: 25), confirms that Jesus was the only child of Mary..

Mary Mother of God in the Bible

2010-01-30T02:06:00.000-08:00

Mary Mother of God in the Bible

The dogma of “Mary the Theotokos” is based on the faith in the divinity of Christ. Thus, those who do not believe that Christ is God will necessarily deny that Mary is mother of God.

The biblical proofs of the divinity of Christ are:
The prologue to John’s Gospel, which declared that: “in the beginning was the Word (Christ) : The word was with God and the Word was God”(John 1:1,14)
Jesus word to Philip “He who has seen me has seen the Father : how can you say ,”show us the Father? Do you believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me?”. (John 14 :8-11).
The profession of St. Thomas “My Lord and my God” (John 20 : 28-29).
Having accepted the divinity of Christ, the biblical proof of Mary as the Theotokos are:
1) The Annunciation: You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the son of the Most High” (Luke 1: 31-32).Since Jesus is called the son of God, her mother could be called Mother of God.
2) The Visitation: After Mary enter her house, Elizabeth, inspired by the Holy Spirit said “How does this happen that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”. (luke 1:43). The title used by Elizabeth, or Kyrios in Greek was applied only for God therefore she proclaimed Mary as the Mother of God.

Feast of Mary Mother of God

2009-12-31T08:25:00.000-08:00

Why January 1 is a special celebration and Holy day of obligation for all Catholics? Aside from welcoming the New Year, the Catholic Church also celebrates the Feast of Motherhood of Mary.

The first Marian dogma which, was defined by the Counsel of Ephesus in 431, states that “The Blessed Virgin is the Theotokos.” This Marian title which was compound of the Greek words Teos (God) and Tokos (bearer), literally translate as “God’s bearer” or “The One Who Gives Birth to God”. However, in liturgical use it is paraphrased as “Mother of God”. Nonetheless, the church has never meant to refer to Mary as Mother of God the Father from eternity, lest she herself would be God, but only as Mother of the Incarnate Son of God.

Some objected that Mary should be called Mother of Christ (Christotokos) and not Mother of God, since God is eternal and cannot have any beginning, However the Council of Ephesus asserted that the title Christotokos would reduce Christ into a mere man, no longer as God. Therefore, as Mary was the Mother of Jesus, who is God, she can be truly venerated as Mother of God. Moreover, the Council clarified that the Divine nature of Jesus Christ is begotten of God the Father from eternity; while his human nature was conceived in the womb of Mary in time.

The Dogma of Immaculate Conception

2009-11-28T13:25:00.000-08:00

The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception as one of the Feast celebrate of the Catholic specially who devotee to the Blessed Virgin.

The dogma of the Immaculate Conception was solemnly declared by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854 with the Bull Ineffabilis Deus. It state: “We firmly believe that the Blessed Virgin Mary in the first instant of her conception was, by unique grace and privelege of Almighty God in view of the merits of Jesus Christ the Savior of human race, preserved exempt from all stain of original sin”. We celebrate the Immaculate conception on December 8, exactly nine months before the Nativity of Mary (September 8).

The incompatibility between the Blessed Virgin and Satan, which was anticipated in the book of Genesis- “I will put enmity between you and woman” (Genesis 3:15) – was confirmed by the Archangel Gabriel at the Annunciation: “Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28).

Since the Middle Ages, the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin was at the center of a theological debate, which was closed by Pius IX in 1854, when he declared that the universal redemption of Jesus was anticipated for Mary at the moment of her conception in view of her divine motherhood. The dogmatic definition received a heavenly endorsement during the apparitions at Lourdes in 1858. When Bernadette asked her name, the Blessed Virgin replied: “ I am the Immaculate Conception”

The Assumption of Mary in the Bible

2009-10-26T02:39:00.000-07:00

What is the biblical basis of the Catholic Church for the Dogma of Assumption of Mary?

The Assumption is closely related to the dogma of Resurrection of the Body. We believe at death, the immortal soul proceed for the personal judgment, and thence to hell, Purgatory or to the Paradise of heaven; meanwhile, the body is corrupted and goes back to dust whence it was taken. At the end of time, there will be the resurrection of the body- meaning that the body will be reunited with soul, and together the risen body and soul will proceed to the universal judgment. In the case of our Blessed Virgin, her body did not experience corruption but was assumed immediately together with her soul to Paradise.

The dogma of the Assumption of Mary is the implicitly based on the Book of Revelation: " A great sign appeared in the sky; a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (Revelation 12:1 ). The woman is the Blessed Virgin. She is crowned with 12 stars, representing the 12 apostle, because she is the Mother of the Church; she is clothed with the sun, representing the Holy Spirit, because she is full of grace. The moon under her feet, symbolizing the firmament, indicates that she is the Queen of Heaven.
The feast of the Queenship of Mary, celebrated on August 22, was instituted in 1954 by Pius XII with the encyclical letter Ad Caeli Reginam. The feast is closely related to the Assumption, since the Blessed Virgin after beingg assumed into Paradise, was crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Our Lady of the Rosary

2009-10-02T10:10:00.000-07:00

The feast of the Our Lady of the Rosary was established in 1571 by St. Pius V to commemorate the naval battle of Lepanto. The victory of the Christian fleet over the Turks was attributed to the Blessed Virgin, whose help through praying the Holy Rosary.

According to the venerable tradition the rosary was revealed to St. Dominic by the Blessed Virgin. In the year 1214, as St. Dominic withdrew into a forest near Toulouse, France, for three days of prayer and penance, the Virgin Mary appeared to him accompanied by three angels and gave him the Holy Rosary. She said " Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world? I want you to know this warfare, the principal weapon always been the Angelic Psalter (the Hail Mary), which is the foundation-stone of the New Testament. Therefore, if you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Psalter."

Our Lady said that anytime people recite the Hail Mary they are giving her a beautiful rose, and that each complete Rosary makes her a crown of roses, in Latin Rosarium. Accordingly, St. Dominic promoted the Rosary for the rest of his life, witnessing an outpouring of graces and conversions.

The mysteries of the Holy Rossary, divided into Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious, reflects the principal events of the life of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Pope Paul VI said that the rosary, without the mediation on these mysteries is like a dead person with out life.

The Perfect Virginity of Mary

2009-09-12T09:05:00.000-07:00

How is the perfect Virginity of the Blessed Virgin explain in the Gospel?

The Blessed Virgin before the birth of Jesus is clearly stated at the Annunciation: Gabriel was sent to "a virgin betrothed to a man, whose name was Mary" (Luke 1:26-35). Afterwards, an angel appeared in a dream to St. Joseph said: "Do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:20).

The Virginity of Mary during the birth of Jesus is denied by some theologians because it will support the heresy of Docetism, which says that the body of Jesus was only apparent. However, the Lateran Council (649)), the Council of Trent (1555), and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992) profess that the physical virginity of the Blessed Virgin did not end with the birth of Christ: consequently, that Mary gave birth to Jesus painlessly without opening the womb.

The Virginity of Mary during the birth of Jesus is doubted by several Protestants because of the Gospel passage mentioning the "brothers of and sisters" of Jesus (Mark 3:32); the fact that Jesus was Mary's "firstborn son" and that Joseph " had no marital relations with her until she had borne son" (Mathew: 1:25). However, the Greek word adelphoi, used in the Gospel, could mean either "brothers" or " relatives". Furthermore, the legal title firstborn son does not require the existence of siblings: neither the particle until specifies whether after the birth of Jesus Joseph had relationship with Mary.

The Dogma of the Virginity of Mary

2009-09-07T08:14:00.000-07:00

The dogma of the Perpetual Virginity of the Blessed Virgin declares that "The Blessed Mary remained virgin for the whole of her life". This implies that Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, without the intervention of the man. The virginity of Mary guarantees that Jesus is real God and real man. The virginity of Mary was prophesised by Isaiah: " Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son" (Isaiah 7:14).

The dogma of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary implies that she was virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. In many icon, Mary's Perpetual virginity is signified by three stars that appear on her left, her right and above her head, which represent her virginity before,during and after giving birth.

In an attempt to explain deeper the dogma of the Virginity, the Protoevangelium James (120 AD) said that Mary remain virgin before, during and after the Birth of Jesus, and that they so called brothers and sisters of Jesus were the children of St.Joseph from a marriage previous to Mary.It is also says that the Blessed Virgin had taken a vow of perpetual virginity when she was taken to the temple to serve the Lord.It was while serving in the temple that she became engaged with Joseph, a widower,who was act as a protector of her virginity. However, the Protoevangelium is an apocryphal book, and as such it was rejected by the Church.

Mary's Birth to Heaven

2009-09-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

The dogmatic definition of the Assumption does not specify whether the Blessed Virgin died or fell asleep. There are actually two traditions on the matter.

The Tradition of Ephesus:

The Blessed Virgin spent the last years of her life in Ephesus, Turkey, together with St. John. They resided in a house known as the House of the Virgin Mary, which was rediscover in 1881 and transformed into a chapel. When her time came, she fell asleep and the angels brought her, body and soul, to the glory of Heaven it was August 15, later chosen by the Church to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. The Ephesus theory is supported by the presence of Tomb of St. John nearby. This tradition is known as Dormitio Mariae, or "Falling Asleep of Mary".

The Tradition of Jerusalem:

At the end of her life of her life, Mary was Jerusalem together with John and other apostles. She actually died as was buried near the Garden of Olives, in the so called Tomb of Mary preserved till the present. Three days later, St. Thomas arrived and wanted to inspect the body of the Blessed Virgin. After removing the stone, they found the tomb completely empty and they realized that they realized that she was assumed body and soul to Paradise. This tradition underlines that the Virgin Mary should also be subjected to the general law of death, in conformity with the death of her Divine Son Jesus.

History of the Theotokos

2009-08-29T23:51:00.000-07:00

Why the Blessed Virgin tittle Theotokos and not Christotokos?

The Council of Ephesus (431 AD) was assembled by Pope Celestine on request of St. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, to refute the heresy of Nestorius, Patriarchs of Constantinople. Nestorius held that the Blessed Virgin should be called Christotokos, meaning "Mother of Christ," because she was the mother of Christ's humanity, not of his divinity. Against this heresy, which separated the two nature of Christ, the Council declared that Mary was the Theotokos, since she gave birth to Christ, who is God, therefore she could rightly be called Mother of God.

The dogmatic definition of Ephesus declared: " If somebody does not believe that the Emmanuel is God, and that therefore the Blessed Virgin is Theotokos, since she generated in the flesh the Word who is God, be excommunicated."

The Council also defined that the two natures of Christ ( Divine and Human) are "united in one divine person but not confused, are distinct but not seperated."

The dogma of the Theotokos was never meant to suggest that the Blessed Virgin was God, or Mother of God from eternity, but only Mother of the Incarnate Son of God. After the declaration of Mary as the Theotokos, the people of Ephesus, full of rejoicing, escorted the fathers to their houses with torches and incense. Nestorius requested permission to retire to his former monastery, and before his death accepted the decrees of Ephesus.

Mary Mother of God in the Bible

2009-08-28T23:04:00.001-07:00

Blessed Virgin in the Bible as Mother of God

The dogma of our Blessed Virgin of " Mary the Theotokos" is based on the faith in the divinity of Christ. Thus, those who do not believe that Christ is God will necessarily deny that Mary is Mother of God.

The biblical proof of the divinity of Christ are: The Prologue to John's Gospel, which state that: " In the beginning was the word ; the word was with God and the word was God" and John 1:1,14 "Jesus words to Philip: " He who has seen ma has seen the Father;how can you say, " Show as the Father?" Do you not believe that I am with the Father and the Father in me?" (John14:8-11); The profession of St. Thomas "My Lord and my God" ( John 20: 28-29).

Having accepted the divinity of Christ, the Biblical proofs of Mary as the Theotokos are:

1. The Annuciation of the Blessed Virgin : " You will concieve in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High" (Luke 1:31-32). Since Jesus is called the Son of God her mother could be called Mother of God.

2. The Visitation: After Mary enteredher house, Elizabeth inspired by the Holy Spirit said: " How does this happen that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:43). The title Lord use by Elizabeth, or Kyrios in Greek was applied only for od, therefore she proclaimed the Blessed Virgin as the Mother of God

The Dogma of Mary Mother of God

2009-08-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

Mary, Mother of God

Mary Mother of God was one of the first dogma of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
A dogma is doctrine of our faith officially proclaimed by the church. With reference to Mary, there are four Marian Dogmas namely: 1. Mary Mother of God 2. The Virginity of Mary 3. The Immaculate Conception of Mary 4. The Assumption of Mary.

The first Marian Dogma, which was defined by the Council of Ephesus in 431, states that " The Virgin Mary is the Theotokos." This Marian title, which is compound of two greek words Teos (God) and Tokos (bearer) or the one who give births to God; however in liturgical use, it is paraphased as Mother of God. Nonetheless, the church has never meant to refer to Mary as Mother of God the Father from eternity, lest she herself would be God, but only as Mother of the Incarnate son of God.

Some objective that Mary should be called Mother of Christ ( Christotokos) and not mother of God, since God is eternal and cannot have any beggining. However, the Council of Ephesus asserted that the title Christotokos would reduce Christ into a mere man, no longer as God. Therefore, as Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is God she can be truly Venerated as Mother of God., Moreover, the council clarified that the Divine nature of Jesus Christ is begotten of God the Father from eternity; while his human nature was conceived in the womb of Mary in time.

The Blessed Virgin and the Prophecies

2009-08-26T06:51:00.000-07:00

The Blessed Virgin Mary

The Blessed Virgin Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ, the mother of God .

In general, the theology and history of Mary the Mother of God follow the chronological order of their respective sources, i.e. the Old Testament, the New Testament, the early Christian and Jewish witnesses.

Mary in the gospels

The reader of the Gospel is at first surprised to find so little about Mary; but this obscurity of Mary in the Gospel has been studied at length by Blessed Peter Canisius , Auguste Nicolas, Cardinal Newman, and Very Rev. J. Spencer Northcote . In the commentary on the "Magnificat", published 1518, even Luther expresses the belief that the Gospel praise Mary sufficiently by calling her (eight times) the Mother of Jesus. In the following paragraphs we shall briefly group together what we know of Our Blessed Lady's life before the birth of her Divine Son, during the hidden Life of Our Lord, during His public Life and afterHis resurrection.

The Blessed Virgin Mary prophesied even in the Old testament.

Genesis 3:15

The first prophecy referring to Mary is found in the very opening chapters of the Book of Genesis (3:15): "I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed; she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel." This rendering appears to differ in two respects from the original Hebrew text.

The second prophecy referring to Mary is found in Isaias 7:1-17. Critics have endeavoured to represent this passage as a combination of occurrences and sayings from the life of the prophet written down by an unknown hand . The credibility of the contents is not necessarily affected by this theory, since prophetic traditions may be recorded by any writer without losing their credibility. But even Duhm considers the theory as an apparent attempt on the part of the critics to find out what the readers are willing to bear patiently; he believes it is a real misfortune for critism itself that it has found a mere compilation in a passage which so graphically describes the birth-hour of faith.

A third prophecy referring to Our Blessed Lady is contained in Micah 5:2-3 : "And thou, Bethlehem, Ephrata, art a little one among the thousands of Juda: out of thee shall be come forth unto me that is to be the ruler in Israel, and his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity. Therefore will he give them up till the time wherein she that travaileth shall bring forth, and the remnant of his brethren shall be converted to the children of Israel ." Though the prophet (about 750-660 B.C.) was a contemporary of Isaias , his prophetic activity began a little later and ended a little earlier than that of Isaias . There can be no doubt that the Jews regarded the foregoing prediction as referring to the Messias. According to St.Matthew (2:6) the chief priest and scribes, when asked where the Messias was to be born, answered Herod in the words of the prophecy, "And thou Bethehem the land of Juda . . ." According to St.John (7:42), the Jewish populace gathered at Jerusalem for the celebration of the feast asked the rhetorical question: "Doth not the Scripture say that Christ cometh of the seed of David , and from Bethlehem, the town where David was?" The Chaldee paraphrase of Micah5:2 , confirms the same view: "Out of thee shall come forth unto me the Messias, that he may exercise dominion in Israel". The very words of the prophecy admit of hardly any other explanation; for "his going forth is from the beginning, from the days of eternity ".

A fourth prophecy referring to Mary is found in Jeremias 31:22; "The Lord has created a new thing upon the earth: A woman shall compass a man". The text of the prophet Jeremias offers no small difficulties for the scientific interpreter; we shall follow the Vulgate version of the Hebrew original. But even this rendering has been explained in several different ways: Rosenmuller and several conservative Protestant interpreters defend the meaning, "a woman shall protect a man"; but such a motive would hardly induce the men of Israel to return to God. The explanation "a woman shall seek a man" hardly agrees with the text; besides, such an inversion of the natural order is presented in Isaias 4:1 , as a sign of the greatest calamity. Ewald's rendering, "a woman shall change into a man", is hardly faithful to the original text. Other commentators see in the woman a type of the Synagogue or of the Church, in man the type of God , so that they explain the prophecy as meaning, " God will dwell again in the midst of the Synagogue (of the people of Israel)" or "the Church will protect the earth with its valiant men". But the Hebrew text hardly suggests such a meaning; besides, such an explanation renders the passage tautological: " Israel shall return to its God, for Israel will love its God ". Some recent writers render the Hebrew original: " God creates a new thing upon the earth: the woman (wife) returns to the man (her husband)". According to the old law ( Deuteronomy 24:1-4; Jeremiah 3:1) the husband could not take back the wife once repudiated by him; but the Lord will do something new by allowing the faithless wife, i.e. the guilty nation, to return to the friendship of God. This explanation rests upon a conjectural correction of the text; besides, it does not necessarily bear the Messianic meaning which we expect in the passage.