Everything about Our Lady points straight back to the Father, Whose faithful daughter she is; to the Son, Whose mother she is; and to the Holy Ghost Who overshadowed her. There is no one in all of History whose relationship with God is as complex, fulfilled, and achingly beautiful as Mary's. She is not only the greatest of Saints, she is our Mother, as Jesus is our Brother and Savior. In honoring her, we honor Him -- and imitate Him, as we are admonished to both honor our parents and imitate Christ, Who loved His Mother. Our relationship with Mary is that of a child to a blessed Mother who was given to us as Jesus gave her to John at the Cross. She is our spiritual Mother (Revelation 12:17 -- And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ), and she wants to pray for us.
Hail, Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.
2007-04-22 12:59:28
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answer #1
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answered by cashelmara 7
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Mary is Ever Virgin
Exodus 13:2,12 - Jesus is sometimes referred to as the "first-born" son of Mary. But "first-born" is a common Jewish expression meaning the first child to open the womb. It has nothing to do the mother having future children.
Exodus 34:20 - under the Mosaic law, the "first-born" son had to be sanctified. "First-born" status does not require a "second" born.
Ezek. 44:2 - Ezekiel prophesies that no man shall pass through the gate by which the Lord entered the world. This is a prophecy of Mary's perpetual virginity. Mary remained a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus.
Mark 6:3 - Jesus was always referred to as "the" son of Mary, not "a" son of Mary. Also "brothers" could have theoretically been Joseph's children from a former marriage that was dissolved by death. However, it is most likely, perhaps most certainly, that Joseph was a virgin, just as were Jesus and Mary. As such, they embodied the true Holy Family, fully consecrated to God.
Luke 1:31,34 - the angel tells Mary that you "will" conceive (using the future tense). Mary responds by saying, "How shall this be?" Mary's response demonstrates that she had taken a vow of lifelong virginity by having no intention to have relations with a man. If Mary did not take such a vow of lifelong virginity, her question would make no sense at all (for we can assume she knew how a child is conceived). She was a consecrated Temple virgin as was an acceptable custom of the times.
Luke 2:41-51 - in searching for Jesus and finding Him in the temple, there is never any mention of other siblings.
John 7:3-4; Mark 3:21 - we see that younger "brothers" were advising Jesus. But this would have been extremely disrespectful for devout Jews if these were Jesus' biological brothers.
John 19:26-27 - it would have been unthinkable for Jesus to commit the care of his mother to a friend if he had brothers.
John 19:25 - the following verses prove that James and Joseph are Jesus' cousins and not his brothers: Mary the wife of Clopas is the sister of the Virgin Mary.
Matt. 27:61, 28:1 - Matthew even refers to Mary the wife of Clopas as "the other Mary."
Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:47 - Mary the wife of Clopas is the mother of James and Joseph.
Mark 6:3 - James and Joseph are called the "brothers" of Jesus. So James and Joseph are Jesus' cousins.
Matt. 10:3 - James is also called the son of "Alpheus." This does not disprove that James is the son of Clopas. The name Alpheus may be Aramaic for Clopas, or James took a Greek name like Saul (Paul), or Mary remarried a man named Alpheus.
2007-04-23 02:29:58
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answer #2
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answered by Daver 7
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The answer to the question you raise is; yes catholics believe in the perpetual viginity of Mary. However, there is nothing in scripture that confirms this. The suggestion in Mathew is - at least everyone agrees - that she was a virgin until she had Jesus. What catholics subsequently believe about Mary's virginity after that, has been laid down as a matter of the 'Tradition'. When it comes to what has the upper hand, wether Scripture or the Tradition; Scripture is always the norm that is unnegotiable.
When you consider how God went about to become at one with us in the God-Man initiative, or as it is called the Mystery of the Incarnation, Mary is on our side of the deal. Scripture suggests that Jesus had no earthly father. By this action God endorses and lifts humanity by a quantum leap into a new level of being. St Pauls even suggest that those who believe that Jeasus is Lord ( Lord meaning God) is a "New Creation".
When you reflect on all the nitty gritties of faith and religion never loose sight of the big picture. Sex is nearly always a red herring that complicates matters more than they really are. The fundamentals are more simple and to the point.
Why is this man Jesus so important to us?
2007-04-20 22:22:14
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answer #3
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answered by ziffa 3
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Mary: The Roman Catholic Church teaches, among other things, that Mary is the Queen of Heaven, a perpetual virgin, and the co-redemptress who ascended into heaven. In Scripture, she is portrayed as an obedient, believing servant of God, who became the mother of Jesus. None of the other attributes mentioned by the Roman Catholic Church have any basis in the Bible. The idea of Mary being the co-redemptress and another mediator between God and man is not only extra-biblical (found only outside of Scripture), but is also unbiblical (contrary to Scripture). Acts 4:12 declares that Jesus is the only redeemer. 1 Timothy 2:5 proclaims that Jesus is the only mediator between God and men.
2007-04-21 03:22:56
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answer #4
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answered by Freedom 7
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Yes, Catholics do believe that Mary was a Perpetual Virgin. Martin Luther, John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli also defended Mary's perpetual virginity. The words of Matthew 1:24-25 are applicable not only to the eldest of several, but also to an only son.
God bless,
Stanbo
2007-04-20 19:59:30
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answer #5
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answered by Stanbo 5
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No, of direction not. there is unquestionably no evidence of this type of element whether some twist Scriptures because of the fact of lack of expertise to declare such nonsense. it is likewise theologically impossible and if authentic could propose that Jesus is an impostor as to being the Messiah. it may make Him the suited liar in background. needless to say this is an attack on faith from the father of lies. there is likewise the issue of the undeniable fact that background has not recorded any descendents. additionally, if Jesus develop into not an purely infant why develop into the blessed mom given to St. John and the Church for care by Jesus on the circulate. that could desire to have not got here approximately if there have been siblings in that custom. Such nonsense is only anti-Catholic bigotry and not making use of a shread of evidence. God bless! In Christ Fr. Joseph
2016-11-26 02:08:07
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answer #6
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answered by ? 4
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I did not believe it, but that's what I was taught in all my 12 years in Catholic School. Remember that the only one still alive to tell the disciples about that would have been Mary herself. It is of note that Joseph has only one line in this story. I can't imagine why anyone would care if Mary had sex with her husband after Jesus was born, as if sex were this horrible disgusting act that stains its participants and makes them unclean. That's a bizarre attitude. Not anything I want to know about in any case.
2007-04-20 19:57:38
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answer #7
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answered by Nowpower 7
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This is one of the more reprehensible Christian doctrines. The fetishisation of virginity, continuing in the tradition of Judaism but expanding on it, has been one of the worst things ever to happen to women's rights.
Because of the whole Madonna/Whore dichotomy, women have to deny their sexual urgers or risk being branded whores. We aren't allowed merely to do what is natural and find a healthy outlet for our sexual urges. This was even more true back when a woman was just a business deal between a man and he new bride's father.
And, of course, like most oppressed women, Mary is only valued for her virginity (even though she OF COURSE had sex, and even before marriage, if the traditional story holds any water at all) and for her relationship with a man, or in this case two men. She doesn't get any worth on her owh--she's defined in terms of her son.
The Virgin Mary, like her many statues, is not even a person. She's an object. She's the ultimate example of an objectified woman, and therefore one of the most severe and heinous instances of sexism in Western culture.
2007-04-20 19:51:25
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answer #8
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answered by Minh 6
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Yes. In Aramaic they used the same word for brother as they did for sister. Actually any female relatative was your sister and any male relative was your brother.
Orthodox believe that Joseph had children by a prior marriage and the brothers and sisters referred to were Joseph's children.
2007-04-20 19:50:43
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answer #9
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answered by Shirley T 7
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I don't know what the catholics believe about Mary is but i do know that she gave birth to a number of children after Jesus Christ was born and therefore is no longer a virgin.
2007-04-20 19:52:02
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answer #10
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answered by Anonymous
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