Presiding over Mass on the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, Pope Francis encourages us to place ourselves under her maternal protection.
The biblical Mary was many things, she was brave, she was obedient to the Lord, she was by all accounts a very special person among women, and she was the handpicked human vessel by which God came into this world in human form. Mary however was not divine, she was not sinless (Luke 1:47), she did not remain a virgin (Mark 6:3), and she was not the 'mother of God'. Mary was a humble handmaid (Luke 1:38)who obeyed God, and did as she was told to do. The word 'handmaid' means 'female slave'. (G1399) She one time gave one word of instruction one time in her life, telling people to do whatever Jesus says.
"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." John 2:4,5 (KJB)
If you are trusting in Mary, or any other human being for that matter, you will wind up disappointed 9 out of 10 times, such is human nature. But nowhere in the Bible is anyone commanded to look to Mary, trust in Mary, flee to Mary, or any other such nonsense. The so-called 'Hail Mary' prayer is not scripture but a perversion of scripture to make Mary into someone she absolutely is not. Mary is never called 'holy', and she is never called the 'mother of God', in fact, Jesus Himself never calls her His mother one time, referring to her only as 'woman'. If you are a woman and are looking for a good biblical role model, Mary is such a person. But if you think she can hear and answer your prayers, or is deserving of your worship that belongs to God alone, you have been deceived into committing idolatry.
Pope at Mass: May Mary help us to keep and ponder all things
FROM VATICAN NEWS: Pope Francis presided over morning Mass on New Year's Day in Saint Peter's Basilica with a smaller congregation present in accordance with pandemic health guidelines.
In his homily for this Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God - also marked as the World Day of Peace - the Pope recalled the joy experienced by the shepherds at Bethlehem upon visiting the baby Jesus lying in the manger, proof of God's closeness to them and to all who are poor or marginalized. Jesus being born in "littleness and poverty" fills our hearts "with love, not fear."
As this New Year begins under the sign of Mary, our Mother, whose gaze is "the path to rebirth and growth," the Pope encouraged everyone to make greater efforts to safeguard mothers and protect women, lamenting the terrible problem of violence again women today. "To hurt a woman is to insult God, who took on our humanity from a woman." The Pope prayed that, through Mary's maternal protection, she might help us all "to keep and ponder all things, unafraid of trials and with the joyful certainty that the Lord is faithful and can transform every cross into a resurrection."
He encouraged everyone to call upon her as did the People of God at Ephesus, repeating three times her title: “Holy Mother of God, Holy Mother of God, Holy Mother of God!” READ MORE
No comments:
Post a Comment