About twelve years ago a teen named Billy asked me this question, “Why do you Catholics believe that Mary ascended into heaven, when it’s not even in the Bible?”
He said “you Catholics” because he went to a local Bible Church but had been coming to a Life Teen Summer Bible Study with some of his Catholic friends.
“Well, first . . . ” I replied, “Mary did not ascend into heaven; the Blessed Virgin Mary was assumed into heaven. Jesus ascended by His own power. Mary was taken up into heaven by God.” That little difference is a big difference, so I wanted to be sure he understood it.
Billy then replied, “Okay, fine . . . but it’s still not in the Bible. The Church made it up.”
This is where the conversation got really interesting.
DID MARY DIE?
Maybe Mary didn’t die. Maybe she’s living in Brazil . . . next door to Elvis. Some people point to the fact that only Elijah and Enoch are mentioned as being carried off to heaven in Scripture, and since Mary is not, then “it must not be true.”
Have you ever noticed that although the Acts of the Apostles is an incredibly detailed accurate account of Sts. Peter and Paul, we do not read of their deaths on the pages of Scripture? Everything we know of their deaths comes from early oral tradition. In fact, the Bible doesn’t say what happened to most of the disciples. The Bible is silent in this area. Many Evangelicals accept the witness of Church history that Saint Peter was crucified upside-down in Rome, that Paul was beheaded, etc. — even though Scripture does not record these events.
We know, from oral tradition, that Mary was taken into the care of St. John (the writer of the fourth gospel and the Book of Revelation) and went to live with him in Ephesus (where he was a Bishop). We know that she was sought out for her counsel and wisdom and that she was exalted and honored throughout the community. Early Church Tradition upholds these facts as true, as do historic and non-canonical writings.
What is different, though, is that we know where the bones of Sts. Peter and Paul and other disciples like Mary Magdalene are because the early Christians took care of them. There is no record of where the bones of Mary are. It seems a little odd that if there had been a body no one would have given her a proper burial or that her tomb would not have become a landmark, does it not?
HOW DO WE KNOW MARY IS IN HEAVEN?
Well, if the woman who God specifically chose to bring His Son into the world and raise Him is not in heaven . . . none of us have a shot.
Seriously, though, is there Scriptural backing for this teaching about the Assumption? Absolutely!
While it does not explicitly state, “Mary assumed into heaven” in the Bible, stop and take a look at the verses from Revelation, written by John, of visions that were seen:
“Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm. 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. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod… Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have salvation and power come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed . . .” – Revelation 11:19, 12:1-6, 10
This revelation is referring to Mary in heaven. Mary is often referred to as the new “Ark of the Covenant.”
Indiana Jones went searching for the Ark of the Old Covenant which contained the Ten Commandments (Law), a pot of manna (heavenly bread) and the staff of Aaron (symbol of Priesthood). You can read about the Ark – but not Indiana Jones – in Hebrews 9:4. The Ark was kept free from all defect and corruption, made from the finest most pure materials to God’s exact specifications.
As the Ark of the New Covenant, Mary carried Christ who is the Law, the Bread of Life, and the Royal High Priest. Her Immaculate Conception and her state as ever-Virgin kept her free from defect and sin, preserving her throughout her life, until her death where she was immediately assumed to preserve her from any bodily corruption on earth. Notice, too, in this passage from Revelation that we see the Ark (which is missing on earth) in heaven immediately preceding our vision of this woman crowned in stars and holding a baby.
Don’t forget – to whom did God give this vision (Revelation)? He imparted it to St. John, the one who was entrusted with caring for Our Mother, Mary (John 19:25-27) for the remainder of her days on earth prior to her assumption.
In 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the doctrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary for the universal Church. The teaching was not new – only now formally clarified. He affirmed that at the end of her time on earth, Mary experienced immediately the resurrection of the body that is promised to all faithful followers of Jesus.
Basically, since Mary was preserved from original sin by the unique gift of Christ’s grace, she was able to experience the immediate perfect union with her Son in heaven, never knowing, tasting or suffering from bodily corruption or decay (due to death) in any way.
Remember, as Christians we believe in the Resurrection of the Body. As the Papal encyclical Lumen Gentium (68) asserts, Mary’s assumption and heavenly presence preceded and foreshadows our own future glory (1 Corinthians 15). You might want to check out how the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it, too (CCC 966).
One of the things that sets us apart as Catholics from Christian denominations is that we have a rich understanding of Mary and a tradition of giving her the honor she deserves. She can teach us a lot through her example of virtue and her special role within the Church. Pray with Mary and she will lead you into a far deeper relationship with Her Son than you could ever achieve by your own direction.
I’m reminded of that conversation with the teen every year around this Feast Day, only I no longer call that teen, Billy, my friend . . . now I also call him, Father Bill. He went looking for Mary and found her . . . in the Catholic Church.
Hail Mary!
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But was the assumption of Mary part of sacred tradition? If so, why is it that early Christians did not know about it? The Emperor at the Council of Chalcedon requested the relics of Mary. Why would he request them if it was widely known that she was assumed into heaven?
Thank you Steve. Your answer to Fr. Bill got my eyes watery. Loving Mary humbly and obediently shall be my penance now. God bless your apostolate.
I LUV stories with happy ending!
Erick Ybarra
A relics doesn’t have to a part of the persons body. There are different classes of relics. 1st class relics would mean a body part for example a bone or even say hair found in a favorite brush that the saint used. 2nd class relic could be owned by a saint clothing or an object closely related to the saint.
Erick Ybarra
Regarding the Council of Chalcedon. Please read the following:
St. John Damascene, a Church Father, relates an interesting historical fact in this regard:
St. Juvenal, Bishop of Jerusalem, at the Council of Chalcedon (451), made known to the Emperor Marcian and Pulcheria, who wished to possess the body of the Mother of God, that Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles, but that her tomb, when opened upon the request of St. Thomas, was found empty; wherefrom the Apostles concluded that the body was taken up to heaven.
I hope this helps!
If Mary, the mother of Jesus, was such an important part of Christ’s ministry, why isn’t more written about her life and testimony in the Holy Bible?
STEVE RAY HERE: THERE IS A LOT WRITTEN ABOUT MARY! HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF TYPOLOGY? PEOPLE MISS IT BECAUSE YOU READ THE BIBLE WITH BLIND EYES AND THRU THE LENS OF PROTESTANTISM. READ MY ARTICLES ABOUT MARY, ESPECIALLY THE ONE ON MARY, ARK OF THE NEW COVENANT.
This teaching/believe didn’t come about until pope Pius xII made it up.
STEVE RAY: Prove it if you can! You can’t! Stop being fooled by Protestant propogandists.
Hi,
I’m still having trouble understanding some of this. So I just wanted to ask…
So basically we Catholics believe that Mary is assumed into heaven by God because we did not find her bones, thus indicating she did not die.
MY RESPONSE IS IN CAPITAL LETTER TO DISTINGUISH MY COMMENTS FROM YOUR QUESTIONS.
NO, WE BELIEVE IT BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THE CHURCH INFALLIBLY TEACHES – THE SAME CHURCH THAT INFALLIBLY TAUGHT WHICH BOOKS BELONGED IN THE BIBLE AND THAT GOD IS A TRINITY.
And we believe this, because this information has been handed down through oral traditions.
NO, BECAUSE IT WAS TAUGHT FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES AND AUTHORITATIVELY TAUGHT BY THE CHURCH.
But how do we know that these oral traditions are inspired by the Holy Spirit? I believe in what is written in the bible because it was inspired by the Holy Spirit.
AND WHERE DID WE GET THE BIBLE? IT CAME FROM THE CHURCH. HOW DO WE KNOW IT IS INSPIRED SINCE THE NEW TESTAMENT MAKES NO SUCH CLAIMS FOR ITSELF? WE KNOW THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED BECAUSE THAT WAS AN INFALLIBLE DECLARATION OF THE CHURCH. WHAT CAME FIRST: THE BIBLE OR THE CHURCH? JESUS DID NOT LEAVE US A BOOK; RATHER, HE LEFT US 12 MEN, THE FIRST MAGISTERIUM AND THE HOLY SPIRIT GAVE US THE BOOK THROUGH THE CHURCH.
Also growing into a busy family, we didn’t have enough to go to Church as often as we used, since my parents work and by the time they get home, Church’s finished. So I don’t really have much of an understanding towards this.
IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO BEGIN LEARNING YOUR FAITH. I DID NOT BECOME A CATHOLIC UNTIL I WAS 39 AND I AM LEARNING AND LOVING MORE ALL THE TIME.
However I do keep asking my mom “Why do Catholics pray to Mary?”. All she answered was that she lets us become closer to God through her, and it’ll help us get our prayers answered. But then I thought “Didn’t the bible say that there is only 1 mediator between us and the Father? And that is Jesus?”
THIS IS A TYPICAL MISUNDERSTANDING OF “MEDIATOR.” I SUSPECT YOU ARE BEING INFLUENCED BY FUNDAMENTALISTS WHO ARE OPPOSED TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. IT IS ONLY THEM THAT PARROT SUCH TEACHINGS WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING. JESUS IS THE MEDIATOR OF A NEW COVENANT BETWEEN A HOLY GOD AND SINFUL MEN. ONLY CHRIST COULD DO THIS. BUT EVERY TIME WE PRAY FOR SOMEONE ELSE WE BECOME “MEDIATORS” – WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE. IF JESUS IS THE ONLY MEDIATOR IN THIS SENSE THEN WE SHOULD NEVER ASSUME TO PRAY FOR EACH OTHER.
MARY IS A MEDIATOR, THE SAINTS ARE MEDIATORS AND WE ARE MEDIATORS EVERY TIME WE PRAY FOR SOMEONE ELSE.
Also this has been pondering in my mind where you said “Pray with Mary and she will lead you into a far deeper relationship with Her Son than you could ever achieve by your own direction.”.
I’m just curious, if I wanted to have a deeper relationship with Jesus shouldn’t I go straight towards him?
IF YOU LOVE SOMEONE, YOU LOVE WHAT THEY LOVE. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW ME BETTER, THEN COME TO ME BUT ALSO GET O KNOW AND APPRECIATE MY WIFE AND FAMILY. IT IS NOT JESUS “OR” MARY AND THE SAINTS – RATHER IT IS “BOTH” JESUS AND MARY AND THE SAINTS. THIS IS A FAMILY. WHY MAKE UNNECESSARY DIVISIONS WHEN THEY ARE UNBIBLICAL AND UNWISE.
Instead of going through Mary to do so? After didn’t Jesus say ‘let the children come to me?”
I hope you find time to answer my questions 🙂
WE DON’T GO THROUGH MARY (AT LEAST EXCLUSIVELY). WE GO DIRECTLY TO THE LORD, BUT IN A FAMILY WE ALL LOVE AND GO TO ONE ANOTHER. WHEN WE PRAY FOR EACH OTHER WE DISPLAY THE FAMILY. IF WE ASK MARY (WHO IS ALIVE IN HEAVEN) TO PRAY WITH US OR FOR US WE ARE ONLY DOING WHAT WE DO IF YOU ASK ME TO PRAY FOR YOU.
I SUGGEST YOU READ THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON THESE MATTERS. ALSO CHECK OUT http://www.catholic.com/tracts/browse/Mary
GOD BLESS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Protestants and Jew don’t need Mary and saints to be sure that salvation and eternal bliss come G at catholics need to bow your heads to handcrafts, may God forgive you for know nothing about salvation.
STEVE RAY HERE.
Here’s another example of blatant ignorance about what the Catholic Church actually teaches. People like this parrot the things that they’ve heard from others and have no idea what the Catholic Church actually teaches. I allowed this comment so that people could see how foolish some people really are in their understanding of the Catholic faith.
Arieh: with all due respect, if the Jews would have recognized who Mary was, they would have known that Jesus was their Messiah. God promised the House of David that he would give them a sign: Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a SIGN: the young virgin, pregnant and about to bear a son, shall name him Emmaneul.” This sign, is also mentioned in Revelation 12:1 “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun with the moon at her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth”……
I am from what Catholics would term a Protestant type of Church, as we do hold the view that Jesus had brothers and we do not pay much attention to Mary (mother of Jesus) and the saints. Neither do we believe in purgatory. Even so we must guard against fighting amongst each other. These stated differences I submit is in the end irrelevant to our salvation, as we will be saved beacuase of our believe in Jesus – Joh 1:12. We should therefore not attach to much weight to these differences, because whether you believe Jesus had brothers or not is not relevant to us being safed. They are interesting to debate and we learn much from these debates. Let us not elevate these differences to the basis of our faith, beacuase they are not. Brothers and sisters in Christ please remember whether you are Catholic or Protestant, we Christians are part of the same body in Jesus – Eph 4:25. Lets live in the Love Jesus requires from us. Lets work for Christ’s kingdom by bearing fruits, and not fight about these and similar diffrences. In the end the essence of our faith is the same: Jesus son of God – Joh 3:16.
STEVE RAY HERE:
I have to disagree with you. The truth is the truth and error is error. The things that you now believe we’re not believed for the first 1500 years of the church. You are in error and that it’s not a good thing. Because of your mentality that you can create your own church with your own little theologies and that you do not will have to follow the Church Jesus founded, but you can create your own churches your own reality, that is why we have so much conflict and division within Christianity. Breaking away into your own little sects with your own little ideas is a scandal for Christianity. The world looks at us and says they don’t even know what to believe. These issues that you mentioned are important issues because they are sectarian and divisive. Of course Jesus is the central issue but what’s important to Jesus should be important to us.
The problem w Protestantism of all types is that they cherry pick a verse or verses in isolation. They disregard other parts, and then they make their own interpretation. Anyone can do that, and so many have.. Jesus said that He will account for every farthing. Jesus gave His Apostles the first priests in the Apostolic Succession) the power to forgive sins here on earth (what is loosed here by them will be loosed in heaven – what is bound here will be bound in heaven. Ever winder WHY Jesus did that? WHY did people still need to be forgiven? Where in the Bible does it say that you can just believe and then you can do whatever you want and you will be saved? WHY did He still tell Mary <Magdalen to go and sin no more? She can just keep on sinning, as long as she believes Jesus will save her?? I can go on and on with the errors 0f the Protestant interpretations as well as the errors of what they say Catholics believe which is a real hoot. But there are so many different , opposing doctrines in Protestantism. Some Protestants believe in works, others do not. Protestants just discard so much and make up their own interpretations, which is like being Luciferian. Beware of your judgment of Catholics and Catholicism. You should at least have the wisdom to learn what it is that you dismiss and condemn, and it shows that you have not done this. .
Hi Steve thank you for your reply, and thank you for explaining your view points. As a Christian I want to learn as much of our Christ and his words as I can. I want to have a relationship with Jesus. I long to know his will for me and want to fulfill my roll in this world. I love Jesus with all my heart and my mind. I learn much debating these issues. I agree with you; there are too may denominations and churches, especialy as they essentially believe the same thing. We should not let secondary issues create division within Christianity. Hence my suggestion that it is time that Catholic Christians and Protestant Christians, in fact all Christian believers, irrespective of the name of their church, to start working together. After all we believe in the same God. There is no need to fight because we are in agreement on the main issues. Lets put the differences aside lead by example, bear fruits and minister to the world about the mesage of Jesus. Lets pray for the Holy spirit to lead us and do God’s will.
STEVE RAY HERE AGAIN:
Marius, you sound like a very good person. You have a good heart, a great love for God, and the desire to be in unity with all other Christians so that we can have a united front and give a good testimony to the world.
However, I think you’re also a little naïve (don’t mean that in an insulting way) about the state of Christianity and the history. There was only one church for the first thousand years. Nobody held to the ideas you hold too now. Catholics are not the ones who attack – they are usually sedate and reserved. I don’t think they are as aggressive as they should be sometimes to proclaim the truth. On the other hand, there are many in the Protestant sects who are very aggressive against Catholics. I know this because I’ve been in the Philippines, in India, and many other places where Protestants are attacking Catholics, discrediting them, and trying to get the Catholics to leave the Catholic Church.
I know this because I have spent a lot of time not only in United States but also in the Philippines, India, and other places in the world where this proselytizing is taking place.
The best solution of course, is for everybody to be back in one, holy, Catholic and apostolic church like they were for the first thousand years. That church happens to be the Catholic Church led by the shepherd that Jesus appointed and it was that church that determined the books that belonged in the Bible, the definition of the Trinity and the whole host of other matters that Protestants just take for granted.
I would invite you and all your friends to come back to the Catholic Church so that we can again start working towards a real unity and not just one of words.
In the meantime God bless you, I love you in the Lord Jesus, and I think you’re a great person.
there’s only one true church and it’s the Greek Orthodox Church.
STEVE RAY HERE: Oh my, and I thought it was the Bulgarian Orthodox Church 🙂
The meaning of the Woman and the Beast (Revelations 17:7-18) ..
This scripture stated the that Woman in Revelations 12: 1-6 is not Mary. Revelations 17: 18 says ” And the Woman whom you saw is the great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” And the great city is Israel.
The best thing to do before criticizing and speaking against the Catholic Church is to first EDUCATE yourself and thoroughly STUDY the facts before preaching what you haven’t confirmed yet. All the bibles that are used at others sects churches where derived from, guess?…Yes, the one and only Catholic Church. If anyone is willing to open up to the real truth of the only church established and founded by Jesus Himself, I guarantee you will be amazed at what you discover. Just check out the book written by a former Pentecostal Pastor who yearned to seek more knowledge about God and found himself accidentally across the truth, the Catholic Church, the real Church of Christ. With this undeniable truth, he could not turn his back away from God Himself and, so, he decided to “grow” in his faith and became Catholic. He now serves as Deacon for the Archdioceses in Detroit and travels all over the country sharing his testament. I share this with everyone, not for the promotion of the book and to make money, I have to connections with the author, but I share it because I am currently reading Deacon Alex Jones’ book, “No Price Is Too High.” I came across Deacon Alex Jones at a Catholic Ministry assembly and he was the guest that night. I have to say his story is impacting and very informative about how he came to find the truth and understand the Catholic Church, the real Church of Christ whom he left to us 2000 years ago!
~V
Dominus Vobiscum – “The Lord be with you” (Latin)
The woman of Rev. 17 is the Harlot, not the woman who gave birth to Christ.
Yes.
Because this happened late in Apostolic times.
Remember that most of the New Testament is written upon the basis of the Teachings of Jesus Christ. But some of the New Testament is based upon the history of the Early Church. Therefore, we know that the Early Church was oppressed by the Sanhedrin and scattered throughout the world by their persecution.
Although Christ prophesied that this would happen, the New Testament records that it did happen.
As concerns the Assumption of Mary,
1. we know from the New Testament that she was still alive when Jesus died and was resurrected. And still alive when He ascended to heaven.
That means that the Assumption of Mary is a Tradition of Apostolic origins.
2. We can confirm this because we also know that Jesus appointed St. John the Apostle as her guardian. It is St. John who wrote the book of Revelations. And it is this book which records her bodily presence in heaven:
Revelation 12:1And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
Even today, there are Christians who do not have perfect knowledge of their faith. Many confuse the Assumption with the Ascension. However, the Emperor was informed by the Bishops in attendance as to why her relics were not available. So, although the Emperor didn’t know, the Church did.
1. Because the Church is Christocentric.
2. However, there is quite a bit mentioned about Mary, you simply don’t see it because you read Scripture differently than do we. Let me show you.
Scripture says that God’s will should be done on earth as it is in heaven.
And God wills that the Angels praise Mary:
Luke 1:
26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Let’s break this down:
ANGEL GABRIEL
1. an angel is a messenger of God. That is what the word, angel, means.
2. this angel, Gabriel, is one of the four angels that stands before the throne of God.
WAS SENT FROM GOD
1. God sent this angel to Mary.
2. Since this angel is a messenger of God’s, God sent Him to deliver a message.
3. Therefore, the angel was not speaking on his own, but was communicating God’s message to Mary.
4. If we skip down to verse 28, we see that this was a message of praise (i.e. blessed art thou).
5. Therefore God praised Mary through His Angel.
That is great praise indeed. Do you know of any man whose praise is worth more than God’s? In other words, what do you value more highly, the praise of man or the praise of God?
So, as we can see, God sent the Angel to do His Will. What is His Will. Obviously, God sent the Angel to deliver a message of praise. Therefore it is God’s will that the Angels praise Mary.
And there’s yet more. God wills that men praise Mary. Because the Holy Spirit inspired a holy woman to exclaim, “”Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ”
Still in Luke chapter 1: 41And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
Let’s break this down:
1. The Holy Spirit is God the Third Person of the Holy Trinity.
2. Therefore, God inspired Elisabeth to praise Mary.
3. This praise is inscribed in the Word of God for all generations.
4. Since Elisabeth is a member of the human race, then it is safe to conclude that God wills that men praise Mary.
5. And we find, again, that God praised Mary through His Saint. Saint Elisabeth praised Mary when she was inspired by the Holy Spirit to do so. That means that it is the Holy Spirit’s praise which she passed on. That is why Scripture is called the Word of God. Because it is inspired by the Holy Spirit.
So, you see, there’s quite a bit about Mary in Scripture. But Protestants can’t see it because you are trained to ignore and reject Mary.
On the contrary, it is substantiated in Rev 12:1. The Woman who is crowned with 12 stars is the same woman who gives birth to the King of heaven. That Woman is Mary. Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ, the King of Heaven. And St. John, inspired of the Holy Spirit, saw her bodily in heaven.
That is one of the points of evidence. That is also one of our points of evidence about Jesus. We have His Burial Cloth, the Shroud and we have parts of the Cross. But we don’t have His body.
The same with Mary. We have some of her linens and parts of her clothes, but we have no body.
We believe that it is mostly in Tradition, but some of it is in Scripture. Rev 12:1 mentions that St. John, the Apostle, saw a Woman, the mother of the Messiah, in Heaven. Mary is the Mother of the Messiah.
Several ways. But the most important for me is that Jesus said that the Church would never fall (Matt 16:18-19). And that St. Paul said that the Church is the Teacher of God’s wisdom (Eph 3:10).
The Bible tells you to listen to the Church (Matt 18:17; Heb 13:7).
Keep posting on this blog. Steve Ray is very knowledgeable. You might also inquire at your own Catholic Church, they may have adult catechism classes.
Yes. But the Bible commands us all to be intercessors.
1 Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
To understand that Mary (along with all the Saints) is interceding for us in heaven, we must understand that:
1. Christ is interceding for us in heaven.
2. Christ is our example.
3. Therefore, we must all intercede for each other.
4. All who believe in Christ, live even though they die:
John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
5. Therefore, even when we go to heaven, we keep interceding for each other.
You don’t understand the Imitation of Christ. When you turn to Mary and humble yourself before her, you imitate Christ, who came from heaven to become a fetus in her womb and a child in her arms.
When you turn to Mary and love her with all your heart, you become like Christ. Turning to Mary is the most direct and straightest road towards Christ.
Yes, He did. And I’m sure that Mary hands Him all those children. In fact, Mary is the mother of all the children who keep the Commandments and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
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.
I hope that helps
I, as a catholic, didn’t really understood the role of Mother Mary until I placed myself as Mother Mary through simple meditation of Her Journey in the bible. By this simple act, I realised how important her role is. At the cross, Jesus entrusted her to His Beloved Disciple, St John. Couldn’t God just take care of her? He can but His Will is to give Mother Mary to all His Beloved Disciples and at the Level of His Church. At Jesus’ Birth, Passion and Death, She was there. At the Descent of The Holy Spirit, She was there.
And Only She, received the Highest Greeting from God,” Hail Mary, Full of Grace.” Those who studied the original texts of the Gospels will know this.
How do I answer someone in the context of Enoch & Elijah who were taken into heaven being sinful and therefore Mary could also be sinful, being assumed into heaven?
My question now is this; Why would a person call people foolish and blind, for seeing things a different way than they do, if it is something that can be interpreted in different ways depending on your point of view? None of us is God, not everyone can be right and so obviously perhaps none of us are. Selah (think about that carefully and thoughtfully~)
STEVE RAY HERE: Hello Charlene. Thanks for your comment and your thoughts.
However, I would have to disagree with you quite stringently. God himself gave us a revelation in writing and in his Son Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came down from heaven to give us the truth as God would have us know it.
Before Jesus ascended into heaven he established a Church with the promise that the church would be the “pillar and foundation of the truth.” The Catholic Church has been in existence for 2000 years and established by Jesus and his 12 apostles.
If, as you suggest, we are all aimlessly wandering about looking for the truth and never knowing it for sure, then we are the most miserable of all beings.
However, God did not leave us in that state of affair but sent his Holy Spirit to be the heart and soul of his Catholic Church. And this way we CAN know the truth and it is incumbent upon us to research it, know it and live it.
Thank you for this Mr Steve, in our present generation, many people ignored Mother Mary and many sects destroy and insulting God’s image. I want to share to other people the TRUE GOD and share some of their powerful name but i’m afraid that they’ll just ignored or laugh at me. my home country is philippines by the way. may GOD BLESSED you in your journey Sir 🙂
Leo: please read my writing about this here https://www.catholicconvert.com/wp-content/uploads/Documents/MaryAndWorship.doc.
Helo mr steve,
I was born a catholic and wanted to be a priest (I had a call of God upon my life at age 13).In otner to serve God in his vindyard I discovered that there are a lot of idolatry in the catholic church “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation (ESV),
Now my belove brother steve, please am not here to argue but to learn and spread tne good news,how can explain the verse with respect to catnolic church,I have been and I have bow to alot of hand made images infact I was the president of tne st jude praying society, there is no difference between the shrine of st jude and any other idolatrous shrine because what those idol whorshipers do in their shrines we do the same , we burn candles, we bow to images and so on .pleae I need an explannatio.
Try to give me a biblical base answer
STEVE RAY HERE: I have lots of articles for you to read that will help you at http://www.catholicconvert.com/resources
I know Jesus existed before the world was even created. Maybe not in the "human" version, but as God.
I understand Mary birthed Jesus as a human. I also know that the human body is the most "perishable" part of a person being. And I don't think nor Jesus or Mary have their earthly flesh there in heaven.
Question:
– Is Mary still Jesus' mother even though they left their human body?
– If Mary is still called Mother of GOD, does that mean she lived befor Jesus; Jesus as spiritual being?
STEVE RAY HERE: They DO still have their physical bodies in heaven, even though they are “upgraded” bodies. Mary did not live before Jesus. She is a finite human being, Jesus is the infinite divine 2nd Person of the Trinity that has always existed. Jesus was both God and Man and Mary was his mother — the mother of a DIVINE PERSON and therefore the Mother of God.
Explain luke 1:46 why did Mary say My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my saviour if she was without sin?
STEVE RAY HERE: That is very easy. Everyone is and was subject to sin, especially original sin. Mary too. But by a miraculous act of God, based on the merits of her son, Mary was “saved” or prevented from sin at the moment of her conception. She was saved from sin by her savior Son. Very easy.
One big question….
Is mary a Catholic?
STEVE RAY HERE: Of course Mary is a Catholic! Not only that, she is the Queen of Heaven and Mother of the founder of the Catholic Church! Smart man Joseph 🙂
Dear Steve. I have learned a lot from you and thank you for helping me understand my Cathoic faith better. How can I answer protestants who tell me the passage where woman wearing the Crown (our Queen) refers to the Church and not Mary. Many thanks from Gibraltar
Steve Ray here: Protestants always want to make it either/or. Catholics understand that most of the time it is both/and. There’s no reason to say it is not Mary and only the church when it’s OBVIOUS that it’s referring to the mother of Jesus who is Mary. So in John’s way of writing it is both literal and symbolic.
In addition to that the product and should also get to know his old testament better and know that the queen is always the mother and that the wife. Since Jesus is the king then it is expected that Mary’s will be the queen.
Dear Steve, I came across your answers about Mary and would like your point of view on the below :
Roman Catholics refer to Mary as 'the mother of GOD' .
This would mean that since GOD had a mother, than
1) he had a father, grandmother and grandfather
2) he was not the creator
STEVE RAY HERE:
This is a misunderstanding of the phrase “Mary, mother of God.” This does NOT mean that she is the mother of the Trinity which would be ridiculous and heretical. God has no beginning and he IS existence.
As Catholics we believe that Jesus is God in the flesh. He has two natures: both God and Man, divine and human. However, he is not “two persons” but he is one person. He is a Divine person. Mary gave birth to Jesus who was a divine person, therefore she is the Mother of a divine person by an act of God. Therefore she is righly called the Mother of God since Jesus is God.
Jesus a divine person, in his human nature, had grandparents on his mother’s side. He had no earthly father since God was his father. So there you go 🙂
Steve Ray, Brothers and Sisters of Faith, hear this. When the persecution comes the enemy isnt going to ask us if we pray to Mary. The enemy isnt going to ask you if you are Catholic or Non Catholic. The question will be, are you a follower of Christ? When the gun is to our heads and the knife is to our throats and when we are chained in prison the demand will be renounce Christ or die. People of Faith, wake up!
Hi Steve,
How do I convince my husband to allow my son to be baptized into the TRUE Church of Christ with priest molestation?
STEVE HERE: You cannot force him, but read my article about how to deal with him here: Six Rules: https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/six-rules-for-dealing-with-non-catholic-family-and-friends
Second, there are only a few pervert priests!! The vast majority are marvelous Holy men!
How does the HOLY SPIRIT guide the HOLY Father to cover up sin of the priests?
STEVE RAY: The Pope can (and Does) sin and can do and say things wrong (he does), but when he does so it is not the Holy Spirit.
Thank you very much! I look forward to your answer.
STEVE RAY HERE: The comment below is typical evangelical protestant thinking. I have allowed it to show up on the board to show what typical evangelicals believe. Maybe someone would like to respond. If not, it’s OK but it’s the same simplistic way I used to think before I discovered the fullness of the catholic Church. I am not trying to be insulting to the writer but just honest.
ANONYMOUS’ COMMENT:
I'm sorry. There is only one way to God and that is through Christ. We need a personal relationship with him, not Mary.
If a person claims that he has a deep personal relationship with Christ, then why does he need Mary to pray for him when he can just pray to God, through Jesus' name?
I would rather ask a friend-who happens to be alive-to pray for me rather than pray to Mary whom is dead and does not have solid biblical truth to be assumed into heaven.
Mary may be the literal mother of Christ's physical body, but never did Jesus call her his mother. He addressed her with respect but never did he call her his mother for God does not have a mother.
Hello Mr. Steve,
I am a pious Catholic and I pray every single day. Always in the evening and often in the morning. For the past 8 years,I started to pray in these parts of the day to Holy Mary, because I was told that she can help us. However, I have been praying mostly to her, when I ask to help for other people, who are my relatives and friends. While to God I give my thanks and I also ask blessings from Him. But relatively, I mostly pray to Mary, not Jesus directly. Which made me think, should I pray more to Jesus Christ, or should leave it as I usually do?
Moreover, I am wondering, what exactly is the difference when I pray to God and when I pray to Holy Mary or other saints? I know I get their support, the same way as I ask someone else to pray for me, but I want to know some clarifications.
Thank you for your hard work and may God bless you and your whole family!
P.S. I also read your responses to these comments. And since they are in capital letters (I know the reason why they are), the only thing that came to my mind was a jolly Texan salesman, selling ol’ cars real cheap, because I listened to your talks on YouTube. But instead you were giving your knowledge. Still, I think it suits you well 😉
We are instructed to love God first and foremost and not to pray to intermediaries. Loving all creation would be in accordance, however we are not instructed to pray TO everyone we love. We are commanded to pray FOR everyone directly TO Jesus Christ who makes intercession on behalf of our prayers.
STEVE RAY RESPONDING TO MICHAEL’S COMMENT:
Michael:
Much of what you said is true. Catholics believe we pray to the Trinity. But you also must understand that historically the word “pray“ means to ask. Protestants confuse the words “pray” and “worship” as the same things—acts of worship. In old English I would pray that you would do something for me. Do a search on my website for Sherlock Holmes and you’ll understand this better. https://catholicconvert.com/blog/2019/01/07/sherlock-holmes-an-idolater-praying-to-people/
Show me chapter and verse in the Bible where we are commanded not to pray-ask intermediaries to intercede for us. It’s nowhere in the Bible. We are commanded to ask others to pray for us all the time (to mediate since a mediator is someone in-between). If you ask me to intercede for you you’re praying to me because pray means to ask in English. It does not mean to worship.
The Bible says there is only one mediator between God and man and that is the man Christ Jesus. This is basic Catholic teaching and there’s no way that sinful man can bridge the gap with a holy God. Jesus Christ is the only bridge and mediator to heal that rift and fill that chasm. He is the only mediator who can do so.
But every time you ask someone to pray for you, you’re asking them to mediate or intercede, to be in the middle. I think that’s pretty easy to understand. Paragraph because Catholics believe that Saints are very much I live in heaven and we are all still the One body of Christ and there’s a communion of saints, we can ask them to intercede for us.
If Jesus is the only mediator on the level of prayer, then you should never ask anyone to pray for you again but you should intercede directly to Jesus since according to you, you are forbidden to ask anyone else except Jesus.
It is really a simple as that and there’s no need to make it any more nefarious or confusing than that. It is simply asking a fellow brother and sister in the body of Christ to intercede for us.
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Well done Steve Ray. Totally Agree with you on your answers
I am Roman Catholic from India, but i am also curious why we made idols and images when it is clearly written in bible that God hate idol worship. He also commanded not to make idols of "heaven above" it means whoever is in heaven (Even God) not to make it's idol or image and bow down or worship.
You even didnt answer this question (below)
"arieh solomon January 13, 2014 at 5:08 AM
Protestants and Jew don’t need Mary and saints to be sure that salvation and eternal bliss come G at catholics need to bow your heads to handcrafts, may God forgive you for know nothing about salvation.
STEVE RAY HERE.
Here’s another example of blatant ignorance about what the Catholic Church actually teaches. People like this parrot the things that they’ve heard from others and have no idea what the Catholic Church actually teaches. I allowed this comment so that people could see how foolish some people really are in their understanding of the Catholic faith."
I want to know being Roman Catholic, Coz I feel we are given wrong teaching in our churches.
Flory
STEVE RAY HERE:
Hello Flory:
I understand your question because I have been to the Philippines six times and India 5 times to teach people how to defend their Catholic Faith. The biggest lie that the Protestants use against Catholics is that they violate the Bible with idols. This is absolutely untrue and a lie.
Idols are foreign gods that people bow down and worship in the place of Almighty God. Images are not a violation of the law. God himself told his people to make golden angels to put on the ark. These images of angels were not idols. See in Exodus 25:18–20; 37:7–9.
If all images are a violation of God’s Law, then why did God tell the people to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole to look at and be saved Num. 21:8, 9. Jesus even refers to this as a symbol of himself in John 3:14.
Here is an article you should read: https://www.catholic.com/tract/do-catholics-worship-statues
I have a picture of my wife in my pocket. It is an image on paper. I often look at it and kiss it, but I am not worshiping my wife. It is a sign of love and affection. This is the way Catholic images should be seen.
Raised Catholic but have many doubts about the church's teachings. I go to church but it seems I’m just there to pray to Mary and a lot of Saints. Jesus is rarely mentioned.
I spent six years in a residential school where priests and nuns wearing crosses and professing to do the work of God and yet at night when the lights are off these holy people were crawling into children’s bed and doing horrible things to us. The nuns were beating children with straps on regular bases for no good reasons. Whenever that felt be it 2:00 am they’d wake us up just to beat us. Their excuse, they heard whispering. If no one claimed to be whispering then the whole dorm was beaten.
I’m in my seventies now and to did day I can’t understand how they professed to love God and pray daily yet be so cruel knowing how Jesus felt about children. Need some sort of explanation.
STEVE RAY HERE:
Marilyn:
If these things happened to you they were certainly the exception. These are human beings with flaws and often poor education and instruction themselves. Anyone who does such things is worthy of a public flogging in my opinion. Especially priests and religious who besmirch God by such evil conduct will spend eternity in hell in punishment for their crimes. But then again, this is not normal conduct in the church and cannot be imposed on all priests and nuns who in general very holy and moral people. I apologize to you for the way you were treated.
By the way, Jesus is mentioned in the Mass FAR MORE TIMES THAN MARY. Next Mass, take a paper and pencil and count the number of times we praise Jesus Christ in the Maass. You may be surprised.
Even if she ascended to heaven and she is Arch of the covenant, why Catholics worship her?or accept her as a mediator?
isn't God himself is only one who deserves worshipping?
isn't Jesus is the only high priest? and our holy mediators isn't he the only way?
STEVE RAY HERE: Sam, those are really dumb questions!! Catholics do not worship Mary, they honor her. Big difference. Jesus is the only mediator between heaven and earth that can bring us salvation from our sins, but all of us are mediators when we pray for people. Mediate means “in the middle” and that is what YOU do when you pray for someone.
Why bring up Jesus as the only high priest? Of course he is and every Catholic believes that. I suggest you find out what the Catholic Church REALLY teaches rather than listen to silly Protestants who have no idea what they are talking about.
27 As he said these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” 28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Luke 11:27~28 ESV
in verse 28 Jesus is clearly stating that those who hear the word of God and keep it are rather blessed than being the one that bore himself physically.
19 Then his mother and his brothers[b] came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” 21 But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
Luke 8:19~20 ESV
the point of these two verses is not about whether Jesus had physical brothers or sisters. It is that his true family are those that hear the word of God and do it.
Jesus is saying that the true blessings and oneness with himself can only be done through hearing the word of God and doing it. Both verse has the same intention to lead people to hearing God’s word and obeying it, instead of praising Mary for being the physical bearer of Jesus. And Yes, Mary was a blessed woman but if Mary was blessed how much more those who hear God’s words and obey it. If you Catholics are gonna praise Mary for giving birth to Jesus then you ought to praise those even more who hear and obey the word of God! We should stick to the core essence of God’s word which is Jesus’ teachings.
Hello, I just wanted to say thank you for this story. I grew up in a Presbyterian Church, I was fortunate enough to go to the private school of the church. As my parents were the parishioners of the church and cleaned it in the grounds to pay for my tuition. I have always had a strong faith. When I was twelve my new stepfather, who was a devoted Catholic. Opened my eyes to different forms of religion.
I don't agree with your position that the Roman Catholic church is the Church which Christ founded and that the books contained in the Bible have their validity because your church selected and authenticated them. The early Christians merely recognised the validity of the sacred Scriptures through being convinced of their authorship by the Holy Spirit. They didn't add some sacred quality to the books as if they wouldn't be the Word of God if they didn't recognise them as such. Also the Christian Church owes its origin to the Word of God which precedes the establishment of the Church. It's God who makes Christians and establishes His Church as Christ says in Matthew 16 where he says to Peter that on the rock of belief in Him as the Son of God He would build His Church. Christ's Church therefore isn't a community of people who believe that the popes are Christ's instruments to lead the Church but rather is all those who believe in Jesus as their Saviour and are righteous in God's sight through faith alone in Christ.
So just because your church says that Mary was taken up into heaven body and soul doesn't make it true. Your church has no ability to define anything as dogma since it was never given the promise that it could never err and be thrown down to hell. That promise was made to Christ's true Church which is all those, like Martin Luther, who are justified through faith alone and don't do good works to earn merit but do them freely as a consequence of their faith (Eph 2:8-10, Rom 3&4)
STEVE RAY HERE: Edward, I read your comment with interest and a little bit of deja vu — since that is exactly what I used to believe as well. Funny that I could have written this myself 30 years ago. You bring up way to many issues to address with any completeness here in the short time I have for a response but I have written on all of the above matters in quite some detail. You can find my writings at http://www.CatholicConvert.com/resources.
You mention the “Christian Church” which you will find mentioned as such no where in history. It was referred to as Catholic. And your idea of how books of the Bible were recognized and canonized is very simplistic — a revision of history — since you have obviously never take the time to study history and the formation of the canon. YOu may especially be interested in my article “Are the Books of the Bible Self-authenticating” which can be read here https://catholicconvert.com/documents/NTSelfAuthenticating.doc
Actually, your comment above is full of the same sort of parroted misunderstandings that are typical of those who love Our Lord and the Bible, but have no real idea of the origins or our history. God bless you my friend.
I've always wondered why the catholic church doesn't follow what's in the Bible yet they sat down to actually chose what books should be included. And then I read somewhere that after Jesus was born Mary and Joseph had kids and a family together.
STEVE RAY HERE: The Catholic Church follows the Bible perfectly. It is the source of our Catholic theology. They chose the books and they follow the books. Mary and Joseph did not have children together. No one would have dreamed of that in the early Church. A man name Helvidius proposed this and St. Jerome destroyed him. You can read it here: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3007.htm
Gotta read all of Revelation 12. Remember Revelation is prophecy. It is written in symbolic language. A woman in bible prophecy represents a church. Revelation speaks of two women — a woman clothed in white, which represents a pure church; and a woman clothed in purple which represents a corrupt church.
Also in the beginning of the book of Revelation, John tells us that he is writing about the future, not the past. Read Revelation 1:1
Read the passages about these women in Revelation 12 and Revelation 17. Make a list of the qualities of each woman (church) and compare them. Revelation is a rich study if you remember that it is written in symbols
STEVE RAY HERE:
Chrissy, thanks for writing. Revelation is not only prophecy. It is a very intriguing apocalyptical writing from the first century, much more than just prophecy. You need to read it as a first century Christian would have read it, not as a modern-day American with a Protestant Commentary in your hand.
Of course it is written in symbolic language, but not only symbolic language. You make a common mistake in trying to limit everything to a simple formula when not everything can thuse e limited. The woman ONLY represents the church? Is the Devil and the Ruler with a Rod of Iron – are they only symbolic too? Can't have it both ways. If the Man and the Serpent are real, so is the woman. The Bible begins with a real man, a real woman and a real serpent in a real garden — the Bible ends with a real man, a real woman and a real serpent in a real city.
Your purple and white are your conjecture. No woman in purple is mentioned in Rev. 12. Future, yes. And Mary is seen as Queen of Heaven in the present and the future. You may want to expand your reading on Revelation. I would recommend Scott Hahn's book.
Instructive also to read the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 1138 “‘Recapitulated in Christ,’ these are the ones who take part in the service of the praise of God and the fulfillment of his plan: the heavenly powers, all creation (the four living beings), the servants of the Old and New Covenants (the twenty-four elders), the new People of God (the one hundred and forty-four thousand),4 especially the martyrs “slain for the word of God,” and the all-holy Mother of God (the Woman), the Bride of the Lamb,5 and finally “a great multitude which no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes, and peoples and tongues.”6
4 4 Cf. Rev 4–5; 7:1–8; 14:1; Isa 6:2–3.
5 5 Rev 6:9–11; Rev 21:9; cf. 12.
6 6 Rev 7:9.
No. I do not agree with what the Catholic church believes about Mary, but I also respect everyone within the church?. However, Mary was not assumed into heaven the same way Jesus did. You say that this is because her bones were never found, and because the church teaches that way. But why do we assume that the Catholic church has all the answers. The Bible itself is true in every way. And all these religions say the same, "we are the only ones who are correct" when in reality, you really just need the Bible. Going to church is good, but a church that adds things to the bubble such as Mary being assumed into heaven, I believe is not a place to be. I just don't understand, we should not believe nor do anything out of the Bible, so why do Catholics worship Mary? And when you say you do not worship her, then why do u pray to her? When prayer is a form of worship? (I am not being judgemental. All love is sent to everyone! 🙂 however, there is only one mediator between God and men. 1 Timothy 2:5 "For there is only one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ" So why do believe you must go through Mary to get to God. It would mean that Jesus death was in vain wouldn't it? Because he died so that we could go to heaven. He opened the gates of heaven. So that we may only go through Jesus christ, and that our son's may be forgiven. No Saint, or statue gives us salvation, none other than the man Jesus Christ. We shall only pray to him and only to his name's. For the bible states, the second commandment in Exodus 20, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is an heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them nor serve them…" So tell me, children of God, how must you argue with the word of God. The word was always there. And the word will always be true. Open your eyes and see the Glory and the goodness of Jesus. He is the son of God. The lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He shall be praised, honoured, and no other statue or image from heaven above shall be prayed or bowed down to. May the peace of Jesus Christ be with you all. ? 🙂
STEVE RAY HERE: WOW! How would someone even begin to sort through and correct all the confusion and ill-conceived assumption promoted here? Most reading this will see the misunderstandings. I will leave to someone with more time than I to sort through this and respond.
Okay, I shall await a response. Although, I don't think there is any confusion with sticking to the word of God. But I respect you sir. Not your beliefs
STEVE RAY HERE: It always goes down to an individual’s private interpretation of “the word.” There are thousands of people who read and interpret the Bible in their own way, or as they have been taught by others and then come up with every kind of interpretation. This is a classic case of that kind of confusion. I also respect Ellie, but I understand where her confusion comes from.
I do not believe I am in confusion. Is the Catholic church the only church that can interpret the bible correctly? Christian churches that I have been to seem to interpret it very well. I pray to God, to the Holy spirit to give me and my family understanding of the ord to be able to see good from bad, right from wrong, and the Holy Spirit has shown us these things, never have so many blessings been poured onto us since then. I was once Catholic, but I just don't see the biblical aspect in Catholic beliefs.
STEVE RAY HERE: Ellie: I love your heart and your desire to know God and understand the truth. Happy Easter!
You and I both read the same Bible. We both pray to the same Holy Spirit. We both pray and ask for the truth. Yet, how is it that you and I both come to different conclusions? And there are thousands of others who have come to very different conclusions than you and I. So, is the Holy Spirit confused?
Is the Bible easy to understand so that anyone like you can pick it up and easily understand it? It is not. Even St. Peter says, “Our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures” (2 Peter 3:15–16).
The Holy Spirit gave us a Church in the very beginning. Jesus said, “I will build My Church!” He did not say “churches.” The Catholic Church can prove its heritage all the way back to the Apostles – Popes Peter, Linus, Cletus, Clement …. all the way to Pope John Paul II, Benedict and Francis. This one Church was given the authority to bond and loose, to legislate and adjudicate.
Here are two documents you may want to read. The first is “Questions for ‘Bible Christians'” and the second is a letter I wrote to a Fundamentalist preacher who believes very much like you do.
Questions for Bible Christians: https://catholicconvert.com/documents/QuestionsforBibleChristians.pdf
Letter to a Fundamentalist: https://www.catholicconvert.com/wp-content/uploads/LetterToFundamentalist.pdf
Hi Steve.
Who is Jesus? Who is Holy Spirit? What is Trinity? R they God himself? Am always confused with this concept. Can you please explain?
And why there is not much writing on Jesus childhood?
STEVE RAY HERE: Hello Wilma. We are told in Scripture that there is one God, yet we see three persons who are referred to as God — the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. So we believe there is one God that is three persons. The Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy SPirit is God. They are a Trinity of Persons.
The Father is not the Son nor the Spirit; the Son is not the Father nor the Spirit; the Spirit is not the Father nor the Son. All are separate and equal Persons. The three of them make the one God. Here is a diagram that helps to explain https://rexresources.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/trinity.png
Not sufficient evidence in the Holy Scriptures to support the assumption of Mary, please provide more guidance.
STEVE RAY HERE: Roberto, can you first give me sufficient evidence from Holy Scriptures where it is required that we prove everything from the Bible? The New Testament was not collected into the final form of the book until the end of the 4th century. In other words, no one had a “New Testament” for the first 400 years. But the religion of Christianity was well established during that time based on the Apostolic Tradition and the teaching of the Catholic Church. Christians knew what was true because of what the Church taught them, not by reading the Bible for themselves.
The Bible was added to the Catholic religion. Read that again. The teaching church was already there and the Bible was not added to that teaching until centuries later. This is just history. Protestants assume that the Bible was there from the beginning and everything has to be proved explicitly from the Bible. This is a very new idea my friend, one that was born out of the protests of the 16th century.
The question should be, “What does the teaching Church that Jesus founded teach us about Mary?” And you will find that everything the Catholic Church teaches has its roots in Scripture.
According to a medical article I read this year, during development in the womb, a baby and the mother exchange body cells, through the placenta. This exchange would help explain how the baby is born with a builtin immune system. These exchanged cell have long lasting effects, and their descendants could live on through the life of the mother. So in essence Mary would halved lived out her life carrying the cells of her Son. So when Jesus, in bodily form ascended, would He leave part of Him behind? Or would He later call His mother to join Him?
The mother of a Jewish King, was the only person who could sit in his presence, and was #2 in authority. It seems most likely that Mary would be united with Jesus, at the time of her passing, but in meantime she had her work to aid the Church in it’s infancy.
The TV series The Chosen has a very interesting take on the role of Mary, well worth considering.
One word- microchimerism.
Each of us, for some period of time-perhaps a lifetime-have cells within our body that are biologically not our cells. They may be a mother’s cells in the offspring or the offspring’s in the mother. How could Jesus’ cells in Mary die?
“of the things that sets us apart as Catholics from other Christian denominations”
The Catholic Church is not a denomination.
I have never quite understood why Protestants have such a problem with Marian doctrine unless it is just something more they need to set themselves apart from Rome. They seem not to want to acknowledge the obvious, that the Almighty could choose nothing less than perfection to be the earthly mother of his Son.
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J. Bob – believe I read the same article you did. Any mother carries cells of any of her children in her body forever. As a cradle Catholic I’ve struggled with my understanding and relationship with Mary through the years. As a Hispanic I’ve seen how many Catholics get to Mary and get sidetracked from having a relationship with Jesus. Not church teaching or intent. Just happens.
That article totally changed how I viewed the assumption of Mary into heaven. Would the father have left even one cell of his precious son to be corrupted in the grave? In was in completing that article that I realized how the assumption just made sense and science is not at odds with religion.
Why not let Mary go to the grave. Well for many reasons but most specifically because she was a vessel containing cells of the son of God.
But we know Jesus had brothers and sisters. Was Mary not their mother? Then she didn’t maintain her virginity.
STEVE RAY HERE: I fixed your spelling for you. First, God bless you. Second, there are many ways to explain that Jesus had “brothers.” First, the oldest teaching in the Church by the earliest Chistians was that Joseph was a widower and 4 sons and 2 daughters by a previous marriage. Thus, they would be step-brothers. Second, “brothers” was used of close relatives like cousins – like Abraham calling his nephew Lot his brother. Third, Jesus gave Mary to John at his crucifixion which would only be done if Joseph had died and she had no other sons.
Read https://www.catholic.com/qa/how-can-mary-be-a-perpetual-virgin-when-the-bible-says-jesus-had-brothers-and-sisters
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/jesus-had-brothers
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