Saturday 26 April 2008

Our Mother

One of the things most important to me as a Catholic, is our emphasis of the importance the role of Mary in Salvation. Her fiat made the incarnation possible.
In a recent interview, Scott Hahn shared the following relfections which I think are very important: Here is what the great biblical scholar had to say...
At the time of the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel prophesied that all generations would call Mary blessed. In our generation, we need to fulfill that prophesy. We need to call her blessed. We need to honor her again, because God did.

Jesus himself, as a faithful Jew, kept the Fourth Commandment and honored His mother. Since Christ is our brother, she is our mother too. Indeed, at the end of John's Gospel, Jesus named her as the mother of all of us beloved disciples. So we too have a duty to honor her. If we look back into the biblical history of ancient Israel, we discover that the Chosen People always paid homage not only to their king, but also to the mother of the king. The gebirah, the queen mother, loomed large in the affections of Israelites.

In Matthew's Gospel especially, we find Jesus portrayed as the royal Son of David and Mary as the queen mother. The Wise Men, for example, traveled far to find the Child King with his mother.

We find the mother of the Son of David portrayed in a similar way in the Book of Revelation, Chapter 12. There she is shown to be crowned with 12 stars, for the 12 tribes of Israel. The New Testament writers, you see, were careful to show us Mary's important place in the kingdom, and how we should love and honor her
Maybe, as we think about proposing Christ to the world, we can also think about coming closer to Our Mother, so that like our late great Holy Father we can say 'Totus Tuus' - Totally Yours.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The Crown of Twelve Stars on the Woman of Revelation chapter 12’s Head -

I believe that the crown of twelve stars upon the woman’s head (Re.12:1 below) represents a star for each of the twelve Apostles. The Apostles are the foundation of the church of God (1 Cor.10:32); Jesus is the chief corner stone (Eph.2:20 below).

The woman of Revelation 12:1 is with child (Re.12:2 below). When the women of Revelation 12:1 is about to be delivered, Satan is there ready to devour her child as soon as it is born (Re.12:4 below). The woman of Revelation 12:1 brings forth a man child who will rule all nations with a rod of iron (Re.12:5 below), Jesus (Matt.1:21 below). Jesus will rule all nations with a rod of iron throughout the Millennium (Re.19:15).

The woman of Revelation 12:1 is the mother of the Word made flesh who dwelt among us (Jn.1:14, Re.1:6 below).

At Revelation 12:1 (below) we see the mother of God (Re.1:6 below) in heaven spiritually glorified.


Re.12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman (Re.12:2, 4, 5 below) clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

Re.12:2 And she (the woman - Re.12:1 above) BEING WITH CHILD cried, travailing in birth, and pain to be delivered.

Re.12:4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman (Re.12:1 above) which was READY TO BE DELIVERED (Re.12:2 above), for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Re.12:5 And SHE BROUGHT FORTH A MAN CHILD (Matt.1:21 below), WHO WAS TO RULE ALL NATIONS WITH A ROD OF IRON (Re.19:15 below): and her child was caught up unto God (the Father - Col.1:3), and to his throne (Re.7:10, Re.7:17).

Matt.1:21 And she (Re.12:5 above) shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call his name Jesus (Eph.2:20 below) for he shall save his people from their sins.

Re.19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON (Re.12:5 above): and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

Eph.2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone (Ps.118:22):

Re.1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God AND his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen

Jn 1:14 And the Word (Jn.1:1-3) was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.



Patricia (ndbpsa ©)
Author of the self-study aid, The Book of Revelation Explained © 1982