DE LA SALLE SANTIAGO ZOBEL SCHOOL
CL - HANDOUT
MARIAN LESSON
Christian Living-Seniors, Term 2 SY 2010-2011
FEAST OF THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
When was the Mother of God born? We can't know for certain, of course, but for almost 15 centuries now, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been celebrated on September 8. Those who are quick with math have already figured out that September 8 is exactly nine months after December 8--the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
In earlier centuries, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary was celebrated with greater fanfare. Now, most Catholics probably don't even realize that the Church has a special feast day set aside to celebrate it. But, like the Immaculate Conception, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is an important date in our salvation history. Christ needed a mother, and Mary's own conception and birth, therefore, are events without which Christ's own birth would have been impossible.
It's no surprise, then, that the Christians of the second century A.D. recorded the details of Mary's birth in such documents as the Protoevangelium of James and the Gospel of the Nativity of Mary. While neither document bears the authority of Scripture, they provide us with everything that we know about the life of Mary before the Annunciation, including the names of Saint Mary's parents, Saint Joachim and Saint Anna (or Anne). It's a good example of Tradition, which complements (while never contradicting) Scripture.
The Blessed Virgin Mary, sometimes shortened to The Blessed Virgin, is a traditional title specifically used by Roman and Eastern Catholics, Anglo-Catholics, Eastern Orthodox and others to describe Mary, the mother of Jesus.
It carries with it a belief not merely in the virginity of Mary, but of her continuing role within the church and in the life of ordinary Catholics, for which Catholicism in the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church (21 November 1964), passed during the Second Vatican Council, granted her the title Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix, and Mediatrix. Colloquially she is often referred to as Our Lady.
First Marian dogma - Divine Motherhood
Theotokos is a compound of two Greek words, θεός "God" and τόκος "parturition, childbirth." Literally, this translates as "God-bearer" or "One who gave birth to God." However, since many English-speaking Orthodox find this literal translation awkward; in liturgical use, "Theotokos" is often retained in Greek or translated as "Mother of God."
The expression "Mother of God" or "Birth-giver of God" should not be understood in the eternal sense; that is, Mary is not understood as having eternally given birth to God the Son in the same way that he is eternally begotten by God the Father. Rather, in the Incarnation, the divine person of God the Son took on a human nature in addition to his divine nature, and it is through Mary that this takes place. Since Jesus Christ is seen as both fully God and fully human, to call Mary the Birth-giver of God is to affirm the fullness of his Incarnation, and by extension, the salvation of humanity.
Second Marian dogma - Perpetual virginity
It is a fundamental Catholic teaching that Mary remained a virgin her entire life. Several explanations are offered regarding verses such as Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3, which list "adelphoi" of Jesus. Jerome translated the ambiguous Greek term "adelphoi" to possibly mean certain types of close relatives such as "cousins".[7] Several early writers (the Clementine literature, Hegesippus-Eusebius) suggest that they were stepbrothers of Jesus, sons of a previous wife of Joseph. It is important to note that the perpetual virginity of Mary is linked to the belief in her Immaculate Conception, or sinlessness: her physical virginity is reflective of her spiritual virginity. Mary's perpetual virginity also stresses her exclusive love and dedication to her offspring, Jesus Christ.
This teaching is rejected by most Protestant theologians and many New Testament scholars, who interpret "adelphoi" in the sense of "brother."
Third Marian dogma - Immaculate Conception
Since the Middle Ages, Catholic theologians had argued the question of whether or not Mary had been subject to original sin. In general, the Franciscans argued in favor of her "immaculate conception", the doctrine that she, from the moment of her conception, had been preserved by God from all sin and all tendency to sin; the Dominicans, on the other hand, including most notably Thomas Aquinas, argued that Mary's sinlessness is a grace granted to her at some time after her conception. In 1854, Pope Pius IX effectively ended the debate for Catholics by proclaiming the dogma of the "Immaculate Conception", stating that "the Blessed Virgin Mary in the first instant of her conception was preserved exempt from all stain of original sin by a singular privilege and grace granted by God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the human race." ("Ineffabilis Deus", issued on 8 December 1854).
Fourth Marian dogma - Assumption
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven
Catholic dogma proclaimed under papal infallibility by Pope Pius XII in 1950
In 1950, speaking ex cathedra (that is, for the whole Church), in his encyclical Munificentissimus Deus Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Dogma of the Assumption, in which he stated that "at the end of her earthly course, Mary was assumed into heavenly glory, body and soul". This was a long held belief by Christians since the time of the early Church, despite its recent definition as dogma. Pope Pius XII also stated that he was relying both on scripture and on "apostolic tradition". As an infallible pronouncement, the Dogma of the Assumption is thus a mandatory belief for Catholics. No pope since has issued an infallible dogma.
Fifth Marian dogma - Co-Redemptrix
Some Catholics in the late twentieth century urged Pope John Paul II to infallibly declare Mary Co-Redemptrix, not meaning by this title that Mary herself redeems mankind, but that she cooperates with Jesus in His redemption of the world; as a co-pilot is not equal to the pilot of an airplane, so is the case with Jesus and His Mother as well as with any other Christian faithful who, by the Baptism, becomes member of the Mystical Body of Jesus and, as such, "co-redemptor".
Professor Mark Miravalle of the Franciscan University in Steubenville in the United States launched a petition to urge Pope John Paul to make such a move, by defining the teaching of the Church that Mary is Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix of All Graces, and Advocate for the People of God. More than six million signatures were gathered from 148 countries. Signatories included Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Cardinal John O'Connor of New York, 41 other cardinals and 550 bishops. However, such a proposal was also heavily criticized by many Catholics who suggested that only Jesus could be a Redeemer and that such an act would drive a wedge in relationships with other apostolic tradition Christian faiths, notably the Orthodox Church and Anglicanism, neither of whom would accept such a designation. Though both Pope Pius XI in 1935 and Pope John Paul II himself in 1985 did use the word co-redemptrix to refer to Mary, no formal infallible dogma supporting such a designation has been issued, notwithstanding the petition.
Mary as Co-Redemtrix is entirely tied to her role in the Incarnation of Jesus. Because Jesus was miraculously incarnated in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the physical, human nature of Jesus was thus derived from Mary. In a very real sense, the blood Jesus shed on the Cross was the blood he received from Mary. And since Jesus saved mankind by his incarnation, and this was made possible by the obedience of Mary, this becomes a source of understanding Mary as Co-Redemptrix. Mary's role, however, is totally dependent upon her relationship to the redeemer, Jesus, and her total obedience to the Will of the Spirit.
Marian prayers
Rosary
The earliest known Marian prayer is Deipara, Dei Genetrix. Mother of God, dating from late 2nd century. It was, discovered in Egypt in 1917 and was written in the languages of the Copts and Greeks (Theotokos, Mother of God). This title was authorized at the Council of Ephesus in 431 commemorating the Virgin's role in the incarnation of Jesus as the Word of God, and her place in the History of Salvation:
We you for protection, holy Mother of God. Listen to our prayers and help us in our needs. Save us from every danger, glorious and blessed virgin.
A popular Marian devotional is the Rosary of St. Dominic, a form of prayer in which an Our Father, ten Hail Marys and a Glory Be to the Father (together forming a "decade of the Rosary") are recited five times while meditating on the mysteries of the life of Jesus and Mary (Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious) to be followed by a prayer called the "Hail Holy Queen" and perhaps the "Litany of Loreto".
Other famous Marian prayers include the "Magnificat," the Angelus and the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Marian hymns include O Mary, we Crown Thee With Blossoms Today, O Purest of Creatures, the Regina Coeli, and the Ave Maria. May and October are usually seen within traditional Catholicism as Marian months.
Marian apparitions
The central role of Mary in the belief and practice of Catholicism is reflected in the fact that many Catholic churches contain side altars dedicated to the Virgin Mary. She is also celebrated through major religious sites where it is claimed apparitions or appearances of the Virgin have occurred, often with claims by witnesses that messages to humanity were delivered.
Marian Feast days
Among the most prominent Marian feast days in the Catholic Calendar are:
• January 1 Mary, Mother of God
• January 8 Our Lady of Prompt Succor
• February 2 Purification of Mary
• February 11 Our Lady of Lourdes
• March 25 Annunciation by Archangel Gabriel
• May 1 Queen of Heaven
• May 13 Our Lady of Fatima
• May 31 Mary, Mediatrix of all Graces
• June 27 Our Lady of Perpetual Help
• August 15 Assumption into Heaven
• August 21 Our Lady of Knock
• September 8 Our Lady of Good Health, Our Lady of Charity
• September 15 Our Lady of Sorrows
• October 7 Feast of the Most Holy Rosary
• December 8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception
• December 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe
THE HOLY ROSARY
Luminous Mysteries
( Mysteries of Light )
Thursdays or Sundays
Intentions
First Mystery - Baptism Our Lord
Second mystery - Miracle at Cana
Third mystery - Proclamation Kingdom
Fourth mystery - Transfiguration
Fifth mystery - Institution Eucharist
The Glorious Mysteries
Wednesdays, Saturday and Sundays
Intentions
First Mystery - Resurrection
Second mystery -Ascension
Third mystery - Descent Holy Spirit
Fourth mystery - Assumption
Fifth mystery - Coronation Our Lady
The Sorrowful Mysteries
Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays of Lent
Intentions
First Mystery - Agony Ghetsemani
Second Mystery - Scourging
Third Mystery -Crowning with thorns
Fourth Mystery - Carrying of cross
Fifth Mystery - Crucifixion, agony, death
The Joyful Mysteries
Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays of Advent
Intentions
First Mystery-Annunciation
Second Mystery - Visitation
Third Mystery -Nativity
Fourth Mystery - Presentation
Fifth Mystery -Finding of child Jesus
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