September 8 Feast - Happy Birthday to the Mother of God ~ the Blessed Virgin Mary Most Holy

Enero Uno: Kapistahan ng Kadakilaan ni Maria Ina ng Diyos

Originally Posted at Iglesia ni Cristo 2000 Blog

MARIA, INA NG DIYOS.

Isang malaking balakid para sa mga kalaban ng tunay na Iglesia ni Cristo ang isa sa mga titulo ng Inang Birheng Maria bilang INA NG DIYOS. Sa mga Protestante, hindi parepareho ang kanilang pananaw tungkol kay Maria. Ang mga Lutherans ay hindi katulad ng mga Anglicans o mga Episcopalians. Ganon din ang mga Calvinist, Presbyterian, Methodist at iba pang mga sinaunang grupo ng mga Protestante. Sila ay maituturing nating iba rin sa mga evangelicals (o mga "Born Again") at hindi rin sila sumasang-ayon sa bawat isa sa mga Baptist, at hindi rin sila katulad ng mga paniniwala ng mga Pentecostals. Sa Pilipinas, ang mga kaanib sa iglesiang tatag ni Ginoong Felix Manalo ang madalas na kumakalaban sa Iglesia Katolika sa radyo man, telebisyon o sa mga limbag na magasin at aklat. Ang Iglesia Ni Cristo®-1914 ay kabilang sa sangay ng Protestante na kung tawagin ay "Restorationists" at kabilang sila sa mga ereheng sumasalungat sa Doktrina ng Trinidad na kung tawagin ay mga Unitarians (halos silang lahat ay sumulpot sa Estados Unidos o Europa).

Ngunit ang isang bagay na sila'y nagkakaisa, ito ay ang kanilang pagtutol sa mga parangal na ibinibigay ng mga Katoliko at mga Orthodox kay Maria bilang INA NG DIYOS (THEOTOKOS). 

Bakit nga ba si Maria ay tinatawag ng 'Ina ng Diyos'? 

Ang titulong ikinabit kay Inang Birheng Maria ay hindi parangal sa kanya bilang tao kundi ito ay PAGPAPATIBAY sa katotohanang si JESUS AY DIYOS!

Ang pagtawag kay Maria bilang 'Theotokos' (God-bearer) o Ina ng Diyos ay hindi na bago sa kasaysayan ng Santa Iglesia. Ito ay matagal nang pinaniniwalaan at sinasampalatayanan ng Unang Iglesia. At upang mapanatili ang pangkalahatang paniniwalang ito, sa Konsilyo ng Efesus (431 A.D.) ginawang opisyal ang titulo ng Inang Maria bilang "Ina ng Diyos".

"Kung ang sinuman ay hindi magpapahayag na ang Diyos ay tunay na Emmanuel (nagkatawang-tao), at sa saligang ito ang banal na birhen ay ang" Theotokos "(sapagkat ayon sa laman ipinanganak niya ang Salita ng Diyos, naging laman sa pamamagitan ng Kanyang pagsilang) siya nawa ay itiwalag." (If anyone does not confess that God is truly Emmanuel, and that on this account the holy virgin is the "Theotokos" (for according to the flesh she gave birth to the word of God become flesh by birth) let him be anathema. -The Council of Ephesus, 431 AD)

Bakit hindi na lamang tawaging 'Ina ni Cristo'?

Tanggapin man natin o hindi, hindi lahat ng mga taong nagsasabing sila'y mga 'Kristiano' ay naniniwalang si Cristo ay Diyos. Isa na rito ang mga kaanib ng INC™-1914. Para sa kanila, si Cristo ay TAO LAMANG.

“TAO rin ang kalagayan ng ating Panginoon Jesucristo sa Kanyang muling pagparito sa araw ng paghuhukom. Hindi nagbabago ang Kanyang kalagayan. Hindi Siya naging Diyos kailanman! TAO ng ipinanganak, TAO ng lumaki na at nangangaral, TAO ng mabuhay na mag-uli, TAO nang umakyant sa langit, TAO nang nasa langit na nakaupo sa kanan ng Diyos, at TAO rin Siya na muling paririto.” -PASUGO, Enero, 1964, p. 13 (Sinulat ni Emiliano Agustin)

Sa kanilang opisyal na limbag na magasing Pasugo na ating sinipi sa itaas, ang Iglesia Ni Cristo®-1914 ay pinagdidiinan ang pagka-TAO ni Jesus at TINATAKWIL ang Kanyang orihinal na kalikasan bilang Diyos.

Taliwas sa mga bagong sulpot na relihiyon sa Pilipinas, ang orihinal na Iglesia, si Cristo na ITINATAG NI mismo ni CRISTO ay naniniwalang HINDI LAMANG TAO ang Panginoong Jesus kundi SIYA AY DIYOS at NAPARITO ayon sa LAMAN (naging TAO). Kaya't sa maikling salita, si Cristo ay TOTOONG DIYOS at TOTOONG TAO at sa kabuuan ng kanyang 'essence at being' SI CRISTO AY IISA, hindi siya kalahating Diyos at kalahating Tao. O hindi siya dalawa (Jesus na Diyos at Jesus na Tao) kundi IISA ANG PANGINOONG HESUCRISTO. Si CRISTO ay DIYOS bago isilang; DIYOS pa rin hanggang ipinanganak ayon sa laman (sa pamamagitan ni Maria) at naging TAO (Juan 1:1-4, 14) at Diyos pa rin hanggang sa kanyang pagbabalik (paghuhukom)!

Iyan ang PINAGDIDIINAN sa SULAT sa mga HEBREO (13:8)  na ang Panginoong Jesucristo ay MANANATILING SIYA KAHAPON, NGAYON AT MAGPAKAILAN MAN.

Kaya't kung si CRISTO ay DIYOS noon, siya ay mananatiling DIYOS ngayon, at DIYOS pa rin MAGKAILANMAN hanggang sa Kanyang paghuhukom.

Malinaw itong sinampalatayanan ni Apostol San Pablo sa kanyang sulat sa mga taga-Filipos:

"Taglayin  ninyo ang mga damdamin na tinaglay din ni Cristo Jesus, na bagaman NASA KANYA ANG KALIKASAN NG DIYOS ay hindi niya inangkin ang matulad sa Diyos; sa halip ay pinawi ang sarili, kinuha ang kalikasan ng alipin at TUMULAD SA MGA TAO." (Ang Banal na Biblia)

Para kay Apostol San Pablo, si Cristo ay taglay ang KALIKASAN NG DIYOS ngunit sa Kanyang kababaang-loob ay KINUHA ang KALAGAYAN BILANG TAO, naging animo'y alipin, masunurin hanggang kamataya ~ oo, kamatayan sa Krus.

Kaya't sa mga KATOTOHANANG ating binanggit, ang IPINANGANAK ng Inang Birhen ay DIYOS NA TOTOO. Samakatuwid, si MARIA AY INA NG DIYOS! (CCC 963)

BABALA NG BIBLIA AT NG SANTA IGLESIA

Ang babala ay mula kay Apostol San Juan (1 Juan 1:2-3), ang sinumang HINDI TANGGAP si CRISTO (Diyos) na NAPARITO SA LAMAN siya ay ANTI-CRISTO!

Batid ni Apostol San Juan ang PAGDATING na mga EREHE at mga HUWAD NA MANGANGARAL mula noong IKA-16 SIGLO sa Europa hanggang dumating ito sa Pilipinas noong 1900's at umusbong ng husto noong 1914.

"Sapagkat nagkalat sa daigdig ang maraming mandaraya na ayaw kumilala na si Jesucristo ay nagkatawang-tao; ganyan nga ang mandaraya at ang anti-Cristo. Mag-ingat sana kayo..." (2 Juan 1:7-8a Ang Mabuting Balita)

Ang di-pagtanggap kay Maria bilang INA NG DIYOS ay katulad ng hindi rin pagtanggap kay JESUCRISTO bilang DIYOS na NAGKATAWANG-TAO.

"If anyone does not confess that God is truly Emmanuel, and that on this account the holy virgin is the "Theotokos" (for according to the flesh she gave birth to the word of God become flesh by birth) let him be anathema". -The Council of Ephesus, 431 AD

At sa mga katulad nila, ibilang sila bilang mga kampon ng kasamaan, mga bulaan, mandaraya, manlilinlang ~ mga ANTI-CRISTO!

The Feast of Assumption

The Assumption of Mary into Heaven (often shortened to the Assumption) is, according to the beliefs of the Catholic Church, Eastern and Oriental Orthodoxy, as well as parts of Anglicanism, the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her earthly life.

The Catholic Church teaches as dogma that the Virgin Mary "having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory". This doctrine was dogmatically defined by Pope Pius XII on 1 November 1950, in the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus by exercising papal infallibility. While the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church believe in the Dormition of the Theotokos (“the Falling Asleep of the Mother of God”),  whether Mary had a physical death has not been dogmatically defined. In Munificentissimus Deus (item 39) Pope Pius XII pointed to the Book of Genesis (3:15) as scriptural support for the dogma in terms of Mary's victory over sin and death through her intimate association with “the new Adam” (Christ) as also reflected in 1 Corinthians 15:54: "then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory".

The New Testament contains no explicit narrative about the death or Dormition, nor of the Assumption of Mary, but several scriptural passages have been theologically interpreted to describe the ultimate fate in this and the afterworld of the Mother of Jesus (see below).

In the churches that observe it, the Assumption is a major feast day, commonly celebrated on 15 August. In many countries, the feast is also marked as a Holy Day of Obligation in the Roman Catholic Church. [Wikipedia]

Dave Armstrong: Biblical Evidence for the Perpetual Virginity of Mary

Source: National Catholic Register

Puto (1490–1576), “The Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple of Jerusalem”

Mary “remained a virgin in conceiving her Son, a virgin in giving birth to him, a virgin in carrying him, a virgin in nursing him at her breast, always a virgin” (CCC 510)

Dave Armstrong

Once upon a time, almost no Christians denied that Mary the mother of Jesus was perpetually a virgin: including Protestants. Of the early leaders of that movement, virtually all fully accepted this doctrine: including Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Bullinger, Turretin, and Cranmer. Moreover, most Protestant exegetes continued to believe it for at least another 350 years or so.

But today, for various reasons, things are very different, so it's helpful to revisit the biblical arguments, since the Bible is the authority all Christians revere in common. A surprising number can be found.

1) Luke 2:41-51 describes Mary and Joseph taking Jesus to the temple at the age of twelve, for the required observance of Passover. Everyone agrees that He was the first child of Mary, so if there were up to five or more siblings, as some maintain (or even one), why is there no hint of them at all in this account?

2) Neither Hebrew nor Aramaic have words for “cousin.” The New Testament was written in Greek, which does have such a word (sungenis), but Jesus and His disciples spoke Aramaic (a late version of Hebrew), and the Hebrew word ach is literally translated as adelphos, the literal equivalent of the English “brother.” In the Bible, it has a very wide range of meanings beyond “sibling”: just as “brother” does in English. Thus, it is routinely used in the New Testament to describe cousins or kinsmen, etc.

3) Jesus Himself uses “brethren” (adelphos) in the non-sibling sense. In Matthew 23:8 (cf. 12:49-50), He calls, for example, the “crowds” and His “disciples” (23:1) “brethren.” In other words, they are each other's“brothers”: the brotherhood of Christians.

4) In comparing Matthew 27:56, Mark 15:40, and John 19:25, we find that James and Joseph (mentioned in Mt 13:55 with Simon and Jude as Jesus' “brothers”) are the sons of Mary, wife of Clopas. This other Mary (Mt 27:61; 28:1) is called Our Lady's adelphein John 19:25. Assuming that there are not two women named “Mary” in one family, this usage apparently means “cousin” or more distant relative. Matthew 13:55-56 and Mark 6:3 mention Simon, Jude and "sisters" along with James and Joseph, calling all adelphoi. The most plausible interpretation of all this related data is a use of adelphos as “cousins” (or possibly, step-brothers) rather than “siblings.” We know for sure, from the above information, that James and Joseph were not Jesus' siblings.

It's not mere special pleading to argue in this fashion, nor an alleged “desperation” of Catholics who supposedly “read into” the texts their prior belief in the dogma of perpetual virginity. Plenty of Protestant exegesis and scholarship confirms these views: especially in older commentaries. For example, the prominent 19th century Commentary on the Whole Bible, by Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, states, regarding Matthew 13:55 (my italics added):

An exceedingly difficult question here arises - What were these “brethren” and “sisters” to Jesus? Were they, First, His full brothers and sisters? or, Secondly, Were they His step-brothers and step-sisters, children of Joseph by a former marriage? or, Thirdly, Were they His cousins, according to a common way of speaking among the Jews respecting persons of collateral descent? On this subject an immense deal has been written, nor are opinions yet by any means agreed . . . In addition to other objections, many of the best interpreters, . . . prefer the third opinion. . . Thus dubiously we prefer to leave this vexed question, encompassed as it is with difficulties.

5) The Blessed Virgin Mary is committed to the care of the Apostle John by Jesus from the Cross (John 19:26-27). Jesus certainly wouldn't have done this if He had brothers (all of whom would have been younger than He was).

6) Matthew 1:24-25 Joseph . . . knew her not until she had borne a son . . .

This passage has been used as an argument that Mary did not remain a virgin after the birth of Jesus, but the same Protestant commentary also states (my italics again):

The word “till” [until above] does not necessarily imply that they lived on a different footing afterwards (as will be evident from the use of the same word in 1 Samuel 15:35; 2 Samuel 6:23; Matthew 12:20); nor does the word “first-born” decide the much-disputed question, whether Mary had any children to Joseph after the birth of Christ; for, as Lightfoot says, “The law, in speaking of the first-born, regarded not whether any were born after or no, but only that none were born before.”

John Calvin used the same counter-argument in favor of Mary's perpetual virginity. In fact, in his Harmony of the Gospels, commenting on Matthew 1:25, he thought the contention of further siblings based on this passage was so unfounded that he wrote, “No man will obstinately keep up the argument, except from an extreme fondness for disputation.”

7) Jude is called the Lord's “brother” in Matthew 13:55 and Mark 6:3. If this is the same Jude who wrote the epistle bearing that name (as many think), he calls himself “a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James” (Jude 1:1). Now, suppose for a moment that he was Jesus' blood brother. In that case, he refrains from referring to himself as the Lord’s own sibling (while we are told that such a phraseology occurs several times in the New Testament, referring to a sibling relationship) and chooses instead to identify himself as James' brother.

This is far too strange and implausible to believe. Moreover, James also refrains from calling himself Jesus’ brother, in his epistle (James 1:1: “servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”): even though St. Paul calls him “the Lord's brother” (Gal 1:19).

It's true that Scripture doesn’t come right out and explicitly state that Mary was a perpetual virgin. But nothing in Scripture contradicts that notion, and -- to say the same thing another way -- nothing in the perpetual virginity doctrine contradicts Scripture.

VISITORS AT ESTONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OFFERED TO KICK VIRGIN MARY'S IMAGE

Wait, until Islam will dominate their decaying democrazy! May God forbids! -CD2000

Source: Interfax-Religion via Pravoslavie.com
Posted October 3, 2016

The National Museum which opened in Estonia in the presence of President Toomas Hendrik Ilves last week, is offering its visitors to kick one of the exhibits, an interactive image of Virgin Mary, causing the picture to fall into pieces.

The virtual painting has been criticized by a number of politicians, entrepreneurs and parliamentarians in the Postimees newspaper. Thus, according to Priit Sibul, who chairs the parliamentary faction of the ruling Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica, "kicking an image of the Mother of God is something they did in the Soviet cultural space but would not demonstrate in public."

Meanwhile, the chairman of the parliamentary opposition Conservative People's Party, Mart Helme, warned against a particularly negative reaction in the Russian-speaking community where religious traditions are especially strong.

"Most Russians living in Estonia are actively religious people and their integration is not helped by religious insult approved on a state level," Helme said.

"The image should be removed as soon as possible because the virtual destruction the authors offer insults the feelings of religious Russian-speaking residents and hinders their integration," the politician was quoted in his party's press release as saying.

According to Helme, who was Estonia's ambassador to Russia in the 1990s, "mocking of the symbols of faith also has a political dimension to it." "An attack on symbols may lead to an escalation of social tensions and a cooling of the inter-state relations," he said.

For his part, Archbishop Urmas Viilma of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church said the image is an affront to the whole Estonian society, all Christians, not just Orthodox ones but Catholics and Lutherans as well. For Estonians, Virgin Mary has a special meaning, no wonder the country is popularly called the Land of Mary, the archbishop said.

The installation on display at the Estonian National Museum is a depiction of Virgin Mary on a big light screen almost the size of a human being. It is static until someone kicks a specially marked spot at the bottom of the picture, causing the virtual figure fly into pieces and the word "Reformation" appear on the screen.

The Estonian National Museum is open in the city of Tartu and set to become the country's most important. It is predicted to attract up to 200,000 visitors per year.

10 Things Catholics Are Tired of Hearing

BY ELIZABETH GIDDENS VALVERDE for CATHOLIC365

POSTED IN 2/19/2015

Photo Credit: Flickr/On Being

1.“Catholics worship statues.”

This stereotype is painful to hear. Not only is this completely false, but it is ludicrous. Despite the fact that there are 801 millions Protestants world-wide, according to the Pew Research Center, my rant will be geared towards our brothers and sisters in the United States. In this country, approximately 51.5% of people are Protestant Christians. Realistically, most of these families have pictures in their home, which is completely normal, right? Right. They have pictures of their loved ones, both living and deceased. Is it not hypocritical then to say that Catholics are idol worshipers, when these families have portraits of their loved ones on the walls? If these Protestant families can have pictures of Uncle Bernie and Mawmaw hanging on the wall, then most certainly the Church can present pictures of our beloved Jesus, his disciples, and the saints.

2.“Catholics pray to Mary instead of God.”

This is a very common misconception throughout the Protestant community, and while I can understand why it is, I am also disheartened that many jump to such a harsh conclusion of the Catholic faith. We don’t pray to Mary, we ask her to pray for us, just as a Protestant asks their deceased grandparent/parent to watch over them.

3. “The saints can’t hear your prayers, because they are dead.”

I beg to differ. Since when is anyone who is in Heaven considered dead? We call it the afterLIFE for a reason. In fact, there is biblical proof that the saints can hear our prays:

-Revelation 5:8 “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.”

-Revelation 8:3-4 “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.”

4. “Mother Mary isn’t important; she’s just like anyone else.”

If our Blessed Mother isn’t important, then every female would have had an immaculate conception. For this reason, that is why the declarative statement above doesn’t make sense. Of course Mother Mary is important, she gave birth to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What is so amazing about the Catholic faith is the fact that we recognize the importance of Mary, and we honor her accordingly. She is a role model and saint for all Christians to look up to, because she submitted to God completely. Until the day another woman gives birth to Jesus, no one will ever be just like Mary. She is a very special, holy woman.

5. “Catholics made up all their rules.”

Every single tradition we have in the Catholic Church, namely during Mass, has biblical roots. Not to mention the fact that Jesus was the founder of our Church. I don’t know about you, but Jesus doesn’t make mistakes.

6. “God said to confess sins to Him, not a priest.”

This one is a personal favorite of mine. Drum roll please.

-James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

It is true that we pray directly to God, and ask Him to forgiveness, however for sins (mortal) we do as Jesus commands and confess it to one another (our priests). Jesus said this directly to his disciples, so through Him, they were able to forgive sins. This power passed down to every priest, and so on and so forth. That felt good.

7. “Catholicism is a cult.”

Jesus Christ founded this Church more than 2,000 years ago, I would hardly call it a cult.

8. “Catholics aren’t Christians.”

The word Christian is associated with anyone who follows Christ’s teachings, and since the Catholic Church does just that then we are to be called Christians. Not to mention Catholics were actually the first Christians.

9. “Catholics added books to the Holy Bible.”

This one is so hilarious it hurts. For 300 years there was no Bible, only random writings from the prophets like St.Peter etc, until the Catholic monks compiled and canonized what is now known today as the Holy Bible. (That is until the Protestant Reformation occurred, in which one man *Martin Luther* removed 7 books). Ouch.

10. “Catholics believe you can pay your way into Heaven.”

We definitely do not. That is a huge misconception which occurred during the Protestant Reformation.

Despite the many stereotypes that hang over our faith, the important thing to remember is our Church has stood the test of time and remained for more than 2,000 years. Whether you are Catholic or Protestant-- we are all followers of Christ, and He is the ultimate goal.

“The truth is like a lion. You don’t have to defend it, let it loose, and it will defend itself.”

-St. Augustine of Hippo

Satanists Desecration of Virgin Mary's Statue was Marked by Protests and Reparation

If Catholic statues are "pagan" idols (enemies of God) according to anti-Catholics, why do you think Satanists (those who worships Satan) are desecrating the already "unholy idols"? Paradoxically, their actions only confirm Catholic statues possess sacred (holy) attributes that Satanist are so afraid their holy influence greatly inspires Catholics’ faith which directly against the power of evil in this world. -CD2000

Source: Catholic Family News
by John Vennari
www.cfnews.org

Desecration of Virgin Mary Statue Marked by Protests and Reparation

Oklahoma, USA - The desecration of the statue of Blessed Virgin Mary occurred as planned in Oklahoma City on Christmas Eve. Satanist Adam Daniels and a small band of cretins obtained a city permit from Oklahoma City, under the administration of Mayor Mick Cornett to carry out the public desecration.

Why would Mayor Cornett's administration give the permit so readily? We are willing to wager that a permit would not have been granted for a public ceremony that pours costume blood in mockery on a copy of The Diary of Anne Frank, or on the Koran. We do not advocate such activity, but cannot help but ask the question: Why are Christianity and the Blessed Mother fair game for city-approved desecration?

Catholic Family News posted a December 23 report calling for reparation for the outrage. Even prior to our report, David A. Homeney, a zealous Catholic layman, called for concerned Catholic to join him in Oklahoma City to take part in public protest and reparation for the satanic event. He set up a Facebook page to marshal interest in defending Our Lady.

Here is Mr. Homeney's report from the December 24 occurrence:

"If you are receiving this it is because you expressed support for the men that were going out to Oklahoma City to publicly pray prayers of reparation for the blasphemous desecration of a status of Our Lady by Satanists. As the approved apparition to Marie de Saint Pierre says, public blasphemy requires public reparation, and so public reparation was to be made.

"When I got there today, my heart leapt for joy when I saw 50-60 Catholic men there. Right after we parked the car and walked up we saw for young men holding a wooden platform on their shoulders with a large and beautiful statue of the Pieta, adorned with flowers.

"In unison these few, these band of Catholic brothers, all kneeling prayed Rosaries of reparation along with hymns, the Angelus, St. Michael’s Prayer, and other prayers of reparation. Above our heads in the parking garage some young men unfurled a large icon of Our Blessed Mother. This is nearly all the public could see, as a large RV was parked in front of where the act of desecration took place.

"Shortly after the start of the rosary, led by some fine young men from St. Mary’s Kansas, the satanists showed up. Not one single word that these vile men said could be overheard due to the recitation of the Holy Rosary by 50-60 Catholic men, said in unison. It was truly a sight to behold. The Church Militant was in force there.

"While the satanists were scheduled to do their thing from 4:30 to 6:15, they didn’t start till about 4:45 and were gone by 5:30. The power of Catholic men, solemnly in prayer to Our Blessed Lord and His Mother overwhelmed them and sulking they left. It was a victory for Our Lord and Our Lady. Evil cannot stand in the face of the Truth. Many vehicles passing by blew their horns in support. Afterwards, some of the young men and I blessed the spot of the desecration with blessed salt and holy water.

"We finished our prayers around 6:15 and processed with the Pieta. Here is where the only sad and disappointing thing happened.

"The procession headed up the the end of the block at which point we crossed the street. The only place Our Lady wasn’t welcomed was on the sidewalk in front of St. Joseph’s Old Cathedral. Our Lady was excluded and barred from even being processed on the sidewalk in front of the church. This was at the behest of the ushers of the parish and than enforced by the police. So we crossed back over the street singing our hymns.

Dr. Brian McCall who was also at the event, said he recognized at least nine men from Oklahoma City. This would be in addition to the three or four “Okies” mentioned by Mr. Homeney, who continued, “It was a great turn out ... Much thanks to the men who showed up from all over the country. We had men from St. Mary’s in Kansas, DFW in Texas, Tyler in Texas, various other towns in Kansas, and most incredibly we had about 20 men from Pennsylvania. These men flew out from Eastern PA around Gettysburg, to show up and make public reparation for this public act of blasphemy.

"The men, young and old alike, made huge sacrifices to come to Oklahoma to be here. When asked why they did, the response was 'Well, we are able bodied and it needed to be done.' They are now going to midnight Mass in OKC at St. Damien’s and will be flying out at 5 am to hopefully make it home to their families in time for Christmas dinner. These men are an inspiration and should be in all of your prayers."

As a response to our December 23 posting on CFN, we received response from Catholics throughout the nation and the world pledging to offer reparation.

• “I live in Preston which is in the north west of England UK. . I'm just about to start a Rosary of in reparation for the blasphemy to our Lady's statue. It will be the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary.”

• “All alone here in Salt Lake City, I have offered 15 decades of the Holy Rosary.”

• “I will offer prayer of Reparation for Our Lady” - from Chile

• Other responses include: “Sent an email directly to Mayor's office. Will pray a Rosary today”; “Our family will pray five extra Rosaries as an act of reparation and we have sent a link to your article to many fellow parishioners encouraging them to make acts of reparation”; More responses came from the UK, various countries and from across the nation.

My own family made a Holy Hour of Reparation in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament from 4:30 to 5:30 on Christmas Eve.

Thanks to all who stood up in any way in defense, and in reparation. Feel free to continue lodging your complaints to Mayor Cornett* of Oklahoma City, whose reputation is now cemented to this anti-Christian outrage.

And congratulations again to David A. Homeney and his companions who came from far and wide to join in public defense of Our Blessed Mother.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: How the Virgin Mary Became the World’s Most Powerful Woman

"Praying for the Virgin Mary’s intercession and being devoted to her are a global phenomenon. The notion of Mary as intercessor with Jesus begins with the miracle of the wine at the wedding at Cana..."

Source: National Geographic

Mary barely speaks in the New Testament, but her image and legacy are found and celebrated around the world.

By Maureen Orth

Photographs by Diana Markosian

Published November 8, 2015

As the sun sets in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina—a hot spot for Virgin Mary sightings—devotees of diverse faiths and nationalities gather to pray.

It’s apparition time: 5:40 p.m. In a small Roman Catholic chapel in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the village of Medjugorje, Ivan Dragicevic walks down the aisle, kneels in front of the altar, bows his head for a moment, and then, smiling, lifts his gaze heavenward. He begins to whisper, listens intently, whispers again, and doesn’t blink for ten minutes. His daily conversation with the Virgin Mary has begun.

Dragicevic was one of six poor shepherd children who first reported visions of the Virgin Mary in 1981. She identified herself to the four girls and two boys as the “Queen of Peace” and handed down the first of thousands of messages admonishing the faithful to pray more often and asking sinners to repent. Dragicevic was 16 years old, and Medjugorje, then in communist-controlled Yugoslavia, had yet to emerge as a hub of miracle cures and spiritual conversions, attracting 30 million pilgrims during the past three decades.

I’m in Medjugorje with a group of Americans, mostly hockey dads from the Boston area, plus two men and two women with stage 4 cancer. We’re led by 59-year-old Arthur Boyle, a father of 13, who first came here on Labor Day weekend in 2000, riddled with cancer and given months to live. He felt broken and dejected and wouldn’t have made the trip had not two friends forced him into it. But that first night, after he went to confession at St. James the Apostle church, psychological relief came rapidly.

“The anxiety and depression were gone,” he told me. “You know when you’re carrying someone on your shoulders in a swimming pool water fight—they come off, and you feel light and free? I was like, Wait a minute, what just happened to me? Why is that?”

5 Things to Know Marian Apparitions Researcher Michael O’Neill relays some fascinating facts about Virgin Mary apparitions.

The next morning, with his friends Rob and Kevin, he met another of the “visionaries,” Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic, in a jewelry shop and asked for her help. Gripping his head with one hand, she appealed to the Virgin Mary to ask God to cure him. Boyle said he experienced an unusual sensation right there in the store. “She starts to pray over me. Rob and Kevin put their hands on me, and the heat that went through my body from her praying was causing them to sweat.”

Back in Boston a week later, a CT scan at Massachusetts General Hospital revealed that his tumors had shrunk to almost nothing.

Since then, Boyle has been back to Medjugorje 13 times. “I’m a regular guy,” he said. “I like to play hockey and drink beer. I play golf.” But, he continued, “I had to change things in my life.” Today, Boyle said, he’s become “a sort of mouthpiece for Jesus Christ’s healing power and of course the Mother and the power of her intercession.”

Mary is a magnet for young and old. On August 12, during a Mass celebrating her assumption into heaven, Roman Catholic youths guard a life-size figure in Kalwaria Pacławska, Poland. The Feast of the Assumption is a weeklong festival here.

PRAYING FOR THE VIRGIN MARY'S intercession and being devoted to her are a global phenomenon. The notion of Mary as intercessor with Jesus begins with the miracle of the wine at the wedding at Cana, when, according to the Gospel of John, she tells him, “They have no wine,” thus prompting his first miracle. It was in A.D. 431, at the Third Ecumenical Council, in Ephesus, that she was officially named Theotokos, Bearer of God. Since then no other woman has been as exalted as Mary. As a universal symbol of maternal love, as well as of suffering and sacrifice, Mary is often the touchstone of our longing for meaning, a more accessible link to the supernatural than formal church teachings. Her mantle offers both security and protection. Pope Francis, when once asked what Mary meant to him, answered, “She is my mamá.”

Her reported appearances, visions experienced often by very poor children living in remote or conflict-wracked areas, have intensified her mystery and aura. And when the children can’t be shaken from their stories—especially if the accounts are accompanied by inexplicable “signs” such as spinning suns or gushing springs—her wonder grows.

Michael O’Neill is the Virgin Mary’s big data numbers cruncher. On Miraclehunter.com, he has codified every known apparition of Mary back to A.D. 40.

Mary is everywhere: Marigolds are named for her. Hail Mary passes save football games. The image in Mexico of Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of the most reproduced female likenesses ever. Mary draws millions each year to shrines such as Fátima, in Portugal, and Knock, in Ireland, sustaining religious tourism estimated to be worth billions of dollars a year and providing thousands of jobs. She inspired the creation of many great works of art and architecture (Michelangelo’s “Pietà,” Notre Dame Cathedral), as well as poetry, liturgy, and music (Monteverdi’s Vespers for the Blessed Virgin). And she is the spiritual confidante of billions of people, no matter how isolated or forgotten.

Muslims as well as Christians consider her to be holy above all women, and her name “Maryam” appears more often in the Koran than “Mary” does in the Bible. In the New Testament Mary speaks only four times, beginning with the Annunciation, when, according to Luke’s Gospel, the angel Gabriel appears to her and says she will bear “the Son of the Most High.” Mary answers, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord.” Her only extended speech, also in Luke, is the lyrical Magnificat, uttered in early pregnancy: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed.”

Indeed they have.

Yet clues about her life are elusive. Scholars of Mary must take what they can from Hebrew Scriptures, first-century Mediterranean texts, the New Testament, and archaeological digs.

Anna Pidlisna, 32, of Ukraine, says she came to Medjugorje—where plaster statues can fetch about 30 euros apiece—after receiving a vision of Mary. Apparitions aren’t the only Marian sign; many say they’ve seen a “spinning sun.” Physicist Artur Wirowski has an earthly explanation: It can occur when sunlight reflects and refracts charged ice crystals vibrating in sync within the clouds.

The Bible says she lived in Nazareth when Romans had control over the Jewish territory. After Mary became pregnant, her betrothed, Joseph, a carpenter, considered quietly leaving her until an angel came to him in a dream and told him not to. The birth of Jesus is mentioned in just two Gospels, Luke and Matthew. Mark and John refer to Jesus’ mother several times.

Our Lady Conqueror of Muslim Hearts: The Virgin Mary's Coming Conquest Of Islam

Ultimately, the Blessed Mother of God will be Muslim's most hated Christian when she would finally conquer evil of terrorism!

Source: Catholic365.com By Nate Lauer

Photo Credit: Flickr/Our Lady of Fatima International Pilgrim Statue

On September 11th 1683, Vienna was besieged by Islamic Ottoman Turks. Christians throughout Europe prayed the Rosary in the midst of a desperate situation. At Vienna, vastly outnumbered European Christian forces miraculously and wonderfully delivered a crippling blow to Muslim expansion into Europe, preventing a grim invasion of the continent by Muslim forces. 41,000 Christian forces (including 30,000 troops of Polish King Jan III Sobieski that Pope Innocent XI had called upon) defeated a 140,000 man strong Turkish army the night of September 11th over three centuries before the 9/11 attacks on the United States that were also caused by Islamic terrorism. September 12th, the day after the great victory of Christianity at Vienna, came to be known as the feast day of the Holy Name of Mary (a feast day that has been restored to us thanks to Pope John Paul the II doing so not long before he died.)

Over a century before, On October 7th, 1571, Christian Europe stood on the verge of collapse before the onslaught of a large Muslim navy fleet. The battle of Lepanto it was known as. Also widely recognized was our Lady’s intercession at that historic moment when Christianity’s European fate stood on the edge of a knife. When hopes were fading, the Admiral, one Andrea Doria, pleaded in his cabin before an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, sent him by Archbishop Montufor of Mexico. In sending this image, the good Archbishop had been well foresighted in ascertaining the grave consequences of a potential defeat of Christianity on the high seas. Such a loss would likely mean that the waves of Islam would sweep Christendom away, changing dramatically the spiritual landscape and the course of history if it came to pass.

We are told that as the admiral prayed before the Guadalupe image, the tide turned against the Muslims, with winds literally changing directions unfavorably against them, and an encouraged Christian fleet triumphing over Islam that day, shattering two-thirds of the Muslim Navy, the 200 Christian Ship Navy magnificently overcoming the previously presumed unbeatable 300 ships. Also important to note is the fact that the Pope implored, and people indeed did, pray the Rosary to Mary, “Our Lady of Victory”. Ultimately, October the 7th came to be known as Our Lady of the Rosary, and the month of October dedicated to the Rosary.

For many years now, the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, unpainted by human hands, the great mover in the mass conversion of the Aztecs to Christianity, has held many enthralled and brought so many to Christ. It seems likely, especially considering the Great Battle of Lepanto, that the quarter moon on which Mary stands in the miraculous Guadalupe image represented not only the Aztecs, but also the Muslims, each of which had as symbol that same quarter moon. Mary triumphs over both the Aztecs and the Muslims. Mary’s triumphs are for the defense of Christ’s Church, and for the conversion of all mankind to Christ. She sought to gather the Aztecs to her son. She wishes to do the same for the Muslims.

It may have been the beloved Archbishop Fulton Sheen that first inspired more serious consideration of the subject of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her relationship to Islam. In what I, and many, consider to be one of the best Catholic books of the 20th Century, The World’s First Love: Mary Mother of God, Archbishop Sheen devoted a chapter to this topic in his book titled “Mary and the Moslems”. In this chapter, his very words concerning the coming powerful rise of Islam were prophetic, but so too, it appears, were his reflections on the means to convert the hearts that beat for Islam.

In this regard, an encouraging characteristic of Islam is its devotion and honor to the Virgin Mary. Inarguably, there are errors and misconceptions with the Koran regarding Mary, including the false view that Christians worship Mary and consider her part of the Holy Trinity. On the other hand, Muslims do believe that Mary stands above all other women. Mohammed stated “Thou shalt be the most blessed of all the women in Paradise, after Mary”, speaking in reference to Fatima, his own daughter. And as for Fatima, that name should ring a bell to you.

You may recall that in the early 20th Century, in the 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared to three children in the small Portugese village of Fatima. The apparitions would go on to become Church approved, and Our Lady took on the title of Our Lady of Fatima. More than ironically, that very village of Fatima, once reigned over like so much of Portugal and Spain by Islam (recall that many were the onslaughts of Islam against Christian Europe through the Middle Ages, and that Europe did not always keep Islam completely at bay), was named after the daughter of the last of the Muslim chiefs who ruled over Portugal, she who in turn had been named after Mohammed's own daughter, Fatima. This chief’s daughter fell in love with a Catholic young man and converted to the Catholic Faith for him, staying behind in a Portugal reclaimed for Catholicism whilst Islam had finally been banished from the southwestern coasts of Europe.

This is all fascinating because, given the Muslims already warm reception of Mary, her now title of “Our Lady of Fatima” was sure to, and has been, an effective mechanism in relations with Islam, with Muslim nations embracing the devotion to Mary under this title in many regards. With God there are no coincidences.

It is widely recognized that Muslims are exceptionally difficult to convert to Christianity, but it has become clear in recent decades to at least some theologians that the way home to the hearts of the Muslims is through the heart of Christ Jesus’ Mother, Mary, whom they already have a soft spot for. As Mary prepared the world for, and brought us our Savior, so she can, and it is the belief of many Christians that she will ultimately bring the Muslims to Jesus. Though Muslims refuse to believe that Jesus is himself God, As Archbishop Fulton Sheen points out to us, “The Moslems should be prepared to acknowledge that, if Fatima [Mohammed’s daughter] must give way in honor to the Blessed Mother, it is because she is different from all the other mothers of the world and that without Christ she would be nothing.”

It thus appears that Muslims will come to Christ not through a direct encounter and conversion, but gradually, through our encouraging and fostering their devotion to Christ’s Mother. We know that the Blessed Virgin Mary always points us towards, carries us to, and forms us in Christ. At a time when Hellish and cruel Islamic terrorist attacks rage against Christians, we have cause to pause and reflect on the fact that the Holy Spirit is working gently through Mary’s hands to establish a peaceful, beautiful widespread conversion of the Muslim people that some in the past and today consider an incredibly unlikely feat to achieve. But I hope they will recall that momentous day when the Angel Gabriel, in Luke Chapter 1:37, announced to Mary just before she gave her assent to become the Mother of God, “For with God, nothing will be impossible.” The time will come when the Muslim people, gazing at Mary lovingly and devotedly, shall look upon her as did the servants at the Wedding Feast of Cana once also looked upon her when she said to them regarding her son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5), and following her direction, they will follow Christ and she shall triumph over the quarter moon of Islam, and even for the converted Muslims, remembrance of the watery waves of Lepanto shall be turned into the wine of gladness recalling the victory of Mary for her Son, their Lord Jesus.

"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." (Rev. 12:1)

"Aba GINOONG Maria" - ang PINAGMULANG ng "GINOO" bilang bati kay Birheng Maria: Paliwanag ng WIKApedia

Matagal-tagal niyo nang binastos ang Mahal na Ina. Ang ilang mangangaral daw ay siyang mga nanguna sa pangungutya sa pagbati kay Inang Maria ng "GINOO" dahil sa kanilang kamang-mangan. Ngayon, napagtanto niyo na ba kung gaano katuso ang mga mangagaral ng walang karunungan?! Time to junk those fake preachers and teachers!

Ngayon, may panahon pa kaya kayo para ipangalandakan ang KAMANG-MANGAN niyo?!

10 Things Catholics Are Tired of Hearing.. and we've been hearing them again and again from Born-Again(st), some Protestants and the Iglesia Ni Cristo cult of Manalo

By Elizabeth Giddens posted in Catholic365

1.“Catholics worship statues.”

This stereotype is painful to hear. Not only is this completely false, but it is ludicrous. Despite the fact that there are 801 millions Protestants world-wide, according to the Pew Research Center, my rant will be geared towards our brothers and sisters in the United States. In this country, approximately 51.5% of people are Protestant Christians. Realistically, most of these families have pictures in their home, which is completely normal, right? Right. They have pictures of their loved ones, both living and deceased. Is it not hypocritical then to say that Catholics are idol worshipers, when these families have portraits of their loved ones on the walls? If these Protestant families can have pictures of Uncle Bernie and Mawmaw hanging on the wall, then most certainly the Church can present pictures of our beloved Jesus, his disciples, and the saints.

2.“Catholics pray to Mary instead of God.”

This is a very common misconception throughout the Protestant community, and while I can understand why it is, I am also disheartened that many jump to such a harsh conclusion of the Catholic faith. We don’t pray to Mary, we ask her to pray for us, just as a Protestant asks their deceased grandparent/parent to watch over them.

3. “The saints can’t hear your prayers, because they are dead.”

I beg to differ. Since when is anyone who is in Heaven considered dead? We call it the afterLIFE for a reason. In fact, there is biblical proof that the saints can hear our prays:

-Revelation 5:8 “And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.”

-Revelation 8:3-4 “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand.”

4. “Mother Mary isn’t important; she’s just like anyone else.”

If our Blessed Mother isn’t important, then every female would have had an immaculate conception. For this reason, that is why the declarative statement above doesn’t make sense. Of course Mother Mary is important, she gave birth to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. What is so amazing about the Catholic faith is the fact that we recognize the importance of Mary, and we honor her accordingly. She is a role model and saint for all Christians to look up to, because she submitted to God completely. Until the day another woman gives birth to Jesus, no one will ever be just like Mary. She is a very special, holy woman.

5. “Catholics made up all their rules.”

Every single tradition we have in the Catholic Church, namely during Mass, has biblical roots. Not to mention the fact that Jesus was the founder of our Church. I don’t know about you, but Jesus doesn’t make mistakes.

6. “God said to confess sins to Him, not a priest.”

This one is a personal favorite of mine. Drum roll please.

-James 5:16 “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

It is true that we pray directly to God, and ask Him to forgiveness, however for sins (mortal) we do as Jesus commands and confess it to one another (our priests). Jesus said this directly to his disciples, so through Him, they were able to forgive sins. This power passed down to every priest, and so on and so forth. That felt good.

7. “Catholicism is a cult.”

Jesus Christ founded this Church more than 2,000 years ago, I would hardly call it a cult.

8. “Catholics aren’t Christians.”

The word Christian is associated with anyone who follows Christ’s teachings, and since the Catholic Church does just that then we are to be called Christians. Not to mention Catholics were actually the first Christians.

9. “Catholics added books to the Holy Bible.”

This one is so hilarious it hurts. For 300 years there was no Bible, only random writings from the prophets like St.Peter etc, until the Catholic monks compiled and canonized what is now known today as the Holy Bible. (That is until the Protestant Reformation occurred, in which one man *Martin Luther* removed 7 books). Ouch.

10. “Catholics believe you can pay your way into Heaven.”

We definitely do not. That is a huge misconception which occurred during the Protestant Reformation.

Despite the many stereotypes that hang over our faith, the important thing to remember is our Church has stood the test of time and remained for more than 2,000 years. Whether you are Catholic or Protestant-- we are all followers of Christ, and He is the ultimate goal.

“The truth is like a lion. You don’t have to defend it, let it loose, and it will defend itself.”

-St. Augustine of Hippo

Mary: The Ark of the New Covenant

Rev. 12:1 "And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars."

Today, there is a growing sense of hatred to Catholics accusing us of "worshipping" the Mother of the Lord". This article will help us understand why we are devoutly venerating Mary, the New Ark of the Covenant for allowing in her womb the Word of God and the Bread from Heaven. -CD2000

by Steve Ray from Catholic Culture

Why do Catholics call Mary the Ark of the New Covenant? Answering that question will take us on a journey through the Old and New Testaments.

For example, Luke wove some marvelous things into his Gospel that only a knowledgeable Jew would have understood — a Jew who knew Jewish Scripture and had eyes to see and ears to hear. One of the things he would have understood is typology. So what is typology?

Protestants find room in faith for Mary:This Christmas, growing numbers of Protestants are looking at the Virgin Mary in a new light.

BY ALEXANDRA ALTER

Thanks to Defenders of the Catholic Faith

Growing up in a Lutheran church, the Rev. Roger Prehn rarely heard about the Virgin Mary, except during Christmas.

Now a pastor in Orlando, Prehn preaches in a sanctuary with a nearly life-size bronze statue of Mary and the baby Jesus. During advent, the four weeks leading up to Christmas, he leads his congregation in singing the Magnificat — a prayer Mary sings in the Gospel of Luke.

Declining Christian Populations in Middle East Is Alarming

Declining Christian Populations in Middle East Is Alarming

By Cindy Wooden

Source: Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Concern, and even alarm, over the real threat of the disappearance of Christians from the Middle East was a recurrent theme at the Synod of Bishops focusing on the region.

Prelates look at a prayer book
before a session of
the Synod of Bishops for the
Middle East. (CNS/Paul Haring)

Christians, who were present in the region long before Islam, "are presently facing a deadly dilemma: to choose between disappearance and isolation, which would bring an end to their historical role and their mission," said Hares Chehab, secretary general of Lebanon's National Committee for Islamic-Christian Dialogue.

Chehab, a papally appointed observer at the synod, addressed the gathering Oct. 12 and echoed concerns voiced by a variety of bishops who spoke before him.

The region is gradually emptying itself of Christians, "who had contributed so much to the elaboration of its civilization, and were always the pioneers in the battle for its freedom, its ascent to modernity," he said.

The emigration of Christians cannot be attributed only to economic difficulties, "otherwise the whole region would have been depopulated," Chehab said. He pointed instead to "discrimination, persecution in certain areas, fear in others, the lack of freedom (and) inequality of rights" as the leading motives for leaving.

A key to addressing the problem is to strengthen Christian-Muslim dialogue, he said. But while dialogue is taking place in many countries throughout the region, too often it never gets beyond the common belief in one God and values like the importance of family, which Christians and Muslims share, he said.

The standard dialogue style "should give way from now on to another form where the language of complaisance would be banned, to focus especially on truth, no matter how hard it is, but with love and sincerity," Chehab said.

Chehab, like many of the synod members, pointed to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the chief reason for the strained relations and sense of insecurity that push many Christians to flee the region.

Melkite Patriarch Gregoire III Laham of Damascus, Syria, told the synod that "among the most dangerous effects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" is the phenomenon of Christian emigration, "which will make Arab society a society with only one color, a society uniquely Muslim."

If the Middle East is seen as Muslim and the West seen as Christian, "any occasion would be propitious for a new clash of cultures, of civilizations and even of religions—a destructive clash between the Muslim Arab East and the Christian West," the patriarch said.

Patriarch Laham also called for increased Christian-Muslim dialogue and for Christians to tell their Muslim brothers and sisters "what our fears are," including concern about a lack of separation between religion and government, lack of equality and about a legal system that is based on Islamic law.

"To make peace, this is the great challenge. This is the great 'jihad' and the great good," he said, using "jihad," the Arabic word for "struggle."

U.S. Cardinal John P. Foley, grand master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, told the synod that praying for peace in the Middle East is an obligation all Christians share.

"I am convinced that the continued tension between the Israelis and the Palestinians has contributed greatly to the turmoil in all of the Middle East and also to the growth of Islamic fundamentalism," he said.

"While many, including the Holy See, have suggested a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, the more time passes, the more difficult such a solution becomes, as the building of Israeli settlements and Israeli-controlled infrastructure in East Jerusalem and in other parts of the West Bank make increasingly difficult the development of a viable and integral Palestinian state," the cardinal said.

Melkite Archbishop Joseph J. Zerey of Jerusalem said Christians must make their own examination of conscience about why their brothers and sisters are leaving the region in such numbers.

Emigration, living the faith "half-heartedly" or giving in to material, political or social pressures often are the result of not living a life centered on prayer and Christian charity, he said.

"Many of our so-called 'Christian' families have a vital need for re-evangelization and to personally embrace the forgiveness and mercy of God earned by the passion, the death and the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ," the archbishop said.

He encouraged the bishops to welcome the new Catholic movements as instruments for strengthening the faith commitment of Christians in the region.

Syrian Catholic Archbishop Basile Casmoussa of Mosul, Iraq, said emigration has meant that Christianity is losing its presence in the land where it was born. The situation is exacerbated by "waves of terrorism inspired by religious ideologies," which crush minorities, including "Christians, the most vulnerable," as well as by "the alarming decrease of births among Christians" and an ever growing birthrate among Muslims, he said.

Happy Birthday MAMA MARY!

Sts. Joachim & Anne with the little girl Mary
Photo Source: airmaria.com

The Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been celebrated in the Church at least since the 8th Century. The Church’s calendar observes the birthdays of only two saints: Saint John the Baptist (June 24), and Mary, Mother of Jesus.

John the Baptist is considered especially sanctified even before his birth. His birth to Elizabeth and Zachariah is foretold in the first chapter of Luke, and it is also recorded (Lk 1:41) that Elizabeth felt the infant John “leap in her womb” when Mary approached her soon after the Annunciation.

The birth of Mary was also miraculous. She was conceived without sin as a special grace because God had selected her to become the mother of His Son (the feast of her Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8). The dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, though generally believed throughout the Church for many centuries, was formally declared by Pope Pius IX in 1854.

There is nothing contained in Scripture about the birth of Mary or her parentage, though Joseph’s lineage is given in the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. The names of Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anna, appear in the apocryphal “Gospel of James”, a book dating from the 2nd Century AD, not part of the authentic canon of Scripture. According to this account, Joachim and Anna were also beyond the years of child-bearing, but prayed and fasted that God would grant their desire for a child.

According to one tradition, the house in which Mary was born in Nazareth is the same one in which the Annunciation took place. By another tradition, the Annunciation site is beneath the Crusader church of Saint Anna in Jerusalem, under a 3rd Century oratory known as the “Gate of Mary”.

In celebrating the nativity of Mary, Christians anticipate the Incarnation and birth of her Divine Son, and give honor to the mother of Our Lord and Savior.

[Excerpts from The Liturgy of the Hours ]

You can read the history of this celebration in these websites: Catholic Culture, Fisheaters, and New Advent.

Happy Birthday MAMA MARY!