In the New Testament, certain men are described as the “brothers” of Jesus, including “James and Joses and Judas and Simon” (Mark 6:3; and see Matthew 13:55). The Catholic position is that these men are simply male relatives: in the same way that Abraham calls Lot his “brother” (Genesis 13:8), even though he’s actually his… Continue reading St. Jude and the “Brothers” of Jesus
Tag: Mary
Did Jesus Rebuke His Mother in Luke 8:19-21?
Yesterday’s Gospel is an easy one to stumble over as Catholics. It’s from Luke 8:19-21, while Jesus is teaching the crowds: Then His Mother and His brothers came to Him but were unable to join Him because of the crowd. He was told, “Your Mother and Your brothers are standing outside and they wish to… Continue reading Did Jesus Rebuke His Mother in Luke 8:19-21?
The Widow of Nain and the Virgin Mary
I mentioned yesterday that Luke 7:11-17, in which Jesus resurrects the son of the widow of Nain, “is important for a number of reasons, not least of which is that Jesus raises the son out of love for the mother. There’s an obvious Marian element to this — given that Jesus has mercy on all… Continue reading The Widow of Nain and the Virgin Mary
Looking to Mary as a Model of Obedience
I’t s no real surprise that the perfect model for obedience is Mary. We see this on obvious display when the angel Gabriel comes to Her, and She consents to the Incarnation in total faith and complete obedience: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). It’s… Continue reading Looking to Mary as a Model of Obedience
The Virgin Mary: An Unwed Mother?
We often hear that the Virgin Mary was “an unwed Mother,” because while She was still unmarried (only “betrothed”), the angel Gabriel announced that She was pregnant. It’s an inspiring story for unwed mothers, but it happens to be not true. Mary and Joseph weren’t simply “betrothed,” in the sense we imagine that term (as fiancées). They were… Continue reading The Virgin Mary: An Unwed Mother?
Why Pray to Mary in Front of the Blessed Sacrament?
Yesterday, I was asked one of the best questions about praying to Mary that I’ve come across: why do we pray to Mary in front of the Blessed Sacrament? If we really believe that the Eucharist is Jesus, why focus on His mortal Mother instead of Him, when He’s right there? Let me provide some background.… Continue reading Why Pray to Mary in Front of the Blessed Sacrament?
John MacArthur on Lent, Easter, and Christmas
John MacArthur has given a lot of pretty great Christian sermons, and he really does edify the Body of Christ at times. But when it comes to Catholicism, he’s embarrassingly ignorant, and gets a lot of even basic things wrong. I wish this was a minor thing, but it’s got pretty far-reaching implications. For example, he’s… Continue reading John MacArthur on Lent, Easter, and Christmas
Zechariah, Gabriel, and Mary
I want to compare two different passages from Luke 1. The first is the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist by the angel Gabriel. This is Luke 1:5-22, In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth… Continue reading Zechariah, Gabriel, and Mary
Aquinas of All Trades
Today, the Church celebrates one of Her greatest theologians, Saint Thomas Aquinas. Christopher has some good quotes of his up. The thing that I always find remarkable about St. Thomas Aquinas is that he was one of the most amazing Christians in virtually every field imaginable. There are some Saints who have particularly beautiful writings on… Continue reading Aquinas of All Trades
Did Mary Have Other Children?
I have probably addressed this somewhere before on this blog, but I was asked about this question recently: didn’t Mary have other children? That seems to throw a kink into the whole perpetual Virginity thing, doesn’t it? After all, the people Jesus grew up with doubted His claim to be the Messiah on the grounds… Continue reading Did Mary Have Other Children?