- 8 months ago
Luke 1:28-31
28 And he came to her and said, Hail, O favored one [endued with grace]! The Lord is with you! Blessed (favored of God) are you before all other women!
29 But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled and disturbed and confused at what he said and kept revolving in her mind what such a greeting might mean.
30 And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace (free, spontaneous, absolute favor and loving-kindness) with God.
31 And listen! You will become pregnant and will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus.
AMP
28 And he came to her and said, Hail, O favored one [endued with grace]! The Lord is with you! Blessed (favored of God) are you before all other women!
29 But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled and disturbed and confused at what he said and kept revolving in her mind what such a greeting might mean.
30 And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace (free, spontaneous, absolute favor and loving-kindness) with God.
31 And listen! You will become pregnant and will give birth to a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus.
AMP
Category
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00One day,
00:29over 2,000 years ago,
00:32there was a miracle of miracles
00:34that was about to change the lives
00:36of millions of people
00:38who were waiting to hear the good news,
00:40the long-awaited news
00:42of the coming of the Messiah into the world.
00:45Isaiah chapter 9, verses 6 and 7 tells us,
00:49For unto us a child is born,
00:51unto us a son is given,
00:53and the government will be upon his shoulder,
00:56and his name shall be called Wonderful,
00:58Counselor, Mighty God,
01:01Everlasting, Father, Prince of Peace,
01:04and of the increase of his government and peace,
01:06there will be no end.
01:09But if we back up first
01:11before this miracle birth
01:13of the Savior of our souls,
01:15who was an offering for the sins of man,
01:18who had no sin in himself,
01:21and descended from the throne of God,
01:23and appeared on earth
01:25as the Son of God,
01:27then we need to look
01:29at the beginning of this divine
01:30and miraculous miracle,
01:33which has been hidden
01:34from mainstream Western religion
01:36through the King James Bible
01:38and most other references,
01:41either by ignorance,
01:42disbelief,
01:43and denominational doctrines.
01:45It all started one day
01:47with the angelic salutation,
01:51which refers to the greeting
01:52announced by angel Gabriel
01:54to the Virgin Mary,
01:55as recorded in the early Christian writings.
01:59The announcement given
02:00is found in Luke chapter 1,
02:03beginning in verse 26.
02:06Now in the sixth month,
02:08the angel Gabriel was sent by God
02:10to the city of Galilee,
02:12named Nazareth,
02:15to a virgin betrothed to a man
02:16whose name was Joseph,
02:19of the house of David.
02:20The virgin's name was Mary,
02:23and having come in,
02:24the angel said to her,
02:26Rejoice, highly favored one.
02:28The Lord is with you.
02:30Blessed are you among women.
02:33The phrase,
02:34Hail, thou art highly favored,
02:37signifies divine favor and grace
02:39bestowed upon Mary by God.
02:41Now, this salutation is foundational
02:44to Christian tradition,
02:47dear listener and followers.
02:49One of the early church fathers,
02:52Gregory the Miracle Worker,
02:54wrote about this event
02:55in his homily on the Annunciation,
02:58emphasizing the joy
03:00and divine significance
03:01of the moment.
03:03Now, mind you,
03:05this man Gregory was born
03:07around 213 A.D.
03:09in Neo-Caesarea,
03:12Pontus,
03:13which is modern-day
03:15Aixar, Turkey.
03:17He became a Christian bishop
03:19and was known for his
03:21theological contribution
03:22and many, many miracles.
03:25Now, I pause here
03:27to say that I always stand in awe
03:30at learning about these
03:32firsthand accounts
03:33of the ancient fathers
03:34who were fully literate
03:37and astute
03:38in writing and chronicling
03:40the history of these
03:42age-old accounts
03:43from the beginning
03:44of the early church,
03:46which began at Pentecost,
03:4829 A.D.
03:49Maybe there are others
03:50who, like me,
03:51who thought people
03:52who lived in these ancient times
03:54were illiterate
03:56and still using
03:57archaic methods
03:58for survival
03:59and communication.
04:01Probably it is my own ignorance
04:03in thinking like this.
04:05Nevertheless,
04:06to my surprise
04:07in learning about
04:08Orthodoxy
04:09and its beginning,
04:11which started
04:11with the early church again
04:13in Pentecost,
04:1429 A.D.,
04:16and its continuity
04:17throughout the ages
04:19to this present day,
04:21convinced me
04:22that this is the true
04:23and living church
04:24of our Lord Jesus Christ.
04:27When I started reading
04:29and hearing
04:29and learning these
04:30many various accounts
04:32with these early church fathers,
04:35which are passed down
04:36throughout all these ages,
04:39I could not deny
04:40the validity of this truth.
04:43Many of these,
04:44such as this subject today,
04:46which we are discussing,
04:47was not easy to comprehend
04:49because I did not find
04:52any of this information
04:53in the King James Bible
04:55nor any references
04:56associated with it.
04:57So, in learning specifically
05:00about the Mother of God,
05:02called the Theotokos
05:03or Panagia,
05:05which means
05:05the All-Holy One,
05:07it was difficult
05:08to digest
05:09because of the lack
05:11of knowledge
05:12and writings,
05:13like I said,
05:14in the King James Bible.
05:16And I have realized
05:17when one sees
05:19and hears
05:19these unfamiliar truths,
05:21it is only the Holy Spirit
05:24who can open the eyes
05:26of a hungry heart
05:27and fill it
05:28with the missing dimensions
05:29of these important
05:30and vital spiritual facts
05:32of life-giving realities
05:34of these holy traditions
05:36of the early fathers
05:37of the church.
05:39So, to this day,
05:40I am called a catechumen
05:42or one who is learning
05:44and studying
05:45to be a baptized member
05:47of the Orthodox Church
05:48because I am fully convinced
05:50by the help and grace
05:52of the Holy Spirit
05:53that this is
05:54the true and genuine
05:55Church of our Lord
05:57Jesus Christ.
05:59Well, now back
06:00to the sharing
06:01of my journey today.
06:03The greeting
06:04of Angel Gabriel
06:06to Mary
06:06highlights her unique role
06:09in Christian theology
06:11and the fulfillment
06:12of divine prophecy.
06:14The name Mary
06:15means Exalted One.
06:18There is a hymn
06:19that is sung
06:20in the Orthodox Church
06:21that honors Mary.
06:23O Theodocle,
06:26ghost and virgin,
06:29Rejoice, Mary,
06:32full of grace,
06:35the Lord is with thee.
06:37Blessed art thou among women
06:41and blessed is the fruit
06:44of thy womb.
06:47For thou hast born
06:49the Savior of our souls.
06:52For thou hast born
06:54the Savior of our souls.
07:00O Theodocle,
07:01virgin, rejoice.
07:03Mary, full of grace,
07:05that the Lord is with thee.
07:06Blessed art thou among women
07:09and blessed is the fruit
07:10of thy womb.
07:12For thou hast born
07:13the Savior of our souls.
07:16This hymn
07:17is a traditional
07:18Orthodox Church prayer
07:20honoring the Mother of God
07:22and in Greek
07:23she is called Theodokos.
07:26This hymn
07:27is taken
07:27from the announcement
07:29of Angel Gabriel
07:30whom God
07:31had specifically sent
07:33to make this proclamation
07:34which we read earlier
07:36in Luke chapter 1
07:37beginning in verse 28
07:39and who again said,
07:42And having come in
07:43the angel said to her,
07:45Rejoice,
07:46highly favored one.
07:47The Lord is with you.
07:49Blessed are you
07:50among women.
07:52The phrase,
07:54Hail thou art highly favored
07:56signifies divine favor
07:58and grace
07:58bestowed upon Mary
08:00by God.
08:00And this salutation,
08:02as I said,
08:03is foundational
08:04Christian tradition,
08:06dear listener.
08:08It must be prefaced
08:09before we
08:10begin to look
08:11at this profound
08:12announcement
08:13and proclamation
08:14to the Virgin Mary
08:16that while Eve
08:17brought forth
08:18children in sorrow
08:19because of the great
08:21revolt in the garden,
08:23Mary,
08:23being in the likeness
08:24of the new Eve,
08:26will rejoice
08:27in bringing forth
08:28her son.
08:28In contrast,
08:30as Eve had been cursed,
08:33so now Mary,
08:34the mother of God,
08:35is blessed.
08:36In fact,
08:37she is highly favored,
08:38which can be translated
08:40to say,
08:41full of grace.
08:43Dear listener
08:44and followers,
08:45Mary is the most
08:46blessed woman
08:47who has ever lived
08:49because of her
08:49complete willingness
08:50to receive God's grace
08:53or in the words
08:54of her precious son
08:55when he said,
08:56blessed are those
08:58who hear the word
08:59of God
09:00and keep it,
09:01which are heard
09:02and found
09:02in Luke chapter 11
09:04verses 27
09:06through 28.
09:07Let's read that.
09:09And it happened
09:10as he spoke
09:11these things
09:12that a certain woman
09:13from the crowd
09:14raised her voice
09:15and said to him,
09:17blessed is the womb
09:18that bore you
09:19and the breast
09:20which nursed you.
09:22But he said,
09:23more than that,
09:25blessed are those
09:25who hear the word
09:26of God
09:27and keep it.
09:28Well,
09:29I have learned
09:29in my journey
09:30into the missing truths
09:32that there is
09:33a significant difference
09:35between the Protestant
09:36view of Mary's role
09:38as the mother
09:39of the Most High God
09:40versus the Orthodox
09:42perspective
09:43or belief.
09:45The Protestant
09:46and Orthodox
09:47perspective
09:48on Mary
09:49differ greatly
09:50in terms of her role,
09:51veneration,
09:53and theological
09:53significance.
09:55Protestants
09:56generally
09:57respect Mary
09:58as the mother
09:59of Jesus
10:00but do not
10:01venerate her
10:02in the same ways
10:03as Orthodox
10:04or Catholic
10:05traditions.
10:06It is noted
10:07that while early
10:09Protestant reformers
10:10like Martin Luther
10:11acknowledged her
10:12importance,
10:14Protestant theology
10:15does not emphasize
10:17her intercessory role
10:19or the Immaculate
10:20Conception.
10:21Instead,
10:23Protestants focus
10:24on direct access
10:26to God
10:26through Christ
10:27without the need
10:29for saints
10:29or Mary
10:30as mediators.
10:32The Orthodox Church
10:34holds Mary
10:35in high regard,
10:37referring to her
10:38as the Theotokos,
10:39which means
10:40God-bearer.
10:41She is deeply
10:42venerated
10:43but not worshipped.
10:45And also,
10:47Orthodox Christians
10:47believe Mary
10:48has a unique role
10:50in salvation
10:51by giving birth
10:52to Christ.
10:53It was Saint
10:55Epiphanias,
10:56who was born
10:57between 310
10:59and 320 A.D.,
11:01who was known
11:02for his balanced
11:03stance
11:03on the veneration
11:05of Mary.
11:06And while he was
11:07strongly opposed
11:08to the adoration
11:10of Mary
11:11as divine,
11:13rejecting any form
11:14of worship
11:15directed towards her,
11:16he affirmed
11:17that she should
11:18be honored
11:19and respected.
11:21And he combated
11:22certain groups
11:23that excessively
11:24elevated Mary
11:25beyond a rightful
11:26place in Christian
11:28theology,
11:29emphasizing that
11:30only God
11:31should be worshipped.
11:32His writings
11:33reflect an early
11:34theological distinction
11:35between veneration
11:37and adoration.
11:40And it must be
11:41mentioned and
11:41understood as well
11:42that unlike Catholics,
11:45Orthodox Christians
11:46do not accept
11:47the doctrine
11:47of the Immaculate
11:49Conception,
11:50but they do believe
11:51Mary lived
11:52a sinless life.
11:54The Orthodox Church
11:55rejects the doctrine
11:57of the Immaculate
11:58Conception,
11:59considering it
12:00inconsistent with
12:02Orthodox theology.
12:04The Immaculate
12:05Conception
12:06is a doctrine
12:07of the Catholic Church
12:09that teaches
12:10that Mary,
12:10the mother of Jesus,
12:11was conceived
12:13without original sin.
12:15And this means
12:15that from the moment
12:17of her conception,
12:18she was preserved
12:19from the stain
12:20of Adam's sin
12:22that accordingly
12:23to Catholic theology,
12:26all humans
12:27inherit.
12:28And this doctrine
12:29was officially
12:30defined as a dogma
12:31in 1854
12:33by Pope Pius IX.
12:37Just a side note here,
12:39many people
12:39mistakenly believe
12:41that the Immaculate
12:41Conception
12:42refers to Jesus'
12:44conception,
12:45but it actually
12:46refers to Mary's
12:47own conception
12:48in her mother's womb.
12:50The belief
12:51is rooted
12:51in the idea
12:52that Mary
12:53needed to be
12:53pure and sinless
12:54to be the mother
12:56of Christ.
12:57Now,
12:58in Orthodox theology,
13:00original sin
13:01is seen
13:02as a condition
13:03of morality
13:04and separation
13:05from God
13:06rather than
13:07an inherited guilt
13:08or stain
13:09that must be removed.
13:12Since Orthodox Christians
13:14do not believe
13:15that humanity
13:16inherits guilt
13:18from Adam and Eve,
13:19they see no need
13:21for Mary
13:22to be conceived
13:23without original sin.
13:26However,
13:27the Orthodox Church
13:28does believe
13:29that Mary
13:29lived a sinless life
13:31through her own
13:32cooperation
13:34with God's grace.
13:36She is highly venerated
13:38as a theotokos,
13:40God-bearer,
13:41and is considered
13:42the holiest
13:43of all saints.
13:45An Orthodox tradition
13:46holds that she
13:48overcame
13:48every temptation
13:50and remained
13:51pure
13:51in mind
13:52and soul,
13:53but she was
13:54still born
13:55into the same
13:56fallen world
13:57as all humans.
14:00Now,
14:00as far as
14:01original sin goes,
14:02in comparison,
14:03unlike Catholicism,
14:05the Orthodox Church
14:07does not view
14:07original sin
14:09as transmitted,
14:10stained,
14:11or guilt
14:12that needs
14:13to be miraculously
14:14removed.
14:15instead,
14:16Orthodox tradition
14:17teaches that
14:18Mary was born
14:19as any other
14:20human being,
14:21but through
14:22her personal
14:23holiness
14:23and cooperation
14:25with God's grace,
14:27she remained
14:27pure
14:28from personal sin.
14:31Again,
14:32Orthodox Christians
14:33highly venerate
14:34Mary as the
14:36theotokos,
14:37the mother of God,
14:38and believe
14:39she was sanctified
14:40by God,
14:41but they do not
14:42hold that
14:43she was conceived
14:44without sin
14:45in the way
14:46Catholic doctrine
14:47describes.
14:49And there is
14:50a beloved
14:50Orthodox monk
14:52named
14:53Abbot Triffin,
14:54whom we dearly
14:55love and
14:56highly respect,
14:57and who gives
14:58a wonderful
14:58written overview
15:00or summary
15:01on ancestral sin
15:03versus
15:04original sin,
15:05and he says,
15:07the fact that
15:08we Orthodox
15:08do not accept
15:10the doctrine
15:11of original sin
15:12as enspoused
15:13in the West
15:14does in no way
15:16suggest that
15:17we do not need
15:18to be born again
15:19or born anew.
15:20We believe,
15:21as did the early
15:22church fathers,
15:23that we inherit
15:24only the results
15:25of Adam's sin,
15:27not his guilt.
15:29This is known
15:29as ancestral sin
15:31because the sin
15:32of our first parents,
15:34Adam and Eve,
15:35resulted in
15:36our inheritance
15:37of death,
15:38sickness,
15:40and the inclination
15:41towards evil.
15:43Christ's death
15:44on the cross
15:44had its power
15:46not in an
15:48atonement sacrifice,
15:49but in the conquering
15:51of the power
15:52of death.
15:53Death is trampled
15:54down by death,
15:55and it is by
15:56Christ's resurrection
15:57that a way
15:58was made for us
15:59to be transformed
16:01by contact
16:02with the living God,
16:04thus becoming
16:05his children
16:06by adoption.
16:07And although
16:08we do not
16:09refer to ourselves
16:10as saved,
16:11as do
16:12evangelical Christians,
16:13we nevertheless
16:15believe that we
16:17are in need
16:18of salvation.
16:19We believe
16:20that salvation
16:21is a process.
16:23Our understanding
16:24of sin
16:25in an ancestral way,
16:27which is distinct
16:28from the concept
16:29of original sin
16:30and the hereditary guilt
16:32that required
16:33consequently
16:35a substitutionary
16:36atonement type
16:37of sacrifice
16:39separates us
16:40doctrinally
16:42from Western
16:43Christianity.
16:44Had there not
16:45been a fall,
16:47the second person
16:48of the Holy Trinity,
16:49the Logos,
16:50the Word,
16:51would still
16:51have incarnated
16:53into the flesh
16:54and taken
16:55on our nature.
16:56for it is
16:58by this
16:58condensation
16:59by our
17:02creator God
17:03to take on
17:04the nature
17:04of that
17:05which he created
17:06that we
17:08are given
17:09the opportunity
17:09of being deified.
17:12St. Paul
17:13said that we
17:14shall become
17:15as gods.
17:17Abbot
17:17Triffin continues
17:18to say,
17:19Our journey
17:20into the heart
17:21culminates
17:23in theosis
17:23whereby
17:24we are joined
17:25in everlasting
17:26communion
17:27with the very
17:28God
17:29who created
17:30us.
17:31And St.
17:32Athanias
17:33of Alexandria
17:34said,
17:36The Son of God
17:37became man
17:38that we might
17:39become God.
17:40Now,
17:41in 2 Peter
17:43chapter 1
17:44verse 4,
17:45we read
17:45that we have
17:46become partakers
17:47of the divine
17:48nature.
17:49St.
17:50Athanias
17:50further says
17:52that theosis
17:53is becoming
17:53by grace
17:54what God
17:55is by nature.
17:57With love,
17:59Abbot
17:59Triffin.
18:00So,
18:01in explanation
18:02of the scripture
18:03in that it
18:04tells us
18:04that we can
18:05become partakers
18:07of the divine
18:08nature,
18:09we need to
18:09read this
18:10in 2 Peter
18:11chapter 1
18:12verse 4,
18:13which describes,
18:15By which
18:15have been
18:16given to us
18:17exceedingly
18:18great and
18:18precious promises
18:19that through
18:20these you
18:21may be
18:22partakers
18:22of the
18:23divine
18:23nature,
18:24having escaped
18:25the corruption
18:25that is in
18:26the world
18:27through lust.
18:29So,
18:29why is this
18:31so important
18:31for us to
18:32understand,
18:33dear listeners?
18:35You see,
18:35the Blessed
18:36Virgin Mary,
18:37again called
18:38the Theotokos,
18:39lived in this
18:40place called
18:41the divine
18:42nature of God.
18:43And as
18:45our scripture
18:46says,
18:47we may be
18:47partakers
18:48of the
18:48divine
18:49nature of
18:49God.
18:50So,
18:51what it
18:51means is
18:52being renewed
18:53by God's
18:54power,
18:55we become
18:56partakers
18:56of the
18:57divine
18:57nature of
18:58God.
18:59This does
19:00not mean
19:00we become
19:01divine
19:02by nature,
19:04but rather
19:05we become
19:05partakers
19:06of what
19:08belongs to
19:08God or
19:09share in
19:10what belongs
19:11to him.
19:12And this
19:12is likened
19:13to becoming
19:14like God
19:15with the
19:15lower case
19:16letter G.
19:20Don't forget,
19:20please,
19:21that this
19:22sharing today
19:22is called
19:23Hail Mary,
19:24full of grace,
19:25and it
19:26began with
19:27an angelic
19:28salutation.
19:30You see,
19:31Angel Gabriel
19:32in Luke
19:33chapter 1
19:34and beginning
19:34in verse 28,
19:36who again
19:36said,
19:37Hail Mary,
19:38full of grace,
19:40rejoice highly,
19:40favored one,
19:42the Lord
19:42is with
19:42you.
19:43Blessed
19:43are you
19:44among women.
19:46You see,
19:47Hail Mary
19:47carries a lot
19:49of weight
19:49in her story
19:50and testimony.
19:52And I have
19:52learned that
19:53the Orthodox
19:54Church teaches
19:55that Mary,
19:56the mother
19:56of God,
19:57Theotokos,
19:58was sinless.
19:59But this
20:00is in a way
20:01that is very
20:01distinct from
20:03the Catholic
20:03doctrine of
20:04the Immaculate
20:05Conception,
20:06which I
20:07believed when
20:08I was a
20:08young Catholic
20:09girl growing
20:10up.
20:11Now,
20:12Orthodox
20:12theology
20:14does not
20:15hold that
20:15Mary was
20:16exempt from
20:17ancestral sin,
20:18the fallen
20:19nature of
20:20humanity,
20:21but rather
20:22that she
20:22chose not
20:23to sin
20:23throughout
20:23her life.
20:25She had
20:25freedom
20:26from personal
20:27sin.
20:28The Orthodox
20:29Church believes
20:29that Mary
20:30as a human
20:30being had
20:32the ability
20:32to sin
20:33but remained
20:34pure and
20:35obedient to
20:36God's will.
20:37Jesus Christ
20:39was Mary's
20:40savior too
20:41as well as
20:42her son.
20:43Orthodox
20:43theology
20:44maintains that
20:45Mary needed
20:46salvation just
20:47like all
20:48humans,
20:49but she was
20:50saved in a
20:50unique way
20:51by being
20:52sanctified
20:53through her
20:54union with
20:55Jesus Christ.
20:56I believe
20:58for Protestants
21:00and other
21:00denominations
21:01hearing this
21:02teaching for
21:03the first
21:03time have
21:05many different
21:06reactions to
21:07its content.
21:09As I
21:09mentioned at
21:10the beginning
21:10of the sharing,
21:11I certainly
21:12did.
21:13I was armed
21:14with all kinds
21:15of scriptures
21:16as we're
21:18preparing to
21:18meet with a
21:19bishop who
21:19was teaching
21:20a group of
21:20potential
21:21catechumens.
21:22it was very
21:23kind in
21:24explaining all
21:24my questions
21:25about Mary,
21:27the mother
21:27of God.
21:29Honestly,
21:30for 28 years
21:31I have been
21:32teaching the
21:33word of God
21:33according to
21:34the King
21:34James Bible
21:35and had
21:36started a
21:36message in
21:37which I was
21:38sharing about
21:39the mother
21:39of God and
21:40how she
21:40must have
21:41faced many
21:41troubles and
21:42slanderous
21:43remarks while
21:44she lived in
21:45the light of
21:46birthing the
21:47logos, the
21:48savior of our
21:49souls into
21:50this world.
21:50But when I
21:52finished the
21:53message and
21:53we did record
21:54it, I knew
21:55in my heart
21:56that there
21:57was still
21:57more and
21:58I would do
21:59great injustice
22:00in presenting
22:01it with the
22:02limited information
22:03from the
22:03King James
22:04Bible, which
22:05was very
22:06little.
22:07I put it
22:07aside and
22:09prayed that
22:09God would
22:10reveal the
22:11more to
22:12me.
22:13And one
22:14day my
22:14son Jonah
22:15Evans put
22:17a large
22:17volume book
22:18in my
22:19hands called
22:19The Life
22:20of the
22:21Virgin Mary.
22:22My whole
22:23world, my
22:24life has
22:25changed with
22:26my prayer
22:27being answered.
22:28And this
22:28book chronicled
22:30her whole
22:30life beginning
22:31with her
22:32parents,
22:33Joachim and
22:33Anna, who
22:34were very
22:35devout
22:35believers and
22:37were without
22:37children and
22:39in that day
22:40it was a
22:40shame to
22:41not have
22:42children.
22:43These dear
22:44people were
22:45ostracized,
22:46greatly
22:47ostracized,
22:48even to their
22:49old age.
22:50God heard
22:51their prayers
22:52and a
22:53cry for
22:54a child
22:54and whom
22:55they vowed
22:56to dedicate
22:57to the
22:58temple,
22:58just like
22:59Samuel was
23:00dedicated by
23:01his parents
23:02in answer
23:03to their
23:04prayers for
23:04the child.
23:06This exact
23:07year of the
23:09Virgin Mary's
23:09birth is not
23:11exactly,
23:13definitely
23:13known, but
23:14tradition suggests
23:16that she
23:16was born
23:16around 20
23:18BC to
23:1915 BC
23:20to Joachim
23:20and Anna.
23:22And the
23:23earliest
23:23accounts of
23:24her birth
23:25came from
23:26apocryphal
23:27texts like
23:28Proto-Evangelium
23:29of James,
23:30which describes
23:31her miraculous
23:32conception after
23:33Joachim and
23:35Anna prayed
23:36for a child.
23:37And this
23:38large book
23:39takes you
23:40through the
23:40whole life
23:41of Blessed
23:42Virgin Mary
23:43and her
23:44life of
23:44conception
23:45to her
23:46dormition
23:46and her
23:47bodily
23:47transition.
23:49Saint Ambrose
23:50Bishop of
23:51Milan, who
23:52lived in
23:53339 to
23:55397 A.D.,
23:58wrote that
23:58Mary's life
23:59is a rule
24:00of life for
24:02all, and
24:03she was to
24:04become the
24:04icon of the
24:05renewed
24:06church.
24:07There are
24:08first-hand
24:09witnesses back
24:10in these times
24:11who share
24:11about her life
24:12and even
24:13painted an
24:13icon of
24:15the Blessed
24:15Virgin.
24:17In my
24:17research, I
24:19learned that
24:19the Orthodox
24:20tradition holds
24:21that Saint Luke
24:22the Evangelist
24:23painted one of
24:24the earliest
24:25icons of the
24:26Virgin Mary,
24:28and he's often
24:28considered the
24:29first Christian
24:30iconographer.
24:32Now, according
24:33to the tradition,
24:35he painted
24:35several icons
24:36of Mary.
24:37Some sources
24:38suggest that
24:39Mary herself
24:40approved of
24:41the image,
24:42saying it
24:43accurately
24:43represented her.
24:46And let us
24:46not forget
24:47that Saint John
24:49the Apostle
24:50was entrusted
24:51with Mary's
24:51care by Jesus
24:52at the crucifixion,
24:54according to
24:54John chapter 19
24:56verses 26
24:57and 27,
24:59which tells us,
25:00Now, there
25:03stood by the
25:04cross of
25:04Jesus his
25:05mother, and
25:06his mother's
25:07sister, Mary
25:08the wife of
25:09Clovis, and
25:10Mary Magdalene.
25:11When Jesus
25:12therefore saw
25:13his mother, and
25:14the disciple whom
25:15he loved standing
25:16by, he said to
25:18his mother,
25:19Woman, behold
25:20your son.
25:21And then he said
25:22to the disciple,
25:23Behold your
25:24mother.
25:25And from that
25:26hour, that
25:26disciple took her
25:28to his own
25:28home.
25:30Now, tradition
25:31holds that Mary
25:32lived with John
25:33and cared for her
25:35until her
25:35dormition.
25:37In Eastern
25:37Orthodoxy, this
25:39event is known
25:40as the
25:41Dormition of the
25:42Theotokos, which
25:43means the falling
25:44asleep of the
25:45Mother of God.
25:47Orthodox tradition
25:48holds that Mary
25:50died peacefully,
25:52and after three
25:53days, her tomb
25:54was found empty,
25:55signifying her
25:56assumption into
25:57heaven.
25:59And St. Ignatius
26:00of Antioch was
26:02a disciple of
26:03John the Apostle.
26:05He may have had
26:06indirect knowledge
26:07of Mary through
26:08John.
26:09And St. Polycarp
26:10of Smyrna, another
26:12disciple of John,
26:14he likely heard
26:15first-hand
26:16accounts of
26:16Mary's life.
26:18Aristides of
26:20Athens, born
26:21around 125 A.D.,
26:24in his Apology,
26:25he described
26:26Mary as a
26:27holy virgin who
26:29bore Christ
26:30without defilement.
26:32And St. Ignatius
26:33of Antioch, who
26:35was born in
26:36107 A.D., in
26:39his letter to
26:39the Ephesians, he
26:40wrote of Mary's
26:41virginity and the
26:43mystery of Christ's
26:44death.
26:45You see, these
26:46saints and many
26:47others played a
26:48critical role, a
26:49crucial role, in
26:50preserving the early
26:52Christian teachings
26:53about Mary.
26:54And these
26:55writings reflect the
26:56early Christian
26:57understanding of
26:58Mary's significance
26:59and theology and
27:02devotion.
27:03Dear listener and
27:04followers, there is
27:06so much that can be
27:07said about the
27:08pure virgin Mary,
27:10mother of our
27:11Lord Jesus Christ,
27:13that I feel like I've
27:14only outlined a
27:15small background of
27:16her history and
27:18those who had a
27:18great part in
27:19bringing forth the
27:21lost accounts of
27:22her life.
27:23There are many
27:24important facts that
27:26have framed and
27:27shaped her life and
27:28are found in the
27:30various books that
27:31outlined her life as
27:32a child and
27:33activities as an
27:34adult, but
27:35especially found in
27:37the big book called
27:39The Life of the
27:40Virgin Mary.
27:41So I feel it is
27:44important to do a
27:45part two.
27:46Some of these
27:47details in another
27:49sharing, which we
27:50can peer into her
27:51thoughts, her
27:52pastimes and
27:53activities that were
27:55totally devoted and
27:56dedicated to God
27:58Almighty.
27:59So until next time,
28:01may the Lord Jesus
28:02Christ and the
28:03Father and Holy
28:05Spirit bless us, all
28:07who have ears to hear
28:08of the wonderful news
28:10of the holy
28:11traditions of the
28:12church and continue
28:14in the journey into
28:15these mysteries of the
28:16ancient faith, which
28:18take us back to the
28:19early church, which
28:20began at 29 A.D.
28:23Lord, have mercy on us
28:25and bless our ears to
28:27hear.
28:28Amen.
28:29Amen.
28:29Amen.
28:29Amen.
28:30Amen.
28:31Amen.
28:31Amen.
28:31Amen.
28:31Amen.
28:32Amen.
28:33Amen.
28:33Amen.