EXPLAINING MARY

Many people, even Catholics, wrongly believe the Immaculate Conception to be the event by which Mary came to be pregnant because the Holy Spirit came upon her and Jesus was conceived – so that God was Jesus’ Father and not a man. That event is the Virgin birth. In fact the Immaculate Conception is not when Jesus was conceived, but when Mary was conceived. She had normal parents – a man and a woman – but although every man and woman is born with Original Sin, because of a special grace relating to the merits of her future child Jesus, Mary was born without experiencing Original Sin – she was born untainted by sin and the devil has no power over her. This Conception of Mary without sin is a unique grace for a human conceived since the Fall and is because otherwise, ‘sin’ or a person tarnished by sin, would have ‘carried and given flesh to’ Jesus/ God Incarnate in the womb, which could not be. And therefore, because of Jesus’ power, not hers, his mother Mary was uniquely created without Original Sin – as Adam and Eve had been. Biblical References to Mary’s Immaculate Conception References to Mary in the New Testament are not numerous, although there are many references in the Old Testament which are recognised to be ‘types’ of Mary, in the way that the Old Testament so often prefigures its more perfect completion in the New Testament. Examples include: Moses the deliverer and Jesus the Redeemer; Abraham willing to sacrifice Isaac and the Father allowing the sacrifice of Jesus; Circumcision as covenant sign and baptism as covenant sign; ritual animal sacrifice for sin and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Such ‘typology’ is well recognised throughout the Bible and the New Testament version of the ‘type’ is always a more perfect event than the Old Testament representation, which foreshadowed it. Colossians 2:17 'These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.' 1. The New Ark of the Covenant A type in the Old Testament which applies readily to Mary is that of the Ark of the Covenant - a beautiful container, designed according to God’s Word and which was used to carry the Word of God within itself. Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant – determined by Jesus, the Word of God, and who carried within herself the second person of the Trinity, the Word of God made flesh. God’s presence accompanied the Ark everywhere and as her ‘Spouse’ the Holy Spirit of God will continue to accompany Mary everywhere. There are striking parallels when we consider Old Testament references to the Ark and New Testament references to Mary: Perhaps most important to notice, is that God wanted the Old Testament Ark to be “perfect in every detail”, made of the finest materials available – and off limits to everyone. God was so protective of the Ark that nobody was allowed to touch it, since it was of such great importance. 2 Samuel 6:6,7 'And when they came to the threshing-floor of Nacon, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.' We may imagine Mary to be even more precious to God, since she is not a box but created in His image and likeness, yet necessarily ‘perfect in every way’ even amongst human kind. The Ark was kept in the most holy place, the holy of holies and was ‘sanctified by His glory’. ' Each of us are also a potential Ark carrying God’s presence, since we are a temple of the Holy Spirit as Christians, but how much more will Mary be the ‘perfect in every way’ Temple of the Holy Spirit – her Spouse – the new Ark of the Covenant 1 Corinthians 3:16,17 'Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in holy, and you are that temple.' 2. Creation The perfectly created Universe is another of such ‘types’ which relate to Mary. Genesis 1:2 'the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters.' It was from the perfectly formed ‘matter’ of the Earth that God formed the mortal body of Adam and He added His ‘breath of life’. Genesis 2:7 ' then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.' Obviously Mary conceived without sin compares with this perfectly created matter used to form a human body for her son Jesus Romans 5:14 'Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.' 1 Corinthians 15:22 ' for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.' Jesus is the second Adam, who undid our separation from God caused by the Fall, His humanity was formed from the body of this immaculate mother Mary. Luke 1:28 'And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.' 3. The Second Eve There is another type which Mary is recognised with, in Eve. We know from Genesis 2 that Adam and Eve were created by God in a state of perfection. Eve was created completely free of sin – immaculate in every way. Genesis 1:27, 31 'And God created man to his own image: to the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. … And God saw all the things that he had made, and they were very good. And the evening and morning were the sixth day.' Mary is often seen as the second Eve, since because her Son was to be God Incarnate, she too was created without Original Sin like Eve though she remained sinless. Since Mary is considered to be the Woman in Genesis 3:15, it is because of the sinlessness of Mary that there is such enmity between her and Satan, because he knows that God promised that she is to crush his head. Genesis 3:15 ' I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel.' (DRB) Many consider that Eve is the woman referred too in Genesis 3:15, but it could not be her since Eve was not an enemy of Satan but his accomplice in sin. Mary on the other hand would be instrumental in God putting right what Eve had destroyed. The children of Eve would be every person born on Earth, whereas the children of Mary, would be the Mystical Body of Christ who keep the commandments and testimony of Jesus, Revelation 12:17. Act 22: 7,8 'I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" I answered, "Who are you, Lord?" Then he said to me, "I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting."' Revelation 12:17 'Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus.' Mary’s children are all those who keep the commandments of her Son (Revelation 12:17), since she was also given to the Church to be its mother at the Cross by Jesus. John 19:27 'Then he said to the disciple, 'Here is your mother.' And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. ' 4. She Will Crush Your Head – Genesis 3:15 Mary is truly the Woman who crushes the Serpent’s Head – see the appendix. Certainly Jesus won the victory against sin and undid the works of the Devil, but it suits God that mankind, which has suffered the cruel fury of Satan, be the final cause of Satan’s demise. However different bible versions differ in their translation - please see the appendix. for more detail. 5. Hail Full of Grace Luke 1:28 “Hail full of grace, the Lord is with you.” (DRB) The salutation of the angel Gabriel indicates a unique abundance of grace, a supernatural state of soul, which finds its explanation in the Immaculate Conception of Mary. The term ‘full of grace’, while not explicitly proving the doctrine, does imply her Immaculate Conception and freedom from sin. The Protestant Scholar Max Thurian observed that the similarity between the prophecy of Zephaniah (3:14) and the angel's announcement to Mary, turns the past participle passage, 'filled with grace,' into a" kind of title”: 'Hail thou . . . daughter Hail thou, full of grace!’ Mary, the daughter of Zion, receives from the angel a new kind of name which characterizes both her vocation and her purpose. Mary is the one 'Filled-with-grace,' and she may well rejoice at the joy proclaimed by the prophets to her who should become the Mother of the Messiah, that Daughter of Zion, the symbol of the people who wait for their God, which the Virgin has become by pure grace. 6. Other References to Mary There are several other Old Testament references which are taken to refer to Mary, such as: from the texts Proverbs 8 and Ecclesiasticus 24 – which exalt the Wisdom of God and which in the Catholic liturgy are applied to Mary, the most beautiful work of God’s Wisdom. Also in the Song of Songs, the love song in which God is taken to be the Bridegroom and the Bride may be Mary, the Church or the individual believer “4:7 Thou art fair, O my love, and there is not a spot in thee”. A Sign of the Times - God is Raising Up Mary for the End Times Battle of Her Children with Satan. Because of her sinlessness and special protection from God, Mary is Satan’s main enemy – she who God promised will crush his head. To ask Mary to pray to God for us and also use the power God has given her in these times, is entirely in keeping with God’s Plan and appropriate for us as her children. Mary as the mother of the Church and the New Ark of the Covenant is a champion for us against Satan, empowered by God. Revelation 12:17 'Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus.' To become the mother of the Saviour then, Mary was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role, including her ‘Immaculate Conception’. Although officially defined as a dogma of the Catholic Church in 1854, this understanding had long been held throughout history, but after Heaven’s miraculous intervention (see below), it was formerly defined by the Pope as one of only two occasions in history when the Pope has made an infallible statement (ex cathedra). Heaven gave a Sign The heavenly intervention was a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Sr. Catherine Laboure, a holy nun – in a chapel at the Rue de Bac in Paris in 1830 when during several apparitions the Blessed Mother outlined the design of a medal which was to be made. The image on the medal was of Our Lady standing on a globe with her foot crushing the head of a serpent (cf. the Woman of Genesis 3:15) and there were rays of light coming from gems on her fingers. An inscription around the image read: “O Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee.” On the reverse were images representing Mary (the ‘M’ beneath the Cross and the two hearts of Jesus and Mary – one run through with a sword Luke.2:35) surrounded by twelve stars – cf. the Woman of Revelation. The medal then confirms Mary as ‘the Woman’ in both Genesis 3:15 and Revelation 12. In the years following, this medal (original called the medal of the Immaculate Conception) came to be called the ‘Miraculous Medal’, because of the repeated miraculous way that God answered the prayers of those millions who honoured this medal. 10 Million medals were sold in the first five years alone. St. Catherine Laboure’s body remains incorrupt to this day. The incorrupt body of Saint Catherine Laboure in Paris – She died in 1876 In response to such signs from Heaven, and also the longstanding awareness and theological debate within the Church of Mary’s Immaculate Conception without Original Sin, the Pope made this an official dogma of the Church in 1854. And Yet Another Heavenly Sign…! Heaven confirmed this action by the Pope 4 years later, when in 1858, there was also a series of miraculous apparitions of the Blessed Mother at Lourdes, France to a young girl: Bernadette Soubirous, during which the Lady of the apparition, to answer a question asked on behalf of the parish priest to identify herself, answered; “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Lourdes became a centre of miraculous healing and pilgrimage. St. Bernadette became a nun and her body remains incorrupt at her convent to this day. Saint Bernadette Soubirous’s incorrupt body at Nevers – she died in 1879 Such supernatural signs are taken to be a confirmation by Heaven of that person’s holiness and also their message. Such evidence may often be considered when formally declaring someone a Saint of the Church – See: http://www.marypages.com/IncorruptBodies.htm The Role of Mary in God’s Plan: God arranged a test for our first parents and we know that Satan was allowed to tempt them – and the Fall occurred. As a result of the failure of this test, Adam and Eve lost the gift of sanctifying grace living within them, by which they shared in the life of God, and experienced suffering and death. They were cast out from Paradise and because the sin of Adam represented a test for the whole of mankind, the effects of the Fall have affected the rest of mankind. God knew through eternity that mankind would fail the test in the garden, and by allowing it as He did, He ensured that Satan would be the scapegoat for the Fall of man, because he had tempted Adam and Eve, therefore allowing mankind to achieve forgiveness and redemption. And so God already had in place a plan for our redemption and eternal happiness with Him in Heaven. He would come Himself in the person of Jesus, who would become a man, being born of a Virgin who would be his mother. Mary alone amongst mankind (because of the merits of the son she was to carry), was preserved immune from original sin. This means that Satan has never had any power over Mary and it seems to be a matter of God’s Justice that after centuries of Satan persecuting mankind with suffering and sorrow, that it should be mankind – in the person of Mary, who Revelation clearly speaks of as being at enmity with Satan the Red Dragon, who will be the cause of his defeat – using power given to her by God. As much as David could be a champion for the Israelites and Goliath a champion for the Philistines, Mary is a champion for mankind in the final battle against Satan. Indeed the Dragon goes to make war on the rest of the Church precisely because they are her children. Both Genesis and Revelation really describe a great enmity between these two, Satan and Mary – who is Satan’s mighty foe. Revelation 12:17 ' Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus.' This takes nothing away from Jesus who conquered Satan on the Cross and who has already won the victory for us – but we still need to apply that victory and to defeat Satan by the blood of the lamb, the word of our testimony and our submission and humility before the kingship of God (did not cling to life): Revelation 12:11 'But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of death.' Let us note what the Pope Pius IX said about Mary’s role against Satan in Scripture: This doctrine was defined as a dogma of the faith by Pope Pius IX in the Apostolic Constitution “Ineffabilis Deus” in 1854:

She Will Crush Your Head – Genesis 3:15 In Genesis 3:15 in the Douay Rheims English version of the Bible and all older Catholic versions before 1966, God says to Satan: "I will put enmities between you and the woman, and your seed and her seed: she will crush your head, and you shall lie in wait for her heel." But some Bibles differ in their version – we explain here the error. There is a variation in Biblical translation that can be recognized in the passage from Genesis 3:15 concerning whether or not it is the woman, or her seed, that will crush the head of the serpent. Since 405 AD St. Jerome’s Vulgate translation of the Bible has been the main Bible of the Church, the Douay Rheims bible is based upon the Vulgate. St. Jerome, was translating the original texts for the Church, using both the original Hebrew text, and the Greek Septuagint. In his best judgment, he chose to translate the Hebrew word ( “זרע “ zera‛ ) as: "she will crush thy head." The first translation of the original Hebrew and Aramaic texts was into Greek and it is the Greek translation which uses ‘he’, not ‘she’. But since the time of the King James translation (1611), Protestant scholars chose to interpret the Hebrew as "it" instead of “she” … shall crush thy head. In the past 50 years, most Protestant, and Catholic translations have translated the Hebrew passage as "he". However, there are several reasons to dispute the modern translation into ‘he’, as follows: 1. Literal Translation The original Hebrew word under discussion only means: "the former" - i.e. the just referred to – in the sentence. The word actually implies no quantity and no gender - which is why the older translations use the phrase: "it" shall crush thy head. That translation is perhaps, the most literal. And since that immediately prior reference was enmity "between your seed and her seed" - it is not clear if "the former" here refers to "her seed" or perhaps to "her", who was mentioned earlier in the same sentence 2. Plural or Singular ‘Seed’ So the object of “the former” can only be either the Woman or her seed. If we consider “the former” as referring to the "seed" then the word used for ‘seed’ is the plural word ‘zeh’-rah’! This is same word used elsewhere in the Bible to refer to Abraham’s ‘seed’ being as numerous as the stars – the children of Abraham. Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth (H3318) (H853) abroad,(H2351) and said,(H559) Look (H5027) now (H4994) toward heaven,(H8064) and tell (H5608) the stars,(H3556) if (H518) thou be able (H3201) to number (H5608) them: and he said (H559) unto him, So (H3541) shall thy seed (H2233) be.(H1961) Genesis 3:15 And I will put (H789)6 enmity (H342) between (H996) thee and the woman,(H802) and between (H996) thy seed (H2233) and her seed;(H2233) it (H1931) shall bruise (H7779) thy head,(H7218) and thou (H859) shalt bruise (H7779) his heel.(H6119) KJB+ Strong’s Bible Dictionary (Highlighted reference numbers refer to the same word “זרע “ zera‛ (zeh'-rah) in Hebrew) It is clear then, that the Hebrew word ‘seed’ ( “זרע “ zera‛ ) is not a singular object. Therefore, only the Woman can be used as the singular object. So “the former” which the Scripture is referring to, is the Woman – as St. Jerome translated it in the Vulgate. It is more of a linguistic stretch to try to force the (plural) ‘seed’ of the woman to be a "specific singular" - than it is permit "the Woman" to be the "specific singular". 3. Singular Options in the Sentence The context is that there is an enmity between the Woman and the Serpent - and later in the sentence, only a singular, not a plural entity (the Hebrew word “זרע “ zera‛ is a third person pronoun singular – he/she or it) can rightly be translated to ‘crush your head’. Since there is no singular masculine person available in the text, the choices are 1) the Woman, or 2) all of her combined offspring designated by the term "it". To presume that Jesus, ‘he’ is the ‘seed’ in this sentence, requires us to overlook the plural nature of the word being translated. This would try to suggest "Jesus" as the singular identity ‘he’ who is to "crush" the head of the serpent, when the word used for ‘seed’ is a plural word. This is making a ‘leap’ of translation which cannot be justified. It is an irresistible and rational explanation, to prefer what St. Jerome chose to do - which is to presume that: The one specific "singular" (the Woman) refers to the other specific singular (your head) i.e. "She” (singular) shall crush “your” head (singular) - and “you” (singular) will strike at “her” (singular) heel. This translation is not only acceptable linguistically, but it simply makes more sense given the context of the passage. There is an enmity between the serpent and the woman established and the mutual aggression is between those two. 4. The Enmity and the Victor One must simply ask the question: if an enmity is established, which it clearly IS "between the woman and the serpent" - who is the prophesied victor?? The answer is the Woman! The enmity between the seed of the woman, and the seed of Satan, is in fact, only a side note. To change the victor of the enmity between the woman and serpent - to be the seed of the woman, simply does not logically follow. The obvious translation would be: "I will place enmity between you and the woman, and between your children and her children. She shall crush thy head, and you shall strike at her heel." Obviously Jesus saved humanity by his Redemption and now intimacy with God both on Earth and in Heaven, is now available to us - but this is not the crushing humiliation of the head of the serpent, which is implicit in Genesis 3:15 . The crushing of the head of the serpent is more than "making right” the damage caused the Serpent and is a different kind of action. Paul says in Colossians 2:15 : "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." The Serpent is not humiliated by Jesus - who in the account of the battle of the End Times, was immediately "taken up to God and to his throne” before the Serpent/ Dragon ever has a chance to even do battle with him! ( Rev. 12:5 ) No - Satan immediately goes away to "make war on the rest of her children." These are the children of the Woman. Nowhere - is there any reference to Jesus doing battle with Satan --Satan is never even given so much as a moment to do battle directly with Jesus. Instead, the battle is immediately begun with: "the rest of her children." So - who is the one who crushes Satan's head? - The only singular object that the Scripture could refer to is the Woman. It seems strange that all the modern translations have dropped the ‘she’ of the long established Vulgate translation and used ‘it’ or ‘he’, when: ‘he’ seems to be an inaccurate translation of the original Hebrew; and it’ places the meaning of the sentence in poor context? 5 Church History and Sacred Tradition Pope Pius IX in the Apostolic Constitution “Ineffabilis Deus” which defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 referred to the Scripture: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed (offspring) and hers; She will crush your head while you strike at her heel." ( Genesis 3:15 ) After quoting the above verse from Genesis, the Holy Father elaborated on this text as follows:

This is another truth which the Catholic Church holds to, but which is not of highest priority for salvation in terms of the Hierarchy of Truths. There may be considered to be a mean agenda behind this observation, namely to either prove that Mary, the mother of Jesus was not of a saintly disposition but just a random little Jewess, or otherwise, to discredit the teaching of the Catholic Church. Matthew 13:55,56 'Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?' It should not at all be the intention of Christians to throw the mud of average humanity at the Mother of Jesus, who as the new Ark of the Covenant is of special importance to God. Whereas untrained readers of the Bible may need things explained, Scripture scholars should be slow to suggest that Mary has other children than Jesus, because they would know that a) the words ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’ in Aramaic culture were also used to refer to cousins, uncles and other close relatives, not only siblings; b) the people listed as ‘brothers of Jesus’ are shown to be sons of other women in the Scripture, thereby proving the flexible use of the words in Aramaic culture. As Patrick Madrid (‘Where is That in the Bible?’) describes particularly well:

Heaven is inhabited by the Holy Trinity, angels and the souls of men, women and children. Amongst this collection it would seem perfectly reasonable for there to be a special place for the mother of Jesus; the specially chosen daughter of the Father and the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. Elsewhere in these pages is an explanation that the Blessed Virgin Mary is a New Testament ‘type’ of the Ark of the Covenant since the cloud of God’s Presence overshadowed her and she contained Jesus the Word of God for 9 months. She may be considered to have an ongoing special and intimate connection with the Spirit of God who is her Spouse. While we are all called to be a Temple of the Holy Spirit how much more then will Mary be filled with Grace and the Holy Spirit? 1 Corinthians3:16,17 ' Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.' Ephesians 5:31 -32 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church. There are several ways that Mary is suggested as being a queen, both in the Old Testament and also in the New in Scripture: It is recognised that the importance of the ‘queen mother’ is well established in the Davidic kingdom. At the time of King David when a new king took his place, his mother was routinely given the title of ‘gebirah’, which is Hebrew for ‘great lady’ or ‘queen’. It was not the wife of the king who was acclaimed as ‘queen’, but his mother. The sense behind this may be understood because they often had many wives (King Solomon had 700) and since the king had only one mother, there was much wisdom in this arrangement. Edward Sri observes that in ancient Israel, “… the queen mother was no mere figurehead. Rather she held an actual office with real authority in the kingdom. In fact the prophet Jeremiah described how she shared in the king’s rule over the people and even possessed a throne and a crown of her own – a symbol of her royal power. Jeremiah 13:18,20 'Say to the king and the queen mother: 'Take a lowly seat, for your beautiful crown has come down from your head.' … Lift up your eyes and see those who come from the north. Where is the flock that was given you, your beautiful flock?' In this passage, Jeremiah forecasts the imminent fall of the kingdom of Judah. But in doing so, he reveals how the “flock” of Israelites will be taken away from the current Jewish monarchs and will be handed over to the invading Babylonians. What is important to note is that this prophecy is addressed to both the king and the queen mother. Thus, when God says “your beautiful flock” will be taken away, He is referring to the fact that the king and his royal mother shepherded the people together. But because of their unfaithfulness, both will lose their flocks. Both will lose their thrones (“take a lowly seat”) and their thrones will be taken away.” (Edward Sri: Catholic for a Reason II – Scripture and the Mystery of the Mother of God, also Edward Sri: Queen Mother – A Biblical Theology of Mary’s Queenship.) Bathsheba, the wife of David and mother of Solomon is perhaps one of the best Scriptural demonstrations of the authority and importance of the queen mother in the Davidic kingdom. 1 King 2:19 -20 'So Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. The king rose to meet her, and bowed down to her; then he sat on his throne, and had a throne brought for the king's mother, and she sat on his right. Then she said, 'I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.' And the king said to her, 'Make your request, my mother; for I will not refuse you.' Throughout the Bible, anyone sitting on the right hand side is the ultimate place of honour. Jesus is referred to as sitting at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews1:13), so Solomon offers his mother the most powerful position he could in his whole kingdom – a throne at his right hand side. Sitting at the king’s right hand, the queen mother clearly has a powerful share in the king’s royal authority, allowed to her by the king. Asking Mary to Pray for Us An obvious dynamic mentioned in this Scripture also relates to how the Catholic Church regards Mary. Bathsheba was approached to speak to her son on behalf of another person, who was confident that the king would listen to her. To confirm this, her son himself assures her that he will not refuse her request. (In this example the king doesn’t heed her request, but obviously she is an influential advocate towards the king. Similarly, many Catholics recognise that Mary is a powerful advocate to speak on behalf of individuals to her Son Jesus. Hence there are so many prayers asking for her intercession on our behalf. Certainly Protestants ‘can go straight to Jesus’, no problem, but Catholics may be aware of a powerful advocate that Protestants don’t! Also interesting in our reflection about Mary (as queen mother sitting at the right hand of the King - Jesus), to recall the words of Jesus in the gospel: Matthew 20:21-23 …She said to him, 'Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.' But Jesus answered, 'You do not know what you are asking.… to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.' In the gospel of Luke, amongst several important things that Gabriel says to Mary he also prophecies that her royal Son will have an eternal kingdom and God the Father will restore the Davidic Kingdom to Him. Luke 1:31-33 'And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.' And as we have just seen clearly from scripture, David’s kingdom held a very high position of authority and honour for the queen mother – the mother of the King, within his kingdom. In Jesus’ Kingdom, that powerful queen mother at His right hand is Mary, to whom He has given power and authority. New Testament and Mary as Queen of Heaven Finally, let us consider the Book of Revelation chapter 12:1,2,5 and particularly let us examine “the Woman clothed with the sun”. Revelation 12:1-2 '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. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth.' Revelation 12:5 'And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne;' Her Son is Jesus Because the Woman gives birth to a son who will ‘rule with a rod of iron’, and this imagery is also used in Psalm 2:8,9 which clearly speaks of the coming Messiah: Revelation 12:5 'And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne; Psalm 2:7-9 'I will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, 'You are my son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.' So, we know the mother of Jesus is Mary and considering our previous discussion about the place of the queen mother, in the vision of the Woman clothed with the sun, we see Mary alongside her Son Jesus, reigning in Heaven. On Her Head a Crown of Twelve Stars Like other queen mothers from the time of David’s Kingdom, we see Mary wearing a crown, which symbolises her status and authority. The fact that her crown is made of twelve stars has several significant implications. Firstly it represents the twelve tribes of Israel, because she will bear the Davidic king, so she has an exalted place in relation to Israel and can be identified as the ‘Daughter of Zion’. Zechariah 9:9 'Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion, shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem: Behold thy king will come to thee, the just and saviour: he is poor, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass.' The daughter of Zion is a virgin who belongs to the Lord who will marry her: 'For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you' (Isaiah. 62: 5). Also the twelve stars represent the twelve apostles, who were the very foundation of the Christian Church. Jesus identifies Himself with His Church as demonstrated when He protested to Saul (later Paul) for persecuting Christians: Act 9:4,5 'He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' He asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' The reply came, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.' So the Christian Church is often recognised as the Mystical Body of Christ, but because of the intimacy and spiritual union which God calls us to as His sons and daughters, the Church of Christ is also referred to as the Bride of Christ, especially from Ephesians 5:22-32 “Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the Church”. Mary then, represents the Church as the Bride of Christ, ‘without spot or wrinkle’, since she is already the Bride or Spouse of the Holy Spirit who fathered her Child. Her crown of twelve stars, when applied to the 12 Apostles and the Church, suggests that she has authority over the Church – indeed she is also considered to be the Mother of the Church (the Mystical Body of Christ her Son). Ephesians 5:25-27 ' …. just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to himself in splendour, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind--yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish.' Ephesians 5:31,32 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church. Certainly such a union is a mystery when it takes place between two humans, but when such union takes place between God and a person, this has been long recognised within the Church as ‘mystical union’ of the soul with God, according to the writings of Saint John of the Cross and Saint Teresa of Avila. Such a spiritual union is considered to be the height of spiritual perfection and maturity, accompanied by great peace and joy - of God abiding in us and us in him. Galatians 2:19, 20 '…. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.' 1 John 3:24 'All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.' Mary as a person in whom the Holy Spirit abides perfectly, is Mother of the Church and represents the perfection of all her children (who keep the commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus), and in whom the Holy Spirit abides as in a temple: Revelation 12:17 'Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus.' Clothed with the Sun As for the sun, with which the Woman is clothed, this symbolises the presence of God, the Light of the world, who had overshadowed her and dwelt within her, just as with the Old Testament Ark, so His presence would always accompany her. By this we may presume that Mary the New Ark of the Covenant would be both empowered with the Holy Spirit and also protected by God’s presence, just as He jealously guarded access to the old Ark of the Covenant. Standing on the Moon The moon is beneath her feet as a representation of night and the darkness of sin, always being beneath her feet. Similarly the weakness of sin in Mankind, was also to remain beneath her feet without having any hold upon her. In this image, is also represented, the connection with Genesis 3:15, where the Woman (Mary), is prophesied to crush the head of Satan – and her we see her standing upon the moon symbolising the darkness of sin and the Fall of mankind. 1 Thessalonians 5:5 'for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.' Revelation 21:23,25 ' And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. Its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there.' She was Pregnant To show Mary in her pregnant state, emphasises that she is ‘her in whom God dwells’ the New Ark of the Covenant. As an important observation, the chapter delineations were allocated well after the Scriptures were written, and it is apparent that the end of Chapter 11 and beginning of Chapter 12 of Revelation should not have been separated by the Chapter end: Revelation 11:18-19 'The nations raged, but your wrath has come, and the time for judging the dead, for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints and all who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying those who destroy the earth. Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.' Revelation 12:1-2 '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. She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pangs, in the agony of giving birth.' Just as the Ark of the Covenant is seen in Heaven, so the pregnant Woman is also seen, separated only by the description of a spectacular ‘symphony’ of some of the loudest powers from Nature. Compare this display of nature with Jesus’ comment on his final entry into Jerusalem and His Passion: Luke 19:38-41 … saying, 'Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!' Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, 'Teacher, order your disciples to stop.' He answered, 'I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.' As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it,' This was a loud acclaim from Creation which announced the appearance of the Woman clothed with the sun – Mary, the New Ark of the Covenant. Travailing in birth and pained to be delivered Because Mary had no original sin, it cannot be the case that she experienced the pain of childbirth, since this was a punishment from the Fall which would affect all (other) women. While some scholars including Feuillet and McHugh consider that this reference to pain in childbirth must relate not to the infant birth of Jesus, but to his death and resurrection – giving new life for the Church, which of course was preceded by the sorrow of the crucifixion and Mary bravely accompanied Jesus to Calvary. Although plausible from Scripture exegesis, there may be another explanation. Since Mary knew that she would be the mother of the Messiah, from Scripture she also knew how He would be treated and sacrificed unfairly as the Redeemer of Mankind, so it is very likely that Mary was saddened and tormented about bringing her Child into the world to face His fate, which She knew about so clearly. Revelation 12:2 'AndG2532 she being with childG2192 G1722 G1064 cried,G2896 travailing in birth,G5605 andG2532 painedG928 to be delivered.G5088 ' The Greek word translated in most Bible translations of the verse as ‘pain’ is ‘βασανίζω’ basanizō (bas-an-id'-zo) From” G931; to torture: - pain, toil, torment, toss, vex.” (Strong’s Bible Dictionary = KJV+) If we look then at the other instances where this Greek word ‘βασανίζω’ basanizō also occurs, we see that the only time, in the whole Bible that this word is translated as ‘pain’ is in Revelation 12:2, the verse we are looking at – the rest of the time it is usually translated as ‘tormented’ ( 8 out of 12 times) or ‘toiling’, ‘tossed and ‘vexed’. This is quite a different emotional meaning than the extreme physical pain of childbirth.on So it would appear that Mary was not in physical pain, but in emotional pain about the birth . Her Child was snatched way and taken to God and to His Throne Some scholars have struggled with this verse, suggesting that when Jesus was born, he remained with Mary and Joseph and on Earth until his Resurrection and he wasn’t immediately taken up to Heaven. However, this may be taking the verse rather too literally, since it is referring to the shifting and spiteful dynamics happening in the Throne Room of Heaven around the time of the birth of Jesus – particularly in relation to the dragon planning to destroy the Child. Revelation 12:4,5 '… Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne;' Clearly Satan the fallen Archangel believed that he could destroy Jesus, who was about to be born a Man and for Satan to be reminded that even if Jesus is a man, he cannot destroy God Incarnate - because He enjoys the authority of God’s throne, seems a reasonable boundary for him to be given in the circumstances. The Woman seems to be relatively untouchable by the dragon also, because of God’s protection – so Satan is left with making war on Mary’s children – the Church. Revelation 12:17 'Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God and hold the testimony of Jesus.' Summary To conclude then, the Catholic Church believes, with significant Scriptural evidence and interpretation, that the Woman referred to Revelation 12 in Heaven wearing a crown is the mother of the Child that sits with God at His throne – Mary the mother of Jesus. The Catholic Church regards her as being honoured by God with the title of ‘Queen’ in Heaven as represented by the crown of stars. This does not place her on any throne of equality with God, or suggest that she is at all divine, but only that she has authority in Heaven over angels and souls, given to her by God.  Respect not Conversion It is not our intention to convert Protestants to believe or agree with Catholic teaching, but to demonstrate and reassure any Protestant reader of the intellectual integrity of the Catholic Church’s interpretation of Holy Scripture, and particularly on these pages, the Catholic understanding of the role of the Virgin Mary – “the handmaid of the Lord “ in God’s plans for mankind. We hope that to demonstrate that each of the respective Catholic beliefs about the Virgin Mary is rooted in the Bible and Christ-centred is a valid biblical interpretation for the Catholic Church to make, which our Protestant brothers and sisters should be able to respect.

Amongst the concerns that are most often expressed against the Catholic Church and which have no basis whatsoever in the mind of the typical Catholic is the accusation of idolatry in terms of Mary. The Catholic Church does not worship Mary and it would be a gross offense of the First Commandment if this were true. Unfortunately the use of the old fashioned word ‘venerate’ doesn’t help the situation, since few people would ordinarily use the word, so it’s meaning as used by Catholics has been somewhat ‘assumed’ by many Protestants. The word ‘venerate’ means ‘to regard with great respect’, which is how Catholics view Mary. The Catholic Church certainly does honour and greatly respect Mary, but she is never considered to be God, or a deity alongside God, or anything other than a Woman who has a special place in God’s heart and also in the heart of her children – the Church. Having earlier considered the Scriptural references to Mary, as considered by the Catholic Church, in the other pages of this website, the reader will recognise many of the titles by which we consider Mary listed below in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. All of them relate to Scriptural insights as already mentioned and using all of these titles, we ask for Mary to ‘pray for us’ to God. Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Approved by Pope Sixtus V in 1587 Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God have mercy on us. Holy Mary, pray for us. Holy Mother of God pray for us. Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us. Mother of Christ pray for us. Mother of divine grace, pray for us. Mother most pure pray for us. Mother most chaste, pray for us. Mother inviolate, pray for us. Mother undefiled, pray for us. Mother most amiable, pray for us. Mother most admirable, pray for us. Mother of good counsel, pray for us. Mother of our Creator, pray for us. Mother of our Savior, pray for us. Virgin most prudent, pray for us. Virgin most venerable, pray for us. Virgin most renowned, pray for us. Virgin most powerful, pray for us. Virgin most merciful, pray for us. Virgin most faithful, pray for us. Mirror of justice, pray for us. Seat of wisdom, pray for us. Cause of our joy, pray for us. Spiritual vessel, pray for us. Vessel of honor, pray for us. Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us. Mystical rose, pray for us. Tower of David, pray for us. Tower of ivory, pray for us. House of gold, pray for us. Ark of the Covenant, pray for us. Gate of Heaven, pray for us. Morning star, pray for us. Health of the sick, pray for us. Refuge of sinners pray for us. Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us. Help of Christians, pray for us. Queen of angels, pray for us. Queen of patriarchs pray for us. Queen of prophets, pray for us. Queen of apostles, pray for us. Queen of martyrs, pray for us. Queen of confessors, pray for us. Queen of virgins, pray for us. Queen of all saints, pray for us. Queen conceived without Original Sin, pray for us. Queen assumed into Heaven, pray for us. Queen of the most holy Rosary, pray for us. Queen of peace, pray for us. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord God, that we Thy Servants may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body and by the glorious intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, be delivered from present sorrow and enjoy eternal happiness, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.” In no way then, as evidenced by this comprehensive Litany which is still commonly used today, is Mary ever in any way, considered to be a deity. Statues and images generally The Bible states that we must not ‘bow down to’ or worship anyone as if they were God, that only God is to be worshipped. But bowing down to anything or anyone, is not to worship them, and Scripture advocates such conduct for displaying honour to another: Genesis 27:29 'Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!'' As usual God examines the heart and if we do not intend to worship someone as if they were God, then showing honour to a person is quite permitted – even encouraged Also Jesus Himself states: Revelation 3:9 'I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but are lying--I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you.'  There are numerous examples of bowing or honouring in the Bible which are clearly not being seen as offensive or idolatrous, but it is clear that the gesture is not so important as the heart and the intention. At the time of the Reformation and Henry VIII’s attack on the Catholic Church in England, while there is no question that there were abuses and superstitions amongst lay people across the Catholic Church in England as seen in the following examples, these were interwoven with practical expressions of faith (Please note Olde English spelling!):

We shall begin our consideration of Mary on this page with both a caution and an encouragement …! Any evaluation of Catholic Church teaching presupposes some knowledge of the subject, but apparently such knowledge is not always there. The eminent Protestant scholar, Adolf von Harnack deplored the ignorance of the majority of Protestant theology graduates about Catholicism:

Kimberly Hahn – ‘Catholic for a Reason II – Scripture and the Mystery of the Mother of God’ 2nd ed

Jesus is God - and His mother was Mary – so she is the Mother of God. Elizabeth calls her the mother of her Lord (meaning God):