The following quote comes from the UK’s Daily Mail, online edition: … The official newspaper of the Holy See has declared it is time to undo four centuries of church disapproval of traditional representations of Mary as an earthy, fleshy mother doting on her newborn son. … The latest edition of L’Osservatore Romano ran two […]
Jesus’ childhood
The Gospels are silent about Jesus’ childhood. I agree with those who say that the emphasis by the Gospel writers was on the Incarnation, the Ministry, and the Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ. With the exception of the Lukan story of a 12 year old Jesus at the Temple, no stories […]
Impassive Mary at the Cross?
The Blessed Virgin Mary is all too often pictured as an impassive observer at the Cross. At best, she is pictured with a face of quiet suffering. Only a statue such as Michaelangelo’s Pieta catches something of her all too human suffering. But, it might be worth asking how the Church Fathers pictured the Theotokos’ […]
Down’s syndrome and the Virgin Mary
From Beliefnet: A Philadelphia reader passes along this deeply moving essay by a Catholic mother of a Down syndrome child, responding to some vandals who stole photos of Down children from a website, and reposted them making fun of the kids and their condition. Excerpt: This attack was also painful because of the callous lack […]
Roman Catholic and Orthodox differences on Original Sin
In a couple of the last posts there has been an ongoing discussion of the differences in the concept of Original Sin between Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy. So, let me put a couple of citations from the Wikipedia that may help people to see the differences. Why from the Wikipedia? Well, because they are better […]
Sunday of the Geneology 2009
Today is what is called the “Sunday of the Genealogy” in Eastern Orthodoxy. Today is the Sunday before Christmas, the Sunday in which we read the genealogy of Christ from the Gospel according to Matthew. We are not the only ones who read one of the genealogies before Christmas. More than one Christian group does. […]
To invoke or not to invoke, it is all a Revelation
OK, so it is a bad pun. But, there are two ideas that make me go towards believing in the invocation of the saints. I have already mentioned that invoking the saints is found very early in Church history and is found universally. I will mention that one of the principles that many scholars follow […]
To invoke or not to invoke, that is the question!
OK, I know you are waiting for me to say it. There is no place in the Scriptures that gives any direct mention of the invocation of the saints for intercessory prayer. There, I said it. I got it off my chest! 😯 So, why do I believe in the invocation of the saints? Let […]
Intercession and Invocation of the Saints (and the Theotokos)
Well, we finally get to the subject for which various of you are waiting, the intercession of the saints. But, actually to begin correctly, I need to divide that phrase into two related phrases, the intercession of the saints and the invocation of the saints. What is the difference between the two phrases? The first […]
Quick hint for tomorrow
OK, so here is a thought for you, and the reason why I have left intercession of the saints until the end of my musings on the Theotokos. Think with me on this. Do a thought experiment with me. Imagine two cases. The first is the one in which the Anabaptists are 100% correct. Most […]
