THE HISTORY OF MARY OF NAZARETH GOES RIGHT BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF HUMAN HISTORY; IN GENESIS 3;15, GOD PROMISED THERE WOULD BE A WOMAN WHOSE OFFSPRING WILL BE AT ENMITY WITH SATAN.
'And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He shall crush your head, and you will bruise His Heel'
The Old Testament prophesies of Mary;
Jeremiah 31;22; 'The LORD will create a new thing on earth - a woman shall encompass a man'
Isaiah 7;14; 'Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign.The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel'
Psalm 22;9-10 'Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you, even at my mother's breast.
From birth I was cast on you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God'
Micah 5;2-3 'But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times'
Mary in the New Testament
Matthew 1;16; '...and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus Who is called the Messiah'
Luke 1;26-56. God sent the Archangel Gabriel to Mary in Nazareth. He named Mary blessed, and told her the news that she would become pregnant with the Son of the Most High, Jesus.
Jesus would receive the throne of King David, his ancestor; His rule would be an eternal one.
Mary went to visit her pregnant cousin Elizabeth, and spoke the prophetic words of Mary's song. Particularly poignant and true of Our Blessed Lady is when she proclaimed, 'From now on all generations will call me blessed' [Luke 1;48].
Luke Chapter 2; Mary went with Joseph to Bethlehem to be registered in the census. It was there that Jesus was born.
When the time for the purification of Mary and the presentation and circumcision of Jesus, they went up to Jerusalem.
Thereafter Jesus was presented in the Temple, and acclaimed by Simeon and Anna - prophets in the Temple.
Naturally Jesus was in the arms and the care of his parents, Joseph and Mary. Mary his natural mother, Joseph his earthly stepfather.
Matthew 2;13-14 tells of the Angel's warning to Joseph to flee with Jesus and His mother Mary, to Egypt; thus saving their lives from the assassination plot of the then King, Herod.
Mary is spoken of again in Luke 2;41-51; when she and Joseph searched anxiously for Jesus who had - unknown to them - stayed behind at the Temple in Jerusalem.
He was discussing theology with the teachers at the Temple. Mary discussed other things with them - such as obedience to His parents.
Jesus had discovered His true paternity - and, as always happens, familial differences led to the ruffling of the waters of family harmony.
Mary treasured all these occurrences in her heart - she knew her Son was destined for great things.
She had received warning from Simeon that a sword of sorrow would pierce her soul - as occurred later at the execution of her Son.
Mary is mentioned in Luke 8;19, when she came to visit Jesus while He was at public ministry.
The people of Nazareth speak of Mary, when they question; 'Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary?' in Matthew 13;55.
A woman in the crowd praised Mary as blessed to have borne Him. Luke 11;27-28.
The crowds in Capernaum mention Mary, in John 6;42. 'And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?'
Mary stood by Jesus throughout his suffering and death.
She stood at the foot of the cross on which He was crucified.
Jesus entrusted Mary into the care of His beloved disciple, John.
From then on, Mary's home was with John. [John Chapter 19].
Mary supported the disciples of the Early Church. They were all at prayer in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit of God came down, as Jesus had promised. [Acts 1;14]
Paul spoke of Mary in the Letter to the Galatians, 4;4. 'But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law.'
The Book of Revelation speaks of Mary's symbolic appearance as Empress of Heaven, conqueror with her Son over the dragon. She wears a crown of twelve stars, and is a wonder in Heaven. [Revelation 12;1-17].
Breath of Heaven
tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPbV_HTpyx0
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