Mary would not have qualified by Jewish standards to be The Blessed Mother. The Jews of Jesus' day had very strict criteria for the blessed. They had to be Jewish, male, religious, healthy and wealthy. If you were sick or poor or female, well, your bad! God obviously wasn't blessing you! We know (see previous post) … Continue reading Blessed to be in the Kingdom
Mary of Nazareth
Blessed to Believe
Recently this post popped up as a memory on my facebook page: He [my son] gives me such joy, has so many talents, and loves Jesus. I am a blessed mother. And this from a coworker heading to the field for the first time: The entire journey went smoothly without any delays, missing luggage or other problems. What a … Continue reading Blessed to Believe
Good Things
According to my brother-in-law, the Rev. David Handy, "Traditionally, since ancient times, in liturgical churches (Lutheran and Anglican, as well as Catholic and Eastern Orthodox), the Blessed Virgin Mary is considered the greatest of all the saints, bar none. Greater than Francis of Assisi in the 13th century, or St. Benedict (founder of the Benedictine … Continue reading Good Things
A Safe Place
At that time, Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.Luke 1:39–40 Mary sat there trying to catch her breath. What had just happened? Had there really been an angel right in front of her just moments before? "I'm going to … Continue reading A Safe Place
Last Words
And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38 After receiving her commissioning and being reassured that God was at work, Mary responded with three beautiful last words. Behold (which we don't use these days) means "See! Look! … Continue reading Last Words
Reassurance and Sign
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be … Continue reading Reassurance and Sign
Question
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” Luke 1:34 Good question Mary! Yeah, angel, please tell us how will this be? Mary needed more information. After all, she was being asked to believe and participate in something that was beyond human experience. I don't think she was being belligerent. She was simply … Continue reading Question
Commissioning
You have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never … Continue reading Commissioning
Pondered Treasures 