Her Name Was Mary

Page 2

Mariolatry   .....    the idolatrous worship of the Virgin Mary

The most famous Mary is, of course, the Virgin Mary, wife of Joseph, mother of Jesus and a lady who is worshipped and revered by millions throughout the Roman Catholic world

MARY was the daughter of Joachim and Anne and belonged to the royal house of David and was able to trace remote descent from King David as could her husband Joseph. It is believed that she was probably not much more than 15 years old when Jesus was born. She lived in Nazareth, a village of Galilee and was a relation of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist.  After Jesus died Mary went to live with John to whom Jesus had said, as he was dying, "Behold thy mother". She was betrothed to Joseph at the time of the Annunciation and Joseph wanted to put aside the marriage contract at first. However he was assured by an angel that "that which is conceived of her is of the Holy Spirit". The announcement of the Incarnation to the Virgin Mary by the Angel Gabriel is commemorated on Lady Day, 25th March. In the Jewish faith matrimony is completed in 2 stages, The betrothal is first and although it represents a binding contract, sexual relations are not yet allowed. This happens a year later after the marriage feast has taken place. At the time of the Annunciation Mary was in the first stage. The date of her death is often given as AD 63 and the celebration of the festival of the Assumption follows the tradition of her having been assumed into heaven. It was defined as doctrine in 1950

During his lifetime there were several other women close to Jesus who were called Mary and who were present at his crucifixion and at his resurrection .........

..... MARY MAGDALENE was the prostitute "restored to purity by repentance and faith". It is said, or written, that she came from a wealthy Sadduccan family who had a country house on the shores of Lake Gennesareth in Galilee and a town house in Jerusalem, She was brought up in the Greek style. She was the "fallen woman" who was healed of her 'evil spirits' by Jesus and who lay at his feet when he was crucified, was beside the tomb after his death and on his resurrection was one of the first people he saw. It was she who ran to tell Peter and John that Jesus had risen saying "I have seen the Lord"

..... MARY of BETHANY was the sister of Martha and Lazarus at whose house Jesus often stayed and where he was six days before the Passover. It was here that she anointed his feet with an expensive ointment and then wiped them with her own hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment and when Lazarus reprimanded Jesus for allowing her to waste money in such a way he said "Wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her". In Christian allegory she symbolizes the contemplative life

..... MARY, wife of Cleophas was beside the cross with Mary, his mother, his mother's sister and Mary Magdalene. Cleophas was one of the followers of Jesus and met him on the road after his resurrection and broke bread with him

..... MARY MAGDALEN dei PAZZI was born in Florence in 1566 of a wealthy family. After rejecting many suitors she became a Carmelite Nun in 1583 despite the strong objections of her parents. In her early life she experienced mystical prayer and this, together with the suffering she voluntarily accepted on behalf of all states of life in the church made up her vocation. She became bedridden in 1604 and died 3 years later. In 1669 she was canonized and her festal day is the 25th May

..... MARY di ROSA (1813-1855) was the founder of the Handmaids of Charity of Brescia.  From the age of 17 she did social work for girls in hospitals, in factories and for the deaf and dumb. Although very strong mentally she was physically weak and wore herself out, dying at the early age of 42

..... Julie Postal became MARY MAGDALEN POSTEL. She was born at Barfleur in Normandy where she opened a school for girls and which was used as a centre for underground religious activities during the Revolution. During this period she was given charge of the reserved Eucharist and was allowed to minister it to the sick. When the Revolution was over she carried on teaching and at the age of 51 took vows and founded the Sister of the Christian Schools of Mercy. After some discouraging years she acquired a derelict monastery in 1830 at Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte which was used as a headquarters.  Seven years later the congregation was formally recognized and she continued to direct it until her death in 1846. Her canonisation was in 1925 and her festal day is the 16th July

..... MARY WARD originally Joan Ward .... born 1585 died 1645 ..... Roman Catholic nun born in Yorkshire, who established various schools in France and Germany where  Latin, Greek, mathematics, astrology, geography and music were taught.  In 1609 she returned to England to found a Catholic society for women and with her devotees gave up the cloistered existence and the habit of nuns to work in the community. Their work was not questioned it was felt that their door-to-door visiting was potentially scandalous and although they continued to work and found schools in Europe by 1630 Pope Urban V111 had suppressed her society. She did not stop work and was arrested as a heretic but managed to continue in Rome until she was allowed to return to England in 1639. In 1877 her institute was fully restored, with papal permission, and became the model for modern Catholic women's institutes

Page 3