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The most obvious references to the Virgin Mary are those that mention her explicitly.These may be few, but they are the most important. Literal references take priority in any doctrinal discussion and are the basis for all other ways of reading Scripture. The Protestant theologian Daniel Migliore reminds us to keep in mind:The Gospel writers were not interested in supplying us with material for a biography of Mary any more than they were in giving us material to write a life of Jesus. Yet Mary s …

The Immaculate Conception.For non-Catholics, this dogma of the Church may be one of the most misunderstood doctrines there is.Here are some common questions Catholics get, and how to respond to them:Question:Why does Mary have to be holy at the moment of her conception instead of being purified shortly before God chooses her to be his mother?Response:God chooses and elects those who are to cooperate in his plan of redemption from before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4), anticipating his pl …

Among others we could consider, we will examine three reasons why Mary was and continues to be both a virgin and mother. In Luke 1:34, when Mary was told by the angel Gabriel that she was chosen to be the mother of the Messiah, she asked the question, literally translated from the Greek, “How shall this be, since I know not man?” This question makes no sense unless Mary had professed a vow of virginity. When we consider that Mary and Joseph were already “espoused,” according to verse 27 of this …

Though she became the most famous woman in the history of the world, Mary was born a simple Jewish girl from a poor family in the house of David,i some 2,000 years ago. When she was fourteen or fifteen years old, God chose her to be the mother of Jesus Christ, God incarnate; this simple teenage girl, then became the Mother of God.ii She was, as a matter of history, called to the unique task of bringing the Messiah into the world.Mary is a sign to us all how God loves to choose “what is we …

When I was on the outside looking in at the Catholic Church, I truly believed the emphasis on Mary in Catholic theology led to a loss of focus on Jesus. My aim, in speaking with Catholics, was not only to debunk Catholic theology’s many myths about Mary, but also to point them back to what really matters for salvation: Jesus Christ. Often I would say to them words that I have since heard many times from scores of well-meaning Protestant Christians: “We can agree to disagree about Mary. Afte …