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Early Christians are a wonderful example of the unity for which Christ prayed at the Last Supper: And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. . . . And all who believed were together and had all things in common (Acts 2:42-44). Their unity grew from reading the Old Testament and receiving the teachings of those in authority. It was expressed in their fellowship—“those who believed were of one heart and soul&rd …

The Immaculate Conception refers to Mary’s preservation from original sin from the very moment of her conception. The formal definition of this dogma was given to the Church by Pope St. Pius IX in 1854:We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all …

Literal References to the Virgin Mary in Scripture 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 mo …