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The Perpetual Virginity of Mary — What Does the Bible Really Say?
One of the most common objections to Catholic teaching about Mary sounds very simple: “The Bible says Jesus had brothers. Therefore Mary must have had other children.” Another objection points to Matthew: «“He knew her not until she had borne a son.” — Matthew 1:25» And another asks: “Why would Mary and Joseph remain virginal…
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Mary at the Cross — “Behold Your Mother”
When Jesus looked down from the Cross and said, “Woman, behold your son,” He was not suddenly changing the subject to Mary’s living arrangements. He was completing a biblical story that began in the opening chapters of Genesis. The scene at Calvary is filled with typology: a Woman, a Son, a tree, the defeat of…
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Mary, Mother of God — Theotokos and the Council of Ephesus
One of the most misunderstood titles given to Mary is: Mother of God For many Christians, especially those unfamiliar with Catholic or Orthodox teaching, the title immediately raises questions. How can Mary be the Mother of God? God is eternal. God existed before Mary. Mary did not create God. So what exactly does the Church…
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Kecharitōmenē — What Did the Angel Gabriel Really Call Mary?
When the angel Gabriel appears to Mary in Luke’s Gospel, something extraordinary happens that is easy to miss in an English translation. Gabriel does not begin by addressing her simply as “Mary.” Instead, he addresses her with a remarkable Greek word: Χαῖρε, κεχαριτωμένη, ὁ κύριος μετὰ σοῦ.Chaire, kecharitōmenē, ho Kyrios meta sou. — Luke 1:28…
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Mary, the New Eve — How Christ Reverses the Fall
One of the most striking patterns in Scripture is the way the New Testament deliberately reverses the events of Genesis. The Fall begins with Adam, Eve, a garden, a tree, a serpent, and death. The Gospel answers with Christ, Mary, another garden, another tree, the defeat of the serpent, and the restoration of life. This…
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Mary: The Ark of the Covenant – A Biblical Case
Introduction One of the most beautiful biblical typologies in Scripture is the relationship between Mary and the Ark of the Covenant. Far from being a later Catholic invention, this connection is woven throughout both the Old and New Testaments. The Ark of the Covenant was the holiest object in Israel because it was the dwelling…