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The post 346: Our Lady of Guadalupe from St Luke to St Juan Diego [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Was Jesus Christ born on December 25? Dr Taylor Marshall says “Yes, Christ was born on the historical day of December 25 in the year 1BC. Dr Taylor Marshall explains using the Church Fathers and the Gospel of Saint Luke.

This is a sample class from my online Catholic Curriculum “Early Church Fathers History” offered by the New Saint Thomas Institute. You can join for a limited time today for 47/month (and receive 7 more Courses thrown in) at:

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This is a sample class from my online Catholic Curriculum “Early Church Fathers History” offered by the New Saint Thomas Institute. You can join for a limited time today for 47/month (and receive 7 more Courses thrown in) at:

https://NewSaintThomas.com

If you are already a student Member of New Saint Thomas Institute, you already have full access to this course. I look forward to seeing you inside the New Saint Thomas Institute!

Happy Advent,
Dr Taylor Marshall

The post Was Christ Born on December 25? Yes! Dr Marshall Explains [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

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The post 175: Third Secret of Fatima: Who is the Bishop in White? [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

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The post 173: First Secret of Fatima: Does Hell Exist? (Fatima 1) [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Saint Ephrem died on June 9, 373 AD in Edessa so he gives us a unique perspective on early Christology and Mariology. Here’s a short video with me reading a passage from him with a brief reflection:

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[reminder]

ad Jesum per Mariam,

Dr Taylor Marshall

The post Is Blessed Mary the Mother, Sister, Spouse, or Daughter to God? St Ephrem the Syrian appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

My adorable four year old daughter took Valentine’s Day stickers and went through our home sticking them on all of our religious art.

I (regretfully) became angry with her. For example, I was pretty upset to see a cheap sticker on this authentic egg-tempera painted icon of the Holy Theotokos and Christ Child:

Here is another “epic” example:

I scolded her and told her that she should not place stickers on holy things. We should revere holy images and not treat them disrespectfully.

I watched her eyes well up with tears and she turned her face away from me in shame. My sweet wife Joy said, “Honey, I think she was doing something else.” And then it hit me. Maybe it was my Guardian Angel slapping me upside the back of my head.

I asked her, “Were you placing all these stickers on Jesus, Mary, and the Saints because you love them and want to show your Valentines love for your friends?”

She nodded her head “yes” with teary eyes. I gave her a hug and told her what a good girl she was. I felt bad. She was innocently showing childlike “dulia” for these holy images in full accord with the Seventh Ecumenical Council (podcast here).

And the silly stickers came off no problem and damaged nothing.

It reminded me of the Apostle Paul’s exhortation to Christian fathers:

“And you, fathers, provoke not your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and correction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)

Fathers, be slow to correct and consider the motivations of the little ones. We don’t want to drive away their innocent devotion to that which is good.

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Happy Valentines Day and Happy Ash Wednesday,
Dr Taylor Marshall

PS: I’m sealed for death and resurrection in Christ!

The post How I Failed as a Father on Valentine’s Day: Stickers on the Theotokos appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Check out this profound insight from Saint Athanasius about the relationship between the Word of the Father and the created universe:

He is God, the living and creative God of the universe, the Word of the good God, who is God in his own right. The Word is different from all created things: he is the unique Word belonging only to the good Father. This is the Word that created this whole world and enlightens it by his loving wisdom. He who is the good Word of the good Father produced the order in all creation, joining opposites together, and forming from them one harmonious sound. He is God, one and only-begotten, who proceeds in goodness from the Father as from the fountain of goodness, and gives order, direction and unity to creation. (Discourse Against the Pagans)

Consider the most complicated mathematical problems, the rate of gravity, the structure of DNA sequences, the speed of light, the chemical compounds of substances, the expanding universe, etc. All these things are designed, controlled, measured, and governed constantly by the divine Word of God.

Even before Christ entered the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, He was perfectly guiding and controlling the universe like a conductor over all reality.

But the Son of God does not simply govern over. He is not merely a conductor of trillion piece orchestra. He is also intimately present in every person, instrument, note, chord, and sound. He lives and moves in all of creation as the rational binding principle of everything. Here is Saint Athanasius again:

The almighty and most holy Word of the Father pervades the whole of reality, everywhere unfolding his power and shining on all things visible and invisible. He sustains it all and binds it all together in himself. He leaves nothing devoid of his power but gives life and keeps it in being throughout all of creation and in each individual creature.

This is not “pantheism,” which is the heresy that “God is everything,” or that “my pencil is God, and my table is God, and that tree is God.”

The post The Son of God pervades the Whole of Reality – St Athanasius on the Word appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Instead, we observe the media’s depiction of the father is a comical dolt. The children laugh at him. The mother goes around his back. Sitcoms and films are replete with foolish fathers who justify the claim that there is no hierarchy in family.

Society tells all men to “man up” and marry but as soon as he does, he is presumed to become an embarrassing caricature of manhood, as someone resembling Homer Simpson or George McFly from Back to the Future:

We find the perfect familiar order (and corrective to our times) in the Holy Family, which conforms perfectly with divine law and natural law. Moreover, God in providential irony set up the Holy Family so that the most wise and meritorious members of the family submit to the less wise and meritorious.

Here’s the breakdown:

1. Jesus Christ (Divine Logos and Son of God) submits to Mary and Joseph.
2. Mary (Immaculate Conception and Mother of God) submits to Joseph.
3. Joseph (neither divine person like Christ nor immaculate like Mary) is the Head of Holy Family.

If merit, grace, or dignity were the criteria for leadership and headship, clearly it would be Joseph at the bottom of the leadership chain. But not so. God honors the natural order of fathers in the family and he recognizes Joseph as the leader. Although Joseph is least gifted and least worthy, he is nonetheless submitted to and obeyed by the Divine Jesus and the Immaculate Mary.

Children often test their fathers: Is he truly a great man? Do I truly want to follow him? Wives do the same: Did I marry the right man? Is he the hero that chose me and swept me off my feet or is he George McFly?

We all question our leaders. For this reason, fathers should strive to be excellent and fulfill their mission in life. This earns respect from wives and children. It quiets their worries about whether he is the great man that they hope him to be. However, no man is perfect. Jesus and Mary were greater than Joseph, and yet they were patient with him as he understood less than they did.

If any man in history were comparatively outclassed by his wife and child, it was Saint Joseph. This is an example to all families. The father of the home should be honored as the head of the wife and head of the family – even if he is less holy, less wise, less prudent, less pious than his mother and children: because that was once the case with Saint Joseph.

No doubt, the comments will be filled with testimonies such as: “My father was evil and he did XYZ.” I grant that these deep fractures exist in countless famliies. There are fathers out there that earn a score of F-.

But let’s be honest, many (most?) fathers out there are scoring As, Bs, and Cs on their report card. They work hard. The pay for Christmas. They tell bedtime stories. They play catch and teach children how to swim. They pay for insurance and health care. They fix the car. They live the faith. They take the family to church. They spend time investing in their children. They respect and love their wives. They are the oak.

So if your husband/father is scoring a B+ in your mind (and you think you’re scoring an A+), be like Mary and Joseph and honor him anyway as chosen by God to be your unworthy leader. The soul of a man is fueled by respect. I have no doubt that the soul of Joseph was rocket-boosted to highest heaven by the fuel of respect poured into him by his betters: by his wife Mary and his foster son Jesus.

Happy Feast of Holy Family. May Jesus protect all families from the Devil and from the Herods of the world,

Dr Taylor Marhall

The post Subordination to Joseph in the Holy Family appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Most Protestants claim (as well as Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses) that in the early 300s, the first Christian Roman Emperor Constantine co-opted Christianity for political purposes and transformed Rome’s pagan theology, imagery and titles into Christian versions:

1. pagan Temples became Christian Churches
2. the title “Queen of Heaven” was transferred from the Roman goddess Magna Dea to Jesus Christ’s mother Mary
3. Pontifex Maximus was transferred as title for Bishop of Rome
4. patron deities were modified into patron saints
5. The first day of the week, dedicated as “Sun-Day” became the day of Christian worship rather than the Jewish Sabbath on Saturday

Other examples could be listed. I’ve argued that Constantine was truly Christian and that paganization did not occur in The Eternal City: Rome and the Origins of Catholic Christianity. Rather, I defend the (Catholic) belief that the Holy Trinity planned from creation to use the Roman Empire as the means of salvation through the Roman crucifixion of the eternal Son of God under Roman domination.

Today we address the title “Queen of Heaven” as applied to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Protestants adhere to the principle of sola scripture (only scripture). In doing so, they search the pages of Scripture for “Queen of Heaven” and they find it in the Old Testament:

The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger. (Jer 7:18)

and again:

But we will do everything that we have vowed, burn incense to the queen of heaven and pour out libations to her, as we did, both we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no evil. (Jer 44:7)

The prophet Jeremiah here condemns how Israelites adopted then pagan practice of offering cakes and drink offerings to “the queen of heaven.” This “queen of heaven” was the goddess Asherah who was universally worshipped in the Middle East as a consort bride to Baal or even Yahweh.

We have, in fact, found an archeological pithos sherd found at Kuntillet Ajrud be with an inscription reading: “Yahweh and his Asherah” as depicted below:

There is biblical and archeological evidence for devotion to God’s wife Asherah. But this devotion was contrary to the monotheism practiced by Abraham, Moses, and David. The Israelite prophets were constantly recalling Israel away from worship of Asherah and back to the monotheistic worship of Yahweh.

It would seem, then, to the Protestant that the Catholic practice of calling Mary “Queen of Heaven” is a return to this banned practice in Jeremiah. Epiphanius of Salamis even writes of an early female Christian heresy around AD 375, whereby women devotees in Arabia would worship Mary and offer bread-rolls (Greek κολλυρις or kollyris) to Mary as if she were a goddess. This seems to be a holdover from worship of Asherah as described by Jeremiah.

And yet the Catholic Church does NOT give worship (Greek latria) to Mary. She receives the highest form of praise for a created human (Greek hyperdulia), since she is a human and will always remain a human. However, she is the earthly mother of the King of Heaven and Earth. And by that honor, she is Queen of Heaven.

Moreover, Revelation chapter 12 depicts the mother of the Messiah as crowned with 12 stars, clothed with the sun, and standing on the moon. She is no doubt the Queen of Heaven, just as she is also the Queen of the Jews.

And we should remember that pagan kings were also called Messiah, Son of God, King of Kings, King of Heaven, etc. and yet we do not hesitate to grant these titles to our Lord Jesus Christ.

The abuse of a term by pagans (e.g. Son of God, Queen of Heaven, Pontifex Maximus) does not forfeit their proper use by God-fearing Christians in an orthodox sense.

[reminder]Do you honor the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Queen of Heaven[/reminder]

The post Did Israel’s God have a Wife? “Queen of Heaven” in Jeremiah 7 appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

It became quite stylish in the liturgical reforms of the 1960s and 1970s to teach that the Greek word for liturgy is λειτουργία (leitourgia) and that this word means “work of the people.” This led to the new idea that λειτουργία or “liturgy” is something that lay people should be leading and even performing within the context of worship.

Does λειτουργία mean “work of the people”? No.

Liturgy certainly does not mean “work of the people,” and I’ll show you why from examples in Sacred Scripture. But before looking at Scripture, let’s look at the actual Greek word:

The Word “Liturgy” in Greek

λειτουργία, like so many words in Greek, is a composite. The first word half of the word derives form the Greek word “laos” meaning “people.” (There is also the variation of “leos” which is the Attic Greek version of the same word for “people.”) This word “laos” (or “leos” in Attic) is where we get laity and laypeople. It’s a generic word for a collection of people. The Greek name Menelaos means “withstanding the people” and the Greek name Nikolaos means “conquering the people.”

The second part of the word derives from the Greek word “ergon” meaning “work,” as in ergonomic, energy, and synergy.

When you smash the two Greek words together to describe something you get: leitourgia or λειτουργία.

Does λειτουργία mean “work of the people” or “work for the people”?

So the term contains the two Greek words for “people” and “work,” but how do we arrange it for its meaning? On one hand, it could be “work of the people,” meaning something the people work out together. On the other hand, it could be “work for the people,” meaning something done for the benefit of the people.

Option 1: Liturgy as “Work of the People”

The kumbaya (Elvis liturgy) crowd of the 1960s and 1970s insisted that it was former – something people work out when they come together. This led to the idea that lay people should lead prayers, read the lessons, prepare the altar, handle chalices, handle the Eucharist, distribute the Eucharist, bless people in the Communion line, and cleanse the vessels. After all, if liturgy means “work of the people,” then the people ought to be up there doing active work.

Option 2: Liturgy as “Work Done for the People”:

The historical, traditional, and received definition of liturgy or λειτουργία is that it is something done by one for the sake of the people. This may come as a crushing blow to the legions of Christians who were taught that liturgy was the “work of the people,” but it’s the plain truth. In Plato and other Greek authors, λειτουργία is something done by one for the sake of the people. Consequently, the Greek term is usually a priestly or political term depending on the context. And in the Bible, it is usually a priestly term, but we will examine one passage in Romans that is expressly political:

Let’s look at Sacred Scripture to settle the debate:

In the account of the birth of John the Baptist, we discover that his father Zacharias is an Aaronic priest of the tribe of Levi. As such, he serves in the Temple as a priest when it is the time of his allotment. [I explain elsewhere how this detail leads us to know that Christ as born in late December.] The passage explains that St Zacharias goes to the Temple to minister and the original Greek word is that he goes there to do liturgy:

And when his time of service (λειτουργίας) was ended, he went to his home. (Luke 1:23)

Did Zacharias gather a bunch of people to worship the Lord? No, the passage explains that his duty was to go into the Temple and offer incense to Yahweh. He did this to ceremoniously present the prayers of the people to God. It becomes obvious that his “liturgy” was something he did as a priest for the benefit of the people, not something he did as a priest with other people present.

Let’s look at another example from Hebrews:

And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship (λειτουργίας). (Heb 9:22)

This is a description of how Moses consecrated the tabernacle and vessels for divine worship in the Old Testament. The tent/tabernacle and the vessels could only be handled and used by the Levites, as they administered them for the benefit of Israel. Once again we see that λειτουργία refers to what is done by a priestly class on behalf of the laity.

The Liturgy of Christ as for the people:

But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry (λειτουργίας) which is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. (Heb 8:6)

The author describes Christ as a High Priest who now administers a better New Covenant through a better λειτουργία or Liturgy. Once again, this λειτουργία is something Christ is administering on our behalf for our salvation. Notably it is His presentation of His Body and Blood to the Father for our redemption – something that is presented in every Liturgy of the Mass.

Roman Emperor as Liturgizer:

And let’s not forget that Saint Paul calls the evil Emperor Nero a “liturgizer.” In Romans 13, Saint Paul explains how the Roman Emperor (at that time Nero) and all political rulers are “liturgizers””

3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of him who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant (διάκονός or diakonos) of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers (λειτουργοὶ or leitourgoi) of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay all of them their dues, taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

Saint Paul identifies the Emperor as διάκονός or deacon and as all rulers as λειτουργοὶ or liturgizers. Be mindful that this Emperor was Nero, and yet he receives sacerdotal titles from Paul.

In fact, the dalmatic (which is worn by deacons) is an imperial garment traditionally reserved for the Byzantine court. I cannot find the source at the moment, but I recall reading once that Constantine was allowed to read Scripture in liturgy while still unbaptized because he was considered to be a quasi-deacon by virtue of his status as Emperor. And the Emperor in Constantinople processed with the Patriarch and the clergy, often in a dalmatic.

Back to “liturgy” in Romans 13. It’s manifest that the Roman Emperor and other Roman rulers are accorded the title of λειτουργοὶ. They are not liturgists designing services. Nero isn’t leading the people in “Gather us in, the rich and the haughty.” Rather these Roman rulers are, according to Paul, appointed by God to administer justice for the people. 

Liturgy as Something Done for People

Liturgy, at least in the Old and New Testament is something priestly or political that is done for the sake of the people. It is communal only in that it is done for others.

A priest saying the Mass alone in a Russian hotel room is doing “work for the people” without anyone else gathered together with him.

Likewise, the Pope gathered at a Mass of 10,000 people is doing “work for the people,” but the people being present doesn’t make it “liturgy.” The liturgy is accomplished in persona Christi for the people. Just as Zacharias was able to do “liturgy” all alone with his thurible in the Temple.

When Christ died on the cross, He administered a new λειτουργία for the people of the world. It was a liturgical act in which nobody participated by dancing, performing, reading from a book, or carrying a vessel. The truly “active participation” was accomplished by the Mother of God, Saint Mary Magdalene, the other women, and by the Apostle John when they lifted up their hearts to the divine Crucified Rabbi on the cross. They painfully and silently received the bloody λειτουργία of Christ on their behalf.

The time has come for us to understand liturgy as sacerdotal and as something done by Christ for His people. Cardinal Sarah summed this up recently with these words:

Liturgy is about God and His work for His people. Whoever tells us that we must celebrate ourselves in the liturgy is undermining biblical liturgy. Liturgy as “work of the people” is liturgical Pelagianism – the heresy that says that man can naturally work for his salvation.

If you’d like to learn about Sacramental Theology and earn your Certificate in Catholic Theology along the way, please join us at the New Saint Thomas Institute. We have a 2 part video on the “Mystical Meanings of the Mass according to Thomas Aquinas” waiting for you:

Learn more about our online theology courses and earn up to 6 Certificates in Philosophy, Theology, and Church History at newsaintthomas.com, the largest global online Institute for theological studies.

Godspeed,
Dr. Taylor Marshall

The post Liturgy does NOT mean Work of the People (Against Liturgical Pelagianism) appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Please join us in this short Catholic online lesson on the historical date of Mary’s Assumption, a free sample course from the New Saint Thomas Institute:

You can watch the video at YouTube as well by clicking here.

This lesson is part of our Curriculum in Church History and the Church Fathers:

If you are not already a Student Member of the New Saint Thomas Institute, and you’d like to begin your Certificate in Catholic Church history: we have good news! Our Fall Enrollment just opened this week. Please sign up while there is still room, and begin earning any of our 6 Certificates:

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ad Jesum per Mariam cum Petro,
Dr. Taylor Marshall

The post In which year did Mary receive her Assumption into Heaven? appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Dr. Marshall, regarding the Body and Blood of our Lord, is it correct to say that in a way that when we receive the Eucharist that we receive the body and blood of Jesus and Mary, considering that Jesus (as second person) assumed human nature through Mary? In other words, just as Eve’s body was taken from Adam, in the same way, the Second Adam (Jesus) was taken from the body and blood of Mary being His mother? Thus, when we receive communion, it is also in a way receiving the body and blood of Mary through her Son?

My reply:

No, it would be heretical to state that we receive the Body of Mary in the Holy Eucharist. We do not receive the Body of Mary in the Eucharist. This should be entirely rejected.

The Body of Christ is genetically different than the body of Mary and is vivified by a distinct soul in Christ that is not the soul of Mary. A human body relies on the form of the distinct soul animating it. Moreover, the substantial form and matter of Christ’s human body is not that of the Blessed Virgin Mary – even though the Body of Christ is derived from the body of Mary.

This also creates a corporeal regress. If we were to claim that we receive Mary’s body in the Eucharist (because she is his mother), then we could then say that when we eat the Eucharist we are eating the body of Saint Anne (Mary’s mother) and the body of King David and the body of Ruth, et al. – since they are genetic ancestors of Christ. All of this is heretical.

The Body of Christ is the Body of Christ. We don’t receive simply a body in the Eucharist, we receive a Person in the Eucharist – the Divine Second Person of the Trinity along with the human nature that He assumed in the womb of Mary: His body, blood, and soul.

It is, however, perfectly orthodox to say that Mary participated in the Incarnation and that she provided a human body to Christ. We can also state as orthodox the scientific fact that the blood of a mother mixes with the blood of her baby. So we can say that the Precious Blood Christ mixed with the blood of Mary in utero, providing yet another profound sanctification in her beyond that of her sublime Immaculate Conception.

But we should not say that we receive the blood of Mary or the body of Mary in the Eucharist.

ad Jesum per Mariam cum Petro,
Dr. Taylor Marshall

PS: There was an ancient heretical sect in pre-Islamic Arabia that celebrated a liturgical rite in which they claimed to be eating the Body of Mary in a quasi-Eucharist. They were called Collyridians. (Click here to learn more about Marian Heresies.) This may be why Muhammad and the Quran wrongly asserts that Christians believe that Mary is the Third Person of the Trinity. See Quran 5:73-75 and Quran 5:116.

The post In the Eucharist do we receive the Body of Mary, too? appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

The 5 Luminous Mysteries do not find their origin with Saint John Paul II in 2002 with is Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, but rather with Saint George Preca in the 1950s.

In 1950s, Saint George Preca prayerfully discerned that the Church needed to focus on the public and sacramental ministry of Christ within the context of the Holy Rosary. He began praying a set of 5 new mysteries in the context of the Rosary, which he called “Mysteries of Light.” These were published by him in a leaflet in 1973.

Saint George Preca was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on June 3, 2007.

There’s a historical twist to this story. Saint George Preca was a priest of the island of Malta!

You may have heard that the two bishops of the island of Malta have ruled that the divorced and remarried that have not received annulments and continue to live in a sexual relationship can receive the Holy Eucharist after a period of discernment and following their conscience in the pursuit of peace. The debate centers of baptism, matrimony, the teaching of Christ, and the Eucharist (4 of the 5 Luminous Mysteries). There has also been some confusion about the Knights of Malta with regard to the distribution of contraceptive devices. Why Malta?

Could it be that Jesus and Mary’s Luminous Mysteries AND the presence at the “Wedding at Cana” was especially planted on the island of Malta by Christ through his sainted priest George Preca?

All the Luminous Mysteries speak to our time and our personal difficulties:

1. Jesus’ Baptism in the River Jordan
2. His manifestation at the wedding at Cana
3. His proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with his call to conversion
4. His transfiguration before the Apostles on Mount Tabor
5. His institution of the Eucharist

These are profound meditations for our current vocation within the Catholic Church to become saints:

1. Baptism: Our baptismal dignity and call to be holy as He is holy.
2. Matrimony: Our call to transform water into wine: to transform the natural creation ordinance of matrimony into a supernatural grace-filled union of sanctity. And to sanctify family life in the context of matrimony.
3. The perfect teaching of Christ: Evangelizing our hearts and inviting others by turning the Truth of Christ as preserved by His Catholic Church.
4. Transfiguration: Stress on the Divinity of Christ and His power in our lives to transform us.
5. Eucharist: The sacrosanct nature of the Eucharist, because the Eucharist is Christ Himself.

I have no doubt that Our Lady desires for us to come to Jesus Christ by meditating on these Mysteries of Light. As Father Calloway says, new battles require us to renew our weapons. The Rosary has been modified over time (listen to the interview to learn more) and it seems that two saints for our time: Pope Saint John Paul II and the Maltese Saint George Preca may have been guided by Heaven to guide our prayers during this time of Darkness with Mysteries of Light.

Post tenebras lux,

Taylor Marshall, PhD

PS: On the island of Malta, a viper bit Saint Paul. But he remained uninjured as by a miracle. The fangs of the serpent did the Apostle no harm:

After we had escaped, we then learned that the island was called Malta. ² And the natives showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and welcomed us all, because it had begun to rain and was cold. ³ Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, when a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. ⁴ When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.” ⁵ He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. ⁶ They waited, expecting him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead; but when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. (Acts 28)

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The post MALTA: Matrimony, Adultery, Luminous Mysteries, and St George Preca appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

What is this sword?

The Greek word is ῥομφαία {rhomphaia} and it means sword or javelin. Here’s the full definition:

ῤομφαία, ῤομφαίας, ἡ, a large sword; properly, a long Thracian javelin (cf. Rich, Dict. of Antiq. under the word Rhompaea); also a kind of long sword usually worn on the right shoulder (Hesychius ῤομφαία. Θρακιον ἀμυντηριον, μάχαιρα, ξίφος ἤ ἀκόντιον μακρόν; (Suidas 3223 c. (cf. ῥεμβω to revolve, vibrate)); cf. Plutarch, Aemil. 18); (A. V. sword): Revelation 1:16; Revelation 2:12, 16; Revelation 6:8; Revelation 19:15, 21; σου δέ αὐτῆς τήν ψυχήν διελεύσεται ῤομφαία, a figure for ‘extreme anguish shall fill (pierce, as it were) thy soul’, Luke 2:35, where cf. Kuinoel. (Josephus, Antiquities 6, 12, 4; 7, 12, 1; in Ev. Nicod. 26 the archangel Michael, keeper of Paradise, is called ἡ φλογινη ῤομφαία. Very often in the Sept. for חֶרֶב; often also in the O. T. Apocrypha.)

Swords are violent weapons that are formed not to hunt animals, but to kill men. In the Jewish mind, the sword is a physical weapon but it is very frequently used as a metaphor for the tongue. The tongue sends out lethal words that strike men down. Even Christ in Revelation is depicted with a sword coming from his mouth to slay His enemies (listen to my podcast on Christ’s mouth-sword here: Revelation 19: Eucharist and Mouth Sword mp3).

Mary’s soul is slain in two ways:

1. Sword as Tongue: The evil words spoken against Christ during His ministry and up to His death rip open the soul of Mary who perfectly knows that He is the innocent and immaculate Lamb of God who only loves mankind and seeks to save it. Every hostile word toward Christ, thrusts a sword through her soul.
2. Sword as Piercing of Christ her Son: Ultimately, when her eyes see Christ’s pure flesh pierced with nails and His dead chest pierced with the lance, her own soul is pierced with love for Christ and for those whom He died for: every single human person.

Simeon says that this piercing of Mary is a “sign of contradiction.” I think this refers to Isaiah 7:14 where a sign is given a “a virgin shall bear a son.” This is a sign of “contradiction” because virgins are not mothers.

The manifest love of the Son for his Virgin Mother is at the cross when He proclaims, “Behold your mother.” Her love is also most manifest at the cross. And for each human person, our love should be most manifest at the foot of the cross.

and a sword will pierce through your own soul also,
that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.

Notice how the piercing of Mary’s soul reveals the “thoughts of the many hearts.” It’s my personal conviction (not teaching of the Church) that the way a person speaks of the Blessed Virgin as a quiet mother and co-sufferer with Christ reveals their heart.

• Show me someone who has a very gentle and respectful appreciation for Mary’s suffering, I’ll show you a very holy person “that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.”
• Show me someone who denigrates Mary and says, “Yeah, but she ain’t special or anything,” and I’ll show you a bitter and lost person “that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.”

Today, place your mind’s eye on Jesus pierced on the cross and ask for the gift to feel part of what His Mother felt as she looked upon Him making the perfect sacrifice for the entire human race.

[reminder]

The post What is the Sword That Pierced Mary’s Soul? appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

February 2 marks the 40th day from Christmas, and as Saint Luke tells us, Mary and Joseph presented Our Infant Lord at the Temple on the 40th day after his birth.

There are 2 things happening here:

1. Leviticus 12 states that when an Israelite woman gives birth she becomes ritually unclean:
   1. if child is a boy, she is unclean 7 days after birth and that her uncleanness endures for an additional 33 days due to the flow of her post-partum blood flow. So after 40 days, she is presented herself at the Temple to be purified and readmitted to the liturgical life of Israel.
   2. if child is a girl, she is unclean 14 days after birth and that her uncleanness endures for an additional 66 days due to the flow of her post-partum blood flow. So after 80 days, she is presented herself at the Temple to be purified and readmitted to the liturgical life of Israel.
   3. Jesus is male and so the timeline is 40 days. Dec 25 + 40 days = Feb 2.
2. The woman is to bring a sacrifice to the Temple to dedicate the son or daughter:
   1. Ideally, she brings a lamb.
   2. However, “if she cannot lay her hand on a lamb fit to be offered, she must bring two turtle-doves or two young pigeons, one as a burnt-sacrifice and one by way of amends.”
   3. Mary, being poor, brought two doves – but in reality she brought THE Lamb of God.

There are two theological conundrums here:

1. Jesus is the Son of God. Why would he need sacrifice offered for Him?
2. How could Jesus, the Pure One, make Mary impure through birth? And isn’t Mary immaculate and entirely pure?

The answer is found in the Baptism of Christ. Christ submitted to Baptism not because he needed grace or the remission of Original Sin, but because He wanted to unite himself to sinners while at the same time instituting the Sacrament of Baptism.

Christ indeed submitted to every law of Moses so as to fulfill the Old Law perfectly (hence, we Christians do not need to submit the ceremonial and judicial precepts of Moses – like not eating pork).

Mary and the Rites of the Old Law and New Law

The same is true of Mary – both for the Old Law and the New Law. She submitted to the entire Old Law even though she knew that her Son fulfilled the Law and stood above the Law as God. She beautifully conformed to His pattern and example. Same goes for Joseph.

It is Catholic tradition that Mary was full of grace and that she did not need the sacraments, but that she submitted to the rites and sacraments of the New Law – namely that she was baptized, confirmed, and fervently received the Eucharist – even though all the graces were already present within her.

There is a tradition that Christ only baptized two persons by His own hand: Peter and Mary. Peter then baptized the other 11 Apostles and then the 12 Apostles baptized the multitudes.

Catholic commentator Cornelius Lapide even speculates that Mary received Extreme Unction from the hand of an Apostle before her Dormition, even though she didn’t need it since corruption could not touch her. Lapide is clear that she would have never gone to confession, however. Confession requires the matter of actual sins committed in order for the form of absolution to be proclaimed. Mary had nothing at all to confess.

[reminder]Are you humbled that Jesus and Mary submitted to rules and rites that she did not need?[/reminder]

PS: Joy and I were once able to attend Mass with Pope Benedict XVI (when we were not yet Catholics) on February 2 for the feast of the Presentation of Christ. It was a moment of conversion for us to Catholicism – since I in that moment came to know that I was not in communion with the Successor of Saint Peter.

The post Why was Mary purified at the Temple? And did she receive Sacraments? appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Please join us for this week’s Catholic Webinar:

6 Historical and Theological Facts about Our Lady of Guadalupe

Here’s what you’ll learn:

1. How the devotion to an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe began with Saint Luke.
2. How the original image was acquired by St Gregory the Great.
3. Christopher Columbus’ devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
4. About the Apparition of Our Lady to St Juan Diego.
5. How Our Lady of Guadalupe can help you in our secular society!
6. How she can help you bring family and friends back to the Catholic Church:

The Webinar is free but you must register to claim your spot and have access to the Webinar. You can do so by clicking here:

We hosted 980 live attendees in last week’s Webinar on Catholic Advent. We are hoping to have over 1,000 attendees in this week’s Guadalupe Webinar. Join us for the global Catholic seminar about Our Lady!

[reminder]

The post Catholic Webinar: History and Theology of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Is the Immaculate Conception Biblical?

Yes, but only if you accept typology as a valid interpretation of Scriptural texts (i.e. a method used by the Apostles and Fathers to interpret Old Testament people, things, and events as types foreshadowing New Covenant realities).

Below are three common arguments used by the early Church Fathers, the Popes, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church to justify Mary’s title as the Panagia or “All-Holy.” The first is straight-forward, the latter two rely on typology.

Argument #1 Mary is Full of Grace

Luke 1:28: “And he came to her and said, ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!'”

The term traditionally translated “full of grace” or “highly favored” is κεχαριτωμένη or kecharitomene. This “perfect passive participle form” (Even if you never study Greek, memorize what I have placed into quotes. Burn it into your memory) denotes something that happened in the past and continues into the present. She was perfectly graced in the past and continues in that state. Luke 1:28 has served as the locus classicus for the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady.

When a Protestant fronts you on this, just keep the broken record approach by repeating “perfect passive participle of kecharitomene” until the Protestant grabs your Rosary beads and start praying it aloud. Works every time.

Argument #2 Mary as New Eve Having Enmity with Satan

Gen 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall crush your head, and you shall strike at His heel.”

In this verse God addresses Satan. The Seed here is Christ. The Woman is His Mother, that is, Mary. Thus Satan has perfect enmity with Christ and with His Mother. The Catholic Church has interpreted this as indicating the sinlessness of Christ and Mary. If either actually committed sin, then they would not be at enmity with Satan but actually a cooperator with Satan at times.

If you want to know more about the Hebrew debate over whether “he” or “she” crushes the head of Satan, read my post on it here: Does Mary or Jesus crush Satan’s head in Gen 3:15?

Argument #3 Mary as Ark of the Covenant

In the Old Covenant the Ark of the Covenant contained the Word of God on stone. In the New Covenant, the Word made Flesh was also contained – and that in the womb of the Blessed Virgin. The Catholic Church has therefore understood Mary as the mystical Ark of the New Covenant. This connection is made in the book of Revelation.

Rev 11:19-12:2 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child.

The Ark of the Covenant appears in Heaven and then in the next breath (and next verse) St John describes a pregnant woman appearing in Heaven. This Woman “contains” the Messiah.

The thinking goes that if Mary is the fulfillment of the Ark of the Covenant, then she must be “all holy”. Remember that in the Old Covenant a man was killed for touching the ark. It was holy. If the box that held stone tablets was so restricted – so also would be the woman who actually carried God Himself. And so she is all pure and all holy, without the stain of sin.

In review:

1. Luke 1:28 “perfect passive participle of kecharitomene,” rinse and repeat
2. Gen 3:15 “Why does Satan have a perfect “enmity” with a woman and who is she?
3. Rev 11-12 Mary as New Ark of New Covenant

[reminder]

Please “Share” this post on Facebook if you found it helpful.

And now for something more advanced: Saint Thomas Aquinas on the Immaculate Conception:

Did Saint Thomas Aquinas deny the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary?

In the theological video below I’ll share how Thomas Aquinas changed his position over time on the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception and share some of the nuances. Thomas may have reverted back to a belief in the Immaculate Conception after he wrote about the Immaculate Conception in the Summa theologiae. See the video below for details.

If you are already a student Member of the New Saint Thomas Institute, you have this video already along with the entire “Mariology Module” as well as your entire “Intro to Thomas Aquinas Module.”

If you are not yet a Member of the New Saint Thomas Institute and you want to study with us, our General Advent Enrollment just opened up. Here’s a free sample our theology classes: Did Thomas Aquinas Deny the Immaculate Conception?

Are you having trouble seeing this video in your browser or email? Please click here to watch it.

Not yet a Member of NSTI?

If you’re not yet a Member of the New Saint Thomas Institute, we currently offer 3 Certificates and will offer a fourth Certificate in 2016:

1. Certificate in Catholic Philosophy and Thomistic Studies (Click for Philosophy syllabus)
2. Certificate in Catholic Theology (Click for Theology syllabus)
3. Certificate in Catholic Apologetics (Click for Apologetics syllabus)
4. Certificate in Catholic Church History (Click for Church History syllabus)

We are the biggest global Catholic Institute (in 50+nations) and we have the lowest tuition rates on the planet (98% lower than nearly every Catholic college). We just finished enrolling our waiting list of 200 people and have opened enrollment to the general public.

If you are not yet a Member of NSTI, please explore our valuable benefits and begin studying with us by learning more about us: Click here to learn more about Catholic classes at the New Saint Thomas Institute.

[reminder]

The post 3 Ways to Defend Immaculate Conception from Bible (plus Aquinas Video) appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

https://youtu.be/QFJ2nPX5b20

YOU WILL DISCOVER:

• Why the Book of Revelation was written
• a Catholic interpretation of Revelation based on Scripture, Tradition, and Church Fathers
• the Virgin Mary in Revelation 12
• the Mark of the Beast and 666 from a Catholic view point of view
• EVERYONE THAT ATTENDS WILL RECEIVE a FREE pdf worksheet of the Webinar. Dr Marshall will make available his 16 part series on Catholic Revelation.
• Register to reserve your spot by clicking here.

The post Catholic Webinar on the Book of Revelation with Dr Marshall appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Our family usually has a birthday cake and sings Happy Birthday. Here’s this years cake:

Close up #nofilter:

As you know from my other posts, I believe that Christ was actually born on Dec 25 1BC (there is not year zero) and I’ve written a small book on why that’s the case and how Josephus made an error on the death of Herod.

So if traditions states that Mary was 14 around the birth of Christ, that means that this year she turns 2030 years old (or 2031 if she was 15). Happy birthday Blessed Mother!

Godspeed,

Taylor

The post Photos: Happy 2030th Birthday to the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

[If you don’t see the video in your browser or email, click here to begin watching.]

This is lesson 7 of Church History: Module 2 – Redemptive History: Christ of the Covenants. To sign up and watch the rest of the lessons and modules in this Catholic Church History Course (and earn a Certificate), please visit: New Saint Thomas Institute’s Certificate in Catholic History:

[reminder]Do you agree that dating the Dormition/Assumption to AD 63 makes the most sense?[/reminder]

And here are some interesting resources for you as we celebrate Our Lady’s Dormition and Assumption:

1. Did the Virgin Mary Die? The Answer May Surprise You (The majority tradition in Catholic history is that Our Lady did experience the separation of body and soul.)
2. Audio: Mary as Assumed in Revelation 12 Podcast: Our Lady of the Apocalypse
3. Did Christ receive an assumption or ascension or both?
4. The year of the assumption according to Maria Agreda
5. The Assumption of Saint Joseph – A forgotten tradition
6. If you deny the Assumption – You have fallen away!
7. Saint Gregory of Tours on the Assumption
8. The Assumption of Mary in the Book of Psalms
9. Does the Rosary Pre-Date Dominic?
10. Mary’s Special Role over Purgatory
11. Mary’s Empty Tomb Information
12. Did Pope Pius XII Teach that Mary died? Yes he did

Enjoy!

to Jesus through Mary,
Taylor Marshall

The post Catholic Video: What is the Historical Date of Mary’s Assumption? appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

But in reality, she looks like Saint Clare of Assisi:

St Clare is a Virgin Warrior against Islamic Terror!

In AD 1240, Saint Clare shielded her convent from Muslims through the power of the Eucharist.

The Muslims (and the Vikings) were increasingly aware that Catholic convents contained gold, treasure, and…virgins.

As the Muslims invaded the walls of her convent, Saint Clare of Assisi entered into spiritual battle and she took up the most powerful shield known to men or angels:

“By imperial order, regiments of Saracen soldiers and bowmen were stationed there (the convent of San Damiano in Assisi, Italy), massed like bees, ready to devastate the encampments and seize the cities. Once, during an enemy attack against Assisi, city beloved of the Lord, and while the army was approaching the gates, the fierce Saracens invaded San Damiano, entered the confines of the monastery and even the very cloister of the virgins. The women swooned in terror, their voices trembling with fear as they cried to their Holy Mother Clare.

Saint Clare, with a fearless heart, commanded them to lead her, sick as she was, to the enemy, preceded by a silver and ivory monstrance in which the Body of the Holy of Holies was kept with great devotion. And prostrating herself before the Lord, she spoke tearfully to her Christ:

‘Behold, my Lord, is it possible You want to deliver into the hands of pagans Your defenseless handmaids, whom I have taught out of love for You? I pray You, Lord, protect these Your handmaids whom I cannot now save by myself.’

Suddenly a voice like that of a child resounded in her ears from the tabernacle: ‘I will always protect you!’ ‘My Lord,’ she added, ‘if it is Your wish, protect also this city which is sustained by Your love.’ Christ replied, ‘It will have to undergo trials, but it will be defended by My protection.’

Then the virgin, raising a face bathed in tears, comforted the sisters: ‘I assure you, daughters, that you will suffer no evil; only have faith in Christ.’

Upon seeing the courage of the sisters, the Saracens took flight and fled back over the walls they had scaled, unnerved by the strength of she who prayed. And Clare immediately admonished those who heard the voice I spoke of above, telling them severely: ‘Take care not to tell anyone about that voice while I am still alive, dearest daughters.’” (The History of Saint Clare the Virgin by Tommaso da Celano)

This episode is the reason that Saint Clare is so often depicted holding a Eucharistic monstrance (sometimes against the Muslim invaders in the photo below):

I was recently at the tomb of Saint Clare in Assisi. I have a twin daughter named after Saint Clare and so this 800 year old saint from Assisi holds a special place in my heart. Here’s a photo of my with my twin daughters praying at the tomb of the Saint Clare:

And me with my daughter named after Saint Clare still down in the crypt of Saint Clare of Assisi:

And with another daughter sneaking in from below:

St Clare is the patroness of television, and you can read about how she had a flat screen TV 800 years ago by clicking here.

Godspeed,
Taylor Marshall

The post St Clare: Virgin Warrior against Islamic Terror! appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Catholic tradition states the Blessed Virgin Mary directly and personally instituted the Holy Rosary through Saint Dominic. A previous post described the traditional account of “How Mary Gave the Rosary to Saint Dominic.”

In this second post we examine the historical-critical objection claiming that the Rosary was an organic development of medieval piety and that Mary did not directly give the Holy Rosary to St Dominic.

Pope Leo XIII, in his encyclical Octobri mense, teaches that the Rosary does in fact have its origin from the Immaculate Mary herself “by her command and counsel” to Saint Dominic. Pope Leo XIII teaches:

“That the Queen of Heaven herself has granted a great efficacy to this devotion is demonstrated by the fact that it was, by her command and counsel, instituted and propagated by the illustrious St. Dominic, in times particularly dangerous for the Catholic cause.”

Pope Leo XIII also clarified that this original institution of the Holy Rosary by Mary included the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries, which he calls the “great mysteries of Jesus and Mary, their joys, sorrows, and triumphs.”

In his Supremi Apostolatus Officio, Pope Leo XIII again confirms the supernatural origin of the Holy Rosary of Saint Dominic:

Great in the integrity of his doctrine, in his example of virtue, and by his apostolic labors, he proceeded undauntedly to attack the enemies of the Catholic Church, not by force of arms, but trusting wholly to that devotion which he was the first to institute under the name of the Holy Rosary, which was disseminated through the length and breadth of the earth by him and his pupils. Guided, in fact, by divine inspiration and grace, he foresaw that this devotion, like a most powerful warlike weapon, would be the means of putting the enemy to flight, and of confounding their audacity and mad impiety. Such was indeed its result. Thanks to this new method of prayer—when adopted and properly carried out as instituted by the Holy Father St. Dominic—piety, faith, and union began to return, and the projects and devices of the heretics to fall to pieces.”

The tradition is further confirmed by the apparition of the Immaculate Mary to Blessed Alan de la Roche:

 My son, you know perfectly the ancient devotion of my Rosary, preached and diffused by your Patriarch and my Servant Dominic and by his spiritual sons, your religious brothers. This spiritual exercise is extremely agreeable to both my Son and to me, and most useful and holy for the faithful.  When my Servant Dominic started to preach my Rosary … the reform in the world reached such heights that it seemed that men were transformed into angelic spirits and that Angels had descended from Heaven to inhabit the earth. … No one was considered a true Christian unless he had my Rosary and prayed it. … The prestige of the holy Rosary was such that no devotion was or is more agreeable to me after the august Sacrifice of the Mass.”

The post Did the Virgin Mary Give the Rosary to St Dominic appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Here are 9 quick reflections on Our Lady of Guadalupe after having returned home to the US:

1. More than ever, I’m convinced that Mary leads us deeply to Jesus. There are things about Jesus that we can never know without Mary. She is a microscope that “magnifies” different attributes of Jesus and His eternal message.
2. The miraculous image of Our Lady on the tilma seems to have changed since I saw it last two years ago. This is obviously subjective perception on my part. It seemed larger and more alive and more colorful.
3. I loved seeing my son Jude serve Mass for the first time at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and his second time at the relics of Blessed Miguel Pro. This was a highlight for me. Here’s a pic:
   
4. Last time at the Basilica, I promised Our Lady to bring my wife Joy with me on the next pilgrimage. It was difficult traveling Mexico with a 4 month old baby, but she did a great job and I’m really proud of her.
5. Our group of 43 pilgrims (most from NSTI) were fantastic. Kate (one of our pilgrims) related how bringing her intentions to Guadalupe was liking carrying the roses of prayer in her own tilma like Saint Juan Diego and having Our Lady “rearrange them” to be more acceptable.
6. The devotion of the Mexican people as they prepared for a Papal visit was inspirational. Their faith and joy are inspiring.
7. When at San Miguel, we saw all the poor people carrying Baby Jesus dolls to the churches to be blessed. They were doing this to commemorate the “Presentation of Jesus in the Temple.” It’s a beautiful devotion that I have never known.
8. Food in Mexico is so good. Churros. Fruit popsicles. Mexican Bernaise sauce!
   
9. We observed pilgrims walking on foot for 6 days to Mexico City to greet the Pope. 6 days! Would we spend 6 days of penance for the good of the Vicar of Christ and to welcome His Holiness in an act of hospitality?

There are 100 of other things (I’ll share more on Guadalupe in a podcast), but it was just a wholesome and beautiful pilgrimage. I hope that you’ll join us again in a year or so when we do it again.

If you want to watch a Webinar on Our Lady of Guadalupe, click here.

If you want to join me on a Pilgrimage to Rome and Italy, please reserve your spot by clicking here.

Godspeed,
Taylor Marshall

The post 9 Thoughts on Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Please join us for this week’s Live Catholic Webinar:

6 Historical and Theological Facts about Our Lady of Guadalupe

Here’s what you’ll learn:

1. How the devotion to an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe began with Saint Luke.
2. How the original image was acquired by St Gregory the Great.
3. Christopher Columbus’ devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.
4. About the Apparition of Our Lady to St Juan Diego.
5. How Our Lady of Guadalupe can help you in our secular society!
6. How she can help you bring family and friends back to the Catholic Church:

The Webinar is free but you must register to claim your spot and have access to the Webinar. You can do so by clicking here:

We hosted 980 live attendees in last week’s Webinar on Catholic Advent. We are hoping to have over 1,000 live attendees in this week’s Guadalupe Webinar. Join us for the global Catholic seminar about Our Lady!

[reminder]

The post 6 Facts about Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

The politically incorrect article I wrote last week on a Thomistic response to the Islamic Refugee Crisis is approaching 100,000 views and 20,000 shares on Facebook and some 300 comments – many of which debate the “nature of Islam.”

I wanted to continue this discussion in a sequel article about the relationship of Islam with Christian theology. You’ll find this sequel in the post below:

The question is really about whether Islam is a “Christian heresy” or a whether Islam is a “world religion.”

The English word “heresy” derives from the Greek word αἵρεσις (hairesis) meaning “choice” or “a thing chosen.” (It’s the original “pro-choice” position.) Saint Paul uses the word in Titus 3:10 to describes “heretics” – those that pick and choose their own beliefs instead of following the beliefs taught by the Apostles:

• heresy = I choose my own personal beliefs just as I choose my meal at Luby’s
• orthodoxy = I receive the Apostolic beliefs passed down through papally ratified Councils, Scripture, and Tradition (orthos in Greek means “right or straight”; eg. orthodontics means “straight teeth” and orthodox means “straight belief.”

Heresy is not a slur or pejorative term. It simply describes a method of religion.

An Analogy from Legos

Let’s say you purchased the Lego edition of the Star Wars’ Death Star. It comes with a box full of plastic pieces and a paper set of instructions. If you follow the directions and follow the instructions correctly or “straight” then you have an orthos situation and having something that looks like this:

But if you buy this box of Legos and personally choose how you yourself want to assemble it, you’ve created your own reality and arrange the pieces however you want to create any pattern that you like. For example, this Lego pattern:

In the first example, the Lego pieces were arranged according to the creator’s instruction. In the second example, the Lego pieces were arranged in accord to the person’s “choice” or “hairesis.”

Legos and Islam

When it comes to Islam, we must ask whether Islam is a religion totally distinct from apostolic Christianity (like Hinduism or Jainism or Aztec paganism) or whether it is a “rearrangement” of historic Christianity (like Mormonism or Jehovah’s Witnesses).

The History of Muhammad

If you haven’t listened to my free audio talk on “Is Muhammad Evil? (audio)” please take a listen. It will give you a short biography of Muhammad and show how he fell under demonic influence.

You will learn that the ancient Arabs were generally polytheistic pagans. They worshipped a variety of deities, as did the ancient Greeks and Romans. However, Muhammad belonged to a social circle that was composed heretical Christians as we will discuss below.

[callout]Listen to Dr Marshall’s Is Muhammad Evil? (audio)[/callout]

Islam as a Heresy Stealing from Christian Ideas

The great Catholic writer Hilaire Belloc (d. 16 July 1953) foretold the future rise of Islam in his book The Great Christian Heresies (a book that every member of the New Saint Thomas Institute should read).

Hilaire Belloc wrote, “[Islam] began as a heresy, not as a new religion….It was a perversion of the Christian religion…an adaptation and a misuse of the Christian thing.” Belloc is following Saint Thomas Aquinas, Dante, and Saint John of Damascus who describe Islam not as a new religion but as a corruption of Christian ideas, notably a pre-existing Christian heresy of Nestorianism.

Was Muhammad modifying the Christian Heresy of Nestorianism?

The Islamic sources reveal a heretical Christian monk having an influence on the young Muhammad. Moreover, Muhammad’s first wife Khadija belonged to a heretical Christian sect since she was familiar with the God of Abraham, Jesus, Mary, and the angel Gabriel. Khadija once consulted a monk about Muhammad and the monk was named Nestora. Given the time period and geography and name, we are likely dealing with Nestorian branch of heretical Christians having influence over Khadija and her husband Muhammad.

Nestorianism was a heresy that denied that the baby Jesus born of the Virgin Mary was the Divine Son of God. Rather, the heretic Nestorius taught that the historical Jesus Christ was a combination of two persons: the Son of God (one divine person) and the historical and human Jesus son of Mary (one human person). Catholic orthodox teaches that Jesus Christ is one Divine Person with a Divine Nature and a Human Nature united but not confused or commingled.

Here are a few teachings of Muhammad that cribbed from Christianity:

1. Muhammad taught that God chose Abraham (although Muhammad taught that God’s promise went through Hagar and Ishmael and not Sarah and Isaac – hence the term Sara-cenes).
2. Muhammad taught that Jesus was born of a Virgin (although Muhammad denied that God was His Father).
3. Muhammad taught that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah (although he denied that Jesus was the Savior and Son of God).
4. Muhammad taught that Mary the Mother of Jesus was sinless.
5. Muhammad taught that Saint Michael and Saint Gabriel are important angelic messengers (Muhammad claimed to speak with Saint Gabriel).
6. Muhammad taught that there is Heaven and Hell.
7. Muhammad taught that there will be a resurrection of the body as Christians recite in the Creeds.
8. Muhammad taught that a Creator created the universe out of nothing (as Jews and Christians believe).
9. Muhammad taught the importance of Christian customs such as fasting, regularly prayer, almsgiving, and pilgrimage.

So the “Lego pieces” being used in Muhammad’s religion are those of Christianity. But he re-organizes these pieces to create a religion in his own image.

Here are some those heretical errors:

1. Muhammad taught that Jesus Christ is not divine.
2. Muhammad taught that Jesus Christ is not the Son of God.
3. Muhammad taught that the Trinity was “the Father and the Son and the Virgin Mary.” He didn’t properly understand the Christian teaching on the Trinity.
4. Muhammad taught that there was no such thing as a Trinity of Divine Persons as Christians profess.
5. Muhammad taught that there are no sacraments (eg, no baptism, Eucharist) but only a profession of faith (shahada).
6. Muhammad taught that lying is allowed. It’s the al-Taqiyya deception. Muhammad said that Muslims can lie to non-Muslims. So when a Muslim tells you “I am peaceful and I don’t approve of terrorism – we can never be 100% ceratain about whether they are being honest with us, because the Quran explicitly gives them permission to lie to non-Muslism.” Mohammed also gave permission for a follower to lie in order to murder a Jewish poet who had offended Mohammed. [Are you learning from this post? If so share it on Facebook by clicking here.]
7. Mohammad taught that Jesus did not die on the cross and therefore denied salvation through the cross of Christ. Surah 4:157-158 says: “they [the Jews] said, ‘We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’ – But they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not. Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself.”
8. Mohammad denied that marraige is monogamous or sacramental.
9. Mohammad denied the existence of a “Church” and instead had the “State” stand in as the organizing principle, hence the imperative for Sharia Law.

Muhammad is painting with Christian colors, but omitting and reorganizing the structure and form of religion. He’s taking Nestorianism (false belief that Jesus son of Mary is not a Divine Person) and taking it to the heretical next level.

Why Does This Matter? “Islam as Heresy”

If we perceive Islam as a Christian heresy, it helps Christians better understand and address Islam. Muslims are not baptized and do not have faith in Christ as Savior. Hence, they are not Christians. They are certainly not “brothers and sisters in Christ.”

However, they do profess that Jesus is the “Jewish Messiah” (though non-saving Messiah), and the sinless son of Mary.

This matters because we are dealing a demographic of people with a severely “malformed conscience.” We know from Saint Thomas Aquinas and from the Catechism of the Catholic Church that all humans are called to form their conscience in accord with reason, natural law, and divine revelation. Islam leads human adherents to a conscience formed incorrectly.

So the Christian answer is most certainly not: “Just be a good Muslim. Follow your conscience.”

The Christian answer is, “Let’s reform consciences in conformity to natural law (eg, lying is always sinful and polygamy is contrary to nature).”

Even better, the Christian answer is, “Let us tell you the good news of Jesus Christ who is Son of God, Savior, and Divine Mercy. He will lead you to know God as Father.”

Our Goal as Christians:

Our goal as Christians is to remove all error from the earth and lead people to God Who is Truth Incarnate. Our goal is to see all peoples saved and every human person receiving the joy of the Holy Eucharist. This includes Muslims. So we must form consciences properly and evangelize every human heart.

If you want to learn how to do this better, the New Saint Thomas Institute is currently offer a special Catholic Apologetics training module on “How to Share Your Faith to Jewish Friends and Muslim Friends.” It’s available to all of our Basic and Premium Member students:

If you’re not yet a student Member of the New Saint Thomas Institute, you can watch the video series and quizzes here. If you want to join and get start learning how to share the Catholic Faith with Jewish and Muslim friends, click here.

Please share this on Facebook.

[reminder]

The post Is Islam a Heresy or World Religion? Legos and Muhammad appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

We are going to see Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico and I want you to join us on this pilgrimage!

Please watch this video where I explain this unique pilgrimage and show you photos of our itinerary to the miraculous tilma, Tepeyac hill, the old basilica, new basilica, Cathedral and apparition site of St Michael:

Get the details and sign up for this Guadalupe pilgrimage by clicking here.

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the one apparition of Our Lady that is still with us. I’d like for you to join me on an educational pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe. You might be nervous about traveling to Mexico, but the New Saint Thomas Institute has teamed up with 206 Tours to provide a first class pilgrimage with experienced Catholic tour guides, Catholic priests to say Mass for us and hear confessions, Spanish translators, clean coaches, clean water, great food, and your hotel in the nicest neighborhood of Mexico City.

If you’ve ever wanted to see the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe, this is an excellent opportunity to experience it on a professional tour with academic instruction along the way. I’ll also be teaching four NSTI classes while we ride on the coaches to various shrines and churches:

1. History and Tradition of Our Lady of Guadalupe
2. Mary as Mediatrix
3. How to Explain Mary to Protestants
4. The History of Marian Doctrine and Dogma over 2,000 years

You can learn all about the pilgrimage in this video.

• Feb 4-9, 2016
• 20% discount for Catholic clergy
• Discount for current active Members of NSTI (use coupon code)

Please reserve your spot by clicking here.

[reminder]

The post Pilgrimage to Our Lady Guadalupe w Taylor Marshall appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

If you’re interested in learning more, please begin the free audio commentary of the Book of Revelation by clicking here.

The post 4 Constellations in the Book of Revelation appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Here are some interesting resources for you as we celebrate Our Lady’s Dormition and Assumption:

1. What is the historical date of Mary’s Assumption?
2. Did the Virgin Mary Die? The Answer May Surprise You (The majority tradition in Catholic history is that Our Lady did experience the separation of body and soul.)
3. Audio: Mary as Assumed in Revelation 12 Podcast: Our Lady of the Apocalypse
4. Did Christ receive an assumption or ascension or both?
5. The year of the assumption according to Maria Agreda
6. The Assumption of Saint Joseph – A forgotten tradition
7. If you deny the Assumption – You have fallen away!
8. Saint Gregory of Tours on the Assumption
9. The Assumption of Mary in the Book of Psalms
10. Does the Rosary Pre-Date Dominic?
11. Mary’s Special Role over Purgatory
12. Mary’s Empty Tomb Information
13. Did Pope Pius XII Teach that Mary died? Yes he did

Enjoy!

to Jesus through Mary,
Taylor Marshall

[reminder]Please let me know if there are any topics that you’d like me to write on as it relates to Our Lady![/reminder]

The post 13 Assumption of Mary Catholic Resources appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

A reader, Ignacio Puyol Besa, recently left this question on my Facebook wall:

Good day Dr. Taylor, Hope all is well with you! I have a question for you. This is an excerpt from a conversation I had with someone regarding your book The Crucified Rabbi.

Person: All I’m saying is that he (Taylor) said Jesus wasn’t a descendant of Aaron & if that were true, Jesus wouldn’t be qualified to be the Messiah. Btw, it’s through Mary’s genealogy that He’s related to Aaron. Comments? Have a great one.”

Here is my podcast version and here is typed answer to this question:

Click the play button to listen:

The idea that the Blessed Mother must be Levite or Aaronite is refuted in the epistle to the Hebrews. The Melchizedek priesthood of the first born is more dignified than the weak and probational priesthood of Levi. The Levitical priesthood is Plan B after idolatry.

Natural Law had a priesthood of the firstborn (father to son). The New Law/Testament has a priesthood of the first born (Father to Son). The Levitical Priesthood was an ad hoc probational priesthood because of the golden calf incident.

The eternal priesthood (and the priesthood of natural law) is primogeniture (firstborn) priesthood. And the Son is eternally firstborn of the Father. All of this is in Thomas Aquinas. Also Mary is known liturgically as the “Tower of David.” She is Davidian Judahite and not Aaronic Levite. The two genealogies that we have for Mary (Matthew and Luke) say nothing of a Aaronite or Levite relation. The idea is falsely inferred by those that think that Christ must somehow be Aaronite.

She may have trace Levite blood from tribal intermarriage way back when, but there is not much dignity in that. Jesus is the Lion of Judah, not the Lion of Levi. Christ was very critical of the Levitical assembly. It was the Levites of Sanhedrin that killed Christ. In summary, the Blessed Virgin Mary was a descendent of Judah through David.

It actually elevates the Blessed Virgin Mary higher when recognize her as the descendent of David. Daughters of Levites did not hold a civil or religious role in Israel. However, the Queen Mother of the Davidic King (Gebirah) had amazing amounts of prestige and power (this is the basis of her Coronation). We would do a disservice to Our Lady by calling her “Aaronite.”

Saint Justin Martyr (Adv. Tryph. 100) and St. Ignatius of Antioch (Ephesians 18) affirm that Mary was a Judahite and descendent of David. This is the tradition of the Church. St. John Damascene (De fid. Orth., IV, 14) also affirms it.

Please also see my articles related to this topic of Levitical priesthood: by Taylor Marshall

• Gentile Priests and Levites by Taylor Marshall
• Was John the Baptist a Levite? by Taylor Marshall
• Pope Saint Leo on the Levites and Priests of the New Covenant by Taylor Marshall
• Land, Promise, Levites and the New Covenant by Taylor Marshall
• The Davidic Identity of Daniel by Taylor Marshall

Ignacio, thanks for your awesome question about Our Lady and priesthood!

Godspeed,

Taylor

[reminder]Have you also heard this belief that Mary was Aaronite or Levitical?[/reminder]

PS: This book also has a breakdown of the Old Testament Levitical priesthood as it relates to the New Testament priesthood.

PPS: I’m currently recording the Book of Revelation – Catholic Commentary podcast series for yall. So far, 4 episodes are recorded!

PPPS: I’ll be teaching at the Vatican this June as part of the Rome Experience program for seminarians. Please pray a Hail Mary for these seminarians…and for me as I prep lectures for them. Check out the Rome Experience!

The post #072: What was the Priestly Status of Mary? Was she a Levite? [Mini Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

To follow up, here are 6 Historical Heresies about the Blessed Virgin Mary:

1. Ebionism teaches that Joseph is the natural father of Jesus and that Mary and Joseph conceived Jesus in the way that all parents conceive children.. Ebionism was an early Jewish Christian movement that taught that Jesus was merely a mortal man with two human parents who reached the highest state of human sanctity and thereby received the honorific title of “son of God.” Many liberal Protestant pastors and teachers now hold to this view.
2. Helvidianism. Helvidias taught that Mary was a virgin at Christ’s birth, but after the birth of Christ, she and Saint Joseph engaged in marital relations and conceived a number of children. While the early Protestant Reformers affirmed the perpetual virginity of Mary, most subsequent Protestants hold the view of Helvidias.
3. Valentinianism taught that Holy Spirit deposited the Christ Child in her womb and that Mary was the a surrogate mother, but not truly Christ’s genetic mother. Valentinian the Gnostic (d. 160) taught that the Son of God passed through Mary like water through a straw. The Apostle Paul refutes this when he writes, “God sent His Son, made of a woman.”
4. Collyridianism is the heresy that holds that Mary is a divine goddess worthy of the worship of adoration. The heresy was popular in pre-Islamic Arabia (AD 300s-500s) and it is likely the reason that the Arabic Quran wrongly assumes that the Christian Trinity is God, Jesus, Mary. The heresy’s name of Collyridianism comes from the Greek word κολλυρις meaning “bread roll” since adherents offered quasi-Eucharistic bread sacrifice to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
5. Nestorianism teaches that Jesus is two “persons.” The archbishop Nestorius (yes, not all archbishops are orthodox) denied that Mary was the “Theotokos” or “Bearer of God” by saying that she was the mother only of the “human Jesus” and not the “divine Jesus.” On the contrary, the Catholic Church teaches that Christ is one person with two natures: divine nature and human nature. Hence Mary is the mother of the divine Person who is the Son of God. Logically, she is the Mother of He who is God the Son. She is the Mother of God, though not the Mother of the divine essence of the Trinity.
6. Iconoclasm teaches that images are idolatrous. Iconoclasm condemns images of Christ, Mary, and the saints. On the contrary, the Catholic Church defends the use of Christian (not pagan) images since Christ became visible through the incarnation.

Do you want to learn more about Catholic Theology and how to share and defend it? We have teaching modules on Heresies and the Mariology (study of the Blessed Virgin Mary). If so, please join the New Saint Thomas Institute. Enrollment for 2015 is open for a limited time: newsaintthomas.com.

The post 6 Heresies about the Virgin Mary appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

In the theological video below I’ll share how Thomas Aquinas changed his position over time on the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception and share some of the nuances. Thomas may have reverted back to a belief in the Immaculate Conception after he wrote about the Immaculate Conception in the Summa theologia. See the video below for details.

If you are already a student Member of the New Saint Thomas Institute, you have this video already along with the entire “Mariology Module” as well as your entire “Intro to Thomas Aquinas Module.”

If you are not yet a Member of the New Saint Thomas Institute and you want to study with us, our General Advent Enrollment just opened up. Here’s a free sample our theology classes: Did Thomas Aquinas Deny the Immaculate Conception?

Are you having trouble seeing this video in your browser or email? Please click here to watch it.

Not yet a Member of NSTI?

If you’re not yet a Member of the New Saint Thomas Institute, we currently offer 3 Certificates and will offer a fourth Certificate in 2016:

1. Certificate in Catholic Philosophy and Thomistic Studies (Click for Philosophy syllabus)
2. Certificate in Catholic Theology (Click for Theology syllabus)
3. Certificate in Catholic Apologetics (Click for Apologetics syllabus)
4. Certificate in Catholic Church History (coming in Jan 2016)

We are the biggest global Catholic Institute and we have the lowest tuition rates on the planet (98% lower than nearly every Catholic college). We just finished enrolling our waiting list of 200 people and have opened enrollment to the general public.

If you are not yet a Member of NSTI, please explore our valuable benefits and begin studying with us by learning more about us. Click here to learn more about Catholic classes at the New Saint Thomas Institute.

[reminder]

The post Video: Did St Thomas Aquinas Deny the Immaculate Conception? Plus A Big NSTI Announcement for 2015 appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Please take a moment to watch the video on the Presentation of Mary in the Temple and learn how you can join our 33Mary.com consecration movement this Advent:

Are you having trouble seeing this video in your browser or email? Please click here to watch it.

Would you like to join 33mary? Simply visit 33mary.com and follow the instructions, and I’ll send you a free book later this week along with your first email for 33Mary this Saturday.

Here are three reasons why you should consider consecrating your life using the 33 day consecration:

1) Saint John Paul II said that the 33 Day Consecration was the “major turning point” in his life before becoming Pope.

2) Over 10 Popes have endorsed this 33 Day Consecration Devotion.

3) Numerous saints have endorsed the 33 Day Consecration Devotion as integral to their formation.

This week as we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple, please consider how you might present yourself to God in a rich and beautiful way this Advent.

[callout]Please share this post on Facebook and help spread the word on the power of total consecration and how to participate this Christmas season: Click here to share.[/callout]

[reminder]

The post 3 Reasons to Consecrate Yourself to Mary This Advent appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

In this super short podcast, I explain why you should sign up for this Advent at 33Mary.com and how it works:

33 Mary Advent Total Consecration [Podcast]

Please join us this Advent as we entrust our lives, souls, bodies, families, faith, works, joys, and sorrows to Jesus through Mary:

Join thousands of Catholics and sign up at 33Mary.com

PS: We are trying to get thousands to consecrate their lives. Please share 33Mary.com online, through email, word of mouth, and share it on Facebook.

PPS: In episode 15 of our podcast, we discovered how important the 33 Day Consecration to Mary is. I even talked about my experience with evil prior to my consecration. (Listen to this Episode 15: Total Consecration).

The post #057: Advent Total Consecration to Mary [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Christmas commercialism strikes us even before Thanksgiving begins!

I want to recommend to you what I’ll be doing this Advent in preparation for Christmas: 33mary.com. It’s a free online Advent devotional that combines Advent with the 33 Day Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, made popular by Saint Louis de Montfort and Father Michael Gaitley’s 33 Days to Morning Glory. We are calling it 33Mary.com. It will guide you day by day with teachings from the Saints and provide the necessary prayers to complete the 33 Day Total Consecration. Even if you’ve done it before, this is a great time to renew your consecration.

What is Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary?

Pope Saint John Paul II popularized the method of Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. His papal motto was Totus Tuus meaning “Totally Yours.” He explained that his papal motto was the fruit of his own 33 Day Total Consecration to Mary. He was totally Mary’s because he wanted to be totally for Jesus. Saint John Paul II said that his  own 33 Day Total Consecration was the “decisive turning point” of his life before becoming Pope.

Why You Should Try 33Mary.com

It all boils down to Christ’s words on the cross: “Behold your mother!” This statement of Christ echoes again in every century and every decade. If we want to enter into His incarnation, birth, death, and resurrection, Mary’s presence is recommended by Christ Himself. As we prepare to celebrate His birth at Christmas, who better than Mary to lead us?

How We Made 33Mary.com So Easy

If you’ve ever done the 33 Day Consecration or tried it, you know that it can be confusing. There are various prayers to keep track of and you have to keep up with which day you’re on. Also, you need to carry a book with you. To simplify this devotion, we have created a free resource for you that makes it so much easier. We will email you the prayer and short saint reading every day. It’s that easy. You don’t have to remember a book, page numbers, or even what day it is. We do all that for you.

How this Total Consecration Works

For 33 days you’ll receive an inspirational quote or teaching from a Catholic Saint about Mary and her importance in your life as a follower of Christ. It begins on November 22 and the 33 days end on December 24. On Christmas morning, you (and perhaps your friends and family) will make a formal consecration of your life, soul, gifts, prayers, faith, works, and future to Jesus through the hands of Mary. Don’t worry, we provide these prayers for you. It’s a very beautiful experience.

How to Sign Up for 33Mary.com for FREE

Our goal is to have 10,000 people sign up and consecrate their lives to Jesus through Mary using the template promoted by Saint John Paul II. Last year at the New Saint Thomas Institute we did “Mary Advent Videos” and we wanted to do something even bigger this year. By the way, it’s completely free and you don’t need to be a Member of the New Saint Thomas Institute to participate.

• We also have bonus gifts for everyone who signs up: a digital copy of my book God’s Birthday: Why Christ was born on December 25.
• And a surprise gift on Christmas morning that will be emailed to you.

Please sign up by visiting 33Mary.com.

And most importantly – please tell your friends and family members. If we are going to meet our goal of 10,000 consecrations to Mary this Advent we need your help to get the word out. Please share this post on Facebook and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great Advent, but make your plan now to do something special. Otherwise Advent will come and go before you know it!

Visit 33Mary.com in order to receive this free devotional service.

The post #1 Catholic Advent Devotional: 33 Day Total Consecration to Mary for Advent appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

I tend to gravitate toward Marian art.

My favorite religious artist is William-Adolphe Bouguereau. His depictions of Our Lady are not just sentimentally pretty. His brushstrokes are powerful and delicate. Perhaps his power and delicacy is what mirrors Mary’s delicate power so accurately. I can imagine graces flowing through his fingertips, into the bristles of the brush and spreading over the canvas.

Vierge Consolatrice by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

Here’s my favorite painting by Bouguereau. It brings tears. I think it’s the most powerful Catholic painting of all time:

It’s the Vierge Consolatrice in French or “Virgin Consolatrix.” She is the Consolatress. I try not to look at this painting too much because it overwhelms me.

A mother casts her depressed frame on the lap of Mary. She is still young. She is still pretty. Her dead three-year-old lies pale and cold on the floor. She wears a dark dress of mourning, but she is unveiled and tormented. Bare foot and bare armed. Her breasts are directed to the baby she suckled (knowing Bouguereau’s style and personality, this detail is intentional).

You might expect Mary to be whispering quietly into the ear of the distraught mother. You might expect for Mary to be petting the hair of the tormented woman. Instead, the Mother of God has an expression on her face that I have seen a few times on my wife’s face and upon the countenance of other impressive and powerful women.

The expression is mixture between the rage of a mama bear and the tenderness of a school girl. I’ve seen this look on my wife’s face when her baby is hurt very badly and something needs to be done now. Purity blended with power. Bouguereau is so good, it almost looks like a photograph.

This expression is the female face of power. Her eyes. Her mouth. It looks like an angry compassion, but completely calm. She says with her face, “This has to stop right now and nobody on earth, and no demon, and no creature better get in my way. “My little one needs me.”

Her hands are raised to Christ. You can tell what she is paying: “My Son. Bring comfort.”

Of course, Mary watched her innocent Son die cruelly outside of Jerusalem. She is the perfect lap to cry on.

The face is incredible but there are a few more details to note:

• Mary is wearing a dark color that matches the mother’s dress of mourning.
• Mary’s foot seems to be touching the child – a moment of connection.
• The roses seem to have fallen from the hands of the mother. These are prayers of the mother to Mary that have fallen upon the child.
• The child is spread out on (or in) the mantle of Mary.
• The inscription beneath the child reads: Mater Afflictorum or Mother of the Afflicted

The artist by these symbols is saying that the child is saved and protected even though the mother cannot see it. The child is in the fold of Mary’s mantle and covered with roses. The child is in bliss. The mother is the focus of the Virgin’s prayers.

[reminder]What is your favorite piece of religious art? Why?[/reminder]

The post What’s your favorite piece of religious art? Vierge Consolatrice by William-Adolphe Bouguereau appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

If you’re a rock-ribbed feminist, you may want to stop reading here. Just sayin’. Thomas Aquinas locks horns with Aristotle on this issue of “woman as misbegotten male.” I think you’ll find this video especially interesting and helpful as you engage with others who argue that “The story of Adam and Eve is misogynistic!” You’ll also learn about Thomas Aquinas’ philosophy. As always, I look forward to the comments!!!

By the way this video is the last of a series of NSTI videos that we’ve been releasing for the past two weeks from the New Saint Thomas Institute.

[callout]Alert: TODAY (July 8) is the LAST DAY to sign up for the New Saint Thomas Institute.[/callout]

On Tuesday July 8 at 11:59pm the tuition will go from $37 to $47! This sale is only available for a few more hours. We will also close registration.

If you join before 11:59pm July 8 you will get all the amazing bonuses worth (over $119), a tuition rate cut, and the Certificate in Theology. And you get a 21 day full money back guarantee! This sale will never be available again. If you’ve thought about joining the New Saint Thomas Institute, this is the day. Do it before 11:59pm July 8. Click here to sign up and get the tuition sale before 11:50pm Tuesday July 8.

Here’s the video on: “Eve – Is Woman a Misbegotten Male? (Thomas Aquinas)”

[youtube id=”Y8t_VvrPfpE”]

You can get videos like this every week through the New Saint Thomas Institute

Here’s the mp3/audio version if you want to listen to it or download it:

What does “Eve” mean?

Eve comes from the Hebrew: חַוָּה‎, pronounced Havah or Hawah.

Eve in the Hebrew language is Ḥawwāh, meaning: “living one” or “source of life”, and is related to ḥāyâ, “to live”. The name derives from the Semitic root ḥyw.

Why the Rib? (STh I, q. 92, a. 3.)

Thomas Aquinas gives this account:

I answer that, It was right for the woman to be made from a rib of man.

First, to signify the social union of man and woman, for the woman should neither “use authority over man,” and so she was not made from his head; nor was it right for her to be subject to man’s contempt as his slave, and so she was not made from his feet.

Secondly, for the sacramental signification; for from the side of Christ sleeping on the Cross the Sacraments flowed–namely, blood and water–on which the Church was established.

Aristotle on “Female as Misbegotten Male”

Aristotle was a Greek philosopher before the time of Christ. He had been a student of Plato. Aristotle was brilliant and the rediscovery of Aristotle in the Middle Ages led to a renaissance in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim intellectual circles – especially in the fields of science.

While the Church Fathers taught “immediate” conception, Aristotle taught a “delayed” conception.

Consequently, Aristotle taught that “the female is a misbegotten male.” Aristotle, De Gener. ii, 3.

Thomas Aquinas depends on Aristotle quite a bit, but not slavishly. Thomas frequently points out where and why Aristotle is wrong on hundreds of points. So it is interesting to see Thomas wrestle with Aristotle on the “status” of women in the scope of creation. Here’s the answer from Thomas Aquinas (it’s in more detail in the video lesson):

“Reply to Objection 1. As regards the individual nature, woman is defective and misbegotten, for the active force in the male seed tends to the production of a perfect likeness in the masculine sex; while the production of woman comes from defect in the active force or from some material indisposition, or even from some external influence; such as that of a south wind, which is moist, as the Philosopher observes (De Gener. Animal. iv, 2). On the other hand, as regards human nature in general, woman is not misbegotten, but is included in nature’s intention as directed to the work of generation. Now the general intention of nature depends on God, Who is the universal Author of nature. Therefore, in producing nature, God formed not only the male but also the female.” STh I, q. 92, 1, ad 2.

Here’s how Thomas understands it: From the Aristotelian point of view of philosophical act and potency, an embryonic female is just a little less actualized (XX chromosome) than a male (XY). But Thomas says, “on the other hand,” from the biblical Judeo-Christian point of view woman is NOT a misbegotten male. She is integral to the fabric of creation.

[reminder]So let’s get the comments rolling! What do you think? Does Thomas handle this appropriately? Does he not go far enough?[/reminder]

The post Video: Eve – Is Woman a Misbegotten Male? (Thomas Aquinas vs. Aristotle) appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

One of the earliest references to Lent is found in Pope Leo the Great’s (d. 461) sermons from the fifth century. Pope Saint Leo the Great maintained that the forty days of Lent were instituted by the Apostles:

“ut apostolica institutio quadraginta dierum jejuniis impleatur.”
(Patrologia Latina 54, 633)

“That the Apostolic institution of forty days might be fulfilled by fasting.”

St. Jerome (d. 420) and the church historian Socrates (d. 433) also assumed the apostolic institution of the forty days of fasting before the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.

Nowadays, modern historians cast doubt on the practice of Lent in the first century.

The writings of Eusebius are often cited as proof that the early Church was entirely ignorant of what we call Lent. Eusebius, in his Church History (5, 24), relates an epistle of Saint Irenaeus to Pope Saint Victor (reigned from A.D. 189 to 199) in connection with the Paschal (Easter) controversy of the second century. Not only was there confusion about the date of the Easter (either Nisan [name of Syrian month] 14th or the Sunday after Nisah the 14th), but Christians also debated as to whether the preceding fast should be for one day, two days, or forty hours. It seems that neither the Roman Christians nor the Eastern Christians knew of a “forty day” fast before Pascha.

Nevertheless, by the fourth century, the “forty days” of fasting prior to Pascha seem to be universally observed. St. Athanasius‘ Paschal letter for A.D. 331 reports that all the Christian of Alexandria, Egypt keep a “forty day” fast prior to Pascha/Easter. In his Paschal letter for A.D. 339, he mentions how the “forty day” fast prior to Pascha/Easter is universally kept by all the Churches: “to the end that while all the world is fasting, we who are in Egypt should not become a laughing-stock as the only people who do not fast but take our pleasure in those days.”

The fifth canon of the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325 also confirms that “forty days” are kept as days of penance prior to Easter.

My take on it all:

I’ll lay my cards on the table. I think the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Apostles did keep the forty days of Lent just as Saint Jerome and Pope Saint Leo claimed. “But Taylor, what about that damning quote from Eusebius?!”

First, Saint Jerome and Saint Leo would have know about that quote. Eusebius’ account of history was well known. It didn’t stop them from claiming that the earliest Christians keep a forty day fast prior to Pascha/Easter.

The Apostles instituted a strict fast to be kept for “the day on which the bridegroom was taken away” (Lk 5:35) – the day that we call Good Friday. The “forty hour” tradition mentioned by Irenaeus likely refers to the estimated time that Christ was in the tomb (3pm Friday till sometime before light on Sunday). Consequently, the apostolic fast began on what we call Good Friday and ended on Easter. Eusebius is here speaking about the “strict fast” prior to Easter – not the 40 day season of preparation. We should not confuse the two.

Of course, we cannot go back in time with a camcorder and find out for sure. However, we do have the testimony of great saints who were closer to the events (Athanasius, Jerome, Council of Nicea, Gregory the Great). As should be the case for all Catholics, when in doubt, go with the Church Fathers!

For those interested, both Maria de Agreda and Ann Catherine Emmerich describe the Blessed Virgin Mary keeping a forty fast. These are private revelations, but I wanted to throw them out there.

[reminder] Does it matter whether Mary and the Apostles kept Lent? I think it does. Please leave a comment and share your thoughts.[/reminder]

Do you enjoy reading these posts by Dr. Taylor Marshall? Make it easier to receive daily posts. It’s free. Please click here to receive daily posts through e-mail. Privacy Guarantee: Your e-mail will never be shared with anyone. Please also explore Taylor’s books about Catholicism at amazon.com.

The post Did the Blessed Virgin Mary keep Lent? Did the Apostles keep Lent? appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

• Weekly podcast joke: “Catholics living in a commune in Montana”
• Tip of the week: Holy Oil for mental health
• Proverb of the week: Proverb 8:1
• Featured Segment: Thoughts on My Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe
• Latin word of the week: stultus = fool

Click to Listen: Podcast #26 Thoughts on My Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe

If audio player does not show up in your email or browser, please click here to listen.

My recommended book on Our Lady of Guadalupe: Maria of Guadalupe by Paul Badde.

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The post #026: Thoughts on My Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

I’m even more excited about life, our marriage, and our children. I see things in a new light. I literally spent hours sitting in front of the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and I think the Holy Spirit did a lot of work on me. I also made two new promises to God through her and if these favors are granted, I plan to return to Mexico City again.

Also, I prayed for you! Repeatedly, I looked into our Blessed Mother’s eyes and prayed, “Please pray for all the good people who read the blog and listen to the podcast and are part of NSTI. Lift their intention to Jesus.” I carried you all with me in your heart. Your intentions, are now her intentions” “Am I not here, I, who am your Mother?”

Here is the itinerary of the pilgrimage and then I will post some photos below. If you are receiving this post via email, sometimes your email provider (eg, gmail) will block the images. You want to click “Always display images from this email address” and that should do the trick. Here is where we went!

1. Infant of Prague Parish in Mexico City
2. Pyramids of Mexico (including the 3rd largest pyramid in the world where they once performed human sacrifice – prior to Our Lady of Guadalupe!)

   

3. Saint James Church – Where Saint Juan Diego was baptized and attended Holy Mass.

   

4. The Virgin of Ocotlán in Tlaxcala, Mexico. The Virgin of Ocotlán appeared in 1541 (10 years after Guadalupe) to another native also named Juan Diego (different from Saint Juan Diego). She blessed the water there and a miraculous statue of her was found inside a hollow oak tree. This region was also an early outpost for Franciscan missionaries.

   

5. San Miguel del Milagro – the site where Saint Michael appeared to a native named Diego Lazaro in 1631 (exactly 100 years after Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531). I brought back some holy water from this well for my family and a couple of friends at my parish who asked for it.
   
6. The Cathedral of Mexico City

   

7. Saint Dominic’s Parish in Mexico City
8. The Guadalupe Museum (this is a must – a major highlight of the pilgrimage)

   

9. The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe:
   
   1. The Old Basilica (where the tilma was before 1976 – it now has perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament)
   2. The New Basilica (where the miraculous tilma is now – holds 50,000 people inside)

      

   3. The Church on the top of Tepeyac hill

      

   4. The Tiemplo Pocito (a round church built over a sulphur spring at the foot of Tepeyac hill)

And here’s a photo with three of our New Saint Thomas Institute Members who were on the pilgrimage. Shelly, Jeanne, (Our Lady of Guadalupe in the distance), Taylor and Brandon:

I learned a ton about Our Lady of Guadalupe while I was there. I thought I already knew a good bit, but I literally knew nothing. I am definitely going back again and I want to take my wife Joy with me next time. It would be great if you could join us! Maybe we can organize an New Saint Thomas Institute pilgrimage to Guadalupe! We will do everything with an eye to the supernatural and spiritual, plus a good measure of “POD”.*

Viva la Virgen de Guadalupe!

Taylor

* = “pious and overly-devotional”

The post Photos of My Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Guadalupe! appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Christ was Born on Christmas: Why December 25?

After doing research on the subject, I am convinced that Christ was truly born on December 25 (against what all the experts say on TV, Time, and Newsweek). More than that, I believe that he was born on December 25 in the year 1BC. In our calendar, there was no year 0. It goes from 1 BC to 1 AD.

This would mean that Dec 2013 is really and truly the 2013th anniversary of Christ’s birth on Dec 25. My convictions on this matter (which may seem shocking) are based on the Church Fathers, secular history, and an analysis of the faulty dating of Josephus regarding the reign and death of Herod. Locating the precise date of Christ’s birth has important theological ramifications.

How do you get your copy?

God’s Birthday will be on sale for Kindle download. However, it will be available for FREE as an ebook to everyone who becomes an email subscriber to this blog. You can subscribe by clicking here.

“What if I am already a subscriber?”

If you are already an email subscriber to my weekly blog posts, simply update your profile and check the blocks that apply to you so that I know what you would like more of by way of posts and free items. You’ll also get a digital copy. Update your existing subscriber profile, by clicking here.

When is it available?

It will be available to everyone by December 20. Stay tuned. We are still formatting the text file. In the meantime, become a FREE subscriber or update your subscription profile by clicking here.

Happy Advent and Merry Christmas!

ad Jesum per Mariam,
Taylor

PS: Just so people aren’t confused:

1. “Subscribers” – they subscribe to the weekly email updates and podcasts by starting or updating their subscription.
2. “Members” of NSTI – Members receive HD video courses, bonus items, more free books, have access in our Forum, and receive benefits associated with NSTI

The post Your Free Christmas Gift: God’s Birthday – Why Christ was Born on Dec 25 and Why It Matters appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Our Lady Undoer of Knots is Patristic and may be the way forward for establishing and expanding Marian theology. The doctrine of Mary’s universal mediation and her subordinate role to Christ in human salvation is beautifully summed up in this saying of Saint Irenaeus of Lyons. The fact that it goes back to the second century reveals that this is not a medieval accretion. It’s a doctrine deriving from the Apostles themselves.

[reminder]Had you heard of this devotion, Our Lady Undoer of Knots? If so, in what part of the world do you live? Is it popular there?[/reminder]

The post Mary Undoer of Knots – Pope Francis’ Favorite Marian Devotion appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Plus we look at the Backstory of the Our Lady of Guadalupe – going all the way back to Saint Luke the Evangelist.

Click to Listen: Our Lady of Guadalupe

If audio player does not show up in your email or browser, click here to listen.

[Visit the Taylor Marshall Podcast ARCHIVE to explore other topics by clicking here.]

1) Proverb of the Week:
Prov 13:12

2) Tip of the Week:
Secret to Setting Goals that Stick

3) Featured Segment:
Our Lady of Guadalupe

Recommended book: Paul Badde’s Maria of Guadalupe:

4) Latin Word of the Week:
domina

Please Share Your Feedback

• Our new podcast is still doing great on iTunes: 32,001 downloads!
• Please click here for an easy way to leave a question.
• A huge “THANK YOU” to all 90 (!) of you who wrote amazing 5-star reviews at iTunes.
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• I appreciate you for this!

The post #016: Our Lady of Guadalupe and Saint Luke (Plus How to Set Goals) [Podcast] appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Pope Pius IX on the Immaculate Conception

Here is the exact quote from Pope Pius IX’s Apostolic Constitution Ineffabilis Deus from December 8, 1854 in which the Pope infallibly declared the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

Wherefore, in humility and fasting, we unceasingly offered our private prayers as well as the public prayers of the Church to God the Father through his Son, that he would deign to direct and strengthen our mind by the power of the Holy Spirit. In like manner did we implore the help of the entire heavenly host as we ardently invoked the Paraclete. Accordingly, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, for the honor of the Holy and undivided Trinity, for the glory and adornment of the Virgin Mother of God, for the exaltation of the Catholic Faith, and for the furtherance of the Catholic religion, by the authority of Jesus Christ our Lord, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own:

“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 grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful.”

Mary was regenerated, justified, and sanctified at the very moment of her conception. Pope Pius IX, in conformity with Catholic tradition, taught that this unique act of salvation occurred “in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race.” This is why Mary can still refer to God as “God my Savior” (Lk 1:47).

To summarize, then, the Blessed Virgin Mary’s immaculate conception is due to the merits of Jesus Christ as “Savior”.

Saint Augustine on Immaculate Conception

Saint Augustine stands in this tradition, writing in the early 400s:

“Now with the exception of the holy Virgin Mary in regard to whom, out of respect for the Lord, I do not propose to have a single question raised on the subject of sin – after all, how do we know what greater degree of grace for a complete victory over sin was conferred on her who merited to conceive and bring forth Him who all admit was without sin — to repeat then: with the exception of this Virgin, if we could bring together into one place all those holy men and women, while they lived here, and ask them whether they were without sin, what are we to suppose that they would have replied?” (St. Augustine, De natura et gratia, Patrologia Latina 44:267)

Luke 1:28 and the Immaculate Conception

Lastly, it should be noted that for Pope Pius IX the locus classicus in Sacred Scripture for the doctrine of the Mary’s immaculate conception is not Luke 1:28 (“Hail full of grace”), but Gen 3:15 (“I will place enmity between you [Satan] and the woman”).

The woman who shall bear the Savior shall have perfect enmity with Satan and thus it is necessary that Satan have no dominion over her. In other words, she must be without sin. Hence, the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin.

[reminder]

(Members of the New Saint Thomas Institute received a video relating to this topic on Dec 3, 2013. Please see “Did Thomas Aquinas Deny the Immaculate Conception” in the NSTI online course catalogue.

Are you not yet a Member of the NSTI? Learn more about becoming an NSTI Member by clicking here.

The post Is Christ the Savior of His Mother Mary? appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Mary as Mediatrix of ALL GRACES?

• At the Second Vatican Council, there was a move to define Our Lady as the Mediatrix of All Graces. Pope Saint Pius X had used this language openly and Pope Benedict XV instituted a feast of Mediatrix of All Graces.
• However, the German bishops at Vatican II objected that the title “Mediatrix of All Graces” was potentially confusing. They especially objected to her mediation of sacramental graces. “How could Mary be the Mediatrix of the 7 Sacraments?”
• I’m a big defender of Mary as the Mediatrix of All Graces…including the 7 Sacraments – as you’ll see in the second online course below. Our Blessed Mother is the Mediatrix of the 7 Sacraments.
• Below is a free sample video course for our Members of the New Saint Thomas Institute. It’s the second in a NSTI series this month on Mary’s mediation. I hope that others will join NSTI and start benefiting from these online courses.
• If you’re interested in learning theology and you want to lock in your tuition at only 25 per month (before the price of tuition rises), now is the time to join.
• Don’t lose your bonuses. The offer (along with December bonuses) expire on Thursday December 12th.

Why Join the NSTI?

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Here’s a free sample of what we are studying this month inside the NSTI:

Is Mary the Mediatrix of the 7 Sacraments?

Can’t see the video? Click here.

Your 10 extra benefits if you sign up as Member of NSTI before 3pm on Dec 12:

1. I’m giving you the “How to Learn and Pronounce Latin” Course ($197) for FREE. (coming Dec 12)
2. My mp3 presentation on the Theology of Saint Joseph: Josephology
3. My mp3 presentation on “How we Lost Catholic Masculinity and How We Can Regain It”
4. My mp3 presentation on “How to Pray the Rosary Daily” (coming Dec 12)
5. Ebook version (pdf) of my book The Crucified Rabbi: Judaism and the Origins of Catholicism($8.95)
6. Locked in tuition at the same level as our Charter Members: 25 per month
7. Access to our Member Theological Forum
8. Thomas Aquinas Reading list (Bibliography)
9. Outlines to the Summa theologiae
10. Full access to all previous high-definition video courses. This means literally hours of interesting and college courses in theology. Here’s what you get:

Current Online Video catalogue of the New Saint Thomas Institute

Here are the videos (all filmed in HD quality) that you’ll have access to, plus all future video courses:

1. 7 Reasons to Love Saint Thomas Aquinas
2. How to Read the Summa theologiae of Thomas Aquinas
3. How to Explain Indulgences – Interview with Dr. Mary Moorman
4. How to Read the Summa in 1 Year – Interview with David Palmer
5. The Structure of Your Soul according to Thomas Aquinas
6. PALEGAS: The Seven Deadly Sins & Their “Daughters” according to Thomas Aquinas
7. Avoiding Logical Fallacies Part 1
8. Avoiding Logical Fallacies Part 2
9. Faith Hope and Charity – Thomistic Guide to 3 Theological Virtues
10. Layman’s Advice to Reading the Summa
11. Which Summa Version Should You Buy?
12. Can a Pagan be Virtuous? Intro to 4 Cardinal Virtues
13. Did Thomas Aquinas Deny the Immaculate Conception? (video featured above)
14. Is Mary the Mediatrix of All Graces?
15. Mary as Mediatrix of the 7 Sacraments
16. Top 5 Marian Devotions
17. Did Mary Experience a Painful Delivery (Scripture, Fathers, Thomas Aquinas)

You can get all of this for only 25 – the price of one hardback book at Barnes and Noble. 

Please click here to learn more about your benefits as Member of the NSTI.

Or become a member by clicking here.

The post Is Mary the Mediatrix of the 7 Sacraments? appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

491 Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:

The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.

492 The “splendor of an entirely unique holiness” by which Mary is “enriched from the first instant of her conception” comes wholly from Christ: she is “redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son”. The Father blessed Mary more than any other created person “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” and chose her “in Christ before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless before him in love”.

It is important to focus on the fact that Mary was redeemed and that she was “redeemed in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son.”

Rather than being redeemed later in life she was redeemed at the moment in which she was conceived. There is one primary reason for why Christ would save His mother in this way: Christ perfectly fulfilled the Law and thereby fulfilled the commandment “Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother.” We know that Christ perfectly honored His Father. He also perfectly honored His Mother. The most honorable thing He could do for His mother was to redeem her “in a more exalted fashion” as the Holy Father taught.

Is the Immaculate Conception Biblical?

Yes, but only if you accept typology as a valid interpretation of Scriptural texts (i.e. a method used by the Apostles and Fathers to interpret Old Testament people, things, and events as types foreshadowing New Covenant realities). Below are three common arguments used by the early Church Fathers, the Popes, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church to justify Mary’s title as the Panagia or “All-Holy.” The first is straight-forward, the latter two rely on typology.

Argument #1 Mary is Full of Grace

Luke 1:28: “And he came to her and said, ‘Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!'”

The term traditionally translated “full of grace” or “highly favored” is κεχαριτωμένη or kecharitomene. This perfect passive participle form denotes something that happened in the past and continues into the present. She was perfectly graced in the past and continues in that state. Luke 1:28 has served as the locus classicus for the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady.

Argument #2 Mary as New Eve Having Enmity with Satan

Gen 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall crush your head, and you shall strike at His heel.”

In this verse God addresses Satan. The Seed here is Christ. The Woman is His Mother, that is, Mary. Thus Satan has perfect enmity with Christ and with His Mother. The Catholic Church has interpreted this as indicating the sinlessness of Christ and Mary. If either actually committed sin, then they would not be at enmity with Satan but actually a cooperator with Satan at times.

Argument #3 Mary as Ark of the Covenant

In the Old Covenant the Ark of the Covenant contained the Word of God on stone. In the New Covenant, the Word made Flesh was also contained – and that in the womb of the Blessed Virgin. The Catholic Church has therefore understood Mary as the mystical Ark of the New Covenant. This connection is made in the book of Revelation.

Rev 11:19-12:2 Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, voices, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars; she was with child.

The Ark of the Covenant appears in Heaven and then in the next breath (and next verse) St John describes a pregnant woman appearing in Heaven. This Woman “contains” the Messiah.

The thinking goes that if Mary is the fulfillment of the Ark of the Covenant, then she must be “all holy”. Remember that in the Old Covenant a man was killed for touching the ark. It was holy. If the box that held stone tablets was so restricted – so also would be the woman who actually carried God Himself. And so she is all pure and all holy, without the stain of sin.

[reminder]

Please “Share” this post on Facebook.

The post 3 Easy Arguments for the Immaculate Conception of Mary appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Dec 6 Saint Nicholas Day

This is a fun day. The stockings go up beforehand and there is usually a candy or a little something in each stocking. We also set up our large icon of Saint Nicholas on this day over our family altar and it stays till after Christmas.

Don’t forget to read my article on Saint Nicholas punching the heretic!

Dec 8 Immaculate Conception

White food. Our Lady is without stain of sin. She is all pure. All white. Spaghetti with white sauce. Chicken. And don’t forget the white cake with white icing!

Dec 12 Our Lady of Guadalupe

Mexican food! The Marshall’s are Texans and we love our Tex-Mex. We go all out with queso (don’t forget that can of Ro*Tel!), guacamole, enchiladas and/or brisket tacos. And of course, Coronas or Dos Equis with lime!

Dec 13 Saint Lucy

We’ve never done this one, but I saw it online as I was preparing to write this post. Saint Lucy is the patron of eyes and sight. Behold the eyeball cupcakes:

Kind of creepy. Kind of cool.

Dec 21 Saint Thomas the Apostle
(Extraordinary Form Calendar and Anglican Use Calendar)

Saint Thomas is the patron of India – so we eat Indian food on this night. We started this tradition way back when we were Episcopalian/Anglican. The EF (Latin Mass) calendar remembers Saint Thomas on this day as do the Anglican Use Catholics. So we still do it on Dec 21. (Saint Thomas’ feast was moved to July 3 on the Ordinary Novus Ordo calendar).

We used to get Indian take-in, but my wife has become pretty efficient at the mysterious skill set of creating Indian cuisine.

Dec 25 Christmas – Food Ideas

Prime Rib. That’s my wife’s family tradition. It’s awesome. For a few year’s Joy made the Beef Wellington wrapped in puff pastry complete with word Noel formed in the dough. It was almost too gorgeous to eat. It’s all about the beef.

Here’s the Marshall Family Christmas schedule:

• 4:00am (or some insanely early fuzzy time): 7 happy children wake us up and look at their big “Santa gift” beneath the tree.
• We first go and see if the Christ Child has arrived in the family Nativity scene (He always does!) and we sing O Come All Ye Faithful
• 7:00am Caffeine moves Joy and me to have a nice and simple breakfast with the children on our special Christmas plates
• 9:00am Attend Holy Mass in Extraordinary Form (ChristMass!)
• 12:00pm The house begins to fill with the smell of Prime Rib or Beef Wellington and then the extended family comes over for gifts.
• 3:00pm A feast happens with wine flowing, Christmas music, and lots of laughing.
• 9:00pm Everyone has gone home. All the children are passed out in their beds after the exciting day. Joy and I (exhausted) cuddle on the couch, drink a glass of wine,  listen to soft Christmas music, and look at the lit Christmas tree. It’s my favorite part of Christmas. I’m even a little teary eyed writing about it just now.

Dec 31 New Year’s Eve

Champaign for us. Fizzy apple juice for the children. We don’t do much on New Year’s Eve. It’s Mass the next morning. January 1 is a Holy Day of Obligation.

[reminder]Please share your feast day traditions and ideas. I look forward to reading them![/reminder]

PS: If you use Pinterest, please share this post. I don’t know how to use Pinterest. (I’m male.)

The post Catholic Feast Day Food Ideas appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

5. Maria of Guadalupe: Shaper of History Shaper of Hearts by Paul Badde

I’m on a Guadalupe kick lately so this book is on my mind. This is the book on the Virgin of Guadalupe. Paul Badde includes everything, even the back story to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Spain, Christopher Columbus, and the Battle of Lepanato. I love this book.

4. Hail Holy Queen by Scott Hahn

Dr. Hahn’s book may have been the first book I ever read on Mary. I was still a Protestant. I like how he described his own concerns as a Protestant coming to love Mary as he became Catholic. It has interesting autobiographical details and solid Mariology. This book is accessible and perfect for those who wonder whether devotion to Mary takes away from devotion to Christ.

3. Maria de Agreda’s The Mystical City of God

This book is on my night stand. It is my peaceful sleeping pill. If I cannot sleep for some reason, this is the book I turn to – but not because it’s boring! It pours peace into my soul.

Maria de Agreda was a nun in Spain who died in 1665. She bilocated to Texas and evangelized the Native Americans – preparing them for baptism by the coming missionaries. She is the reason why the “bluebonnet” is the state flower of Texas.

The Blessed Virgin Mary revealed her own life to Maria and she wrote it down. When people talk to me about Catherine Emmerich, I always point them to Maria de Agreda. I find theological error in Emmerich. However, Maria de Agreda is gold.

PS: I’m a Texan so I am partial to Maria de Agreda…

2. Devotion to Our Lady by Stefano Manelli

This is my favorite short little devotional book. Some may find its devotional style a bit too flowery or baroque. I love it. Much of my Marian blogging is inspired by this short little book. I also like to give this book away.

1. True Devotion to Mary by Saint Louis de Montfort

This is probably the greatest masterpiece of Mariology. My entire Marian spirituality and Mariology derives from this book. It was the favorite Marian book of Blessed John Paul II. It’s mine too. It provides the most powerful argument for true devotion to Mary. Saint Louis de Montfort illustrates that true devotion to Mary is maximalist because it always leads to greater holiness and greater love for our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s a bit more archaic and less accessible than the books above, but don’t leave this life without reading this book by a great saint.

The post Top 5 Books on the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

In the Cathedral of Foggia one can find an ancient and mysterious image of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This icon, called “Our Lady of the Seven Veils,” once caused Saint Alphonsus to go into ecstasy, which I will describe below. As a young priest, St Pio of Pietreclina would make a visit to this image every day. I’ve read about the image, but knew nothing about it. I did some research and here is what I found.

Madonna of the Seven Veils, Foggia

In the eleventh century Foggia, Italy was a tiny town perched around the Tavern of the Owl. One day some local farmers saw three flames over a small pond or bog. Intrigued, they dug where the miraculous fire had been and discovered a large “table” buried in the mud. They realized that this “table” was actually a Byzantine icon that had remained somewhat preserved despite being soaked in water and mud. The image was cleaned and then cloaked with new veils. I assume there were seven veils and hence the name, but I cannot verify this. The icon was then placed in the local Tavern of the Owl for veneration. Soon the tavern became a place of pilgrimage.

In 1080 Robert Guiscard built a church to honor the sacred image. In 1172 the church was expanded by William II “the Good” of Sicily.

The “face hole” is all that one can now see of the original wooden icon. It is black and the face is now indiscernible. However, on Maundy Thursday of 1731, the Virgin Mary’s white face appeared in this portal, which was usually black and dark.

Saint Alphonsus Liguori heard about apparition and went to Foggia to venerate the Immaculate Mother of the Savior. He also received an apparition of the Virgin’s face in the small black portal. He described the Blessed Virgin’s face on that occasion as a girl of 13-14 with a white veil. The apparitions of the Virgin’s face on the icon continued until about 1745.

As the city grew larger, the church was decorated and enriched. The Normans, Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese, Spaniards, and Bourbons considered the church to be one of the most important in Italy. It has served as the site for several royal weddings. Today, the image is said to be covered in seven layers of precious metal and embroidered material – hence the name Madonna of the Seven Veils.

Please take a moment to listen to my podcast on Our Lady of the Seven Veils. It’s free at iTunes. Or you can just listen to it by clicking here.

Did you like the podcast? Want more episodes, click here.

Sweet Mother Mary, pray for us

The post Our Lady of the Seven Veils (St Alphonsus and St Pio) appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Are you familiar with consecration to Mary? Over three years ago I performed the 33 day consecration to Jesus through Mary as described by St Louis de Montfort. A strange thing happened. On the 33rd day, which I had timed to be August 15 (the Assumption of Mary and my wife’s birthday), I entered the church and I experienced this very strange feeling of terror.

It was a demonic attack

It surprised me. I felt a dark presence. I felt terrible feelings and terrible thoughts began to crowd in my mind. I was a little scared. I felt like my soul was being suffocated with smoke.

Yet, I finished my prayers for the 33 Day Consecration to Mary in the church and at the very moment I finished, I felt like all the evil smoke had been sucked out of the room. I had an intense feeling of peace, love, grace, and mercy. I felt that Jesus loved me intensely and that Mary had wrapped her mantle around me to protect me. She was drawing me closer to Jesus. I felt it. I cannot explain it.

My diagnosis is that the devils did not want me to consecrate myself to Jesus through Mary and they realized that I would be gaining a special protection. They made a last ditch effort…and Mary’s foot crushed their heads. They fled when the deal was done.

Consecration to Mary?

Regrettably, theologians beginning in the 1950s began to question to the concept of “consecration to Mary.” Everyone is agreed that people and things can be consecrated to the Most Holy Trinity, and this true of the Eucharist in a preeminent way, but also true for the priesthood, nuns, and holy vessels, and our baptized bodies as tabernacles of the Holy Spirit (which is the reason that we must retain holy purity and custody of the eyes).

How then could people or items be consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary who is a human person and creature? This question often comes up regarding Our Lady’s request for the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Some say this is impossible since the Immaculate Heart of Mary is created and therefore not a proper object of solemn consecration.

Saint Louis de Montfort on Consecration to Mary

Saint Louis de Montfort is the saint to answer this question since he shows that all consecrations to Mary (or to any saint for that matter) are ordered to our Lord Jesus Christ through His Sacred Humanity. Since all saints are members of His Body and partakers of His Divine Nature, consecrations to them are relative and are therefore through them to Christ our God.

The same is true for prayer to saints. We pray to saints but understand that the prayer “to” a saint is relative and not absolute. Absolutely speaking, the intercessions of saints have their final terminus in Jesus Christ, the one mediator between God and men.

“For there is one God: and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5, D-R)

Saint Maximilian Kolbe on Consecration to Mary

Saint John Damascene is one ancient example of “consecration to Mary.”

We are present before you, O Lady, Lady I say and again Lady, binding our souls to our hope in you, and as to a most secure and firm anchor , to you we consecrate {anathémenoi} our minds, our souls, our bodies, in a word, our very selves, honoring you with psalms, hymns and spiritual canticles, insofar as we are able-even though it is impossible to do so worthily. If truly, as the sacred word has taught us, the honor paid to our fellow servants testifies to our good will towards our common Master, how could we neglect honoring you who have brought forth your Master? In this way we can better show our attachment to our Master.

-St John Damascene, “Sermo Prima de Dormitione,” Patroligia Graeca 96, 720C-D, 721A-B.

“Anathema” for Mary

Saint John Damascene, a Doctor of the Catholic Church, consecrates himself and his hearers to the Blessed Virgin Mary using the word anathémenoi. You will recognize this as the same word from which we derive “anathema” which can mean “set above,” “suspended,” “banned,” and usually “accursed.” It is the Greek word used to translate the Hebrew word חֵרֶם {charem} for those people or things which belong to God as either holy or cursed. The same idea is preserved in Latin where “sacrosanctum” can refer to persons who are either “holy” or “cursed.” For example, to be “sacrilegious” has the same connotations.

All this relates to things “reserved for God” and this can be a blessing or a curse. For example the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist is the greatest blessing for one receiving It in a state of grace, but also the greatest curse if received in a state of original sin or mortal sin. Sacrosanctity cuts both ways.

Back to St John Damascene. He consecrates himself to Mary in this way by using the term “anathémenoi.” This means that he is totally and completely given over and reserved for the Blessed Virgin Mary. (this should remind us of Blessed John Paul II, whose motto was directed to Mary: “Totus tuus” or “Totally yours.”) Woe to him if should fail in his devotion to her. Yet this “Marian anathema” also includes the amazingly brilliant graces that he shall receive through her from Christ.

Moreover, this consecration to Mary in the form of an “anathema” is Christocentric (Christ-centered), or as I prefer to say, Christotelic (leading to Christ). Observe how St John Damascene concludes his consecration to Mary: “In this way we can better show our attachment to our Master.” Our Master is Christ the Lord.

The whole point of consecration to Mary is not to exalt Mary to the level of deity or to place her in competition with Christ. True consecration to Mary (as also endorsed by St Louis de Montfort and St Maximilian Maria Kolbe) leads to greater love and service for Christ.

Do you want to consecrate yourself to the Immaculate Mother in this way? If so, I heartily recommend both St Louis de Montfort’s consecration, but especially that of St Maximilian Maria Kolbe.

To use the Kolbe consecration in a solemn way, choose a Marian feast day. Fast on the day before (one meal), pray the Holy Rosary and attend Mass and Confession on that Marian feast day, and then recite the prayer of consecration to Mary. Renew the consecration annually.

The post The Devils and Consecration to Mary as Taught by St John Damascene and St Louis de Montfort appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Modern “sophisticated scholars” cast doubt on this tradition as pious legend. However, by the 400s it was universally believed that Mary lived at the Temple from the age of 3 till 14.{**} Moreover, the Church Fathers and the Doctors of the Church confirm that the Blessed Virgin was in fact consecrated at the Temple to serve therein. Since the Temple is a symbol of the Garden of Eden, Mary’s entry reveals that the New Eve has finally arrived and come into the presence of God.

This Patristic tradition reveals how the earthly Temple in Jerusalem would mystically give way to the true New Temple and Ark of the Covenant which is the body of Mary in which the Son of God would be incarnate. In ancient cultures, the age of three was a time of transferal from infancy to childhood since at this time infants were fully weened from their mother’s breast and potty trained.

So at that this time, St Joachim and St Anne dedicated the Blessed Virgin at the Temple where she lived till the age of 14. At this age, girls came into their womanhood and were no longer allowed to dwell in the holy place. So Mary was then betrothed to St Joseph. Returning to Nazareth, the angel of the Lord announced unto her the glad tidings of her Messianic Son.

Is there any biblical basis for this tradition? Of course.

Traditionally the Catholic Church reads the Old Testament passage from Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 24:14-16 at the Holy Sacrifice for the feast of the Presentation on November 21st. This passage prophesies how the Blessed Mother would dwell in Jerusalem and within the Temple precincts:

In the holy dwelling place I have ministered before him. And so was I established in Sion, and in the holy city likewise I rested, and my power was in Jerusalem. And I took root in an honourable people, and in the portion of my God his inheritance, and my abode is in the full assembly of saints.

The fact that the Church has placed these words into the mouth of Mary in the Sacred Liturgy further reveals that the Church believed that Mary “ministered” before God “in Sion/Holy City/Jerusalem.”

This is a good reminder that the liturgy is catechetical – it is fact that great catechetical instrument of Holy Mother Church.

Our Lady Seat of Wisdom, pray for us.

* I’ve been challenged on this point before. Here’s my defense.

** St Gregory of Nyssa, in the fourth century, also mentions this feast of the Virgin’s Presentation. Saint Helen built a chapel in Jerusalem to commemorate the event.

[reminder]

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The post The Presentation of Mary in the Temple (in Ecclesiasticus/Sirach) appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Following passages from the Old and New Testament, Saint Thomas teaches that the angels were tested. Some angels adhered to God and were rewarded with the beatific vision of God’s essence (good angels) and some rebelled and lost grace (bad angels or demons). According to Christian tradition, Satan was once a seraph and the highest angel of all.

A defect appeared in the bad angels. Thomas cites Job 4:18: “In His angels, He found wickedness.” When they were first created, the angels did not have the beatific vision of God’s essence. They were literally blind to vision of God. They were first tested (some say by a vision of Christ incarnate in Mary, see Revelation chapter 12) and certain angels could not accept serving God if it entailed serving a lower species—namely the human species. One third of the angels fell and became demons.

Maria de Agreda relates that when Lucifer learned that the Logos would become man through a human mother; Lucifer, the highest of all creatures, demanded the honor of becoming the Theotokos. He wanted the hypostatic union to occur through him. This is another reason why there is perfect enmity between Satan and Mary (see Gen 3:15). It is also why Mary now has the highest place in Heaven.

Thomas quotes Saint Augustine who says that the devil “is not a fornicator nor a drunkard nor anything of the like sort, yet he is proud and envious.” (City of God, 14, 3)

Lucifer and one third of the angels fell on account of pride and envy. Thomas explains that the devil wanted to be God and he cites Isaiah 14:13-14: “I will ascend into Heaven…I will be like the Most High.” Saint Augustine also confirms that Satan “wished to be called God.” (see his Concerning the Old Testament, 113) Michael, a lower angel, led the charge against Lucifer and his fallen angels by calling out: “Mi Cha El?” which is Hebrew for “Who is like God?”

Saint Augustine relates the fall of the evil angels to the book of Genesis: “And God saw the light that it was good, and he divided the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:4, D-R). Thomas picks up this allegory from Augustine, and identifies the separation here as the division of the good angels from the bad angels who became “dark.”

The post How did Lucifer Become Satan? (Thomas Aquinas answers) appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Not surprisingly, we had a few callers call in with questions about the Third Secret and the Consecration of Russia. Let’s take a look at the history of papal consecrations to the Immaculate Heart.

As a reminder, here is the text of the words of Our Lady regarding the consecration of Russia to her heart:

To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.”

Mary says the Holy Father will consecrate Russia to her and Russia will be converted. Several Popes have consecrated “the world” to Mary. Debate centers on whether consecrating “the world” counts for consecrating “Russia.”

List of Papal Consecrations to the Immaculate Heart

There have been at least 7 consecrations by Popes to the Immaculate Heart:

1) On October 31 1942, Pope Pius XII performed the Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the entire world.

2) On July 7 1952, Pope Pius XII consecrated the Peoples of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary by his apostolic letter Sacro Vergente Anno. Pius XII stated:

Just as a few years ago We consecrated the entire human race to the Immaculate Heart of the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, so today We consecrate and in a most special manner We entrust all the peoples of Russia to this Immaculate Heart.”

3) On November 21, 1964 Pope Paul VI renews, in the presence of the Fathers of the Vatican Council but without their participation, the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart.

4) On May 13, 1982 Pope John Paul II invites the bishops of the world to join him in consecrating the world and with it Russia to the Immaculate Heart. Many do not receive the invitation in time for the Pope’s trip to Fatima, where he accomplishes the consecration. Sr. Lucia later says it did not fulfill the conditions.

5) In October 1983 Pope John Paul II, at the Synod of Bishops, renews the 1982 Consecration.

6) On March 25, 1984 Pope John Paul II, “united with all the pastors of the Church in a particular bond whereby we constitute a body and a college,” consecrates “the whole world, especially the peoples for which by reason of their situation you have particular love and solicitude.”

On August 29, 1989 Sr. Lucia affirms in correspondence that the consecration of Russia “has been accomplished” and that “God will keep His word.”

Subsequent events:
November 9, 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall
December 25, 1991 Dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
July 26, 2000 Third Secret of Fatima revealed by Cardinals Bertone and Ratzinger

7) On October 13, 2013, Pope Francis consecrates the world to the Immaculate Heart.

Has Russia been consecrated properly?

Despite these distinct consecrations of the world by Popes (one mentioning Russia), people still debate whether Russia has been specifically consecrated as per the instructions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima.

Here are both sides of the debate.

Those who say Russia has not been properly consecrated, point to two problems:

1) The Popes have not consecrated “Russia” specifically in union with the bishops. It is granted that the world has been consecrated and that Russia belongs to the world. Russia has been consecrated as part of the collective of nations, but not specifically. It’s the difference between a priest blessing a congregation in which you are present and the priest blessing you specifically by name.

2) Russia is far from being “converted” as Mary promised would happen if the consecration were made. If Russia were duly consecrated, wouldn’t she be converted and wouldn’t we be living in “a period of peace granted to the world” as promised by Mary? Since Russia has not yet converted and since we are not in a period of peace, the consecration of Russia, they say, has not happened.

Those that say Russia has been consecrated, point to two proofs:

1) Sister Lucia stated that the consecration of Russia was accomplished by the action of John Paul II on March 25, 1984. If anyone knew, it was Sister Lucia – she received the message from Mary.

2) The Holy See, at the revelation of the Third Secret on June 26, 2000, indicated that the consecration had been accomplished. Sister Lucia, it seems, expressed her agreement.

As you can see, those that allege that Russia has not been properly consecrated must say that Sister Lucia, the recipient of Mary’s message, was either wrong, deceived, or performing some sort of mental reservation to deceive everyone on the matter. One must also say that Cardinal Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, used extended mental reservation to deceive the world in this matter on June 26, 2000 and ever since.

On the other hand, it sure doesn’t look like Russia has been “converted” as Our Lady promised.

No matter where you stand, remember that we the laity have our own “Fatima responsibility” – to pray the Rosary daily and keep the First Saturdays devotion. For me personally, the “Russia question” must include the laity’s embrace of the Rosary and true devotion to Mary. She desires that our hearts be consecrated to the Sacred Heart through her Immaculate Heart.

[reminder]It’s your turn to weigh in. Be kind in the comment box. Have you read much about this debate? Where do you stand?[/reminder]

PS: We have reopened enrollment in the New Saint Thomas Institute for online courses in Theology and Philosophy. Please learn more about what we offer: newsaintthomas.com

The post Has Russia Been Consecrated by the Pope? Arguments from both sides appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

As I was praying the Rosary last night, I had this great sense of divine favor on our family. We were praying for a priest who is having a difficult time. We prayed for my son who had a concussion on the playground. But in the midst of this I just had this great wellspring of love for the Blessed Virgin Mary who is praying for our family and with our family.

My heart said, “Why do I love you so much, Mary?”

I looked across the room and in the darkness I saw my wife nursing our three month old daughter Elizabeth. So beautiful.

It hit me. The very fact that we are mammals means that the beginning of our lives begins at the breast. The word “ma” is the only universal word in all languages, meaning mother, because it relates to the way the lips of infant attach to the breast (“Why all babies say mamma”).

Our feeling of love, warmth, attachment, and joy begin right away with that amazing mammal practice of nursing at the breast. Unless the mother dies, the love of the mother is our first experience in life.

Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches that “grace perfects nature.” It is perfectly reasonable that God would provide a “mamma” for his redeemed rational mammals – human persons. We don’t crack out of eggs. Each of us was born from a mother and grew at her breast.

That God should appoint a loving mother to raise humanity to Himself is almost too obvious! Of course mammals would need a mother in the supernatural order. It makes perfect theological sense. We are born again in Christ. In Christ, we share His divine Father and His human Mother.

“Behold thy mother.” (John 19:27, D-R)

Of course our Savior would proclaim this as He died for our sins…

[reminder]Do you think of Mary in this intimate way? A tender mother nourishing you on your way to maturity in Christ?[/reminder]

If you’re interested, please take a look at the status of Mary as Mother and Queen from a Jewish point of view in:

The post The Virgin Mary: Because We’re Mammals appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

I promised the attendees in Arizona a short ebook which amounts to my speaking notes for the weekend.

It’s only 16 pages, but it covers:

1. tips for praying the Family Rosary
2. the theology of Marian Mediation
3. the theology of Consecration to Mary

I’m making it available to all my email subscribers who have recently updated their preferences.*

I love my email subscribers and I’m going to give away things like this from time to time.

If you’d like a copy of this book, sign up by clicking here. You’ll immediately receive a FREE eBook Thomas Aquinas in 50 Pages. 

Then tomorrow night or this weekend, I’ll also mail the short eBook on the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Please feel free to share this with your friends.

The Mary book will only be available this weekend and then it will be gone for ever. So if you want it, please sign up now.

It’s free. No strings attached.

PS: And don’t forget to listen to the new free podcasts.

[reminder]

* If you’re already an email subscriber, go into any of the emails I’ve sent you, at the bottom, you’ll see the option “Update your profile and preferences by clicking here.” Click on that and update your information. I won’t ever, ever share your email with anyone! I promise.

The post Another FREE Book: Mary as Mediatrix appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

In this second post we examine the historical-critical objection claiming that the Rosary was an organic development of medieval piety and that Mary did not directly give the Holy Rosary to St Dominic.

Pope Leo XIII, in his encyclical Octobri mense, teaches that the Rosary does in fact have its origin from the Immaculate Mary herself “by her command and counsel” to Saint Dominic. Pope Leo XIII teaches:

“That the Queen of Heaven herself has granted a great efficacy to this devotion is demonstrated by the fact that it was, by her command and counsel, instituted and propagated by the illustrious St. Dominic, in times particularly dangerous for the Catholic cause.”

Pope Leo XIII also clarified that this original institution of the Holy Rosary by Mary included the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries, which he calls the “great mysteries of Jesus and Mary, their joys, sorrows, and triumphs.”

In his Supremi Apostolatus Officio, Pope Leo XIII again confirms the supernatural origin of the Holy Rosary of Saint Dominic:

Great in the integrity of his doctrine, in his example of virtue, and by his apostolic labors, he proceeded undauntedly to attack the enemies of the Catholic Church, not by force of arms, but trusting wholly to that devotion which he was the first to institute under the name of the Holy Rosary, which was disseminated through the length and breadth of the earth by him and his pupils. Guided, in fact, by divine inspiration and grace, he foresaw that this devotion, like a most powerful warlike weapon, would be the means of putting the enemy to flight, and of confounding their audacity and mad impiety. Such was indeed its result. Thanks to this new method of prayer—when adopted and properly carried out as instituted by the Holy Father St. Dominic—piety, faith, and union began to return, and the projects and devices of the heretics to fall to pieces.”

The tradition is further confirmed by the apparition of the Immaculate Mary to Blessed Alan de la Roche:

 My son, you know perfectly the ancient devotion of my Rosary, preached and diffused by your Patriarch and my Servant Dominic and by his spiritual sons, your religious brothers. This spiritual exercise is extremely agreeable to both my Son and to me, and most useful and holy for the faithful.  When my Servant Dominic started to preach my Rosary … the reform in the world reached such heights that it seemed that men were transformed into angelic spirits and that Angels had descended from Heaven to inhabit the earth. … No one was considered a true Christian unless he had my Rosary and prayed it. … The prestige of the holy Rosary was such that no devotion was or is more agreeable to me after the august Sacrifice of the Mass.”

The post Did Mary Give the Rosary to Saint Dominic? appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

For me the difference between a great Rosary and a “Have I even been praying?” Rosary is my attention on the mysteries.

I typically prepare a lens through which I see each mystery. I change these lenses from time to time.

Lately, these are my lenses for the five glorious mysteries:

1. Resurrection. I picture the body of Christ dead and immobile. There is a big flash of light and then the burial clothes begin to move. He stands with a victorious smile of triumph on His face. Then He looks at me.

2. Ascension. Lately, I just see His feet. The feet have the wounds in them. He is in a cloud, but His feet are still visible.

3. The Coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. I picture the Holy Spirit like a dove hovering in front of me. Sometimes He circles me. I think of this as His way of giving me grace and gifts.

4. Assumption of Mary. I see her being lifted upward. She has a blue ribbon and invites me to hold on. By this I understand that she is dragging me to Heaven. She is already in Heaven, but I’m not there yet. This is how she gives me hope in Christ.

5. Coronation of Mary. I see a Trinitarian crowning. Each divine Person gives her a ringlet of the crown. Hence, it’s a triple crown. The Holy Spirit has a unique crown for Mary. Her Divine Son has a unique crown for her. The Eternal Father has a unique crown for her. It’s a triple tiara. It’s as if graces flow from Christ to her by means of this special crown. Last of all, I crown her with my meager crown of roses from this Rosary.

If I meditate on these mysteries with specific imagery, then I will enjoy a more fruitful time of prayer. The Rosary can even become a form of mental prayer. There are times when I pick up the beads entirely empty, but I receive great consolation or teaching. That’s rare. Most of the time, I must bring something and God elevates what’s already present.

Now it’s your turn. How do you pray the Rosary? Do you have a unique perspective on the mysteries of the Rosary? [reminder]

Are you interested in Saint Paul’s Mariology? If so, check out this book.

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The post My 5 Thoughts During the Rosary appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

“And I think the great religions have set the example for that, by ordaining, in effect, that women are not equal to men in the eyes of God. This has been done and still is done by the Catholic Church ever since the third century, when the Catholic Church ordained that a woman cannot be a priest for instance but a man can. A woman can be a nurse or a teacher but she can’t be a priest. This is wrong, I think. 

And again, President Carter says: “And then after about the third century when men took over control of the Catholic Church, then they began to ordain that women had to play an inferior position, not be a priest.”

The post Jimmy Carter vs. Blessed Virgin Mary Regarding the Male Priest appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

[Please read my article: “How Our Lady Gave the Rosary to Saint Dominic”]

Since then the Catholic Church has encouraged all the faithful to pray the Rosary.

Padre Pio once said:

Some people are so foolish that they think they can go through life without the help of the Blessed Mother. Love the Madonna and pray the Rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.”

And only two weeks after his election to the See of Peter, Pope John Paul II frankly admitted:

 The Rosary is my favorite prayer. A marvelous prayer! Marvelous in its simplicity and its depth.”

Now consider this: Saint Francis of Assisi did not have the Rosary. Neither did Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, nor Saint Anselm, nor Saint Bede, nor Saint Gregory, nor Saint Benedict, nor Saint Augustine, nor Irenaeus, and not even the Holy Apostles.

The Holy Rosary is relatively new. And yet I am convinced that it is absolutely essential for our time. The “newness” of the Rosary reveals that the last 800 years of Church History has required a new weapon.

The Blessed Virgin Mary gave us a Scriptural weapon. She asked Saint Dominic and Blessed Alan that there be 150 Hail Mary’s said in honor of the 150 Psalms. Also, she provided 15 biblical mysteries from the life of Christ for us to meditate upon. The whole arrangement is Our Lady’s homage to Sacred Scripture. The 150 Hail Mary’s were broken up into 15 “decades” of ten Hail Mary’s. In this way, we can experience the biblical mysteries of her Son’s life.

But why? Why did Heaven come up with this plan with beads and mysteries? In many ways, the 1200s were the high point of Christian civilization. It was the era of Saint Thomas Aquinas and King Saint Louis of France. Since then, it’s been a bumpy ride. The Rosary has been the chain or the seat belt that we need in these times of turbulence.

We need Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Rosary is a tangible sign that we are connected to Him. When I touch my Rosary, I know that Mary is connecting me to her Son. Jesus became human through Mary and that human connection is found there with her.

I’d really encourage you to pray the Rosary every day for the rest of your life. Make it part of your daily routine. It should be more important than brushing your teeth or checking your email.

[callout]Are you enjoying this article? If so please share it with your friends and family members on Facebook by clicking here.[/callout]

Praying the Rosary only takes 2% of your day. 15-20 minutes. Be a 2-percenter! Pray the Rosary daily. It will give your soul peace. You’ll learn more about yourself and about God. You will got lost in the rhythm of the prayer and discover yourself with Jesus. It’s truly beautiful!

ad Jesum per Mariam,
Taylor

[callout]Make it easier to receive  new daily posts. Receive these blog posts through email free by clicking here…and you’ll get a free book. Privacy Guarantee: Your e-mail will never be shared with anyone. [/callout]

Also, please check out my brand new book The Eternal City: Rome & the Origins of Catholicism at amazon.com by clicking here.

[reminder]

The post Why Did God Give the Rosary? Answer from Saint Pio and Saint John Paul II appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

• Saint Irenaeus didn’t write “man fully alive” but just “living man.” It’s preserved in Latin as  “Gloria Dei est vivens homo.” If you know Latin you can see what he means.
• The cult of “self-fulfillment” has co-opted the quote.
• True fulfillment is only in Christ, not in “self.”

Please check out Dr. Marshall’s new book: The Eternal City available in paperback and Kindle.

The post The Glory of God is Man Fully Alive – Did St Irenaeus Really Say This? appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

The post Can Humans See Bodiless Angels? Answer from St Thomas Aquinas appeared first on Taylor Marshall.

Young Joseph:

or Old Joseph:

You may have noticed that there are two competing versions of Saint Joseph in Catholic art and devotion. One is the “gray-haired grandpa Joseph” and the other is the “young handsome Joseph.”

Why Are There Old and Young Joseph traditions?

The two versions relate to the Catholic teaching that our Immaculate Lady is a perpetual Virgin. So then, if our Blessed Mother was the most beautiful lady to have ever lived (something taught by all the saints and lately by Saint Pio), how then did Saint Joseph preserve himself from inordinate passions toward his virginal bride?

There are two ways to account for this. One way holds that he was already an elderly man and therefore did not have the “vigor” of his youth. The second is to hold that although St Joseph was a young man, he had been supernaturally sanctified in the womb and confirmed in grace for the entirety of this life.* Since he controlled his passions perfectly, he did not have these inordinate desires for his virginal bride.

Readers of this blog know that I zealously hold and defend the latter position: St Joseph, as Head of the Holy Family and on account of his intimacy with the Holy Family, was sanctified and confirmed in grace his whole life long.

No doubt, Saint Joseph was conceived with original sin, but like John the Baptist (and the Prophet Jeremiah), he was sanctified in the womb. Saint Frances de Sales, Bernardine de Bustis, Francisco Suarez, Jean Gerson, Isidoro Isolano, Cornelius a Lapide, and Saint Alphonsus Ligouri also hold that Saint Joseph was sanctified in his mother’s womb and preserved from all sin. This entails that all members of the Holy Family were sinless: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

The most ancient artistic representations of Saint Joseph depict him as a youth. Saint Jerome defends the “young Joseph belief” as the traditional belief of the Church and that held by Christians in the Holy Land in the 4th and 5th centuries. Saint Jerome also explicitly says that Saint Joseph lived and died as a virgin (not a widower). This also confirms to the belief of the early Fathers Saint Athanasius (d. 373) and Saint Gregory Nazianzus (d. 390) who taught that Joseph, like Mary, was a perpetual virgin and not a widower.

The “old Joseph belief” comes from the apocryphal Protoevangelium of Saint James (read it here at NewAdvent), which describes Joseph as an old widower who “adopts” the youthful Blessed Virgin Mary through the mechanism of matrimony. Yet this document was repeatedly condemned in the early Church and while it contains truth, it is not to be trusted in every regard – especially regarding the age of Saint Joseph.

So then, I find the evidence tipping toward the “young Saint Joseph” theory. The fact that art depictions before the fifth and sixth century show Joseph as a youthful man further confirm that this is the original and ancient belief of the universal Church.

Saint Joseph, Protector of Two Treasures, pray for us.

ad Jesum per Mariam,
Taylor

[reminder]Question: How to think of Saint Joseph: old and gray or young and handsome?[/reminder]

PS: The mystic Maria Agreda states that Saint Joseph was 33 years old when he married the Immaculate Virgin Mary. This would place Joseph about 19 years old than sweetest Mother Mary.

* “confirmed in grace” is a term to describe the miraculous preservation from sin – even deliberate venial sin. The Blessed Virgin Mary obviously had this gift, as did St John the Baptist. It is also piously held that the Holy Apostles received this gift on the day of Pentecost.

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Our new Pope Francis has a very special devotion to Our Lady Untier of Knots. Many have never heard of this devotion, but it’s a great one…going all the way back to the second century.

Our Lady Untier of Knots,
Marian Image Beloved by Pope Francis

Before describing “Our Lady Untier of Knots,” I’d like to share a recent experience from my own life as it relates to this special Marian devotion:

During the offertory of our High Mass for the feast of Saint Thomas Aquinas, a student tapped me on the shoulder, “Dr. Marshall, you’re needed in the courtyard.” I was a bit puzzled, but I followed the student outside.

Outside in the courtyard, I saw one of the altar servers handing a hot thurible and the chains were tangled and knotted. The priest was about to incense the altar, and in its current condition, the thurible would not close. It was a jangled up mess. Apparently, the base of the thurible had flipped over a few times and the chains were wound up around each other. If you have handled a thurible, you may have experienced this before.

We literally had 45 seconds until the priest needed the thurible at the altar. I prayed, “Our Lady, Untier of Knots, pray for us.” And like magic I tumbled around the base of the thurible about three times. Aha! It was straight again. The altar server used his bare hands to put the coals in the thurible (he was in a hurry, after all) and he darted inside to the altar…just in time.

So what is meant by the title Our Lady Untier of Knots?

Pope Francis’s Devotion to ‘Our Lady Untier of Knots’

Our new Pope Francis has been one of the chief promoters of “Our Lady Untier of Knots.” When Pope Francis, then Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was studying in Germany, he was stunned by a Bavarian painting of “Holy Mary, Our Lady Untier of Knots.” He acquired a copy of the painting and brought it to Argentina and promoted devotion to Mary under this title. Apparently it has caught on with the faithful of Argentina.

It is interesting that this Marian devotion of Pope Francis is rooted in Bavaria – it therefore creates a bridge between the Pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI and that of Pope Francis. In fact, Cardinal Bergoglio had an image of Our Lady Untier of Knots engraved into a chalice and presented it to Pope Benedict XVI.

The Theology of Our Lady Untier of Knots

The theology of Mary untying knots goes back to the second century – less than one hundred years after the death of the Apostles. Saint Irenaeus of Lyons wrote “the knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith.” (Adversus haereses, 3, 22) This is one of the earliest examples of describing Mary as the “New Eve.” Eve, standing next to Adam, is the “co-peccatrix” (co-sinner) Mary, standing next to Christ crucified, is the “co-redemptrix” (co-redemptress). This does not mean that Mary directly saves or redeems us. It means that Mary consents and participates in the redemptive action of Christ. Her role is congruent and relative to the condign and absolute role of Christ.

Our Lady Untier of Knots is Patristic and may be the way forward for establishing and expanding Marian theology. The doctrine of Mary’s universal mediation and her subordinate role to Christ in human salvation is beautifully summed up in this saying of Saint Irenaeus of Lyons. The fact that it goes back to the second century reveals that this is not a medieval accretion. It’s a doctrine deriving from the Apostles themselves.

Question: Had you heard of this devotion, Our Lady Untier of Knots? If so, in what part of the world do you live? Is it popular there?

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To review, there is a suggestion that Pope Benedict XVI received a special locution or apparition from Our Lady about the Catholic Church and gave him explicit permission to step down from the Holy See.

On the day His Holiness announced his resignation, the Pope publicly referred to Mary as the “Mediatrix of All Graces.” Pope Benedict entrusted the mission of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care “to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate, Mediatrix of all graces (Mediatricis omnium gratiarum).”

Many other news sources and blogs jumped onto this story because it signals something new in Pope Benedict’s thought. Pope John Paul II frequently employed the title “Mediatrix of All Graces.” However, Pope Benedict has been reticient up until recently.

[If you’re interested in the theological difference between “Mediatrix of All Graces” and just the simple title “Mediatrix,” please click here.]

It’s no secret that the young Father Joseph Ratzinger at the Second Vatican Council was openly opposed to the term “Mediatrix of All Graces” preferring instead “Mediatrix.” It seems now that the Holy Father has reversed course and has made Mediatrix of All Graces part of his papal vocabulary. This is a major event in the life of the Catholic Church. Saint Louis de Montfort said that all the saints of the later ages will be deeply Marian. Mary is the channel of all grace and sanctity.

Questions: Is Pope Benedict XVI paving the way for the future declaration of the Fifth Marian Dogma (“Mediatrix of All Graces”)? Does His Holiness’ use of this Marian title indicate an even deeper devotion to Our Lady? What would happen in our era if a Pope declared a Fifth Marian Dogma?

Please leave a comment and share your thoughts with us.

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“For as Eve was seduced by the word of an angel to flee from God, having rebelled against His Word, so Mary by the word of an angel received the glad tidings that she would bear God by obeying his Word. The former was seduced to disobey God, but the latter was persuaded to obey God, so that the Virgin Mary might become the advocate of the virgin Eve. As the human race was subjected to death through [the act of] a virgin, so it was saved by a virgin.” Irenaeus, Against Heresies, V:19,1.