in honor of the Feast of Her Immaculate Conception!
Since the 1st Millennium, the early Church fathers understood the unique and critical role the Blessed Virgin Mary has played in the salvation of mankind.
Her role was never intended to downplay or overshadow the ultimate and primary role of Jesus, who is God and the Savior of mankind!
But as God, Jesus demands, first, our worship of Him and, then, most emphatically, that we honor His Mother!
The problem today is that many protest-ants make the ridiculous claim that this is not so. That claim, of course, is completely CONTRARY to 2,000 years of Christian history!
As we have been speaking against this, we again turn to the very Scriptures they claim do not indicate to them that they have to verbally and physically honor Mary, such as maintaining and celebrating the solemnity of the feast of Her Immaculate Conception.
So again we will turn to the Bible for the verses that are directly related to Mary's unique role. We have not brought these Scripture verses to light because they are a revelation to us. These verses were first used by the 1st Millennium Church; then by the Universal Church and Greek Orthodox Church throughout the 2nd Millennium. And now, in the 3rd Millennium, to honor Mary on Her feast days, we will continue to use these verses; not as we require, but as God demands.
These verses are taken from the reading of the Epistle at the Mass that celebrates Mary's Immaculate Conception.
The verses are the inspired Word of God from Proverbs 8:22-35.
Please remember that as you read these verses below, in no way can you relate them to Jesus because in the previous verses, the Bible clearly indicates the person being spoken of is female! (Doth not Wisdom cry aloud and ... put forth her voice? ... beside the gates of the city, in the very doors she speaketh, saying: 'O ye men, to you I call ... . Proverbs 8:1-4)
In addition, if you read John's first chapter of his Gospel, it clearly indicates that Jesus was not an observer of creation as the person mentioned in these verses is; but Jesus, as God, was the CREATOR Himself! (All things were made through Him, and without Him was made nothing that has been made. John 1:3)
So, if these verses do not pertain to Jesus, who is the ONLY other candidate they can reveal? The answer is, of course, Mary, the woman who was born of the Will of the Father to become the Mother of His only begotten Son, Jesus of Nazareth, True God AND True Man.
Here are the Proverbs one should pay close attention to:
"The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His ways, before He made anything from the beginning. I was set up from eternity, and of old, before the Earth was made.
The depths were not as yet, and I was already conceived; neither had the fountains of waters as yet sprung out; the mountains with their huge bulk had not as yet been establsihed: before the hills I was brought forth; He had not yet made the Earth, nor the rivers, nor the poles of the world.
When He prepared the heavens, I was present; when with a certain law and compass He enclosed the depths; when He established the sky above, and poised the fountains of waters; when He compassed the sea with its bounds, and set a law to the waters that they should not pass their limits; when He balanced the foundations of the Earth; I was with Him forming all things; and was delighted every day, playing before Him at all times; playing in the world: and my delight is to be with the children of men.
Now therefore, ye children, hear me: blessed are they who keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man who hears me, and who watches daily at my gates, and waits at the posts of my doors.
He who shall find me shall find life, and shall have salvation from the Lord:"
Please note the colon in the last verse used in the reading of the Epistle to honor Mary's Immaculate Conception. But it is wise not to lose sight of how this chapter ends and the words, while not read at the Mass, which follow that colon severely warn those who do not honor Mary:
but he that shall sin against me, shall hurt his own soul. All that hate me love death.
Proverbs 8:36
Copyright 2002 Agnus Dei Presents!