The Divine Person and Nature of Jesus Christ
Index
Christ
is God made man. He is a supreme transcendent person who directs himself by his intellect
and will possessing a totality of complete perfection. He entered this world as an infant clothed in a human nature
as one of us. This universal human form of new life rouses our natural
human feelings to love, to care for, and to protect one so helpless; one so dependent
upon others for life. By this means, God did not make himself a dictator or competitor, but rather
someone who draws us into his heart to respond to his love for us with our love
for him.
Christ
came into this world, a world of His own creation, and into a human family of His own
creation to speak to our hearts of his love for us. He asks us to love him
in return so he may give us the best gift of all - eternal life with Him.
He does not ask us for us to respond with the words: "I took care of myself, I didn't harm anyone, I didn't go out of my to help anyone, I stayed out of trouble (I buried your talent in the ground)." This does not satisfy Him. He asks us to come forward to say: "Because I love you, you know I have tried to love . . . , I have tried to help . . . , I have tried . . . .
1. We Know That Christ Existed.
From the writings of many disinterested persons.
2. He Claimed To Be Divine.
Matthew 3:13:17
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John, at
the Jordan, to be baptized by him. And John was for hindering him, and
said, "It is I who ought to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?
But Jesus answered and said to him, "Let it be so now, for so it becomes us to
fulfill all justice." Then he permitted him. And when Jesus had been
baptized, he immediately came up from the water. And behold, the heavens
were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and come
upon him. And behold, a voice from the heavens said, "This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Mark 1:9-11
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately on coming up from the water he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit, as a dove, descending and remaining upon him. And there came a voice from the heavens, "thou art my beloved son, in thee I am well pleased."
Luke 3:21-22
Now it came to pass when all the people had been baptized, Jesus also having been in prayer, that heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form as a dove, and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased."
John 1:32-34
And John bore witness, saying, "I beheld the Spirit descending as a dove from heaven, and it abode upon him. And I did not know him. But he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He upon whom you will see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon him, he it is who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the son of God."
John 5:19, 21, 22, 24
"Amen, amen, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but only what he sees the Father doing. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he will. For neither does the Father judge any man, but all judgment he has given to the Son, that all men may honor the Son even as they honor the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you , he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has life everlasting, and does not come to judgment, but has passed from death to life.
3. He Proved That He Was Divine.
Christ’s Miracles
The Marriage Feast at Cana
John 2:1-12
And on
the
third day a marriage took place
at Cana of Galilee, and the mother
of Jesus was there. Now Jesus too was invited to the marriage,
and also his disciples. And the wine having run short, the mother of Jesus
said to him, "They have
no wine." And Jesus said to
her, "What would you have me do, woman? My hour has not yet
come."
His mother said to the attendants. "Do whatever he tells you." Now
six stone water-jars were placed there, after the Jewish manner of purification,
each holding two or three measures. Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars
with water." And they filled them to the brim. And Jesus said to
them, "Draw out now, and take to the chief steward." And they took it to
him. Now when the chief steward had tasted the water after it had become
wine, not knowing from where it had come (though the attendants who had drawn
the water knew), the chief steward called the bridegroom, and said to him,
"every man at first sets forth the good wine, and when they have drunk freely,
then that which is poorer. But you have kept the good wine until now."
The Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes
Matthew 15:32-38
Then Jesus called together his disciples and said, " I have compassion on the crowd, for they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat; and I am unwilling to send them away fasting, lest they faint on the way." And the disciples said to him, "But in a desert, where are we to get enough loaves to satisfy so great a crowd?" Jesus said to them, "How many loaves have you?" And they said, "Seven, and a few little fishes." And he bade the crowd recline on the ground. Then taking the seven loaves and the fishes, he gave thanks broke them and gave them to his disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied; and they took up what was left of the fragments, seven full baskets. Now those who had eaten were four thousand men, apart from children and women.
Mark 8:1-10
In those days when again there was a great crowd, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples together and said to them, "I have compassion on the crowd, for behold, they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat; and if I send them away to their homes fasting, they will faint on the way for some of them have come from a distance." And his disciples answered him, "How will anyone be able to satisfy these with bread, here in the desert?" He asked them, "How many loaves have you?" And they said, "Seven." And he bade the crowd recline on the ground. Then taking the seven loaves, he gave thanks, broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few little fishes; and he blessed them, and ordered them to be distributed. And they ate and were satisfied; and they took up what was left of the fragments, seven baskets. Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And he dismissed them.
Luke 9:12-17
Now the day began to decline; and the Twelve came up and said to him, "Send the crowds away, so that they may go into the villages and farms roundabout and find lodging and provisions, for we are in a deserted place here." But he said to them, "You yourselves give them some food." And they said, "We have not more than five loaves and two fishes, unless we are to go and buy good for all this crowd." For there were about five thousand men present. Then he said to his disciples, "Make them recline in groups of fifties." And they did so, and made them all recline. And he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, blessed them and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the crowds. And all ate and were satisfied; and what was left over to them was gathered up, twelve baskets of fragments.
John 6:1-13
After
this Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is that of
Tiberias. And there followed him a great crowd, because they witnessed the
signs he worked on those who were sick. Jesus therefore went up the
mountain and sat there with his disciples.
Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. When, therefore, Jesus had lifted up his eyes and seen that a very great crowd had come to him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread that these may eat?" But he said this to try him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not enough for them, that each one may receive a little." One of his disciples, Andrew. the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, "There is a young boy here who has five barley loaves and two fishes; but what are these among so many? Jesus then said, "Make the people recline."
Now
there was much grass in the place. The men therefore reclined, in number
about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given
thanks, distributed them to those reclining; and likewise the fishes. as much as
they wished. But when the were filled, he said to his disciples,
"Gather the fragments that are left over, lest they be wasted." They
therefore gathered them up; and they filled twelve baskets with the fragments of
the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.
Healing the Sick
Raising the son of a widow
Luke 7:11-16
And it came to pass that he went to a town called Naim; and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. And as he drew near the gate of the town, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large gathering from the town was with her. And the Lord, seeing her, had compassion on her, and said to her, "Do not weep." And he went up and touched the stretcher; and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to thee, arise." And he who was dead, sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. But fear seized upon all, and they began to glorify God, saying, "A great prophet has risen among us," and "God has visited his people."
Raising the daughter of Jairus, the ruler of a synagogue
Luke 8:49-56
. . . Jesus
answered the father of the girl, "Do not be afraid; only have faith and she
shall be saved." And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter
with him, except Peter and James and John, and the girl's father and mother.
All were weeping and mourning for her. But he said, "Do not weep; she is
asleep, not dead." And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was
dead. But he, taking her by the hand, cried out, saying, "Girl, arise!"
And her spirit returned, and she rose up immediately. And he directed that
something be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged
them to tell no one what had happened.
Mark
5:38-43
And they came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue and he saw a
tumult, people weeping and wailing greatly. And going in he said to them,
"Why do you make this din, and weep? The girl is asleep, not dead."
And they laughed him to scorn. But he, putting them all out, took the
father and mother of the girl and those who were with him, and entered in where
the girl was lying. And taking the girl by the hand he said to her,
"Talitha cumi," which is interpreted, "Girl, I say to thee, arise." And
the girl rose up immediately and began to walk; she was twelve years old.
And they were utterly amazed."
Matthew 9:23-26
And when Jesus came to the ruler's house, and saw
the flute players and the crowd making a din, he said, "Be gone, the girl is
asleep, not dead." And they laughed him to scorn. But when the crowd
had been put out, he went in and took her by the hand; and the girl arose.
And the report of this spread throughout all that district.
Healing a leper
Matthew 8:2-3
A leper came up and worshipped him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can
make me clean." And stretching forth his hand Jesus touched him,
saying, "I will; be made clean." And immediately his leprosy was
cleansed.
Luke
5:12-13
. . . while he was in one of the towns, there was a man
full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus he fell on his face and besought
him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." And stretching
forth his hand he touched him, saying, "I will; be made clean." And
immediately the leprosy left him.
Healing a blind man
Mark 8:22-25
And they came to Bethsaida and they brought him a blind man and entreated him to touch him. And taking the blind man by the hand, he led him outside the village; and applying spittle to his eyes, he laid his hands upon him, and asked him if he saw anything. And the man looked up, and said, "I see men as though they were trees, but walking about." Then again he laid his hands upon the man's eyes, and he began to see, and was restored so that he saw all things plainly.
Luke 18:35-43
. . . a certain blind man was sitting by the wayside, begging; but hearing a crowd passing by, he inquired what this might be. And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, "Jesus. Son of David, have ,mercy on me!" And they who went in front angrily tried to silence him. But he cried out all the louder, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Then Jesus stopped and commanded that he should be brought to him. And when he drew near, he asked him, saying, "What would have me do for thee?" And he said, "Lord, that I may see." And Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight, your faith has saved you." And at once he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God.
Healing all who came to him
Matthew 8:16-17
Now when it was evening, they brought to him many who were possessed, and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick; that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, who said, "He himself took up our infirmities, and bore the burden of our ills."
Matthew 4:23-24
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. And his fame spread into all Syria; and they brought to him all the sick suffering from various diseases and torments, those possessed, and lunatics, and paralytics; and he cured them.
Matthew 15:30-31
And great crowds came to him, bringing with them
the dumb, the blind, the lame, the maimed, and many others; and they set them
down at his feet, and he cured them; so that the crowds marveled to see the dumb
speak, the lame walk, and the blind see. And they glorified the God of
Israel.
Luke 4:40
Now when the sun was setting, all who had persons sick with various diseases brought them to him. And he laid his hands upon each of them and cured them.
Raising Lazarus from the dead
John
11:34-44
Jesus said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." And Jesus wept. The Jews therefore said, "See how he loved him." But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that this man should not die?" Jesus again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was laid against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, "Lord by this time he is already decayed, for he is dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Have I not told you that if you believe you shall behold the glory of God?" They removed the stone. And Jesus, raising his eyes, said, "Father, I give you thanks that you have heard me. Yet I knew that you always hear me; but because of the people who stand round, I spoke, that they may believe that you have sent me." When he had said this, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!" And at once he who had been dead came forth, bound feet and hands with bandages, and his face was tied up with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
He taught the people
Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:3-12
"Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are
the meek, for they shall possess the earth. Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for
justice, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall
obtain mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for
they shall be called children of God. Blessed are they who suffer
persecution
for
justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when
men reproach you, and persecute you, and, speaking falsely, say all manner of
evil against you, for my sake. Rejoice and exult, because your reward is
great in heaven; for so did they persecute the prophets who were before you.
Luke 6:17-23
"Blessed
are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger
now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you
shall laugh. Blessed shall you be when men hate you, and when they shut
you out, and reproach you, and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of
Man. Rejoice on that day and exult, for behold your reward is great in
heaven.
John 11:34-35
"A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: that as I have loved you, you also love one another. By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
Teaching throughout Judea
Mark
1:38
And he said to them, "Let us go into the neighboring villages and towns, that there also I may preach. For this is why I have come"
Matthew 13:1-2
On that day Jesus left the house and was sitting by the water's edge. And as great crowds gathered about him, he got into boat and sat down. All all the crowd stood on the shore.
Luke 5:3
And getting into one of the boats, the one that was Simon's, he asked him
to put out a little from the land. And sitting down, he began to teach the
crowds from the boat.
4. He Gathered An Inner Circle Of Followers.
Instructed His disciples
Matthew 13:10-17
And the disciples came up and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" And he answered and said, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." . . . I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, neither do they understand. . . . For the heart of this people has been hardened, and with their ears they have been hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed. . . . But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. I say to you, many prophets and just men have longed to see what you see, and they have not seen it; and to hear what you hear, and they have not heard it.
Mark 4:34
. . . But privately he
explained all things to his disciples.
5. He Told Them To Teach All Nations.
Creates His church upon the apostles with Peter as head and commissioned them to teach all nations.
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus drew near and spoke to them saying, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world."
Matthew 16:15-19
Simon Peter
answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Then
Jesus answered and said, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood
has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I say to you,
you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom
of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and
whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
John 21:15-17
When, they had breakfasted, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these do?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." A third time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, you you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him for the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my sheep."
Mark 16:15-16
And he
said to them, "Go into the whole world and preach the gospel to every creature.
He who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who does not believe
shall be condemned."
6. He Promised they would be guided by the Holy Spirit.
John 14:15-17
"If you love me, keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to dwell with you forever, the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you shall know him, because he will dwell with you, and be in you."
John 14:25-26
"These things I have spoken to you while yet dwelling with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your mind whatever I have said to you."
John 20:21-23
He therefore said to them again, "Peace be to you! As the Father has sent me, I also send you." When he had said this, he breathed upon them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven then; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained."
Acts of the Apostles 1:7-8
He said to them, "It is not for you to know the times or dates which the Father has fixed by his own authority; but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses for me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and even to the very ends of the earth."
Matthew 28:17-20
And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus drew near and spoke to them saying, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world."
Instituted the Blessed Sacrament
Matthew 26:26-28
And while they were at supper, Jesus took bread, and blessed and broke, and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take and eat; this is my body." And taking a cup, he gave thanks and gave it to them, saying, "All of you drink of this; for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is being shed for many unto the forgiveness of sins.
Mark 14:22-24
And
while they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessing it, he broke and gave it
to them, and said, "Take; this is my
body." And taking a cup and giving
thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank of it; and he said to them, "This
is my blood of the new covenant, which is being shed for many.
Luke 22:19-20
And having taken bread, he gave thanks and broke, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is being given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In like manner he took also the cup after the supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which shall be shed for you."
John 6:48-52
"I am the bread of life. Your
fathers ate the manna in the desert, and have died. This is the bread that
comes down from heaven, so that if anyone eat of it he will not die. I am
the living bread that has come down from heaven. If anyone eat of this
bread he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the
life of the world."
Death on the Cross
Matthew 27:36-37, 50-51
And
sitting down they kept watch over him. And the put above his head the
charge against him, written, "This Jesus, the King of the Jews." Jesus
again cried out with a loud voice, and gave up his spirit. And behold, the
curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked,
and the rocks were rent.
Mark 15:25-26, 37-38
Now it was the third hour and they crucified him. And the inscription bearing the chare against him was, "The King of the Jews." Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and expired. And the curtain in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
Luke 23:44-46
It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the curtain of the temple was torn in the middle. And Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." And having said this, he expired.
John 19:28-30
. . . Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scriptures might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst." Now there was standing there a vessel full of common wine; and having put a sponge soaked with the wine on a stalk of hyssop, they put to his mouth. When Jesus had taken the wine, he said, "It is consummated!" And bowing his head, he gave up his spirit.
The Resurrection
Matthew 28:1-2, 4-7
. .
. as the first day of the week began to dawn Mary Magdalene and the other Mary
came to see the sepulcher. . . . an angel of the Lord came down from
heaven, and drawing near rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. And for
fear of him the guards were terrified, and became like dead men.
But the
angel spoke and said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek
Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen even as he
said. Come, see the place where the Lord was laid. Go quickly, tell
his disciples that he has risen; and behold, he goes before you into Galilee;
there you shall see him.
Mark 16:1-7
And every early on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, . . . came to the tomb, when the sun had just risen. And they were saying to one another, "Who will roll the stone back from the entrance of the tomb for us?" And looking up they saw that the stone had been rolled back, for it was very large. But on entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right side, clothed in a white robe, and they were amazed. He said to them, "Do not be terrified. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here. Behold the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he goes before you into Galilee; there you shall see him, as he told you."
Luke 24:1-7
But on the first day of the week at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared, and they found the stone rolled back from the tomb. But on entering, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, while they were wondering what to make of this, that, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling raiment. And when the women were struck with fear and bowed their faces to the ground, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he spoke to you while he was yet in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and on the third day rise."
John 20:1-2
Now on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and she saw the stone taken away from the tomb. She ran therefore and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him"
The Ascension
Luke 24:50-52
Now he led them out towards Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass as he blessed them, that he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.
Mark 16:19
So then the Lord, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God.
Matthew 28:17-20
And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus drew near and spoke to them saying, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world."
Acts of the Apostles 1:9-11
. . . and he was lifted up before their eyes, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing up to heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white garments, and said to them, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up to heaven? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, shall come in the same way as you have seen him going up to heaven."
The Descent Of The Holy Spirit
Acts of the Apostles 2:1-4
And when the days of Pentecost were drawing to a close, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a violent wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them parted tongues of fire, which settle upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign tongues, even as the Holy Spirit prompted them to speak.
Acts of the Apostles 2:5-8
Now there were staying at Jerusalem devout Jews
from every nation under heaven. And when this sound was heard, the
multitude gathered and were bewildered in mind, because each heard them speaking
in his own language. But they were all amazed and marveled, saying,
"Behold, are not all these that are speaking Galileans? And how have we
heard each his own language in which he was born?
Acts of the Apostles 2:14,
17, 18
And Peter lifted up his voice saying . . . it shall come pass in the last days, says the Lord, that I will pour forth of my spirit upon all flesh . . . and upon my servants and upon my handmaids in those days will I pour forth of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
Acts of the Apostles
10:44-45, 47
While Peter was still speaking these words, the
Holy Spirit came upon all who were listening to his message. And the Jews
who had come with Peter, were amazed, because on the Gentiles (non-Jews) also
the grace of the Holy Spirit had been poured forth. Then Peter answered,
"Can anyone refuse the water to baptize these, seeing that they have received
the Holy Spirit just as we did?"
The Assumption Of Mary
THE DOGMA OF THE ASSUMPTION
OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (Excerpts)
When it was solemnly proclaimed that Mary, the Virgin Mother of
God, was from the very beginning free from the taint of original sin, (the
Immaculate Conception), the minds of the faithful were filled with a stronger
hope that the day might soon come when the dogma of the Virgin Mary's bodily
Assumption into heaven would also be defined by the Church's supreme teaching
authority.
Since the liturgy of the Church springs from the Catholic faith, it follows that the holy Fathers and the great Doctors, in the homilies and sermons they gave spoke of this doctrine as something already known and accepted by Christ's faithful. Their proofs were based on the incomparable dignity of her divine motherhood and of all those prerogatives which follow from it. These include her exalted holiness, entirely surpassing the sanctity of all men and of the angels, the intimate union of Mary with her Son, and the affection of preeminent love which the son has for his most worthy Mother.
Therefore,
the revered Mother of God, from all eternity joined in a hidden way with Jesus
Christ in one and the same decree of predestination, immaculate in her
conception, a most perfect virgin in her divine motherhood, the noble associate of the divine Redeemer
who has won a complete triumph over sin and its consequences, finally obtained,
as the supreme culmination
of her privileges, that she should be preserved free from the corruption of the
tomb and that, like her own son, having overcome death, she
might be taken up body and soul to the glory of heaven where, as Queen, she sits
in splendor at the right hand of her Son, the immortal King of the Ages.
Since
the universal Church, within which dwells the Spirit of Truth who infallibly
directs it toward an ever more perfect knowledge of the revealed truths, and
since the bishops of the entire world are petitioning that the truth of the
bodily Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven should be defined as a
dogma of divine and Catholic faith in union with the faithful, and in complete
harmony with the other revealed truths and the wisdom of the theologians - we
believe that the moment appointed in the plan of divine providence for the
solemn proclamation of this outstanding privilege of the Virgin Mary has already
arrived.
By the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma: that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.
Pope Pius XII November 1, 1950
Mary Crowned Queen Of Heaven And Earth
Mary is Queen in her relations
to the God the Father as His eldest daughter, and to the Holy Spirit as His
spouse. She is the mother of the King. Since Christ had no human
father, her relation to him is even more exclusive than that of other mothers.
She is the sole human parent. From the very beginning, Christ is king of
all, and Mary, his earthly mother is Queen. By Christ's death he
redeemed the human race. By Mary's cooperation in Christ's redemptive
sacrifice on Calvary, she participated in his once-for-all earning of graces
which earned atonement for the wrong of the first parents. Because of her
cooperation in Christ's redemptive act, she merits the acceptance and choice of
the Father in Heaven; and justly deserves the title: Queen of Heaven and Earth.
Mary's kingdom is as vast as that of her Son and God and nothing is excluded from her dominion. Mary rules over the earth: all graces are distributed through her hands. No request that she makes of her Son, the King, is ever refused. She rules over Purgatory: she prompts the faithful in earth to pray for them. Her Queenship extends even to Hell. The demons are powerless against her. It is especially humiliating for the devil to be beaten by her, for, although he must rightly expect to suffer defeat at the hands of God Himself, it is galling that a mere creature should also thwart him so thoroughly.
Finally,
Mary's Queenship extends to Heaven itself. All who enjoy Heaven do so by
virtue of the graces earned by Jesus and Mary in co-operation. Even the
just of the Old Law were saved only in anticipation of the merits of Calvary, in
which she co-operated. She also contributes to the blessedness of those in
Heaven. While the joy there consists in the direct vision of God, there is
also happiness from the presence of the angels and saints, whose Queen is Mary.
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Index
An Angel visits
her
Humanity of Mary's
Son
Mary leads
by example
Mary
approaches us as a loving mother