Summary of the Week and a Reflection (8th & 9th March)

MARY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Bro.Liyumba Exuperius OFM.Cap. 

In the last week lecture we looked at Mother Mary in the New Testament. The aim was to trace and understand the person of Mary from the New Testament and the tradition. We know very little about Miriam of Nazareth as an actual historical person. Mary stands altitudes of men and women through centuries-especially the poor whose lives are not considered worth recording.

Mary mother of Jesus (mk. 6:8, Mt. 5:5, Acts 1:4) is not figured largely in the NT.

In this lecture the lecturer tried to view all the Synoptic Gospels, John’s Gospel and the letter of St Paul to the Galatians to see how they explained and how they understand Mary.

Gal 4:4, mentioned Mary as woman: `when the time had to come, God send forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law’. That means, God send His son born in woman’s body, given birth as human but in God rule-law-through the Holy Spirit. Paul explicit references a Jewish woman giving birth to the Messiah under the law of Judaism. Mary mother of Jesus (Theotokos- in Greek). Mary is the place through which the Son of God entered human history.

In Mk.4:31-35, the Scribes called Jesus Belzebul, the king of the devils because He was driving evil spirits, and they accused him of using the power from devil. In fact from the beginning the Scribes did not believe in Jesus, they believed that nothing good could come from Him.

Therefore in Mk. 4:31-35 Jesus said His mother, brothers and sisters are those who believed in Him and did the will of God. Here we learned that Jesus did not deny His family, but in that context Jesus offsets family ties, and possibly the selfish concerns of His brothers and sisters. He spiritualizes the whole situation by emphasizing on doing the will of God.

Matthew chapter one, is about Jesus’ infancy narrative: That means from Abraham to David. In this chapter Matthew counted14 generations including Mary (the mother of Jesus). She is in the list of the patriarchs, why? Because Jesus took our humanity being born through Mary’s body under Gods rule and through the Holy Spirit. So in relation to the humanity Mary was the one through whom Jesus was born without a human father. Mary was the lawful wife of Joseph. However the manner in which the Messiah was to be born was through the Spirit. This is why Matthew included Mary among the ancestors of Jesus.

Luke. 1:26-38. The annunciation.

The Angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth where Mary lived .The Angel greeted Mary: The God be with you that means you’re chosen with the special task to do.

The Greek word chaire-means full of grace, Mary through the grace of God was chosen to be the mother of Jesus (God). Mary was chosen without the original sin.

The acceptance of Mary to bear the son of God, is a significant act of Obedience and of faith.

As the sign of Holy Spirit Mary praised God by singing the magnificat.

Mary rejoices-sang Gods praise.

Jesus presented in the temple.Lk.2:41-52. According to the Jews tradition the first male child was to send to the Lord as a gift, so that he may do the Lords work as Mary and Joseph did to Jesus. In this occasion we found also the prophetic message from Simon who was an upright devout man and the Holy Spirit rested in him.  Prompted by the Holy Spirit He came to the temple.

Simon said to the parent “the son is destined for the fall and rise many……….and you Mary a sword will pierce your soul too”, then He blessed the son. Simon was prophesying the passion and death of Jesus, Mary was to suffer as a mother. Therefore Simon gave His Lord glory by singing the Nunc Dimittis.

In Luke 2:41-52, Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem during the Jewish feast, His parents thought that He was lost, they went back and found Him in the temple discussing with the Jewish elders and doctors. He told his parents Mary and Joseph “I must be in the house of my father” Mary put all this in her heart, which means deeply meditating on them.

Mary Identified as: Mother and virgin, Holy, Faithful, servant, obedient, perfect disciple and blessed one.

John chapter 2:1-11, is about the wedding in Cana of Galilee. They had no wine, they asked Mary to tell Jesus about the issue but Jesus told Mary “woman My hour has not came”. This means His hour which will given by the Holy Spirit, the hour of His passion.

The significance of the wedding is a union between God and His people.

Wine means Holy Spirit.

Hour also means the time to go to back to His father-Heaven.

Six stone jars filled by wine mean the sign of glory.  

Mary seat of wisdom, Pray for us!

Christian Mystery - Comments from Sr. Scholar

CHRISTIAN OF MYSTERY

Sr.Scholar

My comment goes to sr. Beatrice in her reflection which was done on 16^th February about the mystery of Christ life and mystery of the human person. The reflection was nicely done especially on the part of mystery of human person where she pointed out very well that human beings are unique and they contain the unity of soul and body in a profound way. I also like the point of the union of spirit and matter which forms a single nature but not two natures united. I appreciate very much her work and may God bless her spirit of generosity.

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I would like to bring my comment on Diana’s work on the mystery of sin and Grace which was done on 20^th February. The work is nicely done and I appreciate her sacrifice. The idea of the original sin which is a consequence of the first sin where the whole humanity is affected is very striking.it lead to four consequences which every human person is affected; ignorance, concupiscence, weakness of will and malice. I also like the various gifts given to us by God; natural gifts which we receive freely from God and also different types of grace. Evertything is well done and I admire.

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 My comment goes to sr. Monica’s work on her reflection about the mystery of Jesus. Jesus has two natures; divine and human. The interesting part is that he humbled himself to be baptized by john though he had no sin since baptism cleanses us from original sin. The cooperation of Mary with God in the line of salvation has made man to become partaker of Jesus’ divine nature and oneness with God the father. The reflection is well done and I appreciate.

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My comment goes to Jane’s work on the Holyspirit.He is the second person of the spirit and his work is to sanctify.Its not easy to understand fully all these it needs greater faith to believe without questioning. I like this knowledge of the term spirit which translates the Hebrew word “ruah” which means breath, air wind. Is also interesting the titles of the holy spirit and the symbols which many people are not aware of especially the symbol of seal ,hand, and finger and this many people includes me for it was the first time to come across them. The work is well done and I appreciate.

Summary of the Week and a Reflection (23rd & 24th February)

I Believe in the Holy Spirit

Jane Njeri

In our class of 23^rd February, we learnt about the Holy Spirit. We started by defining the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is divine worshiped and glorified we also say that, it is the lord God, the giver of life and it processed from the Father, who is God.

In the Old Testament the Jews did not know about the Holy Spirit but Jesus Himself did. We see that, the Holy Spirit appeared to the people during the day of the Pentecostal in Jerusalem. The Jewish feast of the Pentecost had celebrated the wheat harvest but on that day the Apostles received the harvest of the Holy Spirit; the courage, confidence and zeal to go out into the world and proclaim Gods salvation in Jesus Christ, it was a day to build Gods people up. They experienced this through the power which comes in many forms. For instance as the divine power or creative power. This divine power makes the disciples; preach and teach the gospel, gather the people together, lead the people and through this to the development and formation of many communities. During this period around 5000 people were baptized. The communities formed were know as ‘ekklesial tuo theou’ meaning the assemble of God, who received the power from above, which unites, forgives, heals e.t.c. The Holy Spirit made people move forward.

Titles of the Holy Spirit include,

·          

We also see that the Holy Spirit has different symbols;

·         Water

·         Anointing

·         Five

·         Cloud at night

·         The seal

·         The hand

·         The dove

Some of the functions of the Holy Spirit are;

·         The Holy Spirit the guide and healer.

·         It puts thing in order.

·         It is a universal principle that is it unites all people in the world.

·         The Holy Spirit is the mover of the world, it has a wide mission.

We also talked about the disciples who followed Jesus closely. Jesus had so many disciples (people who followed Him). The Apostles (the sent) were sent as missionaries. They were of two types Apostles of the church and of Christ, the messengers to witness and form churches