Tradition of the Community: Starting in the Middle Ages, there were the first written accounts of visions of the Virgin Mary, but as the time moved into the Reformation Age, the visions of Mary became more and more frequent. People claimed she appeared them and acted as an instrument of God, telling them to spread the faith and build churches. The most well-known vision that took place during the Reformation when Mary appeared to Juan Diego of Guadalupe, Mexico in 1531.There were many reported miracles in the town that seemed to point to a divine being helping, for example, the roses in the middle of winter, an uncle miraculously cured of a deadly illness, and the image of the Virgin Mary on Juan’s tunic. This vision led to the spread of Christianity to the western hemisphere, and the fact that Mary was speaking Juan’s native language seemed to bring about the belief that Mary is truly the Mother of all Christians and the mediator of the word of God to common people. The vision of Mary at Guadalupe is just one of many that happened during the Reformation, and led to many shrines being built to honor the areas where Mary was believed to have appeared to the people. Each shrine had some symbolic meaning to honor Mary in specific ways. For example, in Guadalupe, the shrine to Mary included the Mexican flag to represent her reach to the Mexican culture, a purple background to represent Mary’s queenly figure, and a pink tunic to represent the sense of joy she fills the people who come into her presence with. With many people claiming to have seen the Virgin Mary, masses began to participate in the tradition of praying directly to Mary in addition to attending church. This allowed people to be able to connect in a stronger way with ...
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...lvation, her relationship to the Church, and her cult within the Church” (Allman). The idea of honoring Mary had become a controversial topic for the Church around this time because many argued that it took emphasis off of God and Jesus. Vatican II did “not intend to suppress popular devotions,” but, “it did direct that they be reformed so that they should not appear to be something apart from the liturgy” (Rosary Since Vatican II). They also fully established Mary as a sign of comfort and hope, and said that “as Mary existed for Christ from the Incarnation, throughout his life, at his death, and for eternity, so Mary is the model of the Church as it hopes to be” (Marian Magisterial Document).
Theologian: In addition to the theological advancements of Mary that were strongly influenced by Pope Pius XII, two other theologians stick out: Karl Rahner and Yves Congar.
John Calvin and Karl Barth: I feel that these two theologians cannot be separated since they both have greatly impacted my Christian faith. While attending Northwestern College, I took multiple Calvin
According to Donovan Longo’s article “Who Is The Virgen De Guadalupe? A Brief History Of The Saint So Important In Mexican Culture” published in 2014, the Virgin Mary is known by many different titles but they all refer to the same Virgin that the Catholics recognize as the Blessed Mother. The Virgin de Guadalupe is mostly known by her first stunning visitation that she first decided to make Catholics know of her existence. The story of her appearance was said to have occurred on December 9, 1513 in the presence of Juan Diego, who was an Indian that happened to be passing on the area where she appeared. At the moment of her existence Juan Diego was told by the Virgin Mary that she wanted a church to be built at a Hill of Tepeyac that was near Mexico City. The Virgin Mary wanted a church to be built in her honor so she used Juan Diego as messenger, so he could go and tell the Archbishop what she was requesting, but since the Archbishop did not believe Juan Diego about the encounter that he had with the Virgin Mary, he asked for a proof. The Archbishop wanted a proof from the Virgin Mary, so he could prove her identity. The Virgin Mary sent Juan Diego to pick up some flowers and once he did so, she placed them in Juan Diego’s cloak and off he went to give the proof to the Archbishop. When the cloak was opened flowers fell out and there was an image of the Virgin Mary imprinted on the cloak, and the day that the image of the Virgin Mary was shown to the Archbishop was December
Saint Christina of Markyate’s story provides more than the religious experiences of a hermit, it presents twelfth-century life in, mostly, the Huntington area of England in a very detailed manner. Baptized as Theodora, Christina of Markyate’s path of religious devotion is claimed to have begun in her early teen years with a vow of chastity (35). This vow was only known to one other person, a close friend named Sueno, until her parents attempted to arrange a marriage for her. Being described as attractive and intelligent, as well as coming from a wealthy family, this was not uncommon for women in Christina’s lifetime. Upon declining the first suitor, a bishop, her hardships begin and, at times, seem as though they were both unlikely to end and
The study of religion is often a rigorous process because the central tenets of the subject: image, ritual, and myth are often copious in their complexity. For example, consider the multiple meanings that are inherent in the image of a crucifix. Some Christians might view it as an image of suffering, whilst others would reject that notion and instead perceive it to be one of love. These differences may seem inconsequential at first, but they can overtime shape the beliefs of an individual and by extension a community. To understand this dynamic better one only has to analyze the Christo Aparecido (Christ Appeared), an authentic Mexican crucifix with a fascinating history from the colonial era to the present. This history is made known by the text, Biography of a Mexican Crucifix: Lived Religion and Local Faith from the Conquest to the Present by Jennifer Hughes, from which I contend that over the life of the Christo Aparecido there continues to be an understanding among devotees that this crucifix is sacred because it displays animus while being a vestige for the sacred to occupy. To support my position I will attempt to relate the moments where the Christo Aparecido is said to show signs of life, in particular his stay in Mexico City during the colonial era and his role in more modern times with rival groups clashing over its efficacy in the village of Totolapan.
The History of Mary Prince is the story of the first female British slave to escape slavery. The book is told by Mary herself, and was used to help the anti-slavery movement. This book is the main source of information on Mary’s life, but there is no way to ensure that all of it is authentic. One should be aware of who truly had the control over this book, and how it may have affected whether or not all of the stories Mary had to tell got in. Without following the standard expected of her, she may not have ever been able to share her experiences like this. Mary Prince was able to convey her story of slavery to others by following the expectations set by the Antislavery Society, such as emphasizing Christianity, only including likable character
Through the close study of two of the aspects shown in the diagram, their contributions allow Christianity to be considered a living religious tradition. The significant contributions of Pope John XXIII, during both his papal and Pre-papal life have had everlasting effects on not only Catholicism, but Christianity as a whole and lead to the sense of Christianity being a living religious tradition. His works include two Papal encyclicals, Mater et Magistra and Pacem in Terris, along with his work being Apostolic Delegate of Greece and Turkey. Moreover, The significant practice of Baptism has further contributed to Christian being considered a living religious tradition as it accounts for the premise of most Christian beliefs to be initiated, especially in terms of salvation and affirming the beliefs in the trinity and following the teachings of Jesus Christ.
That was the beginning of Our Blessed Mother at Fatima. She visited the children six times bringing them messages for the world. In all Her appearances at Fatima, Our Mother repeatedly emphasized the necessity of praying the Rosary daily, of wearing the Brown Scapular of Mount Carmel and of performing acts of reparation and sacrifice.
Mary Tudor or Queen Mary I of England was infamously known as Bloody Mary. While many believe Bloody Mary was an evil monster, others believe she was a great queen because of her many accomplishments. Mary was actually a good devoted Catholic others still to this day believe she was an evil woman, but with these interesting facts it will be determined that Mary was a good queen.
Mary went on to re-implement the Catholic faith in England, however not the Catholic faith before her father broke with Rome. Mary was attempting to go along with the Counter Reformation happening on the continent. This showed great th...
The myth behind the La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, originated in 1606. The Virgin appeared one day in the Bay of Nipe near Santiago to two brothers, Rodrigo and Juan de Hoyos, and to Juan Moreno,a black boy roughly ten years of age. They were out on a fishing trip in the Bay. While struggling in their storm tossed boat, they heard a voice declare, "I am the Virgin of Charity." In one hand, the Virgin carried a mulatto baby Jesus; in the other, she held a cross. She also appeared to be holding a tablet which contained the inscription, "I am the Virgin of Charity." A replica of the same tablet is now framed and displayed on the first floor of La Ermita in Santiago de Cuba.
As soon as the main character Richard is introduced into the story line we learn his beliefs about god before we even learn his name. Perhaps Villarreal, even this early, is tiring to show readers that in the Mexican American culture religion, specifically Catholicism, plays an extremely large role. Richard carries his Virgin Mary picture home which he received as a reward for being the first in his age group to learn the catechism protecting it in his handkerchief. The Catholic Church has often rewarded people for their achievements when pertaining to studying their religion in hope that they will encourage them to remain catholic. When I attended catechism I was always rewarded for having perfect attendance. This idea that you will be rewarded for an achievement or attendance may be a way for the church to make sure you are there every Sunday and behaving well. Richard claims that the picture had little value to him but it was a symbol of recognition. Surely he would go home and present it to his mother knowing that it being from the church would mean a lot to her. Many times I would do the same thing with my tokens of recognition, posting them proudly on the refrigerator, not because it was worth anything, but because of the praise I would received for it.
What a sensation was made about the Sensation exhibition in the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The focus of Mayor Giuliani’s outcry was the piece “The Holy Virgin Mary” by Chris Ofili. Funny, he didn’t give attention to some of the other outrageous works including the pubescent female mannequins studded with erect penises, vaginas, and anuses, fused together in various postures of sexual coupling, or the portrait of a child molester and murder made from what appears like child hand prints or bisected animals in plexiglass tanks full of formaldehyde. Would it ever have made headlines with a different title, like “Afro-lady”? I don’t think so. I guess targeting religion gets a little too personal. Giuliani said, “You don’t have the right to government subsidy for desecrating somebody else’s religion. If you are a government-subsidized enterprise, then you can’t do things that desecrate the most personal and deeply held views of people in society.” You would think that the government paid these artists, right? It turns out that the show consisted of Charles Saatchi’s privately owned collection VIEWED in a public museum. So what does that mean to you? Well, when I found out that tidbit of information, it didn’t seem so offensive anymore. Taxpayers didn’t pay these young British artists to create controversial pieces. Taxpayers fund the museum itself to stay open. Museums have a variety of exhibitions all year. What is wrong with having one displaying a private collection? This is a common thing with museums. Otherwise, how would the public ever get to view extensive artistic compilations of the wealthy? Some collections are beautiful, others perturbing. But, who draws this line? Who gets to decide? The individual. If you do not want to submit your eyes to horrendous, offensive creations, then don’t!
The immediate background consists of natural mounds of dirt and a brick wall that enclose the Virgin, Child, and St. John, amplifying the protective effect that Mary’s figure has. The dirt mounds roll inward with a brick wall bordering them on the right, drawing the viewer’s attention towards the three figures. The background is painted in broad terms, with a simple, uniform depiction of tree leaves and smooth rock faces on the horizon. This contrasts with the fine-lined detail and texture of Mary’s hair, facial features, and veil, which further contribute to her elegance and highlight her
Religion is a key aspect to the culture of today’s society, as well as, for thousands of years prior. One major key distinction remains, most religions are male dominated traditions. Catholic, Islamic, and Jewish philosophy truly exemplify this. However, the importance and major role women play within the realm of different theologies is evident. Mary, the Catholic Virgin Mary, the Jewish Rachel, and Islamic Fatima are three important saints whose influence and importance is recognized. The term saint sometimes may blur between mortal beings and heavenly realms. Nonetheless, the three saints named have significance within their particular religious content. Rachel, Mary and Fatima contrast significantly in legends, descriptions and religious philosophies, but are comparable in devotions and reasons revered.
The Virgin birth of Christ is an actual Historical fact. God came (in the sinless form of Jesus) into the earth "HE" created. No other event in the past has had so much impact out side of Calvary where Christ paid the price for our transgressions. Seven hundred years earlier, this was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah and it came about just as predicated in (Matthew 1:22, 23)