Where Was Mary The Mother Of Jesus Born

Mary

Known as St. Mary or the Virgin Mary, she has been honored in the Christian church since the apostolic age and has been a popular topic in Western art, music, and literature from the beginning of the Christian era. She is the mother of Jesus. Mary is well-known through scriptural allusions, which, nevertheless, are insufficient to create a comprehensive biography of her life and times. Through the names that have been given to Mary throughout the history of Christiancommunities—guarantee of the Incarnation, virgin mother, secondEve, mother of God, eternally virgin and immaculate, and assumed intoheaven—we may trace the evolution of the concept of Mary.

Her humility and adherence to God’s word, as recorded in the New Testament, have elevated her to the status of a model for Christians of all eras.

The other name for the artwork refers to the fact that it was once housed at a monastery of the Poor Clares order in Poligny, Burgundy, France.

The Rogers Fund was established by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in 1933.

Biblical references

The story of the Annunciation, which reports that she was living in Nazarethand was betrothed to Joseph(Luke 1:26 ff.), is the first and last time that Mary is mentioned in the Bible, and the last time she is mentioned (Acts of the Apostles 1:14), she is included in the company of those who devoted themselves to prayer after Jesus’ ascension into heaven (Acts of the Apostles 1:14). According to the Gospels, she occurs in the following incidents: Among the events recorded are the Annunciation, the visit with Elizabeth, her kinswoman and the mother of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus (Luke 1:39 ff.), the birth of Jesus and his presentation in the Temple (Luke 2:1 ff.), the visit to Jerusalem by the Magi and the flight to Egypt (Matthew 2:1 ff.), the marriage at Cana in Galilee, although her name is not mentioned (Mark 2:1 ff) (John 19:26 ff.).

No matter how closely one considers these incidents to be accurate historical descriptions, they do not add up to a cohesive portrayal of Mary.

However, since the beginning of Christian history, the concepts that these images represent have served as a starting point for discussion and devotion on the Virgin Mary.

As a result, a historical study of that evolution also serves as an introduction to the current condition of Christian theology regarding Mary to a significant degree.

Dogmatic titles

The story of the Annunciation, which reports that she was living in Nazarethand was betrothed to Joseph(Luke 1:26 ff.), is the first and last time that Mary is mentioned in the Bible, and the last time she is mentioned (Acts of the Apostles 1:14) is in the company of those who devoted themselves to prayer after Jesus’ ascension into heaven. Among the instances recorded in the Gospels are the following: The Annunciation; the visit with Elizabeth, her kinswoman and the mother of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus (Luke 1:39 ff.); the birth of Jesus and the presentation of him in the Temple (Luke 2:1 ff.); the visit to Jerusalem by the Magi and the flight to Egypt (Matthew 2:1 ff.); the marriage at Cana in Galilee, although her name is not mentioned (John 2:1 ff.); the attempt to see (John 19:26 ff.).

No matter how closely one considers these moments to be actual historical facts, they do not add up to a cohesive representation of Mary.

However, since the beginning of Christian history, the concepts that these moments represent have served as a starting point for discussion and study on Mary’s life and character.

Consequently, a historical study of that evolution serves as an introduction to the current condition of contemporary Christian thought regarding Mary to a significant degree,

Saints Ann and Joachim, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Memorial of : University of Dayton, Ohio

– This compilation was done under the supervision of Father Johann Roten, S.M. This directory of content contained on the All About Mary website links together items that are related to the feast of St. Mary of the Angels. By utilizing the search options offered, you may be able to find more materials as well.

Mary’s Life

It was compiled by Father Johann Roten, S.M. under his leadership. This directory of content contained on the All About Mary website pulls together items that are related to the feast of the Annunciation of Mary. By use the search options offered, you may be able to locate other materials.

Video

In 1998, the film Saints Anne and Joachim: Grandparents of Jesus was released. Make contact with Marian Library. The following image is displayed: At the Golden Gate, Joachim and Anne had a chance encounter with Filippo Lippi (1406-1469) A wide range of information is available on All About Mary, most of it reflects the expertise, interpretations, and viewpoints of the individual authors and not necessarily those of the Marian Library or the University of Dayton.

Please send any comments or recommendations to Marian Library at [email protected].

Who Was Mary the Mother of Jesus?

If you ask someone to name a famous Mary, he or she will almost probably respond with “Mary, mother of Jesus,” which is correct. She is likely the most well-known “Mary” in history, and for some, she is even an object of adoration. What was the identity of Mary, Jesus’ mother?

The Root of the Name Mother Mary

“Mary was really given the name Miriam, after the sister of Moses,” says the author. Why do we refer to her as Mary? Miriam is a Hebrew name, but Mary is a combination of two Greek names: Mariam and Maria, which are found in the New Testament. During their childhood, both Miriam and Mary stood guard over God’s chosen leaders as earthly powers attempted to have them assassinated. Exodus 1:22 describes how Miriam looked after her brother, who was hiding behind some reeds, after Pharaoh ordered that “every Hebrew boy” be “throwinto the Nile.” Miriam then proceeded to get a nurse (their mother) for the Pharaoh’s daughter, who had been taken captive by the Israelites (Exodus 2:5-7).

One possible meaning for Miriam/Mary is “wished-for kid,” and both ladies undoubtedly cared for significant youngsters whose safety was threatened by homicidal government throughout their lifetimes.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, had no signs of jealously or bitterness: she was worshipful, faithful, and fearless, among other qualities.

Prophetic Roots of Mother Mary

According to Christians, there are striking similarities between Mary and her namesake Miriam, which exposes the prophetic aspect of Moses’ birth and life when seen in retrospect. In the Christian’s eyes, God chose two young women to care for the two men in Scripture who led Israel out of slavery in Egypt and out of sin, respectively. Israel’s longed-for child, their Savior, would be born one day, according to the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and you shall call his name Immanuel.” Mary was one of the women who would fulfill this prophecy.

The story of Mary being notified by an angel that she would become the mother of Immanuel is described in the Gospel of Luke.

The Lord grant me the fulfillment of your promise to me.” (See Luke 1:38.)

Where Was Mother Mary From?

Jesus’ mother was most likely “born in Nazarethduring the time of Herod the Great,” according to tradition. The reign of this king lasted from 37 to 4 BC. She “spoke Aramaic, with a Galilean accent (Matthew 26:73),” and she also “had touch with a multilingual culture,” in which soldiers spoke Latin, Greek was the language of business and education, and Hebrew was the language of Jewish religious life, according to Matthew 26:73. As a peasant, she belonged to a group that included skilled craftsmen, yet she was subjected to “a triple tax burden: to Rome, to Herod the Great, and to the temple.” Families lived in “three or four cottages of one or two rooms each erected around an open courtyard, in which relatives shared an oven, a cistern, and a millstone for grinding grain, and in which domestic animals also resided,” according to the National Geographic Society.

Mary would have spent the most of her time on home duties, some of which would have been physically demanding.

Mother Mary and Life with a Family

Mary would have married as early as 13 “in order to maximize childbirth and to ensure virginity,” according to the Bible. Mary lived with Joseph and Jesus, as well as “James and Joseph and Judas and Simon,” as well as several sisters who were not mentioned in the Bible. Mary was the mother of Jesus (Mark 6:3). A strong lady “capable of trekking the Judean hill region while pregnant, giving birth in a stable, making an annual four- or five-day journey on foot to Jerusalem,” sleeping outside, and “engaged in daily hard work at home” were some of her accomplishments.

She had been trained to look forward to the coming of the prophesied Messiah.

When the angel said, “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus,” she became a “part of the fulfillment of God’s ultimate plan,” according to the Bible.

The Virgin Mary said in Luke 1:54-55 that God had “helped his servant Israel,” and that he had “remembered to be compassionate to Abraham and his offspring forever, exactly as he promised our forefathers.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer referred to her tune as “the oldest Advent hymn,” and he was right.

Mother Mary and Life with Jesus

As a result, we don’t know much about Mary because the gospel is primarily about Jesus’ life, not hers. We could infer that she was perplexed prior to Jesus’ resurrection, based on the evidence. Because after all, Jesus began His public ministry by upsetting the people in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4), and He continued to irritate the Pharisees throughout His mission. According to Mary, her son was insane: “When his family found out about it, they immediately went to take care of him since they assumed he was out of his mind.” (See Mark 3:21.) When asked why he came, Jesus said, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” “A man’s foes will be the members of their own home,” says the prophet.

• “A man’s enemies will be the members of his own household,” says the prophet.
• “Honor your mother and father,” the Bible states in Exodus 20:12.
• In front of his followers, Jesus stated, “This is where my mother and my brothers are standing.” In fact, anybody who carries out the will of My Father in heaven is my brother, sister, and mother” (Matthew 12:48-50).
• God’s family has been extended across ethnic boundaries as a result of adoption.
• Your adoption to sonship was brought about by the Spirit that you received (Romans 8:15).
• In the beginning, the equality of Jesus’ love would have been difficult to accept for a mother who might have felt she should have a particular place in her son’s heart based on her relationship with him.

She recalled how, after he had been separated from his mother and found him at the temple in Jerusalem, where he had faithfully learned about the Father, Jesus had been obedient to his earthly father as well. She also “stored” this experience in her heart as a “memory.”

Death with Jesus

It has been said that Jesus’ birth and death on earth were the only events in which Mary was present. The fact that Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, is not mentioned following Luke’s tales of his upbringing suggests that he died before Jesus was born. After seeing his mother and the disciple whom he cherished standing close, Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ And he added to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” It was from that point on that this disciple welcomed her into his house.” (See also John 19:25-27.) As a result of Jesus’ statements, we know that He loved intensely and intimately for His mother, and we also know that Mary was there during Jesus’ final hours on earth.

“At the time, she was probably close to 50 years old, which was far older than the average death age for women in that era.” One can only imagine the agony she went through as she saw her eldest child die, and if the angel’s words from three decades earlier tormented or comforted her in her final hours on earth.

1. According to Luke 24:10, “Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them” came face to face with angels at Jesus’ empty tomb and “told this to the apostles,” however the name “Mary mother of Jesus” is not given.
2. After then, there is nothing else recorded in history concerning Mary, the mother of Jesus.
3. Her memories of a young Jesus were a profound source of consolation for her as she waited, as we all do, to be with Him once again.
4. More information on her may be found here.

5 things to know about Mary, the mother of Jesus

It is definitely true that Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the most revered saint in the Christian faith. Despite this, we know very little about her. There is nothing in the New Testament that mentions her birth, death, physical appearance, or age. Aside from the stories of Jesus’ birth that are exclusively included in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, she is expressly referenced at just three other events in the life of her son, all of which take place after his birth. At a wedding when Jesus transforms water into wine, she makes an unsuccessful attempt to visit her son while he is teaching, and she witnesses his execution with her son.

As a matter of fact, Mary is named more frequently in the Qur’an than she is in the New Testament. So, here are five facts we do know about her that are worth sharing. More information may be found at: Despite their differences, Jews, Christians, and Muslims are all followers of the same deity.

1. She was an accidental virgin

In the Gospel of Matthew, we are told for the first time that Mary was pregnant before she and Joseph had sexual relations. According to reports, she was “with child from the Holy Spirit.” Matthew used a prophesy from the Old Testament to demonstrate this point, stating that a “virgin will conceive and have a son, and the name of the child will be Emmanuel.” Matthew was referring to the Old Testament in its Greek translation. As a result, the original Hebrew term “almah” had been translated as “parthenos” in the Greek Old Testament, and from there into the Latin Bible as “virgo” and finally into English as “virgin.” Instead of just “young lady,” the Greek word “parthenos” refers to “a virgin intacta,” which indicates literally “a virgin who has not been defiled.” Briefly stated, Mary was referred to be a virgin due to a translation error in which the word “young lady” was rendered as “virgin.” Education of the Virgin by Guido Reni is a painting by Guido Reni.

Commons image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

2. She was a perpetual virgin

During and after the birth of Jesus, according to early Christian faith, Mary continued to be a virgin. This was likely only appropriate for someone who was referred to as “the mother of God” or “the God-bearer.” According to Saint Ambrose of Milan (c.339-97 CE), the doctrine of Mary’s perpetual virginity was ardently defended: “Blessed Mary is the gate, through which it is written that the Lord hath entered in by it; therefore, the gate shall be shut after birth; for, as a virgin, she both conceived and gave birth.” Several centuries later, the Lateran Synod of 649 CE, a council convened in Rome by the Western Church, made it an article of faith that Jesus was conceived “without seed” and that Mary “incorruptibly carried, her virginity being unaffected even after his birth.” All of this is happening despite the fact that the Gospels state that Jesus had siblings and sisters (Mark 3.32, Matthew 12.46, Luke 8.19).

Antonio Veneziano painted a tempera on panel picture of the Virgin and Child in 1380.

3. She was immaculately conceived

Since the time of Saint Ambrose, it has been widely acknowledged in Western theology that Mary never committed a sin. Was her sinlessness in this life, however, due to the fact that she was born without “original sin”? As a matter of fact, according to Western theology, each and every human being was born with original sin, which is considered to be the “genetic” result of the transgression of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Due to an increasing cult of devotion to the Virgin Mary during the medieval period, there were fine-grained theological disagreements on the subject.

It wasn’t until 1854 that the Catholic Church was able to fix the situation.

As Pope Pius IX proclaimed, the dogma which teaches that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception. was maintained free from every taint of original sin, is a truth revealed by God and consequently one in which all the faithful should accept firmly and consistently.

4. She ascended into heaven

The early decades of the Christian tradition were deafeningly silent on the subject of Mary’s death. However, by the seventh and eighth centuries, the belief in the physical ascension of Mary into heaven had gained a solid foothold in both the Western and Eastern churches, and was widely accepted. More information may be found at: What may paradise be like, according to today’s essay? The Eastern Orthodox Greek Church adhered to the tradition of Mary’s death and burial. In accordance with this, Mary died in a natural way, and her soul was thereafter accepted by Christ.

She was then carried physically into the presence of God.

In 1950, the belief in Mary’s ascension into heaven was officially recognized as Catholic teaching.

The Assumption of the Virgin, painted by Luca Giordano in 1698, is a masterpiece.

5. She is a sky goddess

When Mary was physically exalted into heaven, no bodily relics were left behind for us to venerate. Despite the presence of breast milk, tears, hair and nail clippings, the majority of her relics were of a “second order” nature, including clothing, jewelry, veils, and shoes. In the lack of her skeletal remains, her worshippers had to make do with visions — in Lourdes, Guadalupe, Fatima, Medjugorje, and other pilgrimage destinations. Her pilgrimage sites, like those of the other saints, were places where she might be summoned in order to beseech God to grant the requests of her followers.

In popular devotion, she was depicted as a sky deity who constantly wore blue clothing.

She was the goddess of the moon and the star of the sea, and she was worshipped as such.

The Historical Mary

What do we truly know about the lady we refer to as the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church, the first of the saints and the model believer, and who is revered as such? Is there anything new that we may learn about Mary through modern Scripture studies, archaeological investigation, and examination of the literature of the historical period? I would want to urge the reader to join me in contemplating the “historical Mary,” whose life is so intricately connected with the mystery of Jesus.

1. Brown, S.S., in The Birth of the Messiah, John P.
2. Truly Our Sister is a book written by Elizabeth A.
3. The bucolic pictures of medieval artists and the peaceful rhapsodies of medieval musicians and poets are a far cry from the environment that they recreate.
4. Almost certainly, she was born at Nazareth, a little Galilean village of around 1,600 inhabitants, during the reign of Herod the Great, a brutal puppet-king who was backed up by Roman military power.
5. (See John 1:46.) There are no references to it in either the Hebrew Scriptures or the Talmud.
6. In the synagogue, she heard Latin as it fell from the lips of Roman troops, Greek as it was used in business and intellectual circles, and Hebrew as the Torah was read aloud.
7. This segment, which accounted for 90 percent of the population, was responsible for sustaining the state as well as the small privileged elite that existed at the time.

A lower median income was earned by artisans, who accounted for around 5% of the population and earned even less than those who worked on the land full time.

To imagine the Holy Family as a small group of three people living in a quiet, monastic-like carpenter’s shop is a far-fetched fantasy, to say the least.

In Mary’s day, she most likely spent 10 hours a day on domestic activities such as fetching water from a local well or stream, gathering wood for the fire, preparing meals, and cleaning utensils and clothes, just like women in many areas of the globe today.

According to Mark’s Gospel, Jesus is described as “the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters among us?” (Mark 1:15).

What if Jesus’ “brothers and sisters” were actually the offspring of Jesus’ aunt (see John 19:25), and hence cousins?

Despite the fact that we do not know their exact relationship to Jesus and Mary, it is likely that they all resided in close proximity to one another within the same complex.

In ancient Palestine, women were often married around the age of 13 in order to increase childbirth and ensure their virginity.

A feeding trough functioned as his cradle, much as destitute refugees nowadays utilize cardboard boxes and other improvised objects as makeshift beds for newborn newborns fleeing war and persecution.

Her physical fitness in youth and into her later years is likely to have been excellent, given her ability to walk the hill country of Judea while pregnant, to give birth in a stable, to make the four- to five-day journey on foot to Jerusalem once or twice a year, to sleep in the open country with other pilgrims and to perform daily hard labor at her home.

• In any case, whether she was beautiful or not, she would have had characteristics similar to those found in Jewish and Palestinian women today, most likely with darker hair and darker eyes.
• The oral tradition predominated in the culture, with public readings of the Scriptures, the telling of stories, the recital of poetry, and the singing of songs all taking place.
• One can fairly inquire as to whether she maintained a kosher kitchen.
• Jesus’ public career appears to have begun before her husband, Joseph, died, according to tradition.
• Her separation from Jesus when he walked out to preach was, without a doubt, an agonizing experience for her.
• She was probably close to 50 years old at the time, which was significantly older than the average death age for women in that era.
• It is said in the Gospel of Luke that she was there in Jerusalem’s upper room with the 11 remaining apostles “who committed themselves to prayer, together with the women.and with his brothers” (Acts 1:14).

After the Feast of the Transfiguration, Mary vanishes from historical memory.

As Elizabeth Johnson points out, an active mind is quickly captivated by the following questions: She shared memories, hopes, and tactics with the men and women of the new, Spirit-filled Jerusalem community.

Did she die quietly in Jerusalem as an elderly lady, honored as the mother of the Messiah?

Was she a reserved or assertive person?

Did she share her thoughts on the admission of Gentiles in the church?

It would appear that she died as a member of the Jerusalem group, while a later narrative depicts her as traveling to Ephesus with the apostle John and other members of the Jerusalem society.

There are three main causes behind this.

While the lovely Madonnas represented by medieval artists have an enticing charm to them, this first-century Jewish lady living in a peasant community was far more like the millions of women who live now than the ladies shown in those exquisite paintings of the period.

Her day-to-day life and work were difficult.

Mary’s tragic existence was mostly undocumented, as was the case with the great majority of individuals throughout history.

However, even though the church has traditionally emphasized martyrdom, asceticism, renunciation of family and worldly possessions, or lifelong dedication to the poor when canonizing saints, we are increasingly realizing that holiness is primarily comprised of persevering fidelity in the midst of everyday life, rather than a life of sacrifice.

• She sought for the word of God in people and circumstances, listened to that word, considered it, and then acted on it, as she had done previously.
• She was on a “pilgrimage of faith” from day to day, to borrow the words of Pope John Paul II.
• Third, we now identify Mary’s Magnificat as a powerful freedom anthem for the oppressed and downtrodden.
• God is her sole hope, and she exudes enthusiastic confidence as she sings the praises of the Almighty.
• Galilee was the cradle of revolts against a harsh occupying force and its taxes in the first century, and it continues to be so today.

In her community, Mary believed that God has the ability to turn the world upside down; that those who are last are first and those who are first are last; that the humble are exalted and those who are humbled are exalted; that those who save their lives lose them, and those who lose their lives save them; that those who mourn will rejoice, and those who laugh will cry; that the mighty are cast down from their thrones, and the lowly are lifted up; and that those who mourn will rejoice, and In her and their minds, God’s kingdom is a place where the poor come first, and where prostitutes, publicans, and other outcasts of society are welcomed at the table of the Lord.

The historical Mary had to deal with poverty, oppression, brutality, and the killing of her son, among other things.

She acknowledges her “lowly station” in the presence of the omnipotent God.

She is nothing more than God’s “maidservant.” She, on the other hand, believes that for God, nothing is impossible.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian and martyr who was killed by the Nazis in 1933, said the following in a sermon delivered during Advent 1933: The song of Mary is the oldest Advent hymn still in use today.

She is the Mary who speaks out here.

As a result, it is an ominous song about falling thrones and humiliated kings of this world, about the strength of God and the impotence of men, a harsh, forceful and inexorable song.

May it serve as a testament to God’s majesty as well as a prophetic of a world to come.

My soul extols the majesty of the Lord, and my spirit exults in the salvation provided by God.

It is the Mighty One who has done great things for me, and his name is blessed.

He has demonstrated strength with his arm and scattered those who were haughty in thought and heart.

He has filled the hungry with good things, and he has sent the wealthy away empty-handed.

Luke 1:46-55 (KJV) Robert P.

Former Superior General of the Congregation of the Mission Robert P. Maloney, C.M., lives in Washington, D.C., where he serves as project supervisor for a joint initiative of the Community of Sant’Egidio and the Daughters of Charity to battle AIDS in Africa.

Mary – Mother of Jesus

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MaryMother of Jesus By Patricia ChadwickMary, the mother of Jesus, is the best-knownfemale character in the Bible. We are firstintroduced to Mary when her name appears in thegenealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthewwhere she is referred to as the wife of Joseph.Though her first mention is in this context, shesoon became known as a godly young woman who Godchose to carry his Son to term. Mary was themother of Jesus Christ.Historically, little is known about Mary. It istold to us that Mary was a peasant woman fromthe tribe of Judah, and in the line of KingDavid. She became the wife of Joseph, son ofHeli (Luke 2:7). It is never mentioned whoMary’s parents were, but based on the knowledgeof Mary’s character found in the Scriptures, itis believed that she came from a godly home ofdevout Jews. In the time period that Mary lived,girls were not always trained in the HolyScriptures, but were trained mainly to run thehome. But Mary evidently had a been trained inthe Scriptures.As seen by her praise of God in her “Magnificat”in Luke 1:47-55, Mary was well-versed in theScriptures and had hidden portions of it in herheart.Mary was engaged to Joseph and in that era theengagement, or betrothal, was binding and couldonly be dissolved by a legal divorce. Thisengagement was signed by an official and came atleast a year before the marriage took place. Itis believed that Mary was quite young when shemarried. Most Israelite boys at that timemarried in their late teens, but women wed evenearlier. According to The Handbook of Life inBible Times, by J.A. Thompson, rabbis had setthe minimum age for marriage at 12 for girls.Mary was likely a young adolescent.Though she was young, and probably poor, Maryhad something priceless inside: she was a womanof faith who loved God deeply, having an obedient spirit. Have you everwondered what kind of woman God would choose tocarry His Son? She was chosen to love andnurture Him as her firstborn and raise Him inthe knowledge of God.* Mary was a chaste virgin. In Isaiah 7:14, theprophet Isaiah stated that the Messiah (God’sSon) would be born of a virgin. Mary fit thebill. She was a young, unmarried woman; pure andgodly.* Mary was a humble woman. Mary was a small-towngirl from the insignificant village of Nazareth.Though she was of nobility, being in the line ofKing David, the family had lost all its statusbecause of the years of Israel’s captivity andyears of foreign domination. No, Mary was apeasant girl, not a princess.* Mary was an obedient follower. God does notlook at outward appearances, but always looks atthe heart (1 Samuel 16:7). When God looked atMary He saw an obedient woman who would liveaccording to His will, just like her ancestor,David (Acts 13:22) * Mary was a faithful Jew. Marywas of the tribe of Judah and the line of David.She worshipped the one true God and she knew theHoly Scriptures.After the birth of Jesus, many curious eventsoccurred. The shepherds, who were out in thefields tending their sheep, had seen angels whotold them that their Savior had just been bornand that they should go find the Child inBethlehem. They found Him and they worshiped.Later, wise men from the East came to Bethlehemto honor the Child, whose “star was seen in theEast (Matthew 2:2). They found Him, and theyworshiped. Mary just took it all in and shepondered these things in her heart (Luke 2:19).She was given a great responsibility, yes. Butshe was also given a tremendous gift.Mary’s service to God did not end that firstChristmas when Jesus was born. Mary motheredJesus for the thirty years that he lived withher their poor Nazareth home. From childhood tomanhood, Mary loved and nurtured Jesus as hegrew into manhood. She did all the things adevoted mother did for the son she new was noordinary man. Mary could not surround her Sonwith wealth. The family was so poor that whenshe went to the Temple to present Him to theLord, she could only offer a pair pigeons – theoffering of the very poor. She could notintroduce Him to the culture of the day. Beingpoor and enduring a forced exile in Egypt(Matthew 2:13-15) Mary and Joseph had littleeducation to pass on to the young Jesus. ButMary had so much to give Jesus. She gave himgifts of infinite more value than secular andmaterial advantages.* She gave Him birth.* She, along with Joseph, gave him a home.* She cultivated in the home a purity of heart,obedience, and love.Mary was a woman who was blessed by God. Thoughshe seemingly had nothing to offer, she waschosen by God himself to be a part of His planof redemption of mankind. She was young, poor,and unknown. She had never been a mother, shepossessed no wealth or family inheritance, andshe boasted no fame or social status. Yet shehas been honored throughout all history for herfaithful obedience to God.Excerpt from Old Fashioned Holidays fromHistory’s Women written by Patricia Chadwick. Itis available in both print and ebook formats atStop by and pick up yourcopy today.