The truth about Mary
A central figure in the story of Jesus is his mother Mary. Her story begins when she is visited by the Archangel Gabriel, who informs her of God's wish that she should give birth to a son. She agrees to this and by some miracle, although she is still a virgin, becomes pregnant. The story goes on with her hasty marriage to Joseph, a much older man, to save her from the scandal of having a child out of wedlock. She gives birth in the stable at Bethlehem and then the little family flee to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod. There are a few other details about her life after Jesus reaches manhood, culminating with her standing at the foot of the cross as her miracle 'baby' is crucified. It is a heart-breaking story and one familiar to all Christians. However, in Catholicism and also the Eastern Churches, Mary has a much larger place in the the liturgy and artistic symbolism than is true of reformed churches, where she is just another saint. Why is this? Why is Mary, as mother, so predominant in church art? Is there a hidden message that we are not being told? In this video we examine these questions in detail and come to some surprising conclusions.
06/01/22